WildWorks' Poppy Fields

I wanted to talk about this topic in my journal because writing down my thoughts helps me pick apart my opinions. A few weeks ago I saw that WildWorks are planning a production in Cornwall to commemorate the Centenary of WW1, and that they are going to plant a poppy field for a real-life backdrop. Somehow this encapsulates everything that is interesting to me, with regards to immersive theatre, installation and the relationship between art and life. The more I think about it the more the idea captivates me.

The poppy planting really caught my imagination initially because of how it will make the experience so real; I love the idea that the audience is able to be swept along in the event, and that suspension of the imagination which is demanded my conventional theatre productions will be removed, a real life experience in a natural environment. I think there is an enormous overlap between theatre and installation art, but this immersive format merges these concepts together so that they are one.

The use of the landscape is another thing which fascinates me about the proposal. This ties in to land art and site specificity, tailoring the performance to the site, and the site to the performance. It is my belief that art and life are intrinsic to each other, influencing and responding to one another simultaneously. It makes sense to me that art should be made outside the gallery in ordinary settings and in the context of our ordinary existence, and this applies to theatre too.

I have also been thinking about how beautiful and powerful the use of real poppies is as a way to commemorate both the war, and the production. When researching site specific art last year, I read how Antony Gormley considers his work to grow with the site that it is in; not only does the work develop with the environment, through changing light, through ageing and weathering, the art changes the place, it leaves a memory in the people who have seen it and it makes people re-evaluate that environment. Although the field probably will not differ from any other poppy field, it is the legacy of the event that gives it a powerful significance that will last for years to come.