THE PASSION

The WILDWORKS project I have decided to look at is “The Passion”. This is a project where they collaborated with the National Theatre Wales and actor Michel Sheen to do a retelling of the Passion story for three days over Easter in Port Talbot. The Passion story is final part of Jesus’ life where he went to Jerusalem, went on trial and was put to death on the cross. Over Easter this was recreated with Michel Sheen playing Jesus and the cast, crew and importantly the people of Port Talbot all taking part to create this piece of ongoing, ground-breaking theatre.  

The rehearsal and creation process of this project started six months before the performance. In this time WILDWORKS had been working in the “streets, malls and social clubs of Port Talbot”. I think that this is a really effective way of creating landscape, community theatre as it allows the members of the group to get to know the setting as a place in itself; through the buildings and the space. On top of this by them working within the community area they get to know the community, how it functions and works and the people within the community. This shows the huge amount of focus that is on the people and the community of the place WILDWORKS work in as they spend a lot of time “finding stories, memories and images of the place”. This hand on approach to their rehearsal process allows them to get a realistic view of the community rather than having built up an image in their minds. It also allows the people of the community to have a say on the performance and for everyone to have their own input on the piece through their memories and stories. I think that this part of WILDWORKS rehearsal process shows how much their theatre and art is focused on bringing the community together and getting the community engaged in theatre and art and the power of it.

They also spent time finding “powerful locations” where the theatre and the story could take part in. They walked the “beach against the backdrop of the massive, smoke belching steelworks, sang songs in underpasses, searched for the ghosts of the people displaced from their homes by the building of the motorway”. This shows the equal importance of the place that the piece is taking part in as well as the people. I think what makes WILDWORKS different in their performance and their rehearsal process is that they look at the place they are working in as part of the community and use that for stimulus as well as the people’s stories and memories, linking the two together to create an initiative and inclusive piece of theatre. In their rehearsal process they spend time working and exploring the space and place of where they will be performing and getting inspiration from it.

Through out the rehearsal process and the performance over 1200 community members took part as “writers, musicians, singers, performers, makers, stewards, messengers, angels and demons.” To me this highlights how much of their performance and work is created and driven forward by the community not just their own members, showing how truly inclusive and engaging their work is for everyone. It also shows how everyone could be included in a part that was suitable for them so that the community was at the core of every bit of the performance.

MY ROLE

Artistic Facilitator

• Understanding of working with people with disabilities
• Run inclusive workshops
• Engaging, stimulating and inspiring others
• Organised/ prepared and flexible
• Creative
• Able to communicate
• Research and plan

COMMUNITY ARTS COMPANIES

Polka Theatre

• Produce work for young audiences – 0-13yrs. à Working with professional actors to inspire, stimulate and engage children through storytelling and theatre to spark imagination.
• Established in 1979
• 2 separate theatres for older and younger classes. Adventure theatre for storytelling à so that children get a wide range of experiences
• 100,000 children each year
• Young voices panel à to watch rehearsals and give opinions on company

 

Roles:

• Johnathan Lloyd – Artistic Director. à Decides plays and who should work on them. Who the plays are for, target audiences. Also writes and directs.
• Stephen Midlane – Executive Director. à Organisation and Management. Have to organise and get everything that is needed for producing the plays.
• Janna Feldman – Head of Creative Learning. à Plans learning activities for schools, families, young people. Ensure there are creative and fun events for all. Makes sure that performances are accessible for all young people and are inclusive.
• Lucy Simmons – Schools Access Officer à Goes into communities and finds workshops for schools. Sophie Hopson – Community Engagement Manager à Does the same job but in the outdoors

 

Stop Gap

• Dance company that integrates those who have disabilities with those who don’t.
• They create work from speech between the dancers
• “We believe that integrated dance creates exceptional creative oppotunies and we are committed to sharing these via creative learning projects and publications and by touring our original productions nationally and internationally.”

