We are excited to announce the second artist in RIA’s commissioning programme, Practising Performance. Simeon Barclay’s practice often takes the form of sculptures or installations rooted in a strong relationship with material histories. Barclay has an intense interest in the body and the self, investigating how self-image is created and grappled with. Fashion, dance, the theatrical, posing and adornments are intricately woven throughout his work and will inform the research and development of a new performance work.

Practising Performance aims to support artists who would like to engage with live performance. Each commission presents the opportunity for an artist who has not worked with performance to develop a work from scratch without having to think about a fixed format or venue.