About
Please Return to Your Seats was a durational project consisting of live performance, video works and on-site components. We occupied the interior and exterior of Attenborough Centre for the Creative Arts from 7:30am on the 2nd of December until 9:00pm on the 4th of December. Audiences were invited to (virtually and physically) experience the space – morning, noon or night – and to watch our acts of care live throughout the day. Spectators were encouraged to visit as many times as they liked throughout the performance.
Audiences joined us online as we staged fragments of past performances in the auditorium. Here, we watched as the Arts Centre remembered and misremembered its history of performance.
Meanwhile, over the three days we released a series of nine videos exploring some of the stories of the Arts Centre. These are still available for viewing, under 'Stories of the Building'.
Throughout the duration of the project, acts of care and ritual performance were visible from the exterior of ACCA, whilst glimpses appeared online. Audiences joined us as we interacted with natural and architectural materials, attempting to witness the performance of an empty building.
The Programme
Stories of The Building
Video episodes were released at these times listed below, and are all now available to watch.
For the best viewing experience, we recommend using headphones.
Wednesday 2nd December
Thursday 3rd December
Friday 4th December
10am
The Centre is not Just the Building
2pm
The (Never) Empty Space
6pm
All Attempts are Imperfect
And Then You Asked About Shows
Did That Happen?
Put the Place to Bed
Please Think About This Very Carefully
Drive-in Theatre
Running Out of Time
Witnessing the Building
Here, we took some time to witness ACCA in its current state of suspension. Audiences were invited to join us as we explored the interior and exterior space, attempting to draw attention to the ways in which the building performs through a blend of on-site performances and digital livestream.