News
April 2024, II.
Eine Geschichte für Alt und Jung: Als Sprecher bei der Verlorenen Melodie, zusammen mit dem Staatsorchester Darmstadt (Leitung: Neil Valenta) / A story for all ages: As narrator during the performance of The Lost Melody. (Foto: privat)
DE
Live Performance mit großem Orchester: Die verlorene Melodie am Staatstheater Darmstadt
Eine Geschichte erzählen zusammen mit mehr als 20 Orchestermusikern auf der Bühne?
Am 10. und 11. April habe ich als Sprecher den Text zur symphonischen Erzählung Die verlorene Melodie von Eberhard Streul und Andreas N. Tarkmann präsentiert.
In meiner halbszenischen Inszenierung ging es von einem Komponisten-Zimmer mit Windstoß-Ventilator via Straßenbahn ins Fundbüro, wo ein Pelzhandschuh und ein Schlüsselbund sogar die Liebe fanden.
Die Zusammenarbeit mit musikalischem Leiter Neil Valenta und den Musizierenden des Staatsorchesters Darmstadt war mir eine Ehre und große Freude.
EN
Live on stage with a 20-piece-orchestra
Returning as storyteller to the stage has been a highly elegant event this time round: Acting as narrator for The Lost Melody, a symphonic tale by E. Streub and A. Tarkmann, brought me together with more than twenty musicians from the State Orchestra Darmstadt and conductor Neil Valenta.
Speaking of conductors, in my semi-staging for the story, the narrator hops on an improvised tram, walks through a composer’s room with a fan and ends up in a lost property office, all to bring back a little violine and melody back to the main stage.
It was a pleasure and a creative undertaking of a special kind!
April 2024
Vorbereitung auf die Show: Im Bühnenbild zu Schaf (Schnitzler/Roeder) mit einer Horde Jungschafe / In preparation for the show: In the set of Sheep. (Foto: privat)
DE
Die Schafe mähen wieder
Zum Osterprogramm erlebte auch mein interaktiver Workshop zur Produktion Schaf ein Revival (siehe News Oktober 2023). Erneut habe ich zusammen mit den Protagonisten des Stücks eine Gruppe von enthusiastischen Jungschafen in die Inszenierung von Magdalena Schnitzler eingearbeitet.
Die Darstellendenden wurden von „Tausend Schafen“ und „Hundert Wolken“ auf der Bühne begleitet. Ein Erlebnis für Jung und Alt.
Mäh!
EN
The Sheep Are Back
For the revival of the children’s opera Schaf, I offered another interactive workshop for young audiences. The new arrivals worked on sheep-style scenes and songs together with the cast. Then, I directed their special appearances during the original show, as puffy sheep companions for the protagonists and walking sheep-shaped clouds to appear with an angel.
März 2024
Das kleine Ich bin Ich als buntes Happening für die Sinne
Auf der bunten Blumenwiese: Das kleine Ich-bin-Ich sucht seine Identität. Was nicht zu ihm gehört, legt es nach und nach ab. (Musikl. Leitung: R. Pena, Regie, Bühne und Kostüm-Idee: F.J. Seubert, Darsteller: S. Hübner, Fotos: Staatstheater Darmstadt.)
Am 7. März hatte meine Inszenierung am Staatstheater Darmstadt Premiere. Für der Reihe der Mini-Konzerte habe ich das Kinderstück Das kleine Ich bin Ich nach dem gleichnamigen Buch von Mira Lobe, mit der Musik von Elisabeth Naske, für die Bühne erzählt. In einem partizipativen Happening konnten junges Publikum und Erwachsene die Hauptfigur auf ihrer Suche nach dem eigenen Ich begleiten – durch bunte Texturen, kühlende Wasser-Sensationen und federleichte Gefühle.
Und als am Schluss der Geschichte, nach vielen Häutungen, das kleine Ich seine Selbstakzeptanz gefunden hatte, regnete es Seifenblasen.
Ein Kommentar nach der Vorstellung: „Grandios!“
Ahoi!
