Yes Yes Yes 'We will build Jerusalem in England' etc. ! Blake

YES , the answer is yes we got it !! A vitally important milestone has been reached - major achievement in the current financial climate . We have been notified, we will receive grant funding, from a major funder, Arts Council England, for our wonderful project. I know I have not written for awhile, due to, much anxiety (lots) , anticipation alongside a mind boggling flurry of activity. Needless to say it has not all quite sunk in but we now have the means to move very quickly and positively forward !!!!

We have in place a really fantastic creative team ( theatre, performing arts, creative artists , digitals till & moving image, multi-media MA's BA's etc) planning out with me in our regular team meetings, still and moving image shoots, the art direction , external and studio, locations and venues , extras costumes, props , hair make up and personnel . In addition to very having stimulating discussions with clear decisions emerging about creative technicalities about the visual look, colour textures, post edit treatments of the piece, across the different decades of style, throughout the narrative of the piece . We are currently recruiting a crowd of extras. All our main character/model actors have all been sourced locally and cast by me. All to generate the quality images we need for the stage production . Key project management tools are Dropbox and Google Calender-essential !!! It does feel historic, with an unstoppable positive forward momentum. We are building something that will really be very special and unique right here in the middle lands of England ..of Leicester The world awaits....

Give Me The Lights & the Magic Mirror ....

I had a brilliant time today, doing a guided tour of a digtial media centre with Sean and myself, of the excellent equipment and studio facilities (some mac some pc kit audio visual etc.). We envisage using over the summer, to pilot the creative digital visual ideas for the project. In our subsequent meeting together, it became clear, that what was needed was a joint (myself and Sean) presentation, to the various groups associated with this digital media centre, to explain the project. To present its vision and its innovative collaborative nature to them . This way we maybe able to access the resources that we would require. they would benefit from a being involved in a very exciting innovative collaborative project that would benefit student learning and experience.

The deadline for this is the next three weeks. It would also help to get on board also, possible MA students to work with us as a summer project. As part of the creative digital team. With another more experienced person in the field of film/technical etc. to work alongside Sean. This is a bigger creative digital team than previously planned, to create and test the performance platform for the piece . Further decisions are to be made, as to whether we have the correct amount and type of equipment to buy- in order to tour with. In addition - what equipment we would use in-house in theatre venues (we would need very detailed information of equipment , layout , power points etcc here ), arts venues in phase 2 of the project (i.e. installations).

Importantly, we agreed on a combination of classic theatrical lighting techniques with state of the art creative digital still & moving images, to work seamlessly woven into the narrative drama and movement. In particular to move the dramatic character between locations and time zones in a very sutble way. For strictly limited use of interactive software for particular dramatic moments . Other modes of interactvity are possible with other digital moving visuals. Importantly to use the dressing room of the diva character - as a core theatrical transformative device - of still & moving images of multiple projections. However we agreed to ensure the work is fully lead by the performance of live literature and physical theatre.