Making Time Launch

12 Noon, on Wednesday 21st October and on a fitting Autumnal day we await for Jonathan Raisin and Elizabeth Willow to enter the fenced off garden outside the Peter Scott Gallery.

This marked the start of the year long 'Making Time' performance project devised by the Nuffield Theatre, Lancaster to explore the nature of time. Staff and students from LICA arrived for the launch of the project whilst some bemused students with their pasties and baguettes strolled over to see what we were all looking at.

We watched Jonathan and Elizabeth as they stood outside the rusting white gates to the garden - what was to happen? Nothing was said by the artists as they stood patiently outside the gates. We all looked at one another wondering how the project was about to begin and then suddenly an old fashioned alarm clock rang its shrill bell, from within the enclosed garden, and the artists entered the garden for the first time.

Their first task was to identify and locate which direction the garden faced and mark the points of the compass on the wall. The centre of the garden was then located with the help of some volunteers before the white alarm clock was buried. The audience were then offered some rather lovely chocolate biscuits by Jonathan a very civilised way to start a year long project. After all we have 12 months, 365 days before the completion of the performance project.

What will the garden grow? Will the soil be fertile enough and get enough light? Will we all be experts in gardening in a years time? Only time will tell.

If you're booking tickets for the Nuffield Theatre or Lancaster International Concerts at the Box Office have a look at the garden and if you're very lucky you might just see Jonathan and Elizabeth tending to their garden. If you don't spot them you can email the artists direct at makingtime@nuffieldtheatre.com