The body is often used as a political device which immediately draws attention to gender politics even if this

relation is not the performers intention. Female performance artists, such as Carolee Schneeman, draw
attention to the female structure and often bring feminist objectification into debate. Franclibine argues
what most women expose in the field of art...is just the opposite of a
denial of woman as object in as much as the object of desire is precisely
the womans own body (Franclibine: quoted in Warr & Jones:2000:253)
Therefore female artists are attempting to subvert there objectified status using the main attraction of the
male gaze, the female body. Body artists such as Schneeman use the explicit body within performance as a
way of destabilizing phallogocentric society, which is more dominant within westernized culture.
Phallogocentric, a term coined by Helene Cixous to describe societys dominant language as central to the
phallus. Body artist Schneeman uses grotesque imagery to claim her own body and highlight the
misrepresentation of the female body. Her exterior body is an attempt to form a female language which is not
centered on stereotypical representations forced by patriarchy, she is writing the body (Cixous: 1977),
asserting her femininity through display of her explicit body. Schneemans performances were often labelled
self indulgent, exhibitionism, intended only to stimulate men (Schneeman 1990:25: quoted in Schneider:
1997: 34). I aim to interrogate this by analysing cutting practise, in performance, as an unnatural form
which attempts to challenge societys classification system. When the skin boundary is broken the female
body is fully viewable, interior and exterior. This essay draws particular focus on the skin as a material of
female performance, proposing cutting practice as a performance form which literally interprets Helene
Cixous notions on writing the body. Females further enhance their rejection of phallus centric language
and objectification by using scarification to contribute towards performance. Additionally drawing on notions
of Queer Theory and considering the act of scarification as a performative action, which projects gender
onto the exterior therefore challenging hetero-normativity. Proposing association to the seeping wounds and
the female menstrual cycle which is analyzed through performances by Kiera OReilly in particular Untitled
Action for Bombshelter (2003) and My Mother (2003). Contributing analysis of male performances of a

similar nature, such as Ron Atheys Excerpts From Four Scenes in a Harsh Life (1994) because they have
similar connotations, in regards to expressing the other and queering their space. Furthermore, throughout
the essay, highlighting the skins materiality as a document, palimpsest, container, canvas and language and
how this contributes the reading of performance.

Bodies are inscribed with societies laws, these reflect culture, the expected behavior, dress codes but more
importantly, for the purpose of this essay gender.
There is no law that is not inscribed on bodiesit engraves itself on
parchment made from the skin of its subjects. (Certeau: quoted in
Ireland:1998)
Within these laws, which have been developed within a patriarchal culture, females are represented in
coherence with how society expects them to be. Michael de Certeau (1984) links bodily inscription to body
politics, he places particular emphasis on discourse and draws parallels between the skin and parchment.
This suggests the scars act as a literal documentation reflecting certain laws in regards to expectations in
society. This is a form of documentation which can never exactly be re-represented. I aim to consider a poststructuralist line of enquiry in order to analyse scarification acts concerned with the body. Post-structuralist
thought aims to destabilise binary opposites such as male and female as does Foucaults notion of Queer
Theory. The destabilising of binary opposites forms a Binary Terrorism (Patraka:1992 Quoted in
Schneider:1997:13), challenging the patriarchal classification system in which males occupy the dominant
position. This position is highlighted by Descartes (1637) who considered the male as the mind and the
female as the body. The male gaze highlights males power, as the mind, to objectify and look upon the
female body. Therefore the body is a suitable form of expression, in order to challenge Descartes views as it
is considered alongside the female form. However because it is the object of the male gaze, artists have
adopted other notions, which can portray a range of sexual orientations. The term queer demonstrates a
range of sexual orientations such as hermaphrodites, lesbians, gays and drag artists as well as people

involved in sub-cultural practices such as S/M. Foucault, in defining queer theory, attempts to find a body
prior to social inscription, highlighting the affect societies laws have on the exterior. Gender indifference
therefore is only defined by societys construction of it, which affords only room for male and female
distinctions. Foucault began challenging gender and sexual indifference, considering others such as
Hermaphrodites, transsexual post-op, transsexual pre-op, homosexuals and drag. Developing Foucaults
notions, Butler (1990) argues that the body is without gender, and it is the performative acts repeated on a
daily basis which signify a gender to its audience. the skin, is systemically signified by taboos and
anticipated transgressions (Douglas: Quoted in Butler: 1990: 179)

