Interviews with Walking Piece Performers: Philip Cowell

What is it about Walking Piece that draws your interest?

I was drawn to Walking Piece for a different reason from why it now draws my interest. Initially I thought it would involve a whole load of people walking non-stop around a building. “Walking” walking, you know, walking proper like. I thought that would be a very interesting thing to do in its own right! But as soon as you meet our choreographer, Matthias, you know things will never be Quite What They Seem From This Day Forth, and so what we’re actually engaged in is an experiment with encounter. We’re walking, yes, in as much as we’re lifting our two feet to move in a forward direction, but in truth we’re playing, or playing with walking. And it's serious play at that. We’re facilitating enquiry through our feet! The great thing about Walking Piece is: it’s got nothing to do with walking.

Have you taken part in similar projects like this before? If so, why?

I’ve done a few bits and bobs like this – what might be called community arts projects, I guess: some oral history work, a bibliomancy project, some clown training. But this feels like a bit of a first for me. I wanted to take part in this project because it spoke to so many interests of mine at the moment. I made a commitment to myself this year to examine what it was like to be and have a body. We can go along in automatic pilot far too easily. So far I’ve done some circus skills training (trapeze, tightwire walking, juggling), I take an early morning dance class at CityLit (street dance at 8am!), I've taken up swimming again, started to walk the Capital Ring (all 88 miles) around London, and I’m part way through a mindfulness course, which is helping me through body scans and kind curiousity. Walking Piece brings so much of this together – playfulness, mindfulness, feetfulness, heartfulness! - and so the final July date – half way through the year – feels like a great opportunity for me to take stock of my body project. For me personally, then, it will be a milestone, and milestones have always been useful for walkers.

What are your expectations for this project at this stage?

I’m trying to be mindful about expectations at this stage. I turn up to the rehearsals and try and expect very little. So much happens as a result! I think the final piece will be great to watch, to bear witness to, and to engage with. I hope lots of people from across London will come along and join us.

Thanks Philip! Check out his website here! www.philipcowell.co.uk