Directors Forum Notes: August 2016

Youth Theatre Arts Scotland’s ‘Directors Forum’ Monday 15th August, 11:30 - 4pm at Edinburgh Academy In 2016 Youth Theatre Arts Scotland (YTAS) launched two new Forums to support sector and artform development. The forums are for experienced Youth Theatre Directors and Managers who want to push their own practice and work with other professionals on sector-wide opportunities.

The Forums take place bi-annually and include a specialist masterclass or case-study, networking and a facilitated exchange session. The fee to attend the Forums is minimal (or free in some cases).

YTAS hopes these new Forums will be an exciting place where Scotland’s Youth Theatre Directors and Managers can meet to inspire their work and influence national developments.

The session was hosted by Collision sharing ‘The Gobstopper Effect’, Clara Bloomfield’s awardwinning approach to devising quality touring productions. After lunch the Forum Directors were supported to exchange their own ideas (at whatever stage of development) and discover new ways to support each other’s work in the year ahead. YTAS gratefully acknowledges support from Creative Scotland and Fife Youth Arts in staging the Directors Forum.

Attendees: Kenny McGlashan (YTAS), Rachael-Jane Morrison (Collision), Alan Gray (Eden Court), Debbie Montgomery (Cumbernauld Theatre), Deborah McArthur (Tron), Garry Robson (Birds of Paradise), Jo Sharp (Freelance), Judith Stephen (APA), Katie Mitchell (Strangetown), Kim Donohoe (Strangetown), Lisa Williamson (Dundee Rep), Naomi Wood (Freelance), Nick Barton-Wines (Emergence Saltire Award Winner / Beacon), Tashi Gore (Junction 25).

Collision and ‘The Gobstopper Effect’ Collision is a collective of young theatre makers (aged 7-25 years) and is produced by Clara Bloomfield. They create work that responds to the everyday and explores the world in which they live.

"Through performance, we focus on devised and new work that is personal to us and voices our opinion of the world, creating courageous, bold and adventurous theatre that is relevant to us and our peers."

Collision work against hegemonic structures that reinforce the traditional power systems that suggest the ‘adult’ as leader/ expert. We work in a unilateral structure whereby we all (‘young person’ and ‘adult’) have a shared and invested interested in the creative and collaborative decision making process. My (Clara’s) role as ‘adult’ in this context is that of duty of care for the young people.

Through performance, we focus on creating work that is personal to us and voices our opinion of the world, producing theatre that encourages a greater dialogue surrounding what it is to be a young person today.

Our company produce work that explores people, place and identity. As a result, we have a specific approach to devising work that is rooted in responding the ‘young person’s’ experience of their ‘community’ through semi-autobiographical and verbatim theatre practice but retold through a narrative structure.

Our Process 1.

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Creating an ensemble Way in i.e. what is the company’s relationship to the material Frame the project/ experience Who is our ally?

Research / Devise / Rehearse / Scratch / Repeat /Perform Developing Your Artistry and Practice

1. Talk for 1 minute about the context of your work. Now talk for 1 minute about your role as a Director within that context. Discuss with your partner what you observed… as well as any questions you have.

2. In groups discuss and feedback: How as theatre-makers do you create ‘strong theatricality’ in our work whilst providing an environment where young people can explore their position in the world?

3. In groups discuss and feedback: As theatre-makers / Directors / Artists what is the role f ‘values (social / political / community) play in the work you make?

Directors Discussions

About the Collision Gobstopper Model       

Talking through Collision’s process and thinking about how to put ‘flesh on the bones’ has been really helpful.

I’ll take away the model and try elements of it out in my work.

It was good to discuss our practice with other professionals and practitioners, separate form managing a group of young people.

Liked that Collision’s model is wide and without hierarchy.

Great to hear about a model like Collision’s that has real substance and theory behind it.

I like that risk, challenge and mentoring all feel key to the model.

It’s helpful to break down a formula or process. It’s the bit you never get to see.

About Director Forum             

I liked that today involved peer support and being critical friends for each other.

I like the informal mentoring part of the day – asking ‘cold’ questions of each other’s practice and ideas. Really helped me focus what I’m doing.

I like that today was more discussion based– it allowed us to get into the issues rather than just glazing over them.

Today was more analytical than past training I’ve done.

The group allowed us to be open, honest and vulnerable about ourselves and our work.

I’ve been reenergised about youth theatre and my work.

We need to go and see each other’s work more actively.

We need to harness the conversations we could have around our work.

We need to help young people to be more articulate about the work – always having post-show discussions for instance.

I would like to learn more about ways we could access funding to develop our practice.

I’d be interested in exploring focussed areas / types of practice / groups we work with. For instance, what is different for developing your artistry and practice as a I’d be interested in a Facebook group to keep in touch and keep each other in the loop about our projects.

A monthly email or provocation would be good as a challenge.