The performative act of scarification therefore represents a sex which is outside hetero-normality. The
wounds propose association to the vagina, as another orifice is created. Like a vagina, the wound provides
abjection, a binary terrorism in terms of the interior and exterior. The blood seeping from the wound has
similar connotations to the menstrual cycle which provides a similar image. Females can use this in
performance to highlight there indifference and contest the social taboos regarding the female sex within
society. However my research has been problematised by male performance artists who also use cutting
practice as an integral part of their performance. The permeability of the skin suggests the breaking of
boundaries which can also be referred to homosexuality. Homosexual practices open up new surfaces and
challenge binaries in regards to sexual acts which are considered out of the hetero-normative; as does the act
of scarification. The creation of a new orifice opens up possibilities to other sexual orientations considered
outside the realms of what is expected in order to conform to the patriarchal norm, opposing the heteronormality which stresses male/ female relations. Furthermore Butler argues that homosexuals are considered
by homophobic societies as uncivilized and unnatural. This phrasing reflects the act of scarification which
is also considered an unnatural practice, as it is threatening the natural structure. Interestingly my research
has discovered male performance artists who wound, in performance, are mainly homosexual (Gunter Brus,

Franko B, Ron Athey, Keira OReilly, Mary Coble). This discovery suggests the use of cut practice as a
projection of otherness. The characteristics of male patriarchy which consider unity, linearity and closure
are challenged when the skin is marked. Thus when the skin is marked the other, be it anyone who is not a
westernized, white, heterosexual male comes into focus. However my argument is further problematised by
the healing process. The incision will eventually heal over therefore erasing this performative queer action
suggesting that the wound too eventually conforms to the patriarchal society. The scar is left as a mnemonic
reminder but the opening ceases to exist after a particular amount of time.

I would also like to consider cutting practice within performance in coherence with Helene Cixous notions on
Writing the body. The incision marks a rejection of phallogocentric language and representation
deconstructing the body marked by patriarchy and projecting personalized performative gender. Cixous
encourages feminist expression through exploration of the body. Female performance artists are encouraged
to reclaim[s] the female body from its patriarchal textualization through writing the body (Forte: 1988:
225). Therefore females are claiming there body from the patriarchal discourse it is represented through.
Cixous notions can also be projected onto queer artists who are also highlighting their sexual and gender
indifferences. Female and queer artists are reclaiming their bodies from social inscription through
scarification to reject the patriarchal language which is forced upon their exterior by a patriarchal society.
This is a true expression which can not be re-represented in a true phenomenological sense. Females are
deemed as other within westernized society as the white male dominates women are not permitted or even
conceived of as having or owning their own desire (Forte:1988:225). Therefore the act of scarification
represents female desire as an attempt to erase patriarchal representation.

Female desire is often considered within body art practices. Rising in the 1970s, body art provided
performers with a platform upon which they could portray themselves autobiographically, often displaying

large amounts of flesh in the process. This therefore challenged patriarchy as it places women in a speaking
position in which she could highlight her own oppression.
Performance is about the real-life presence of the artist. She takes on no roles but her own.
She is author, subject, activator, director, and designer. When a woman speaks within the
performance tradition, she is understood to be conveying her own perceptions, her own
fantasies, and her own analyses (Elwes: 1985 Quoted in Forte: 1988: 224)
Performance became a suitable form of female expression at a time when feminist theory was rife; it was
believed that the female body had to be seen as naked in order for it to be considered within the realms of
artistic practice. As performance art developed performers began experimenting with the boundaries of the
skin. The skin is a material of the body, which when cut in performance constitutes an extra depth to the
performer. The wound allows further insight concerning the interior identity of the artist, delving into the
layered structure to reveal privacy and eroticism not evident on the exterior. Performances of a similar nature
can be traced back to the 16th century in which anatomy lessons were performed in a round with music.
These acts were essentially performed by males at a time when there was little feminist expression.
Spectators could pay to watch these medicinal practices which involved the opening up of skin. The skin acts
as a boundary which once broken provides a doorway. In relation to the queering of the space

