Educational Kit: Pompeii by Edith Podesta (AU/SG) and K. Rajagopal (SG)

POMPEII

by Edith Podesta (AU/SG) and K. Rajagopal (SG)

EDUCATIONAL KIT

For ages 13 and up

2 & 3 JUN, FRI & SAT, 8PM

4 JUN, SUN, 3PM

DRAMA CENTRE THEATRE

POMPEII

HOW TO USE THIS KIT

This kit is designed for deeper engagement and discussion with the SIFA programme. Divided into 4 sections, it comes with guiding questions, suggested activities and links for further exploration on the subject and themes presented in the show:

Written and directed by Edith Podesta with filmmaker K Rajagopal, Pompeii, is a meditation on the archaeology of intimacy. Played out on a live soundstage, in which the lives of this imagined apartment building’s inhabitants materialize before us, the work explores the archaeology of intimacy, and questions if the objects and spaces that we leave behind in death represent that which we were, or betray the true nature that we ourselves denied in life. Pompeii invites audiences to question if the objects and spaces that we leave behind in death represent that which we were, or betray the true nature that we ourselves denied in life.

Pre-show preparation to understand the context

Questions to think about while watching the show

BEFORE THE SHOW DURING THE SHOW AFTER THE SHOW

A reflective exercise to jot down thoughts

POST-SHOW ACTIVITY

For further exploration on the subject, topic or themes

Trapped in a bomb-shelter, a narrator tells us the story of an apartment block in which the lives of its residents were anything but - until a catastrophe reduced them to the inanimate, their lives existing only as object and memory. A still-life painter ponders the permanence of objects; a husband and wife negotiate the vastness between them within the confines of their tiny apartment; an old man coming to terms with his own end forms a relationship with a child who is unaware of hers. As they hurtle towards their inevitable end, the apartment is transfigured into a museum celebrating the beauty of quotidian human banality.

WHO ARE YOU, AND WHAT DO YOUR OBJECTS SAY ABOUT YOU?

If someone were to ask you to describe yourself, what would you tell them? 1

Use the space below to write down what you would say

Look around your bedroom, or any space that you spend a lot of time in. How does your living space reflect who you are, as an individual, and the way you live? 2

Pick 3 items in your living space that you feel best show who you are. Sketch or describe how they look like below:

3

Look at what your friend or family member had written or drawn. What is one new or interesting thing that you discovered about your friend or family member? Get your friend or family member to do the same about you, and share with each other your thoughts:

Something new or interesting about myself…

Something new or interesting about my friend / family member….

How far do you agree that by looking at the objects used in a living space, you could tell who the person is, or have an idea about the way the person live is living his/her life? Why would you say so?

Now, get a friend or family member to do the earlier two exercises, and exchange what you have written or drawn with each other.

Often, things that are displayed in a person’s room, as well as things that they choose not to display in a room, tells us a lot about that person.

POMPEII – A CITY IN ANCIENT ROME

Do you know that Pompeii was once a bustling city in ancient Rome but was completely buried under thick ash in 79 A.D when the volcano Vesuvius erupted?

WATCH THIS VIDEO

to find out what happened to Pompeii and its people when the eruption took place:

Run, sail, or hide? How to survive the destruction of Pompeii - Gary Devore

Click or Scan here

While the hot, volcanic ash of Vesuvius destroyed the entire city of Pompeii, it also perfectly preserved its structures, objects, and people. This enabled many archaeologists to conduct excavations and understand how life was like in Pompeii during that time.

WATCH THIS VIDEO

to see the discoveries by archaeologists at the Pompeii excavation site:

NOW, READ THIS ARTICLE

to find out more about recent archaeological finds of Pompeii:

The continuing discoveries at Pompeii

Click or Scan here

Pompeii’s recent finds reveal new clues to city’s destruction

What kind of objects were found at Pompeii, and what do they show about the people and their lives? Pick 3 objects from Pompeii that you find interesting, and describe what they tell you about the way people in Pompeii lived:

POMPEII – WHAT DO THE THINGS WE LEAVE BEHIND, SAY ABOUT THE LIVES WE LIVED?