01/12/2023
Oper und Dramatherapie / Using opera in dramatherapy
DE
Vor einigen Tagen ist mein Aufsatz über die Verwendung dramatherapeutischer Elemente in der Opernvermittlung erschienen. Aus der Sicht des Vermittlers beschreibe ich darin ein Projekt, das ich 2019 zusammen mit dem Team von Opera Holland Park für Menschen mit Lernbehinderung in Kennsington und Chelsea abgehalten habe.
Der akademische Aufsatz ist im traditionsreichen Journal Dramatherapy der Britischen Gesellschaft von Theatertherapeuten erschienen.
EN
A few days ago, my article on using dramatherapy-informed facilitation in outreach for adults with learning disabilities was published in Dramatherapy – the Official Journal of the Association of British Dramatherapists.
The article talks about techniques I used during a project together with the team of Opera Holland Park in 2019.
Read the article here. (https://doi.org/10.1177/02630672231214702)
30/10/2023
Von Wolken, Kronen, und Schafen / Clouds, Crowns, and Sheep: Opera workshop for children
EN
After almost a year of assistant directing, it was nice to bring back some facilitation into the mix.
On Saturday, a group of children joined the wonderful performers and musicians of the baroque-inspired children’s opera Schaf. In an interactive session, we created sheep scenes, sang a song from the show and made our own props - soft clouds and sparkling clowns - together with some prop-making experts. In a one-off performance, the children were delighted to let out their inner sheep as part of the regular ensemble.
Props made for a special performance / Requisiten für eine Spezialausgabe der Barock-Show Schaf
DE
Nach fast einem Jahr als Regieassistent bot sich am Wochenende die Gelegenheit einmal wieder Theatervermittlung einzubringen.
Eine Gruppe Nachwuchs-Darstellerinnen stand zusammen mit den Schauspielenden der Kinderoper Schaf am Samstag auf der Bühne im Foyer des Staatstheaters. In einem interaktiven Workshop haben wir zuerst Schaf-Szenen erfunden, ein Baroque-Lied der Show gesungen und unsere eigenen Requisiten gebastelt. Dann konnten die Teilnehmerinnen ihre begeisterten Schafe während der Vorstellung rauslassen. Mäh!
15/07/2023
Intermission in Darmstadt
Darmstadt, Auditorium main stage
The first seven months as staff director at Staatstheater Darmstadt have been a variety show of experiences: From assisting with big opera productions such as Lulu and The Tales of Hoffmann (to open in September) to musical theatre and youth opera in studio settings.
One of my favourites this season, though, must be the summer open-air version of Schaf (Sheep), a children’s opera about a sheep being urged by its princely friend to find a proper name. Whether it does? Come and see for yourself! The show will be revived in autumn.
Have a good summer 2023
28/12/2022
New Year, New Job! as Staff Director at Staatstheater Darmstadt
EN
I’m thrilled to start my new job as staff director for music theatre and opera at the diversely innovative Staatstheater Darmstadt, Germany, next month. After a directing sample in which I suggested queering parts of The Magic Flute, I got accepted for the job.
The theatre was founded in the 18th century and, surviving several relocations and some WWII bombing, has been flourishing ever since! Current artistic director is Karsten Wiegand, head of opera is Kirsten Uttendorf.
DE
Ich freue mich im Januar als Regieassistent und Abendspielleitung Musiktheater / Oper beim renommierten Staatstheater Darmstadt anzufangen. Nach einer Arbeitsprobe, in der ich eine Szene der Zauberflöte mit einem gender-progressiven Ansatz inszeniert habe, habe ich den Job bekommen. Der aktuelle Intendant des Theaters ist Karsten Wiegand.
Kirsten Uttendorf leitet die Sparte Musiktheater als Operndirektorin.
