Kate Southworth, Patrick Simons, Ruth Catlow and Marc Garrett enacting November, 31st October, 2006

November marks the end of Summer and gently familiarises the soul with the coming darkness of Winter. 

This ritual was devised by Kate Southworth and Patrick Simons (glorious ninth) in 2006. It was first performed in October 2006 with Ruth Catlow and Marc Garrett, (Furtherfield.org) 

Launched at: -
Time: 9 minutes and 41 seconds before midnight (GMT).
Date: 31st October 2006.

Calendric Ritual

Celebrating Samhain and the changing of the season, we exchange collected data whilst eating prepared garlic. 

Grow some garlic (alium sativum)

Sow Outside: Late Autumn/early Winter in sunny, fertile soil. Plant individual cloves just below the soil surface
Fertilise: Before planting.
Weed: Garlic plants cast no shade and they are vulnerable to weed encroachment
Harvest: Once the leaves have turned yellow.

Make some preparations: When the nights grow long we begin to welcome Winter. Light a fire, burn myrhh and patchouli, make food to share with friends.  Dress in black to collect and absorb the heat and keep you warm. 

Host an event: Invite friends to simultaneously read out texts on darkness, liminality and gateways, and at the same time to listen to what others are reading. Begin with 60 seconds of silence, then anyone can begin reading. When everyone has finished reading, leave 60 seconds of silence.  Eat and drink.

Concept

November is a calendric ritual that marks Samhain, Halloween and the changing of the season from summer to winter. They meet on the eve of 31st October to perform readings of texts that they have  found or written around ideas of darkness, decay and death. Referencing a performative technique devised by Nancy Reilly McVittie[1] after the Wooster Group, each participant talks and listens simultaneously. If performers decide not to speak for a while, they may eat raw garlic grown by the host. There are sixty seconds of silence at the beginning of the performance after which time any one of the performers can begin speaking. There are sixty seconds of silence at the end of the  performance. The length of the performance is not predetermined.

November emerged from a fear of the forthcoming winter.  Moving to rural Cornwall after having lived in the city, we found our first winter there hard to bear. Being so exposed to the death and decay of vegetation and the bleakness and darkness of the days they felt a sense of isolation.  As spring arrived these feelings dissipated but an underlying fear remained. They needed to prepare mentally for what was to come during the dark months ahead.  They felt very strongly the need to act – to create something that would mark this change of season. 

Enactments

October 2006: The ritual was enacted as November by Kate Southworth & the late Patrick Simons together with Ruth Catlow & Marc Garrett from Furtherfield. It was recorded simultaneously from Cornwall and London UK by Tim Shear and was networked between London and Cornwall. It employs peer-to-peer instant messaging software and audio visual exchange, via webcam. It was pre-recorded and was launched exactly 9 mins and 41 seconds before midnight 23.51.19 GMT (as determined by the length of the piece), on 31st October 2006. 

Following the protocols of the ritual it was agreed that each of them would talk and listen simultaneously.  If they decided not to speak for a while, they would eat raw garlic that Simons had grown especially for the performance.  They agreed that they would allow 60 seconds of silence at the beginning of the performance, and then anyone could begin speaking.  They would allow 60 seconds at the end of the performance, although it was not predetermined when the end would be.

October 2019: The ritual was enacted by Julia Kiely, Camilla Stacey, Nina Fenner, Leila Galloway, Kate Southworth at the opening of Kate Southworth’s solo exhibition Fertile Darkness. Fertile Darkness Ritual