Pompeii is a SIFA 2023 commission inspired by the city of Pompeii and its discoveries, in which a narrator tells the stories of a group of residents living in an imagined apartment building as their lives unfolded before calamity strikes, reducing them and their existence to only objects and memories.

A collaboration between Australia-born artist Edith Podesta and Singapore film-maker K. Rajagopal, Pompeii is a live cinema theatre performance that explores the idea of whether the objects and spaces that people leave behind when they disappear truly represent who they are, or if they say something about the lives that were unfulfilled and denied.

This idea is explored through:

THE ARCHAEOLOGIST AND HIS RECORDINGS

What if one day, a catastrophe was to happen, and the residents of the apartment are no longer around? What would future archaeologists discover?

In Pompeii, the archaeologist plays the role of a narrator, making a series of audio recordings on his findings of the residents, based on the objects he unearthed from its remains.

MEMORIES OF THE RESIDENTS, ACTED OUT ON STAGE

In Pompeii, memories of the residents are acted out on stage, giving the audience insights into the lives of the residents.

Are the residents actively aware of their own existence in which they are living their lives, or are they merely just memories of people who once lived in the apartment?

LIVE CINEMA

Pompeii is not just a stage performance; it also has an additional film screening playing at the same time as the stage action.

As the audience watches on, they get to be in a position where they can notice and observe more intimate details about the residents, up close and personal.

“Live cinema allows for us, the audience, to see the interiority of people and things by making visible the process of construction as well as the finished product - both viewed simultaneously. There is a suspended screen above the stage, a minimum of three cameras moving around on stage, with a minimum of two hundred different camera positions and the editor cutting video footage live. In many ways it’s like watching a movie being filmed live where the actors are unaware of the presence of the audience or their own role in the artifice of film making” - Edith Podesta

1 2 3

How important do you think objects, memories and actions are, in relation to the way people live their lives? What about when people are gone – what roles do objects, memories and actions play then?

In what ways do you think Pompeii the performance, is similar or different to Pompeii the city and its excavations and discoveries?

SIMILARITIES

What is your understanding of the relationship between objects, spaces, and people, after finding out more about Pompeii the city and Pompeii the performance?

Pen down your thoughts:

READ THESE QUESTIONS CAREFULLY

before the performance starts, and remember to pay close attention while you are watching so you do not miss out on any details:

Observe the stage carefully and take note of the way the set is being designed. 1

What does it remind you of? Look at the colours used, and the props being displayed – what kind of effect do they create, and how do they add on to the experience of the performance?

Listen carefully to the narration during the performance.

4 5 2

What kind of tone does the narrator use, and how does that make you feel? In what ways do you think the narration help sets the mood of the performance?

3

What can you say about their relationship with each other, and with themselves?

As an audience member, how do you feel watching and observing the characters, both on stage as well as on live cinema?

Is there any difference between the two ways of watching, and what effect does each has on your viewing experience and understanding of the characters?

If there is one key takeaway you get from watching this performance, what would that be and why?

NOW THAT THE PERFORMANCE IS OVER,

Write down what you have noticed to answer the questions above, or a simple reflection of your thoughts about the performance:

DO YOU KNOW WHAT A DIORAMA IS?

A diorama is a three-dimensional model that shows a situation or a scene, arranged against a background in a way that looks real.

CHECK OUT THIS VIDEO

to see how artists create a diorama:

See

IF YOU WERE TO CREATE A DIORAMA OF YOU OR YOUR LIFE, WHAT WOULD IT LOOK LIKE?

Think about a situation or a scene in your life that you would like to preserve or capture in a diorama, and brainstorm on how you would like to present it.

Use the following questions to help you plan your diorama:

1.What situation or scene about my life would I like to show in my diorama?

2.What kind of background would my diorama have?

