Workshops and Events

Open Days to watch the build

Wednesday 31st July, Saturday 3rd August & the week of 6th - 11th August.

10:00am - 5:00pm

Come and see The Templum arise whilst our team are busy at work. Our Open Days are a unique opportunity to have a sneak peak of the build during its early stages. During our final build week, 6th - 11th August, the installation will be open to wander as we add some finishing touches. The exhibition opens on the 13th August until 22nd September. Come experience the behind-the-scenes process and watch the space transform…

Artist Talks with Kate Howe

16th & 30th August, 6th & 13th September

From 2:00pm

Howe will give a talk on their wider practice. They will share how they came to work with the waxed kraft paper which 'the Templum' is made out of, and how research shapes their practice. They will also explain how 'the Templum' relates to their upcoming Ph.D. research. This research is on the socialisation of violence against women. Howe will give an hour's long talk and will take questions after. Howe's creative partner, Sally Minns, will moderate the Q and A. Minns directs the experimental exhibition space RuptureXIBIT in Hampton Wick. Minns and Howe run RuptureXIBIT from their working art studio.

Kirtan Performance

Saturday 17th August

3:00pm

'The Templum' is a place to lay down bias and come together. We are honoured to have the musical group 'Atmasfera' perform in 'the Templum'. The brilliant twin sisters are refugees from Ukraine who bring the beauty of Kirtan to our community. Kirtan is an ancient practice of call and response singing which originated in ancient Hindu communities. Derived from a Sanskrit root meaning to call, recite, praise, or glorify, kirtan brings us closer to a sense of Divinity. Kirtan in 'the Templum' allows us to seek and feel a sensation of Divinity without exclusion of any one particular belief system.

Kate says: “One of the most joyful experiences I've had in my life was my first exposure to Kirtan at a small university called Samahita in Thailand. Our aim in bringing Kirtan to the Templum is to share surprising, freeing, nonjudgmental activities which help us feel a sense of openness, perhaps even a sensation of Divinity, whatever that means for each individual person."

The audience is welcome to flow through the space as they choose. This event is ticketed, but there will be extra tickets available on the day.

Expanding your Practice Workshop

Wednesday 21st August

10:00am - 1:00pm

Switch off, sink down, journey in. We will talk briefly about meditation and relaxation. Also, about what nourishes us and what depletes us. We will take a short walk and learn a simple meditation to help us feel present in our bodies at this moment. We will then enter the Templum. Howe will guide us into deep, whole-body relaxation and journeying.

Please be prepared to lie on the floor both inside and out. If you have a yoga mat, please bring it with you.

Deep Body Relaxation

Saturday 24th August

10:30am - 12:00pm

In this workshop, Howe will introduce easy, practical meditation techniques. These practices can help us find a bit of mental relief - a bit of wiggle room - every day. We will walk and sit in ‘the Templum’, and walk and lay down outside as well. Howe studied Vipassana meditation while living in Mysore, India. In 2014, Howe was named Tenzin Wangmo (which means Fierce Defender of the Dharma) by HE 104th Gaden Tri Rinpoche Jetsun Geshe Lobsang Tenzin.

Meditation Walk with Kate

Saturday 31st August

10:00am - 1:00pm

In this workshop, Howe will introduce easy, practical meditation techniques. They can help us find a bit of mental relief - a bit of wiggle room - every day. We will walk and sit in the Templum, be prepared to walk and lay down outside as well.

Live Soundscape Concert

Saturday 7th September

5:00pm - 7:00pm

Nick Parkin kicks off a huge week of contemplative sound and movement-based events with a live concert event. Come, wander and experience the Templum as the light shifts in the evening hours as he plays, and experience the space through his sound, or watch him work.

Kate says: “It is a huge honour to have Nick perform in the space, as an internationally celebrated and award-winning composer of sound and movement-based pieces, the opportunity to sit with him and watch him respond to the space and the audience in real time is thrilling.”

Butoh Performances

Sunday 8th September, 12:00pm, 2:30pm and 4:00pm

Saturday 14th September, 2:30pm, 4:00pm and 5:30pm

Internationally renowned choreographer Marie-Gabrielle Rotie brings Butoh dance to ‘the Templum’. Butoh was founded by Tatsumi Hijikata and Kazuo Ohno in late 1950s Japan. Translated from Japanese, “butoh” means “dance step”. Like kabuki and noh, butoh is distinctly Japanese in terms of origin, but it breaks from the more traditional forms by using grotesque imagery and environments to explore taboo topics, or give language to that which is unspeakable.

Soundscape artist Nick Parkin will accompany Marie-Gabreille Rotie and Yumina Seki in a newly commissioned live dance.

Kate says, "It is incredibly exciting to have Marie-Gabrielle Rotie and Yumina Seki dancing in the space. These are two of the most accomplished Butoh dancers working today, and it s a rare treat to get to see Marie-Gabrielle perform live."

90 Minute Reading by Kate Howe

Thursday 12th September

10:30am

Kate will hold an intimate 90-minute reading. The texts relate to their subject: the socialization of violence against women. This may include poetry, spoken-word, and short or long stories. It can also include philosophical poetics, fragments, and surprises.

Finissage

Saturday 14th September

5:00pm - 7:00pm

Come experience the Templum after hours in a celebration of the project. We will begin with Kate Howe giving a short talk about the project. After that, watch Marie-Gabreille Rotie and Yumino Seki perform Butoh dance to live soundscapes performed by Nick Parkin. Lastly, we will participate in a social performance all together. Drinks to follow.

All of these events and workshops will be available to RSVP on the Orleans House Gallery website very soon, please check back for updated links, we look forward to seeing you there…