07/10/2022
Nothing happens in Carnaby Street
London in Berlin: In a clip produced to illustrate Peggy March’s Carnaby Song, the Union Jack and British stereotypical dress are used to represent Cool Britannia on the streets of West Berlin
A new opportunity for German readers to learn about the reception of Swinging London in German popular song of the 20th century: In the late 1960s, singer Peggy March (Lyrcis: Hans Bardtke) described the goings-on in Carnaby Street with soft irony in her hit Was so alles geschieht, in der Carnaby Street (‘Now, look at all that happens in Carnaby Street’).
In my interpretation, I draw connections between a 1960s posing-obsessed Beat and Mod culture and the Instagram posers of today. The youth culture credo of putting style over substance has arguably intensified for virtual dandies and visual addicts alike at the beginning of the 21st century.
You can read my text in the online anthology Deutsche Lieder. Bamberger Anthologie, edited by Dr Martin Rehfeldt.
30/09/2022
Call Me Doctor
It’s been made official today - I’ve been awarded my PhD in Theatre and Performance.
Detail from the staging of They Called Her Salt (funded by the Arts Council England), one of the practice research projects of my PhD thesis
The title of my thesis is: Music Theatre without Voice: Facilitating and directing diverse participation for opera, musical, and pantomime.
The thesis and practice documentation consolidate my work with various communities over the last years. Some of this work is documented in the open access part of my website for you to admire.
The completion of my thesis brings an exciting and varied chapter in my artistic life to a close.
I’m waving good-bye to an inspiring Act I and am looking forward to a fabulous Act II, focusing on writing short stories and dramatic texts in the present and future.
Yours faithfully,
Dr Florian J Seubert
11/08/2022
Summer Pass Time: An interpretation of song lyrics in German
As a special treat over summer break for all German readers: My comparative interpretation of Bob Dylan’s lyrics ‘The Time’s Are A-Changing’ and Austrian singer-songwriter Hubert von Goisern’s ‘Heast as nit, wia die Zeit vergeht’ (engl. Don’t you hear how the time is passing?)
The interpretation has just been published in the online anthology Deutsche Lieder. Bamberger Anthologie, edited by Martin Rehfeldt at the University of Bamberg.
The theme of the interpreation: How do we notice the passing of time in our times of change? And what kinds of change can there be? Hopeful ones, melancholic ones, or just the usual routines of life?
A pensive prompt for passing your your summer time - have a good one!
03/08 and 10/08/2022
With Powerhouse at the Proms / Two summer sessions
On the 3rd, I accompanied Powerhouse on their annual summer trip to hear a relaxed performance of Beethoven’s 5th Symphony at the Royal Albert Hall.
On the 10th, we created our own music performance. In a drama session on the topic ‘You can’t tell me what to do’, we devised little dramatic vignettes and our own song lyrics to Paul McCartney’s ‘Dance Tonight’.
I don’t wanna talk tonight - No! I don’t wanna swear tonight - Stop! I don’t wanna go to the doctor’s today - No way!
What would Beethoven have said about all that?
Probably: Da da da daaa!
31/07/2022
A literary variety show about contemporary love
I’ve started compiling texts for a new solo show in autumn for my live literature performance series.
This time, the short story readings, songs, and poems investigate the fleeting stages of romance from grand initial gestures to small silent endings and the impenetrable workings of group dynamics.
The stories probe what’s left of love as a drive that can keep humans together, yet, also strangely apart after years of isolation and on-going digitalisation.
Sign up to my newsletter to get more information on performance dates soon.
Have a first glimpse here.
15/06/2022
One-off Butoh happening
Yesterday, I joined London Butoh Dance Company for one of their performances of IRREVERSE. The dance piece is an exciting physical theatre show about the pains and joys of growing up as an adolescent.
It was a pleasure to contribute an impromptu sound score using vocals and piano, together with saxophonist Clive.
Check the company out for one of their semi-immersive performances!
Highly recommended.
13/06/2022
Final rehearsal days for Sondheim: Before & After at Hoxton Hall
After three exciting and intensive weeks of rehearsals, Keith Warner’s Sondheim-production for the National Opera Studio moves to Hoxton Hall for its final rehearsals.