The rites of passage that govern various bodily orifices

presuppose a heterosexual construction of gendered exchange,
positions and erotic possibilities. (Butler: 1990: 181)
This breaking of boundaries destabilizes the norm (male/female sexual relations) bringing into focus other
gender exchanges (male/male, female/female). Wounds provide abjection of the body, where the interior also
becomes the exterior. Hal Foster (1996) refers to the abject body as crucial as it is to the construction of
subjectivity, racist, homophobic and otherwise. (pp 153) Therefore the incision in the skin marks a new
bodily orifice, which considers cultures outside hetero-normality. The exterior body is not empirical but is
symbolic therefore is suitable for shaping social imagery. Michael Leiris, a surrealist painter, depicted

wounds within his works as he believed one could access a blind-spot like a portal to the real (Quoted in
Schneider: 2007: 46) A doorway or portal suggests a crossing of a threshold entering into a liminal phase
(Turner: 1974). The liminal phase is entered once the incision is made; this then continues to follow a healing
process. The liminal state is exited when the wound is healed and the scar remains as a mnemonic reminder.
Liminality has strong resonance within Queer Theory and the performativity of gender. Liminality suggests
a becoming from one state to another similarly Queer Theory considers the becoming of gender through
repetitive performative acts. Furthermore wounding the skin is said to stand for a variety of people who do
not conform to the patriarchal norm. The key classification system within this norm is the sex (vagina/ penis).
The sex is considered the signifier of gender within patriarchal society. The pairing of male and female is
considered the norm in order to achieve societys expectations of reproduction. By metaphorically instating
connotations to the vagina through the act of wounding, artists are further challenging the patriarchal
inscription of the body, by projecting opposing views onto something that was initially marked by the
dominant male.

Orlans performance piece The Head of Medusa (1978) concerns a literal display of the female vagina
whilst menstruating. This type of performance displays the vagina without metaphor, the literal display of
female sex in relation to the mythical monster Medusa. Orlan aims to challenge female representation and
the taboo surrounding the menstrual cycle, the devil took flight when the woman showed him her vulva
(Freud:1922 Quoted in Ince: 2000: 71). Orlan attempts to state her femininity in opposition to the desired
phallus, which is the key signifier of dominance within society. However literal displays are no longer
needed as sex is being displayed in other metaphorical contexts such as cut practice which as I have said
before connotes a bleeding female vagina.
The artists who started to unfold there bodies in public
aimed at peeling off the sedimented layers of signification
with which the body, their body, was historically and culturally

created (Pejic: 1998 Quoted in Berghaus: 2005: 134)

This practice is a better form as it still connotes female sex however with less room for objectification as
there is less of the female body (object of desire) on show. The instrument used to make the incision could be
considered as a representation of a phallic symbol. Therefore in terms of cutting practice suggesting a sexual
experience in which the phallus (instrument used for cutting) causes the vagina to bleed, such as rape or the
loss of virginity.

