Mihaela Bodlovic
Never one to shy away from explosive issues, Jenna Watt is scrutinising her own political naivete,as she ponders the reasons for calling the CND sign ‘a peace sign’. She blames the cultural appropriation through the nineties of her childhood as the sign became drained of its potency through ubiquity… from Forrest Gump to Ginger Spice at the BRIT Awards.
So begins her journey into learning more about nuclear power, with a few home truths along the way, as she goes out on a research trip to meet some of her family,who work in the Faslane naval base some forty miles out of Glasgow; as well as a dedicated anti-nuclear protester called Ava (not her real name). Understandably, it’s a hugely emotive issue surrounded in secrecy, so Watt can only frame it through visceral soundscapes and poetic language.
Mihaela Bodlovic
As a result, it’s a maddeningly inconclusive experience, lacking the inventive iconoclastic spirit of previous work like Flaneurs, which had real focus. Still, she’s an ebullient host with wit, intelligence and an increasing passion for activism, and that can only be encouraged-whether you regard Faslane as a force for evil, or deterrent. Just don’t get her started on bloody hippies-it’s a word she really struggles with…
(Lorna Irvine)
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thetempohouse 