Kingdoms is a very simple practice in which Joshua Pether and I agree to enter the room in silence together. We move, orbiting near and far. We listen deeply, occasionally touch. The ritual lasts for about 45 minutes, sometimes longer. Then we sit and write to one another. We send our writing as an email immediately. We depart. No talking.

This process is about ritual, care and meeting deeply. It is about durational patience with tension and softness. It is sensing and listening to what is energetic, spiritual, perhaps just beyond reach.

This is a research practice which gave way to other works (see As Below, So Above and Undoing Kingdoms). After our sessions, spanning a period of 8 months in total, we found ourselves discussing legacy, performance, decolonisation, ancestors and place. We invited select peers to witness us. To conclude, we printed and burned our writing together. We sat by the fire and spoke for hours about what had happened and how to release it.

This movement ritual research was supported by the Australia Council for the Arts (now Creative Australia) as part of my 2019 Individual Artist Career Development Grant. The sessions at Subiaco Arts Centre were conducted as part of the inaugural Performing Lines WA Kolyang Hub in 2020.