Wednesday, April 22, 2009

waves of enthusiasm

We've just had another Operate Theatre Forum and it was a great opportunity to connect with theatre people and make some cool plans together. I've also had some time during the holidays to reconnect with what I want for this year and I'm planning the following:

1. to start a zine for theatre in Christchurch. Here is my call for contributions:I'm starting a zine for theatre in chch.
My philosophy for the zine is to really build community and make it a space for sharing and inspiring, rather than analysing and advertising. So I'd really like people to contribute things that they
feel passionate about
can enthuse about
feel inspired by
feel will inspire others
want to give or share
want to invite others to (to hang out, to contribute, to collaborate, to talk, to train etc)

Over time, I'd love to be able to include a statement of philosophy or purpose from each of the major companies in Christchurch, something of a manifesto or an answer to the question "what makes you passionate about what you are doing?"

You could also ask yourself what you would want to read if you picked up a zine on theatre. There are so many things that could be included, maybe there is something you really want to write an opinion piece about, or a cool theatre exercise you have recently used for the first time or invented, an experience you've had or a show or film you've seen, music you've heard etc I just want to be sure that if anyone wants to write about what is wrong with theatre in this city, they are also proposing some awesome solutions, ideas and ways forward for us!

I'd also like the zine to be interesting to look at, so if you felt like presenting your piece in an interesting way (handwritten for example), or including illustrations (or nice drawings of set or costume designs for a show of yours) etc., that would be lovely.

2. To start devising a piece in Lyttelton, ideally in the Harbour Light. A promenade piece, lots of images and great costumes, you know, my kind of stuff, poetic, surprising, liberating, beautiful.

3. To apply for a residency at the Arts Centre with Sally Ann McIntyre. She would have a residency, write a piece for theatre, then I would follow up with a residency to direct it. I don't have much idea about the content or theme for this, and am kind of interested in taking a very open approach and letting her write whatever she will.

Monday, April 06, 2009

2009


Well, 2009 was all set to be a theatre-focused year, but at the moment it is looking a bit more like gentle development with one or two exciting bigger items (especially Love You Approximately, which will be performed in Spain in about a month).
Upcoming:
+ a "Making Theatre and Physical Performance" course at CPIT. I'm so looking forward to teaching this year, as I missed it last year and had an awesome time with my weekend workshop in Site-Specific Theatre back in January.
+ Gentle ongoing planning work for "Angel" with Olli Ricken.
+ Making clothes and other handcrafts for Pocket, a new shop opening in Lyttelton May 2nd.
+ Some theatre training with Blackbird Theatre Company, particularly learning the Viewpoints approach.