After planning everything out it was now time to test our ideas in front of an actual audience. Having never done anything like this before we were interested to see how, as the gainers our bodies would react. The gainers were sat down and as I was wearing the more sexual outfit, I was also handcuffed to my seat giving over even more control to my feeder. We then decided to place the audience in a square. We as the gainers were facing them as one side of the square, then they filled the other sides. This ensured everyone could see all angles of the process.                                                           

To test what outfits worked best together we decided the feeders would change gainers after a period of time, so all possibilities could be looked at. However, in the actual experiment this will not be the case as a bond will need to be formed between feeder and gainer. My first feeder was more sceptical about how far to push the boundaries. I often found I had to lean my head in rather than feel forced to eat or drink what was in front of me. Personally, I felt as I was giving over complete control some force was needed. As the feeders changed, I found the task more difficult. My third feeder for example put together some interesting food combinations I found hard to stomach. By the end of the process the sickly food almost became too much to handle and that was after only ten minutes of consumption. It seemed the audience reacted well to our own reactions. Some food dripped down and gagging also began as the experiment went on, which when doing a durational piece is sure to happen with this project.

When the experiment ended the audience reacted well to the varied gainer outfits. They liked the fact we were all in different outfits, yet they were all black. However, for the feeder it seemed the best outfit was the server. So, for our final piece we will dress the feeders as waiters, which will be interesting as a waiter wouldn’t normally push the boundary of feeding a consumer. We have also decided everyone will be handcuffed, as those who weren’t often moved their hands without thinking about it. Through all being handcuffed, you will literally be forced to eat and give over complete control.

          (Above: ‘The Set’ and Below: ‘The Gainers’ Taken by Kirsty Jakins:22.11.13)

‘Rituals are more than structures and functions, they are also among the most powerful experiences life has to offer’ (Schechner,2004 ,p70)

After finalising most details within the work in progress, we began to realise how difficult the durational task will be. For the audience it can be seen as a ritual, with the feeder going back and forth and holding the fork to the gainers mouth. It will also be a powerful experience depending on who is chosen for each role. Whatever way it turns out the experiment will be completely different. Some feeders will be more forceful, others more forgiving. Some gainers will be able to stomach more, others may be sick after twenty minutes. It seems this last minute decision will completely change the experiment, and will make the final piece an interesting watch.

Works Cited

Schechner, R. (2004) Performance Studies: An Introduction. London:Routledge.