 

Roles:

• Amy Butler – Dancer à Joined in January 2013 and runs an inclusive yoga with the company
• Lucy Bennet – Creative Director à Been with the company for 9 years and is a choreographer. Expands dancers creative input.
• Vicky Balem – Founder of the company

 

Deafinatly Theatre

• Set up in 2002 with Kate Ferbie and Stephen Webb and Paula Garfield
• Run by people who are deaf
• Use BSL in rehearsals and performances
• Integrate people who are deaf and those who aren’t and collide the two worlds in the shows and in the audiences.
• Use media in the shows and subtitles
• Ideally want to work with deaf people
• Use translation exercises in rehearsals – conveying the script without words to integrate the group
• The consider both perspectives and want to build a bridge
• Empower identity and pride

Roles:

• Paula Garfield – Artistic Director à Created the company because she was frustrated by the blocks within the industry for those who are deaf
• Mark Sana – Executive Director à Administrative role, supporting and administrating (all used to work as actors or writers ect)
• Andrew Muir – Litteray Associate à Writes and Directs. Chooses the plays that are to be performed

London Bubble

• Created in 1972
• Theatre Company
• “Provide artistic direction, skills, environment, resources to create inspirational, inclusive, involving theatre which share stories that animate the space of the city and the sprits of its citizens”.
• Funded by donations to develop access and for in school workshops
• B+ à for young people – learn how to lead drama workshops and grow in confidence. Perform to others their age.
• B+à Forum Theatre – presents situations to them and see how they can change
• B+ à Work experience – job profession and get Arts experience and qualification.
• Work for unemployed or people who have a lack of educations
• 16+
• Produce theatre relative to youth – make them think about society
• Won award for innovation and engagement with young people
• Speech Bubble à helps people and children who are less able to communicate as well. – Key Stage 1 – develop skills.

Green Candle

• Create healthier people and integrate communities
• Improve physical and psychological health of audience and company
• Bring old and young together
• Dance explores social issues – ageism, racism, unemployment
• Tour in conventional and unconventional places – seek out people who are not benefitting from dance

Roles:

• Fergus Early – Artistic Director à Formed the company in 1987 for community and educational context for all age groups and abilities.
• Louisa – Financial Book keeper à Accounting for charity. Producing end of year accounts/tax ect.
• Chantelle Bardouile à Teacher, facilitator for dance for all abilities and ages.
• Vicky Bossfield – Community Dance Artist 
• Christiana Argyropou – Dance Movement Therapist à movement sessions in hospitals

 

Candoco Dance Company

• Created in 1991 by Adam Benjimin and Celeste Dandeleer – workshops started by them and then it grew into the company
• Professional dance company – integrate disabled and non-disabled dancers
• Toured and had good feedback from press and industry – 50 countries between 1991 - 2001
• Foundation Course in 2004 for 3 years for disabled dancers and was the first of its kind
• Work with over 12,000 people each year
• Confirmed by Arts Council – get funding – they are recognised for the work they have done of a high quality
• Portable performances – in fields, libraries, theatres ect.

 

Roles:

• Rick Rodgers – Dancer à Competitive wheelchair cheerleader – reinvented the dance. Performed in Paralympics opening ceremony  

Age Exchange

• Theatre company formed in 1983 – context of the emerging value of reminiscent work – care settings for old people
• Reminiscent theatre – theatre created from memories
• Over 25yrs they have developed new models of work – wide range of reminiscences based creative activities and arts products
• Extended nationally and recognised – focusing of those at risks of social exclusion
• Internationally by many providers
• Old people – improve their quality of life by valuing their reminiscence and giving opportunities for a wider appreciation – performances – intergenerational performances
• Productions – Paddling to the Palace – worked with practitioners from Trinity Laban Forslam – dance school – with old people and volunteers to create an inclusive performance

 

Roles:

• Stella Howard + Natasha Lohan à music and movement contribute to support for others.

THE TEAM

Claire Ingleheart

WildWorks Artist

Clair is a member of the WildWorks team, working as an artist for several years. On recent projects Clair has worked as Musical Director for The Passion and BABEL. For this role she has to have the musical knowledge for the piece. Furthermore within WildWorks performances, the Musical Director has to be able to link in music with the site and the stories that are produced from the communities to create music and songs that enhance the piece, especially the sensory elements of the piece. When working with sensory theatre the music and sound become hugely important to enhance the piece as multi-instrumentalist, Claire can work as a composer and music specialist to be able to communicate with all members of the community of all abilities, also it breaks down the barrios of language through music, so as a Musical Director, Clair has to be able to understand the emotions and stories that can be created through the music. She is also a training facilitator in using music to develop language, communication and interaction for children with Autism. This allows her to be able to work specifically with certain members of the community and to understand the importance of communication through music. 

