Participation
“participation is at the heart of what I do”
In essence, participation is at the heart of what I do – much of my writing depends on people participating in its creation and my previous work has focussed on giving people the chance to take part in creative opportunities.
With NORTHAMPTON ARTS DEVELOPMENT (1989 – 1998) I ran designed, managed and workshops for people across Northamptonshire, often in partnership with other venues and agencies. Alongside professional practitioners, NAD gave people the chance to create visual art, dance, music, writing, film – we worked with people of all ages and abilities who were often nervous about their abilities to create or perform.
During my time with New Perspectives the touring theatre company became a rural arts development agency for the east midlands. I set up and ran an office in the south of the region and developed from scratch a programme of participation with a wide range of groups. Over this time New Perspectives developed Northamptonshire’s first Touring Scheme, bringing live performances and workshops to village and community venues across the county.
“VERY SMALL AND VERY FAR AWAY”
This play ended up being premiered by Forest Forge’s youth theatre under the direction of Lucy Philips, but it was created with the participation of people across Hampshire. I spent months driving across the county talking to people of the autistic spectrum and their families and the testimonies they shared fed directly into the text. The play gave young people the chance to explore the issues around autism by getting under the skin of the subject and using the words of real people who lived not so very far away from them.
“THE BALLAD OF DOLLY AND CLIVE”
Dolly & Clive grew out of workshops with a group of adults with (and recovering from) mental health issues at Ollerton’sDukeries Centre. Though there was no therapy, the process itself was therapeutic for all of us, we shared ideas, laughter, cake and tea and in the mix we made a play which has since gone on to be performed by others. It would never have existed without participation, without people who thought they were not theatre-makers or writers giving ideas and testing possibilities.
