Issue 6: Where would you take it?

Convener: Phil Gunderson


Participants:Lucia, Sebastian, E15, Jonathon


Summary of discussion:

After discussing what the question meant – it could be where you do it or where it leads to , we decided that both were ok.

We are interested in working with performers (but not exclusively)
It is interesting to have mixed groups e.g. young/old

We want to embrace ideas of universality

You need time to build on the experiences – if you only do short sharp workshops you limit the experience.

So how do you go beyond this?

Perhaps the company come in at various points of the process? Pre- Beginning (help the project idea to form) beginning (facilitate ideas/skills) middle (mentor/encourage/shift), end (evaluate/validate/record) post-project (does the project now have a new life, perhaps one driven by the people themselves)

Example of the community theatre course at E15 is a great example of the way students work on projects with a longer life .... they do internships ad try to find companies to work with. Is there a possibility that TBAI could work with these students, perhaps as mentors or facilitators of something a bit larger. It was acknowledged that this would take a lot of setting up!

Another idea was for students (or participants) to come in and work separately on a production and create an integral yet distinct and piece of the show. So that they are working with it for real.

An example of this is Kneehigh/wildworks site specific show ‘A very old man with enormous wings’. In this show (which ran for about 3 hours at a disused harbour)
Featuring an international cast, musicians and a crane, there was an extended interval – ‘carnival interval’ in which you could refresh yourself whilst local community groups created a cabaret style entertainment that linked into the shows themes (the corrupting influences of materialism). Performers from the show wandered through the crowds (so you didn’t feel that it was a separate event. P.s. this show was brilliant

A further example that we discussed was the setting of the science museum where scientific principles are brought to life/demonstrated by interaction. Sometimes with machines and sometimes with live performance, but we thought there may be some underlying theories of interaction and participation here.

Session ended