For WILDWORKS:
2012 | BABEL | Caledonian Park, London 
2011 | The Passion | Port Talbot
2009 | The Beautiful Journey | North East | on the banks of the river Tyne, Wallsend 
2009 | The Beautiful Journey | South West | Devonport Royal Navy Dockyard 
2007 | Souterrain | Dolcoath, Cornwall

 

Sue Hill

Associate Director

Sue is an Associate Director of WILDWORKS, who was born and educated in Cornwall. Through out her life she has worked with many different companies, this is really useful as it means that she can bring all of her experience that she has gained into this role and into the company as whole. From 2000 until 2006 she was Artistic Director for the Eden Project, developing their innovative interpretation strategy, commissioning artists, writers and performers to illuminate Eden’s ideas and messages. With her brother Pete Hill she has made many large-scale carnival images and earth sculptures, including the iconic Mudmaid in the Lost Gardens of Heligan. This experience, working with the Eden Project, gives her contacts and knowledge of those in the creative industry and one that she worked well with. Also this project allowed her to get used to working in unconventional theatrical places to create a different and engaging performance. On to of this is gives her experience in working with the community in new and exciting places witch she can bring to her work with WILDWORKS.
She has traveled widely through her work, with performances, commissions and seminars in Greece, Cyprus, Portugal, Brazil, Russia, Georgia, Canada, Germany, Holland, Belgium, Ireland, Malta, France, Kosovo, South Africa, India, Egypt, U.S.A. and China. As WILDWORKS is an international theatre company her experience of travelling gives her knowledge that others may not have, making her have wider understanding of places and the confidence to get involved in those countries. It could also have given her knowledge in how to create a performances or art without the need of one language and that all audiences can connect to and understand.

 

As a member of the Core Creative Team she has worked in close collaboration with Bill Mitchell as a designer, part of the community team, a performer and also as a tutor on the summer schools. Her special area of interest is the role of culture and art in building and sustaining communities. Her participation with the community in WILDWORKS show that she needs to have good, strong communication skills and the ability to be a facilitator and have an understanding of the community and people within it. Also her ability to change roles shows the diversity of the part she plays within the company and skills that she has.

For WILDWORKS:

2013 | The Museum of Us | Royal Cornwall Museum        

2012 | Ark-ive | Theatre Square, National Theatre, London 

2012 | BABEL | Caledonian Park, London 

2011 | The Passion | Port Talbot

2010 | Palestine Literature Festival | Palestine

2010 | Enchanted Palace | Kensington Palace London

2009 | The Beautiful Journey | North East | on the banks of the river Tyne Wallsend

 
Mercedes Kemp

Associate Director Community and Research

Mercedes Kemp was born and grew up in Southern Spain. For the past thirty years she has lived in West Cornwall. Since 2001 she has worked in close collaboration with Bill Mitchell, developing storylines and text for site specific pieces in Malta, Cyprus, France and Britain. She is a core member of WILDWORKS.

As well as the production of text and story line, her role within WILDWORKS involves creating and maintaining relationships with host communities, exploring their relationships with place and memory and adapting text to fit each new location. For this role she must have to have really strong people, community and communication skills to be able to connect with and understand the communities in a sensitive and caring manner. Also she must have literary and creative skills to be able to take peoples memories and create storylines and text and to make a performance out of it.

Her method involves a kind of eclectic ethnographic research into a variety of sources: archives, libraries, cemeteries, village halls, bus stops, local historians, town gossips, snapshots, old photographs, conversations, and, above all, a close observation of the process of memory and its effect on the value that people place on their environments. For this role she must have a great amount of people skills to be able to connect with the communities that she is researching and working with to be able to connect with them and for them to be able to feel comfortable opening up to her. Also she must be really good at researching and looking into communities and history to be able to understand the place and the people that she is working with.

Her freelance work includes commissions for The Eden Project, The Guardian and BBC Radio 3. She worked as a writer for Kneehigh Theatre in Strange Cargo, Manel's Mango, Shop of Stories, Doubtful Island, Island of Dreams and A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings. She is a founding member of the writing and performing collective Scavel an Gow. Mercedes is Senior Lecturer in Critical Studies at University College Falmouth.