Steven Mitchell Wright is one of the directors and creators of a work for ‘FreeRange’ 2011 titled ‘Cross-Stitch’ which is a unique performance experience.

“Cross-Stitch is an event and the whole premise is to give artists a space to work experimentally and work on avant-garde work without feeling the pressure to develop an audience for the work, or create work that is commercially viable. Instead it aims to give them a space to explore their own artistry, and develop new work,” outlines Steven.  

“Often as independent artists, we don’t get the opportunity to do this because we have to consider all the other sides of what we do, being business development, audience development and financial sustainability.  So I’ve invited a series of artists to create new works, most of which are quite short to be presented around a social event.

“Effectively it is a nightclub set-up where people can come to the bar with a performative music, DJ space in the centre of the evening, and then from there they are taken away from the bar to experience different experimental works and then taken back to the bar.”

He adds, “The premise of that is to basically encourage conversation about the works and not having to make choices about what work they want to see, but actually just have an art event that happens to them,” explains Steven.

He feels this offers audiences the opportunity to engage with experimental work without feeling a pressure to understand it or define it, but rather to just experience it.

“I think with experimental and avant-garde works, there is often a kind of heavy expectation that it is high art and a serious event that you’re not going to enjoy, or that people have to get themselves in the right ‘mood’ to experience the work. What I wanted to do was make it a really fun, social experience where people don’t feel pressured to make choices on whether the work is good or bad, but where the work just happens to them.”

At Metro Arts June 3-4. A free event.