We are supposed to be productive and creative and safe. Children, adults, all of us. Yet strangely, while we try hard to be good, we see all kinds of things around us being destroyed. So, who decides what is destruction and what is not? Who has permission to destroy?
Sibylle Peters, artist and founder of Theatre of Research
KAPUTT: The Academy of Destruction is dedicated to the artist Gustav Metzger 1926–2017
KAPUTT: The Academy of Destruction is a transgenerational academy made up of six children and six adult academicians who will explore, experiment with and create acts of destruction for public viewing.
You are invited to take a trip through the Academy, add your destructive desires to the Academy Manifesto, take up provocations from the KAPUTT Academicians and view the destructive proceedings.
KAPUTT: The Academy of Destruction is a collaboration between LADA (the Live Art Development Agency), Sibylle Peters of Theatre of Research and Tate Early Years and Families Learning Programme.
KAPUTT forms part of LADA’s contribution to the Collaborative Arts Partnership Programme (CAPP) supported by Creative Europe Programme of the European Union.
KAPUTT Schedule of Public Sessions
Thursday 26 October
11am. First session: in which all members and visitors step through a painting made of holes into the Assembly Hall, where our Principal, Tolu (Principal Tolu th G.O.A.T.), will talk about children and adults having equal rights in this Academy. Then Sibylle Peters from Theatre of Research will invite members and visitors to take part into an interactive lecture and discussion to agree on the big questions The Academy wants to answer. After these questions are written on the wall, Ruqiya (R.P.H.D.), the Kickboxing Philosopher, will read her work on the history of destruction to the assembly.
2.30pm. Second session: in which Heike Roms presents her performance lecture Crash! Bang! Wallop! about destruction in art. Then members and visitors will be invited to take part in performing the score Killing The Books by Milan Knizak. The first day will end with a political discussion hosted by Splendour and Najiba (Splenjiba). They have prepared statements about destruction, money and politics in London, which will be discussed by members and visitors.
Friday 27 October
11am. Third session: which will start with the top five fidgets to drive adults crazy presented by Zainab (Fidget Zallab). After that Ansuman Biswas will guide members and visitors through a meditation in which we will try to destroy our egos. Ansuman will then present his brand new composition for broken cello and bow saw. Rumour has it, that everyone, members and visitors, will have a chance to join in.
2.30pm. Fourth session: in which Zoe Laughlin will give a lecture demonstration about the destruction of matter inspired by the Argos catalogue. After exploring a range of potentially hazardous materials and making processes, the second day will end with a workshop on anger relief lead by Rubie (Gurrubie).
Saturday 28 October
11am. Fifth session: which is about collective desires and will be guided by Malik Nashad Sharpe (aka Marikiscrycrycry) who will teach us how to tear down worlds and build new ones through dance and choreography. This is also about HipHop. After that Chese (Red Pool) and Sam (Jazsam) will present the eleven best scenes of destruction in animé and computer games.
2.30pm. Sixth session: which will start with a sportive intermezzo: Sam (Jazsam), Raquia (R.P.H.D), the Kickboxing Philosopher, and Tyrell (the acrobatic zombie killer) will demonstrate destructive moves in taekwondo, kickboxing and acrobatics. After that Martin O’Brien, the undead member of faculty, will talk about what to learn from rotten cabbage, and invite members and visitors to take part into an action, in which mouthfuls of edible material will be spat into vitrines. Finally, members of faculty will discuss the outcomes of The Academy
Sunday 29 October
12.00. On Sunday, the faculty of The Academy will not be in session. Instead the Transgenerational Video Manifesto of Destruction, filmed throughout the previous three days, will be presented in the Assembly Hall followed by an open discussion hosted by Shorty (a deconstructed child persona created by artist Hester Chillingworth).
