FREE event - The Author's Room

In the era of the internet and smartphones we are more capable of communication than ever before. Whilst this is largely a positive change, it has changed how we communicate, embedding every part of our lives in a neverending cascade of information.

The Author’s Room disrupts our new everyday with an unusual piece of performance art taking place at Rotherham's new community bookshop.

Artist Rosie Blackburn offers a moment of meditation on technology and communication, inviting the audience to reflect on their personal correspondences and in turn become part of a creative narrative, within a recreation of the mid-century working environment of feminised labour that has since been made obsolete.

The audience are directed to a pair of desk trays on a shelf near where The Author is seated. They are invited to submit a piece of correspondence they have received digitally by writing out their message on the notepaper supplied. When placed in the in tray the author will carefully recreate it using the typewriter, reversing its digital origins, announcing its arrival with the clack of keys and ‘ding’ of the carriage return. Once complete the original message is carefully paper clipped to the new copy and placed in the out tray for the audience member to collect.

Between messages, The Author is constructing her own narrative from the material she is receiving, a stream of consciousness story that the audience is continually influencing. This is an opportunity to be part of a piece of performance art, and receive a unique artwork that your can take home with you for free.

RELOAD funding acknowledgement

Made possible with the support of Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council (RMBC) as part of the RELOAD Programme of support for cultural and creative industries, helping community event organisers to safely restart and return following the easing of pandemic measures.