Here it is the blog that you've all been anxiously waiting for (well, Baba has prompted me many times at least). Prepare for an update of epic proportions, stories and spontaneity. I hope you will all enjoy it (and understand/appreciate my bad attempts at dry, sarcastic and typically British (sorry Phil & Baba) humour)). It's been a long time coming. I have been rather busy!
Captains blog...
...Recently finished my second year of BA Politics, Philosophy and Economics at the University of Manchester .. phew. Over the last week or so I have got back from Glastonbury Festival (front row for Stevie Wonder!) , successfully found and moved into a new house within 48 hours, then the next day trekked to Beaconsfield (just outside London) to help out on my friends TV Sketch Show Pilot at NFTS (the National Film and Television School)! 'Mad!' you say? Well, I like to keep busy you see..
Whilst helping out on the TV Pilot I was quite surprised for my friend Ian (doing MA Directing and Producing Television Entertainment) to hand me over a script and say: "You need to learn these lines as one of the Actors hasn't turned up!". It was quite intimidating learning lines for something that was going to be shot in an hour, a multi-camera studio, 4 cameras pointing at me and professional actors to the left and right.
Don't worry I will link you all to the sketch that I'm in where I play a rudeboi named...'Bizzle'!
Yes, yes..
..I am writing to you from some student 'halls' (they're quite disgusting - free buffet breakfast is a perk though) in Camden, London that I've rented out while I am doing work experience at Flynn Productions (a high end music promo and commercials company) http://www.flynnproductions.com/home/ - they produced the Jay-z - 'On To The Next One' music vid, which has over11 million hits on youtube and stirred up quite a lot of controversy due to some subversive and ambiguous imagery!
As members of the four person team 'Re:CON' (Young Producing and Programming Team) we've attended various theatre pieces to seek out what works, what doesn't and why and how we can incorporate what we've learned into programming innovative pieces at Contact Theatre. As well as this we act as producers scouting out artists and talent that may be able to bring something new to the venue.
I'm going to give quick reviews of what I've seen at Contact and at other places we've been sent to! I hope what I've documented below gives you an insight into some of the activities we are involved in as team Re:CON!
My first piece - with my Re:CON hat on - was seeing 'Raspberry' (24/4/10) a musical with Actors and Actresses with physical disabilities. The title 'Raspberry' was used because of the cockney rhyming slang of 'Raspberry Ripple' which means cripple. Although the play (like it's title) had many elements of self-mockery leaving one sometimes bemused whether it was politically correct or moral to laugh at points. The play really left me emotionally high after being through a roller coaster of stories and a fantastically written musical score. I would definitely like to see this company again at Contact or another venue. An eye opener to disability theatre and the unsung talent out there!
Shortly after being appointed part of the Young Producing and Programming Team/Re:CON I was invited to go with Baba Israel (Artistic Director/CEO of Contact) to sit on a pitching panel at Bristol Old Vic(17/5/10) for a project called Theatre Sandbox . Theatre Sandbox is a commissioning scheme for six theatre artists & companies to research and develop new ideas which use pervasive media technologies. Baba invited me down specifically as he is very aware that I am interested in digital theatre and cross media technologies. I've worked with the National Youth Theatre previously with digital theatre experimentation, so I was very excited to be seeing what potential ideas full-time artists had brewed up.
The experience of sitting on a panel and having my opinions taken very seriously on the various reflections on the pitches was refreshing. To be given a deal of responsibility so early added to the experience, especially the surreal element of sharing views amongst a Development Executive from the BBC and the Executive Director of Lyric Hammersmith to name a few..! The various members of the panel were representing the six venues (Bristol Old Vic, Soho Theater, Lyric Hammersmith, Birmingham Mac and The Junction) that would be selecting the artists to have their work developed and exhibited at each respective venue.
Baba and I saw some very interesting ideas being pitched; from using IPADs as digital maps, to experimentation to how one reacts emotionally to different everyday urban sounds such as the sound of an ambulance siren compared to a police siren for example. The many artists we met were quite characters with booming personalities to add to their ideas, which certainly kept us on our toes! It was the personalities that really sold some of the panel members, their passion and commitment for the work they wanted to develop rather than the idea itself, which was supposed to be in a state of working progress, instead of a finished piece.
The day certainly got my creative juices flowing and I left with a lot of food for thought! On the train journey back Baba and I met a young lady who was curious to discover that the beats she heard on the train were coming from Babas' mouth and not an MP3 player! Baba then offered for him to demonstrate the art of the human beatbox when we arrived in Manchester Piccadilly station...
...Now, I cannot remember if I offered or Baba put me on the spot. But in the mix of Baba dropping beats.. I was rapping! We drew up quite a bit of attention. But, that is the nature of being with Baba Israel. One minute you're on the train thinking about pervasive media technologies, the next you're doing an impromptu street performance for a young lady you met moments before! I sneakily quite enjoyed being put on the spot. Shushh..don't tell Baba, as he is likely to do it again!!
I saw a piece in April called 'Asylum Dialogues' (produced by Iceandfire Productions) this was shown in a Basement of the University of Manchester, Northern Campus' Students Union. A strange location for this piece and I believe it deserves a better platform. I thought we could definitely bring to Contact in some shape or form. The short play explores the positive experiences between asylum seekers and British citizens. Drawn from real-life accounts, it doesn't try to preach or to depress but rather it tries to break down the barriers that often exist between refugees and citizens. Have a look > http://iceandfire.co.uk/outreach/scripts/asylum-dialogues/
I had a little tear in my eye watching the performance, but it doesn't take much apparently! I've been affected in some way by almost every piece since I've thrown myself into the realm of theatre as of January this year!
In May I saw Mouth Music, a performance of various musicians that solely used their mouth as instruments. I attended with a few CYAC (Contact Young Acting Company) colleagues and couldn't help but joining in, I couldn't sit down actually! I especially liked the solo performances from Hobbit and Bellatrix (World Female Beatbox Champion)! I would definitely like to see how mouth music in general can be incorporated into theatre and move away from the attachments of something that has to be in the Hip-Hop environment, so it can progress as an art form in it's own right.
At Contact in May I also saw a piece by (Contacts' own) Peter Grist and Company - a varied performance of Contemporary dance, which I was very inspired by - and when I find the time - I'd like t get involved with Mixed Movement at Zion Arts Centre/Contact.
'Desert Boy', a story which finds a young inner city boy taken on a journey through his ancestors life in colonial history - was an ambitious piece which I was concerned about as I believe the audience size didn't reflect the quality of the piece - Guardian Review > http://www.guardian.co.uk/stage/2010/may/27/desert-boy-review.
I think Rachel can provide a good review of what we saw at the Martin Harris Centre in June. So Rach.. I'll leave to you!
I have been away from Manchester for a while and will be for another week or so. I did manage to shift my work experience placement around so that I can be in Manchester for the entirety of CTW (Contacting the World)!
I look forward to seeing the artistic voices of many international production companies in July! (Yeah... I just re-read that last line too..)
I expect all of you to come to the next Anticx Asylum - September 26th, he's a sneak preview.
http://vimeo.com/13099092
See you soon around Contact,
Alex
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