Focusing on Regina Jose Galindos performance Perra (bitch) (2005) in which she sat on a chair and
carved the word Perra (bitch) into her thigh. The carving was in response to the murder and torture of
female Guatemalan prostitutes who were found with words alike on their bodies. The females had possibly
been raped therefore the incisions Galindo makes into her skin further connote this sexual significance.
Significantly Mary Coble in Note to self (2005) had the names of victims who had been subject to gay,
lesbian, bisexual and transgender hate crimes tattooed onto her body with no ink. The constant penetration of
the needle associates with sexual actions thus connoting the rape further. The wounds connote the vagina, the
tattooing needle a representation of phallus which continuously penetrates the skin. Coble, throughout her
performance, is not just providing association to the female as her body more openly represents the other.
In many body performance pieces the body is proposed as a natural structure, by marking the skin this natural
structure is broken down and fragmented becoming more representative of the female form. OReilly
proposes this opening of the body suggests an alterity of otherness (Gauasch: 2002) therefore placing
herself in line with the victims whose otherness was the cause of their deaths. Victims of these gender hate
crimes were often marked in similar ways with words such as faggot and dyke therefore making Cobles
form more appropriate to the context. The pain Coble subjects herself to is in memory of the suffering, the
scars stand as a trace of this memory as do many scars in general. Coble made prints of each name as it was

etched providing another form of documentation for the piece. Her body reads somewhat like a register,
which also directly interrogates the police documentation in regards to the crimes, which was non-existent.
Cobles skin therefore acts as the documentation of these gender hate crimes. Coble argues against the
stereotypical categorizing of gender, supporting Butlers notions that gender should be continuously
reconstructed, she makes reference to other gender categories which do not fall into the binary opposites of
male and female such as homosexuals, bisexuals and drag artists. This broken binary suggests a queering of
Cobles performance which connotes a gender exchange. Her body opposes hetero-normality by challenging
the natural structure of the body, opening new orifices and suggesting the crossing of boundaries.

Scarification, since the 1960s and 70s, has often been considered alongside the gender bendering and S/M
practices which see scarification as a path to enlightenment and a transformation of self (Pitts: 2003: 96)
providing opportunity to explore other sexual orientations outside hetero-normative. Scarification is seen as a
modern primitive which heightens the erotica of the body. The skin is the organ of sensibility (Luccioni:
1983) therefore it forms more sensual experiences in regards to sexual orientations. London club Torture
Garden, brings together S/M practices and body modifications including scarification. Encouraging open
minded people to express their fetishist practices often in relation to marking the skin. This breaks the
boundaries of patriarchal classification by highlighting other orifices in relation to sexual pleasure.

Visual artist Amie Potsic embraces scars to highlight a narrative which is both erotic and playful. Through
photographic media she explores the eroticism evident within Christian iconography and scarification. It is
important to briefly mention here the religious signification related to the performances discussed. Many of
the performances incorporate Christian iconography and the bible, in which homosexuality is condemned and
debated, even recently. The scar evokes a sensual need to touch, just as Rachel Zerihan highlights the needs
to soothe the wounds in her analysis of OReillys Untitled Action for Bomb Shelter. Instead of making

her mark, as offered to her by OReilly, Zerihan opted to lay her fingers over various openings (Zerihan:
2009) in an attempt to acknowledge and heal the suffering evident. This is an interesting reaction, and
different to that of other spectators. The piece is highlighting the objective position of OReillys body,
highlighting the spectators dominance. However not all spectators feel the need to destroy the object as
Zerihan has proved within her analysis.

I would now like to discuss Keira OReillys performances further whilst analysing its relation to queer
theory. Keira OReilly, a performance artist who uses cutting practice as a medium for performance, forms
intimate relationships with her audience. Through a one on one performance form, audience members are
occasionally invited to make incisions into her skin. In a performance entitled My Mother (2003) OReilly
used self cutting practice as a representation for stories related to audience members and motherly
relationships. ODell (1998) highlights the reflection of the home life is important to performances
concerning the skin as it emphasizes the place where the skin started. Similarly Catherine Opies Self
Portrait (1993), represented within photographic documentation portrays her back, carved with a child-like
image replicating the home-life. The stick people within the image are both wearing skirts signifying a
lesbian upbringing. This replication of home life reflects the decision of classification, the upbringing of
gender. The act of scarification also proposes a masochism as a metaphor in relation to the home life. Zerihan
(2010) highlights her reception of OReillys incisions as a rare encounter, framed by a ritual that involved
her marking my verbal disclosure with a physical opening that also spilled. Perhaps the incision is a direct
relation to the female form, highlighting the process of birth due to her mothers presence. The wound stands
as a metaphorical vagina which has significance with most people as the place of creation. OReillys
practice can also be linked to hysteria. OReilly reflects her practice is aimed at highlighting medicinal
treatments practiced by males for feminine hysteria, a condition which is not recognized in modern medicine.
Treatments included the doctor manually stimulating the female vaginal area. OReilly draws focus to this

relation within her performances in which the wounding process has strong resonance with these patriarchal
practices.

