Creative Play At Work & Mac Pro Happy Days ..

Awesome , creative time in workshops, delving to find the characters voice at different stages of her life , extemporising with shakespearean text (Merchant of Venice) rewritten by our Staging Deviser - for a black woman character also focusing on line breaks and rhythm. The text for the piece has a non western afrocentric rhythm. Recruiting several more important persons as patrons for the project. Most importantly acquiring a mac pro computer and making the pc to mac transition - a key tool for the project creatively in using IT, specialist digital, software, and social media tools (there are quite a number that are intrinsic ! ) within the team internally and externally. For a wide range of tasks, but with a refreshing element of creative play and freedom, to expand any number possibilities - in seeing and doing things creatively. TheMac pro will be able to run the creative software required for the work - it can create real wow factor.

We have added our excellent Choreographer Louise Katerega (she has a film interpretative text background also) who has given valuable and critical methods & insights of her reading of the text to inform the physical movements. We are developing for this choreopoem, a bespoke movement vocabulary a ' gumbo' a bank to draw on of signature movements aligned with the narrative . In addition to the role of the filmed movement, areas for interactivity linked to key moments in the narrative . Three days to go , before the big shoot on photo/film location - excitement adrenalin is building (potentially up to 30 people on set !) - it will quite be quite an event of itself . I am enjoying the challenge of it all.

The Really Big Curve

What a big learning curve this year has been ...so many things went right (creative team champions, advisory group, writing the text, dramaturg, poetry writing, improved social media skills ie. certificate from De Montfort Univerisity used for arts work & to create interest in my poetic writing i.e.200+ people, first poem published in a literary magazine 'Hearing Voices' , the role & value of creative collaboration ) but also so many other very important things unexpectedly and sadly went awry too (grants funding , not being able to access approved funds to further develop project (can only access by getting matching funds) rescheduling dates/venues, Alan Sillitoe's passing etc.

My challenge is not to be frustrated (whilst dreaming of an Apple Mac pro (an essential basic but very important tool I need for the project to create & run everything ) but to remain completely focused but not tunnle visioned as I may have been before and definitely not assume to much on the part of others ! so an adminstrator has been contacted for their services to do funding bids entirely and I suggest this investment is the only way for an artist like me to go. I found one on a recomendation from an other artist colleague Mellow - we will see how we both get on...

However we continue onwards and upwards but more savvy to the ways of the arts world, with its really big competitive challenges. It is a comfort to know my inspiration is ever present. I recently attended an event Upstream for work, but could not help to be uplifted by the artists there. The conversation and shared experiences and my friend and colleague Gaylene'Gould's (Clore Fellow) concept of 'rebel dreamin' .my knowledge grows exponentially.

I have had recently the pleasure of seeing two pieces of poetry/spoken work, in a theatrical setting in my home town . One directed the other not, this has helped me enormously. Simon (he is helping with text and devising ) came along also for the second piece. I realise I have seen or been lucky to have worked with/alongside a number of of different artists - both regional, national. Excellent artists like ,Will Power, Jean 'Binta' Breeze, Joolz Denby, Benji Reid , Aoiffe Mannix, Salena Godden, Patrick Neate, El Crisis, Lebo Mashile, Lemn Sissay, Kat Francois, Floetic Lara, David J Pugilist , Michael'Sure Shot' Brome ' Zena Edwards, Polar Bear . At the end of this year, this deacade, even I am convinced even more of the value, of what this project is about, the people I am workign with ,are more than capable to deliver such a unique piece of work , that is so timely , cutting edge, innovative - so very beautifully BIG !!!