Liam Collins / Joe Crowdy / Constant Dullaart / Aki Kaurismäki / Michelle Hannah / Rie Nakajima

The Royal Standard / Frederick’s

Testing Bed operated as a period of focus for The Royal Standard’s research in 2014. The six week series of experimental live events, performances and screenings was aimed at creating a body of research that would go on to shape the future programme of the gallery. Working with a selection of international artists known for their innovation and experimentation, The Royal Standard presented a rich programme spanning across various disciplines, artistic mediums and socio-political concerns.

WEEK 1 – 25/04/14: Noisy Noisy Arty Arty
Artists Rie Nakajima, Michelle Hannah and Henry Liam Collins stretched various modes of musical performance to unusual, loud and confrontational new places. Followed by a set from Liverpool’s own Wax Museum DJs

WEEK 2 – 02/05/14: Pro:Repose
Within a practice that often produces structures that can be used by the audience, artist Joe Crowdy employed performance as an extension of sculpture where the ongoing gestures of performers combine in equal parts with costumes and objects.

WEEK 3 – 07/05/14: The Double Bill With No Past
The Royal Standard and FACT presented back-to-back screening of Aki Kaurismäki’s The Man Without A Past, 2002 followed by Sam Smith’s The Film Without A Past, 2012 exploring alternative approaches to narrating memory and experience.

WEEK 4 – 16/05/14: Light Night – Research in Practice
The Royal Standard studio artists presented – through exhibitions, interventions, performances, talks and screenings – their own research subjects and methodologies examining the different applications and approaches to research within fine art practice.

WEEK 5 – 22/05/14: The Royal Standard Introduces the 2014 Biennial Programme
The Royal Standard presents its Biennial 2014 programme with talks and a panel discussion from contributing artists Rob Chavasse, Sam Smith and Joey Holder.  

WEEK 6 – 30/05/14: Rave Lecture
Exploring experimental environments for performative and engaging or even interactive work, The Royal Standard and FACT presented artist Constant Dullaart, debuting a new lecture and performance looking at the networked non-spaces where performance can appear.