James King, Eamonn and Friends

Today Ilya, Lihi and I danced together - and apart in the streets. We devised an open movement score, and first tried it out in the library where we had met. We stood ten or twelve feet apart in the downstairs area, in between the bookshelves but visible to each other. The score was that we would each move in respoinse to our inner impulses and the surroundings, but if one of us stopped moving then we would all stop, freeze for a moment - notwithstanding the central heating - and walk towards each other, coming together in a tight, though totally sober group, before spreading out into a different formation. Interestingly nobody in the library seemed to be paying any attention to us. (Later in the day we experimented with doing identical movements at a distance as well as stopping and starting together.)

Having established the basic form we tried it out in a variety of outdoor locations. Fortunately the earlier, persistant rain obligingly stopped for us, for which we were greatly obliged, not to say grateful - so I won't say grateful. I, in particular, was really glad for although we had anticipated working indoors in some of the shopping complexes I much prefer the free atmosphere of the open air.

We performed, played and danced on the walls adjacent to Foyle Street; this, although a useful "rehearsal" spot being rather quiet we went to Waterloo Place. Here we stood at at a substantial distance apart. I was secure in the knowledge that Lihi and Ilya were in sight, and also a little vulnerable because I was so far away that I imagined - to passers by who observed only me and not them - I would appear a little strange : standing "on my own" making wierd movements.

We eventually moved to the pedestrianised part of Strand Road. Here we had an extended encounter with some young lads. In response to their inquiries I said that we were pursuing and expressing freedom , and so we chorused in a spontaneous chant some of the things we were seeking freedom from. eg. : freedom from habits, social constraints, Xmas, taboos, conformity, prejudice, God , priests, tradition etc. The young ones joined in with their own suggestions among which I was pleased to note, "Freedom from homophobia."

We moved back towards Waterloo Place with a modified score ( the rockers weren't our style). The rule was that we would move along together with identical movements until any person spotted, acned or measled an opportunity for creative play. At that point the other two would join in in support, complementing or contrasting the initiator. Moving along in unison (Hands up who knows which union that is - here's a clue: it used to be NUPE) we soon to two sets of bench seats. These were back to back and constructed from sheets of perforated black metal - like a huge flattened out sieve. Without waiting for any one person to take the initiative we descended upon this seat like seals previously restrained by zoo-keepers in a cage, into a pond. Soon we were joined by some courageous young peoplke in our playful explorations.

These explorations included: walking along the middle spine of the seats tight-rope fashion; lying atop the spine face down and face up; forming statuesque poses and moving sculptures in relation to the seat. Our next location was the non-functioning fountain in the centre of Waterloo Place,(the fountain already having met its Waterloo!). The fountain was was surrounded by a square marble wall.

The tall inner pedestal and squat pillar was easily scaled and offered pleasurable climbing opportunities. Alighting on top of the wall surround we danced slowly in response to each other. Lihi jumped down into the well of the fountain and retrieved a plastic toy. Someone said, "Its mine!" We immediately started to chorous these words while pointing at items people were carrying. Some young ones eating their carry-out meals backed away nervously as we spotted their food.

Eventually we moved up Waterloo Street together. We spontaneously reached towards the sky, our hands raised in the direction of slow moving low, grey clouds floating beneath seemingly immobile white ones. Making a shift of perspective we pointed together at items along the the pavement in the near distance ( eg. leaves, crisp bags, paper) and moved purposely towards them. having reached an item, the three of us would surround it, pointing menancingly towards it before moving off in search of another prey. Eventually we happened upon a blue, plastic bag, which Lhi lifted up and carried back down the hill. It ballooned open. I assisted her in carrying the bag and Ilyea walked along underneath, supporting it with his head. Then we stretched the bag, using it as handcuffs linking our wrists together. I recommend linking prisoners together in threes as a policing device in the highly unlikely, to put it mildly, event of a handcuff manufacturer ever reading this - ( in fact the chances of a handcuff manufacturer ever reading this are about the same as the chances of Tony Blair becoming a socialist) - because it makes mobility very awkward. However, we managed to proceed until we found ourselves at the emigrant statues. "At last i have found myself", I cried in harmony - after all these fruitless years of searching throughout county Antrim, Namibia, Hong kong, Nigeria and the boot of the old Ford cortina I used to drive swaying perilously along the narrow, twisting huck-a-bucking roads behind Ballycarry. Here at last I have found myself face to face with the bronze face of theyouth taking a final look back before turning his steps towards the Liverpool famine ship." So in token of this momentous moment I took the plastic bag and converted it into a scarf for the young icon.