Can you beat them? Ja! Si! Da! Oui! YES YES YES!

Photographed by Phillippa Thomas for Global PlayerAs a lead up to the Beijing Summer Olympics 2008, three uniformed table tennis players will pull a custom built table tennis table around the streets and public spaces of five British cities.

Strengthened for purpose and fitted with a towbar for ease of pulling, the table is a specially designed art object constructed by sculptor John Packer (www.johnpacker.com) out of recycled bicycle parts. On the table’s surface is an abstracted global map transforming both its journey through the city and each match played into a community performance event.

This is the launch tour of the Global Player project which is primed to reach all corners of the globe in the next 4 years.

Visit www.blindditch.org/globalplayer for details of stats and video highlights. 

"it has the freshness of a question mark so fitting to the subject and of its treatment by this innovative multi media company."
Simon Persighetti, tEXt Festivals

An ongoing investigation into the defining moments that make us long to be more.

This work has so far been manifested in two parts. The initial performance of this work in studio theatre environment presented the audience with a kind of engine room of ideas as if the material of the performance was being excavated from an archive of ephemera. The performance space: part reference library, part kinetic sculpture, part techno science lab, became an ever-changing arena for an exposition on Heroism.

“Brilliant. An excellent chance to see views of the world through the eyes of young people. More Please.”
Catherine, VANLAND audience member 2004

“Fantastic concept – Fascinating visuals – Brilliant van. Can I rent it?”
Audience member, Exeter 2005

“It was a very enjoyable experience. I hope to do it again and the skills I have learned will be very useful for me for the future.”
Felek Werpachowski Workshop Participant 2006