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Epileptic artist fails in bid to induce seizure
AN epilepsy sufferer failed in her 24-hour attempt to bring on a seizure in front of an audience at a West Yorkshire theatre.
Performance artist Rita Marcalo said she felt "guilty that I had perhaps short-changed people" but was pleased that it had provoked debates about epilepsy, disability and art.
But by the end of the event, which included performances by other artists, she said she became angry that she could not "have a seizure on my own terms".
She had tried several methods to induce a fit, including drinking wine, looking at strobe lights and eating dark chocolate – all while sitting into a cafe in a basement bar at Bradford Playhouse.
Around 70 people had attended the event, paying 12 a ticket, but only around 20 people were there when it finished on Saturday afternoon.
The work, Involuntary Dances, received a 13,389 grant from Arts Council England and drew criticism from epilepsy charities who said it was dangerous.
After the event, Miss Marcalo, 37, said: "Overall, the project had a fantastic feel-good factor.
"I really enjoyed watching the other performers' work and the interplay between what they were doing and my various seizure-inducing methods. I also enjoyed feeling in control of the whole event, as I was the one announcing each act, including my own."
She admitted feeling she had let the audience down.
"Twelve hours into the event I started to worry that I was perhaps not going to have a seizure.
"At first I felt guilty that I had perhaps short changed people, as I knew a lot of them were expecting that particular 'spectacle'.
"Three quarters into the event my feelings changed and I actually felt quite angry at my epilepsy.
"This was supposed to be the one instance in my life when I was going to take control of it (instead of it taking control of me) and have a seizure on my own terms. How dare it not behave as I had expected?"
By the end she was more upbeat.
She said: "The event ended on a high note, with all the audience dancing around my cage for the remaining 15 minutes, and with me announcing the end of my 24 -hour period by triggering the epilepsy alarm that was never used in the end."
As she left the cage, she took her first dosage of anti-convulsant medication in 30 days.
First aiders and private ambulance were on hand throughout but were not needed.
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Friday 10 February 2012
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