One aspect of Site-specific that I enjoy looking at is the idea that anywhere and everywhere you go has a history, a lineage. Whether good or bad every site has a past. I find it amazing to think that when we perform of pieces we will be adding to those long and full histories. My interest in this concept increased even further after I read Etchell’s ‘Eight Fragment’s on Theatre and City. Etchell also talks about the history of a place, but he has a particular focus that I was personally responsive to; Folk Tales.

I have always enjoyed learning about myths and legends and Etchell made me rethink them all. How do they come about? Are they created? Are they indeed based upon real events and people? Etchell created a folk story about a man that keeps the city safe; “People say he used to be an architect and now he’s a powerful magician who has slipped through the cracks in the welfare system.” Etchell created a legend, a tale, which I responded to. It made me realise the power that historical stories and the contortion of those stories can have upon a place. For example in Nottingham they have made the folk tale of Robin Hood a key part of their county and their heritage, they proudly associate themselves with the tale, perhaps to feel even closer to history, to their past.

This is an idea that I want to incorporate into my groups performance. We are walking around the site with QR codes on our t-shirts for people to scan. The idea is to temporarily take them out of the city atmosphere, so the content will be in complete contrast to the city, but, also linked to its history. We are having a theme of nostalgia, some codes will link to a place that reminds us of something personal, some will link to the history of the site. This is why I want one of my QR codes to include a link to a folk tale or legend that originates from Lincoln. And if one does not exist I want to create one of my own. That would be an extraordinary experience, as I would not only be adding to the history of the site but also creating history for the site.

Etchell, T. (1999) Certain Fragments. Eight Fragments on Theatre and City. London: Routledge.