Guddling About: Govan was a suite of micro-performances or actions carried out in collaboration with water and water infrastructure in the Glasgow district of Govan. Guddling About was commissioned for Buzzcut festival, March 2015, and took place at locations around Govan.
Water Draw – performance score
Using a hand-operated pump and a length of plastic or rubber tubing, draw water from a grated storm water drain within a selected area in Govan. Avoid touching the water with your bare hands or swallowing it. Collect the water in a screw-top bottle. Mark the date, time and location of the Water Draw on the bottle top. Repeat this action with storm water drains throughout the chosen area.
Water Filter – performance score
Place a piece of unbleached silk in a funnel to form a filter. Pour a bottle of water drawn from a storm drain in a selected area of Govan into the funnel. Hold a clean screw-top bottle beneath the funnel tip to catch the filtered water. Place the lid from the unfiltered water bottle (marked with the date, time and location of the Water Draw) on the bottle.
Tideline (Mesolithic) – performance score
Using maps and data generated by the British Geological Survey identify the possible tideline of the River Clyde in Govan at the conjectured time of the first human habitation in the area (during the Mesolithic period). Make a small hole in the lid of a bottle of filtered water collected from a storm water drain in Govan. Walk along the Mesolithic tideline sprinkling filtered drain water to mark the extent of the River’s inundation in the area around 13000 years ago.
Puddle Drain – performance score
Choose a small-to-medium-sized puddle. Drain all the water from the puddle using an appropriate implement. A basting syringe is ideal for this job, but you might also use a small cup or jug. Try to collect only the water and to avoid disturbing the ground beneath the puddle. Collect the water in a bucket, bowl or bottle. You could use it to create a new puddle. Try this action in different terrains, at different times of year and in different weather conditions.
Guddling About 