OReillys performances can be seen as a form of writing the body. She makes reference to make things
about things that I didnt have words forlike language failed meor words are failing me. (Zerihan:
2010) Therefore she uses the incisions to project her own language, a language that rejects dominant
patriarchal society. The skin is (re)marked, like a text or drawing, etching a history that can be followed on
the surface of the skin, like a palimpsest. (OReilly: Quoted in Gallasch: 2002) OReillys skin therefore
represents a palimpsest-like history, writing her body in order to express her personal experiences. OReilly
is also displaying Julia Kristevas (1986) notions on le vreel (true-real), contesting patriarchal
representation, displaying the truth and reality of her female body through the materiality of the skin. When
incisions in the skin are made the scar stands as proof of the action, there is no representation involved, it is
a real action. This therefore makes the action of cutting the skin more personal particularly in a one on one
form. In Untitled Action for Bomb Shelter it is the audience who are invited to make the incision confirming
a more intimate relationship between performer and spectator. OReilly places herself in a subjective position
by inviting the audience to penetrate her skin. The subjective position normally the role dominated by the
male, the objective position more concerned with the female and the body, as the female body is often seen as
an object of desire from the male perspective. However Case highlights
Women do not have the cultural mechanisms of meaning
to construct themselves as subject rather than the object
of performance. (Case: Quoted in Goodman and deGay: 2000:61)
By inviting the audience to mark her skin OReilly is both subject and object, defying the phallogocentric
mode of representation. The mode of expression is non-linear, marking, scratching, scribbling, jotting
down. (Cixous: Quoted in Kourany, Sterba & Tong: 1992: 26) These are considered as female modes of

expression within society. Significantly Marina Abramovic and Yoko Ono have performed in similar
circumstances. Onos Cut piece (1964) invited the audience to cut clothing from her body whereas
Abramovics Rhythm 0 (1974) invited audience members to do as they wished with the 72 objects
surrounding her. These performances highlight the consequences of viewing the female object, emphasising
the passive status of women and the dominant position of the spectator. All three performances highlight the
sadistic qualities concerned with the components of look.

Orlans performances, although not entirely concerned with skin, are still important to note here. Orlan,
despite being in a position of control (as a scenographer, Orlan plans the entirety of her performance), is still
placed in a subjective position at the hands of the surgical scalpel. Through a series of plastic surgery
enhancements entitled The Reincarnation of Saint Orlan, which began in 1990, Orlan embarked on a
transformation sequence, based on paintings that attribute female beauty as an attempt to conform to the
surgical ideal, despite awareness that this surgical ideal was impossible. The remodeling of Orlans identity
places her body constantly in a liminal phase, as her transformation is never complete. Her body is constantly
placed through phases of deconstruction and reconstruction. She emphasizes her body as a commodity,
selling relics of her flesh in order to fund her performances. Orlans body becomes a factory and the flesh a
product of this. The relics sold are engraved with Michael Serres text beginning What could the common
freak, that ambidextrous, mestizo hermaphrodite, now show us beneath his skin? (OBryan: 2005: 16);
What can the common monster, tattooed, ambidextrous, hermaphrodite and cross bred show to us right now
underneath his skin (Wilson: no date) She also translates this text into as many languages as possible,
depending on how much flesh is drawn. [The] productivity of her body is being measured against the
capacity of languages to describe and represent it. (OBryan: 2005: 48) Orlan draws focus to people
considered outside the norm She is interrogating the westernized ideal through comparison, focusing on
people of other colour and also people outside the gender constructs of male and female, as well as

