Don’t Stand So Close To Me: Bob Chicalors
An elusive, non-immersive skate dance improvisation along Margate seafront at some between 5 – 6pm on Saturday 10th October. There will be no audience as such, but perhaps you’ll catch a fleeting glance of Bob and Tanya performing a carnivalesque teacher-student routine with spontaneous choreography and sporadic handclaps. Part skating practise, part absurdist street theatre.
What is your practice?
I make zines, host events and dabble in drag.
What drew you to this artform?
Roller skating is something I’ve always loved doing in Margate, and lockdown has allowed me to practise a lot. By skating in public I’ve met and spoken to many people who wish to try it out and I want to provide a platform where we can share skating skills in a supportive safe space.
As restrictions are lifting where will you be heading to first in Margate?
Dreamland’s Roller Disco is my spiritual home
Tell us a bit about this place
I held my first public roller disco there last year at the festival, DJ’d and performed on wheels there many times.
What do you see the artists role being in the overall effort to dismantle systemic racism?
We need to be aware of our unconscious biases and how we create spaces, to pay more than lip service to inclusivity. It involves noticing, taking action, listening and being open to critiques and learning from mistakes.
