Pebbles
to the Pier was Accidental Collective’s
response to the commission received from Canterbury
City Council to create a new and original
event for the Herne Bay Festival 2007.
Between the 22nd and the 24th of August 2007,
Accidental Collective delivered a community
orientated project in three parts: ‘interventions’,
‘exchange’, an`d ‘climax’.
The first two took place during the first
two days, and the third served as a climactic
event to the project.
The interventions were a series of mobile,
performative actions carried out around Herne
Bay town centre and seafront by solitary performers:
washing pebbles on the beach; walking around
holding up a picture of the old pier; wearing
flippers, goggles and a diving mask; walking
around looking through binoculars. Working
on a visual level, these served as small disruptions
within people’s everyday routine, something
‘other’ or outside of their everyday
existence.
At the same time, there was an ‘exchange’.
Accidental Collective set up an interactive
installation (table and chairs framed within
a windbreaker) in Herne Bay’s busy seafront
Bandstand. Here, members of the public were
invited to sit, have a cup of tea, and discuss
what the old pier means to them. More importantly,
they were encouraged to write their private
messages to the pier on a piece of paper,
which were in turn be wrapped around a pebble.
The company collected over 100 pebbles to
be used during the final part of the project.
The ‘climax’ took place on Herne
Bay beach during sunset of the third day.
This celebratory performance served as a finale
to the project, drawing all its components
together. Besides visual and aural elements
that reference Herne Bay’s past, members
of the public were invited to cast a pebble
(with a message attached to it) into the sea,
thus completing the project.
Pebbles
to the Pier was funded by the Arts Development
Team at Canterbury City Council.
“Pebbles
to the Pier continued Accidental Collective's
interest in blending personal and local histories
with contemporary performance styles. Capitalising
skilfully on the beach location, the company
produced an enchanting performance eminently
suited to the Festival setting.”
-Cathy Westbrook,
Performance Network Kent
