Reform

pvi collective

30 November 1999

What would happen if we were to obey all the rules, follow all the social codes and generally do the right thing, whatever the consequences? Perth based artists group pvi collective hit the streets with reform an outdoor performance work that behaves itself... to the extreme. For ten nights only, pvi collective invite a small audience to follow their elite taskforce, the Loyal Citizens Underground. Tuning in via portable FM radios and headsets, reform is an intimate sonic and visual journey that unfolds as audiences make their way on foot through Northbridge at night. A radical vision of community watch gone awry, the ICU patrol Perth's notorious club district, taking the moral high ground to see who else is willing and able to reform. Armed with code of conduct cards and an overzealous enthusiasm for current legislation, laws and social standards, these unflinching moral crusaders attempt to implement their own brand of patriotic conformity - applauding good behaviour and offering neighborly advice to any wayward citizens. Vigilantism has never been so polite! reform is a unique live performance combined with radio broadcast and is the first in pvi collectives' 'future belongs to crowds' series which investigates how different modes of collective behaviour can generate social change. reform casts a cynical eye over the politics of public safety and the rules we live by - presenting a not-too-fictional Orwellian vision of the future where our every move is monitored for political correctness. pvi collective are a Perth-based arts group who have produced an eclectic body of work ranging from performances, bus tours, radio broadcasts, privacy services, video rentals and sculptural installations. Their artwork questions various forms of social control that we live under in an increasingly anxious cultural climate. pvi often engage the public within their artworks - activating viewers through eccentric acts of intervention, on the streets, on-screen and in any other spaces they can get away with. Devised & performed by: pvi collective Soundscapes by: Jason Sweeney Production manager: Mike Nanning Researcher: Christina Lee Outside eyes & ears: Alan Guest Season: 25 May - 4 June, 8pm [no monday show] Preview nights: 23rd & 24th May, 8pm Duration: 80 mins Tickets: $15 including headset rental (limited to 15 tickets per night) Bookings: PICA 08 9227 6144 This project is assisted by the Commonwealth Government through the Australia Council, its arts funding & advisory board. The State of Western Australia has made an investment in this project through Arts WA in association with the Lotteries Commission. Initial research was undertaken with the support of PICA's R&D fund in association with ArtsWA.