Thursday 25 April 2013

I want to inspire....

So it is time to re frame! When looking back through my previous blogs the following post stood out to me:

Inspire

To quote myself 'The word inspire is going to be the backbone of my inquiry'.  This still rings true for me and in searching for clarity for my inquiry I thought a good place to start would be to look at what inspires me!  I am going to be the one working on this inquiry so I need to be passionate about it and the research I will undertake.

I want to:
  • Explore theatre in direct link to young people.
  • Look at outreach and inclusive practice.
  • Explore companies already doing this work. 
  • How theatre can be made more accessible.
  • Theatre in link to education and child progression.
  • Explore how a child's engagement in theatre can be enhanced.

I have hit a stage in my career where I want to do more.  I have a strong desire to make a difference and I am driven by a sense of achievement.  This drive has led me to performing but we all know how hard that can be on a daily basis.  I feel I have a lot to offer - mainly my passion and I want to know what jobs are out there and how I can be a part of it.I want to work with young people inspiring them and building confidence through the power of theatre.  I do not want theatre to be elitist I want it to reach everyone and everyone.  So this is my starting point for my inquiry and here are a few things that have inspired me to go down this line:

An article about World Theatre for children and young people day:
 
How theatre for young people could change the world

I picked out this particular section as it resonates with my feelings and beliefs surrounding why theatre for young people can be so influential:

"Not to sound overly grand (too late), but so much of the toxicity in this world comes from a collective draining of empathy. We don't understand each other, and we don't want to. But theater invites us -- no, forces us -- to empathize.  As my friend Bill English of San Francisco's SF Playhouse says, theater is like a gym for empathy. It's where we can go to build up the muscles of compassion, to practice listening and understanding and engaging with people that are not just like ourselves. We practice sitting down, paying attention and learning from other people's actions. We practice caring.  Kids need this kind of practice even more than adults do. This is going to be their planet and they've got more time to apply that empathy and make a difference."

Inspirational words from those at ASSITEJ

ASSITEJ stands for Association Internationale du Theatre pour l'Enfance et la Jeunesse which means International Association of Theatre for Children and Young People.  They proposes to unite theatres, organizations and individuals throughout the world dedicated to theatre for children and young people.  I picked out a couple of quotes from the company directors that I love!


'For young people, coming to the theatre for the first time, the effect is electrifying, utterly compelling. It is live in front of their eyes, the story, the spectacle, the music, the lighting, the movement, the sound, the actors. Such an experience can change young lives. It informs and enriches us all.' Micheal Morpurgo

'Recently I was reminded of the saying, "You can count the seeds in an apple, but you can't count the apples in the seed." The impact of the theatre experience on children and young people may be impossible to measure precisely, but I believe that it is potent in containing the seeds for countless numbers of apples.' Yvette Hardie

Work of the following companies really inspires me and is what I would love to be a part of:

This video is a taste of the work at Chickenshed Theatre Company:


This video is a taste of the work that Oily Cart do working with what they call 'impossible audiences' the very young 3-5 year olds and children with special needs:


Here are links to other companies that inspire me:

The Unicorn Theatre

The Polka Theatre

Little Angel Theatre

And I am sure there are many more that I am yet to find out about that do similar work! Fellow bloggers if you know of any please let me know!

Hollie xx

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