3.What kind of objects would I use to display in my diorama?

In the space below, sketch out your plan of how you want your diorama to look, before building it:

4.Do I want to include figurines in my diorama? If so, what kind of figurines?

5.What other special features do I want to add in my diorama? E.g. lighting, music

(Title of your diorama)

Now, start building your diorama, and share what you have created with your family and friends once you are done!

How Artists Think Inside The Box To Create Dioramas | How It’s Made

WORDS THAT MIGHT INTEREST YOU

ARCHAEOLOGISTS

People who study human history and their culture through artefacts, monuments, and inscriptions

UNEARTHED

To discover something in the ground, or some proof or information after careful searching

CALAMITY EXCAVATIONS

A bad event or serious accident that caused damage or suffering

Removing, scooping, or digging away earth that is covering very old objects buried in the ground, to discover things about the past

FOR FURTHER EXPLORATION

Edith Podesta

K. Rajagopal

Singapore International Festival of Arts (SIFA)

As Singapore’s annual pinnacle performing arts festival, the Singapore International Festival of Arts (SIFA) presents captivating and diverse works across theatre, music, dance, film and visual arts. First launched as the Singapore Festival of Arts in 1977, the festival has gone through several evolutions and inspired generations of arts lovers and practitioners.

Under the helm of Festival Director Natalie Hennedige from 2022 to 2024, SIFA will focus on performance and creation in the physical and online space, around the theme The Anatomy of Performance.

Today, the highly anticipated festival is a high point on Singapore’s arts and cultural calendar. SIFA continues its festival mission to champion the creation and presentation of Singaporean and international works.

#SIFA2023

We can’t wait to welcome you at SIFA. Share with the world (and us!) what you are most excited to see at this year’s festival, or your photos and videos of your favourite SIFA festival moment.

Arts House Limited (AHL)

Arts House Limited (AHL) is a not-for-profit organisation committed to enriching lives through the arts. AHL is the cultural place manager of Singapore’s Civic District. It manages two key national monuments – The Arts House, a multidisciplinary arts centre with a focus on literary programming, and the Victoria Theatre & Victoria Concert Hall, a heritage building that is home to the Singapore Symphony Orchestra. It also runs performing arts space Drama Centre as well as three creative enclaves for artists, arts groups and creative businesses – the Goodman Arts Centre, Aliwal Arts Centre and Stamford Arts Centre.

AHL organises the Singapore International Festival of Arts – an annual pinnacle performing arts festival; as well as the Singapore Writers Festival –a multilingual festival presenting the world’s leading literary talents.

In addition, AHL manages Our Cultural Medallion Story – the showcase on Singapore’s Cultural Medallion recipients at The Arts House. AHL was set up in 11 December 2002 as a public company limited by guarantee under the National Arts Council and was officially renamed Arts House Limited on 19 March 2014.

For more information, visit artshouselimited.sg

TICKETING INFO FOR SCHOOL BOOKINGS

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CONCESSIONS

SIFA offers 15%* off ticket purchases to local and international students.

*Applicable to selected ticket categories and programmes

TOTE BOARD ARTS GRANT

For selected programmes, government schools may enjoy subsidies up to 50% of the ticket price. Applicable for Secondary Schools, Junior Colleges, Centralised Institute and Institute of Technical Educations (ITE) levels.

Special Education Schools may use the Tote Board Arts Grant to subsidise up to 70% of the programme cost. For more details on school bookings or Tote Board Arts Grant, please email sifatickets@artshouse.sg

SCHOOL BOOKING DEALS

For every 20 students tickets purchased, 1x complimentary ticket provided for the teacher.

CONTACT US

For further enquiries on programmes or education kits, please contact meganlee@artshouse.sg

For group bookings, please contact sifatickets@artshouse.sg

To read more about the Tote Board Arts Grant, visit tinyurl.com/nac-Tote-Board-Arts-Grant

For more information on the festival, visit sifa.sg