associating with freaks. Orlans queering of the space is highlighted here through her emphasis on the
interior, made prominent through her emphasis on the material beneath the skin. Therefore the skin is the
projection of identity. Orlans transformation can also be compared to that of a transsexual operation which
also concerns a similar journey towards a goal. However Orlan displays the ideal as a false representation
which can not be achieved. Orlan includes culture and refers to mixed genders within the sold relic and
proposes these constructions have no meaning underneath the skin. By selling parts of her female body she is
marking her female status as goods, objects of exchange. (Marks & de Courtiviron: 1981 Quoted in Ince:
2000: 140) She mimics this patriarchal construction of female in order to destabilise it.
Initial identities are formed from exterior signifiers, which relate to culture and gender.

Ron Atheys Excerpts From Four Scenes in a Harsh Life (Excerpts) (1994) involved him carving a pattern
based on African tribal ritual into his friend Darryl Carltons back (Carlton is African.) The marking of the
skin promotes a breaking free from the shackles placed upon the individual by society. (Athey: Organ Arts
Magazine: Online) Therefore Athey is emphasising his break from society and what society expects of him in
particular regards to his gender. Significantly the usage of Carltons skin as a material for performance caused
outrage as the audience believed they were at risk of becoming infected with the HIV virus, when in fact it
was only Athey who was HIV positive and not Carlton. This proved societies naivety in reflection to the gay
man at this time in society. This performance is read as masochistic and is again inscribing the culture into
the exterior. I would like to argue that the deconstruction of phallic representations is evident within this
performance. Athey is proposing association to his femininity by creating the wounds which stand as
representation for the vagina. There is a masochistic agreement between both Athey and Carlton. Athey
makes reference to a Human Printing press in his blunt description, (see Wessendorf: 1995) suggesting that
the body is formed in a machine-like manner. Further suggesting that as people we are stamped in coherence
with expectations of society (male/ female suggesting male/ female relations). The bleeding wounds on

Carltons back also stand as representation for gay sexual experiences, a boundary is broken another orifice is
penetrated.

In his performance Zereisseprobe (1970) Gunther Brus dressed in stockings and cut himself with a razor
close to the audience. This further connotes a relationship with the male body and femininity, expressing the
need for a consideration of other sexual orientations outside the realms of male and female. Highlighting his
male body but projecting a female gender through the performativity of gender signifiers such as clothing
and the marking of the skin. Therefore expressing a Queer identity outside the realms of what is considered
within the classified system of society. Like many other performances discussed within this essay the
incisions in the skin can be seen as a rite of passage, a cleansing trial that is, in the end, life affirming
(Athey:1994) The cleansing is seen as a demolishing of all of societies stamps, projected onto the body from
birth in favour of new stamps which signify interior representation unique to self.

To conclude this essay has provided me with new ways of thinking about the body and practices concerned
with it in relation to queer. Body artists that use skin as a material for performance are doing so to de-centre
dominant views on gender within society, marking themselves within the constructs of performance to
express there own laws and views within society. Scarification process is not just concerned as a female
action but an action that involves expression of other orientations outside patriarchal projections. Cixous
notions of writing the body therefore can be applied to anyone who is oppressed within society. The wound
metaphorically stands as a menstruating vagina, a representation of brutality suffered at the hands of
patriarchy, a broken boundary and another orifice. Body Art immediately draws focus to sexual indifferences
marked male and female whereas the materiality of the skin is extensive, as it can stand to represent other
sexualities which are outside the constructs of the binary opposites marked male and female. The blade and
the wound create different aesthetics which are not capable of the body. Visually the skin can be made into a

palimpsest which suggests the becoming of something and as Butler emphasises one is not born a woman but
becomes a woman. The performative act of scarification is often part of a repeated sequence or is repeated at
a later date as part of another performance as gender is constituted through daily repetitive actions this draws
similarities to the act of wounding. Therefore the act of wounding forms a binary terror which favours gender
as a performative action, considering sexualities outside of the hetero-normality. However the wound
eventually heals therefore the performative action can still be argued as a patriarchal expression, the broken
boundary forms a scar which leaves traces on the exterior.

Bibliography
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Berghaus, G (2005) Avant- Garde Performance: Live events and electronic Technologies (New York:
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Case, S (1990) Performing Feminisms: Feminist Critical Theory and Theatre. (London: John Hopkins press.)
Certeau, Michael de (1984) The Practice of Everyday Life (Berkeley: University of California Press)
Foster, H. (1996) The Return of the Real. (U.S.A.: Massachusets Institute of Technology.)
Gauntlett (1998) http://www.theory.org.uk/ctr-butl.htm [accessed 23rd April 2010]
Gauasch (2002) http://www.realtimearts.net/article/52/9278 [accessed 14th March 2010]
Goodman, L., & Gay, J. (1998) The Routledge Reader in Gender and Performance (Routledge: London)
Ireland, S (1998) Writing the Body in Marlene Amars - La Femme sans tete: The French Review (Vol 71: no
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ODell, K. (2008) Contract With The Skin. (U.S.A: University of Minnesota Press)
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Pitts, V. (2003) In The Flesh: the cultural Politics of Body Modification (U.S.A: Palgrave Macmillan)
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Zerihan, R (2010) Revisiting Catharsis in Contemporary Live Art Practise: Kira OReillys Evocative Skin
Works. Theatre Research International (vol 35: no 1) pp32-42

SWOT ANALYSIS

Personal strengths lie within academic fields of study and analysis within contemporary performance art
however I am still attempting to better the structure and style of my essays which are a weakness. The
pathway in acting has however provided me with skills which will easily be employable within future career
prospects. Directing provided ample skills for improving my visual awareness from a directorial and
performance perspective. The pathway in acting has informed managerial and entrepreneurship opportunities,
having organized a costume department which included designing, sourcing and budgeting I developed a
strong awareness of pre-show planning and finance. I am an organized person, having always been on-time
for deadlines, being punctual and dedicated to the task in hand, always eager to be involved. Being an active
member within a devising group has provided me with strong team-work skills but I can also work alone if
necessary. I have basic technological knowledge and good communication skills and have basic knowledge
of the French language. Movement is also a strong point, being part of a GCSE in dance helped inform dance

skills, choreography skills and physical theatre. I was also a member of the British Red Cross which provided
me with skills in regards to make-up techniques.

Personal Weaknesses lie within the realm of performing textual scripts, because I find it restricting. My vocal
skills are also a weakness, having a strong Yorkshire accent with nasal resonance and natural tension is
restricting the voice from its full flexibility. Due to this restriction I would not be a strong enough candidate
to evolve into a professional actress. I have gaps in my knowledge regarding pre 1900s performance which
can be developed within the library. Camera skills are also minimal, as I tend to over-act as is required within
theatrical constructs. Naturalistic acting is also a weakness because I find it difficult to connect emotionally
to characterization.

I am currently learning to drive which will make places easily accessible in the future. I have access to
rehearsal spaces which can help me to bring practical work up to a higher standard. Access to library with a
wide range of literary documents which could help inform my knowledge and academic skills. I am currently
looking to further my performance art studies within a postgraduate environment. I have also recently been
approached by APUS Productions a street theatre company which is aiding me in finding contacts and
developing acting skills within a street environment. I am hoping this job will provide me with finances in
order to develop my practice over the summer. I have also been involved in performances with Status Theatre
Company which has helped establish useful contacts and develop acting skills.

It is possible I may not have the money to fund myself through a postgraduate program which is currently
4,300 and offers no bursaries, I am hoping to receive funding from a local charity. I am worried I may not
have the experience to practice performance art within my post graduate studies and am considering a year
out in order to prepare myself to work in this environment. I have also not yet defined an area or performance

art I would like to interrogate in order to earn the qualification. The course requires a high 2:1 or 1 st class
honours degree which at the moment I am on target to reach.