The show, that takes the audiences on a glittering journey through 20th century modernist opera and American music drama, will be performed on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Tickets are available here.
20/05/2022
Sondheim: Before & After – assisting Keith Warner during National Opera Studio residency
Next week, rehearsals for a semi-staged Stephen Sondheim tribute start at the National Opera Studio.
I feel honoured and excited to assist one of the most sought-after British opera directors during this production. The contemporary scenes include arias from Berg’s Wozzeck via a collage of Sondheim’s work to Jeanine Tesori and Nico Muhly, tracing the American composers’ early influences and late followers.
Working as Keith Warner’s assistant as part of my directing residency with the National Opera Studio will be one of the highlights of my practice experiences this year, I’m sure.
The show will be performed at Hoxton Hall, on 14th and 15th of June 2022, at 7.30 pm.
For more info and tickets click here.
24/03/2022
Wednesday at the Bookshop
Last night, another performance of my live short stories around Uncle Peabody and Mrs Downaway went ahead at the Morocco Bound Bookshop near buzzing Bermondsey High Street. One audience member described the evening as ‘a cross between Stephen Fry and Henning Wehn, just with a nicer voice.’ I feel humbled and humoured.
With thanks to everybody who contributed to a lovely night!
21/03/2022
Journal article about inclusive practice published [Open Access]
Research in Drama Education: The Journal of Applied Theatre and Performance has published my article on working with people with learning disabilities during the Covid-crisis.
‘Sanitise your hands with rainbows!’ Encouraging self-representation in times of crisis is available to read online (https://doi.org/10.1080/13569783.2022.2049223).
08/03/2022
Short story readings - Extra performance date added!
Storm Eunice became a strong feature of the first installment of my short story readings The world is beautiful, with minor conflicts.
See it without wind on the 23rd of March.
The Morocco Bound Bookshop (near London Bridge) has rescheduled the event. So, you have the chance to see it for the first time, if you couldn’t make it in February - or see it again, if you could see it again.
Book your Eventbrite tickets here.
07/03/2022
Drama outreach: Creative evaluation tools with Powerhouse
Today, I’ve started a new outreach project together with the women from Powerhouse and their faciliator. We are exploring non-verbal ways to express likes, dislikes and everything in-between, from microwave dinners to extreme weather conditions and feeling unwell.
The aim of the project is to develop our own evaluative tool set with sounds, movements, and lots of laugther.
19/02/2022
Blown Away
Storytelling at the Morocco Bound Book Shop: ‘Irritable to the wind, even to the wind, the wafting wind: splashing through the trees and blowing the remaining raindrops like derisive spit into his face’ (quote from Uncle Peabody Loses his Worries)
“Do the stories exist as a pdf. or a recording - I want to send them to my friends right now.”
What better to do on a day of severe storm than to listen to some stories? Despite the strong wind and the significant distruptions to public transport, The World is Beautiful, with Minor Conflicts took place yesterday at the Morocco Bound Bookshop. In an atmopsheric setting, told to an intimate crowd, the stories captivated the audience.
The event will be happening again later this Spring - hopefully with less wind but an audience as blown away.
Keep an eye out for the new event date(s) here soon or follow my newsletter (above).
14/02/2022
Video teaser for short story reading online
On Friday, I’m going to present two short stories live at the Morocco Bound Bookshop (off Bermondsey High Street). Get a short glimpse of one of the stories here.
A few last tickets are available, so come along and join the stories.
10/01/2022
Short story readings: The world is beautiful, with minor conflicts
Join my live storytelling event at the Morocco Bound Bookshop on Feburary 18th, 2022 (easy to reach from London Bridge Station).
With the two ‘neighbourhood stories’ Uncle Peabody Loses his Worries and Mrs Downaway, I will present two more characters from my quirky London universe.
Everybody welcome!
Entry from 7pm
Event starts at 8pm
Book your free ticket via Eventbrite.
01/10/2021
Animal dramas and social media
Dramatic adventures: meeting penguins at London Zoo and in our imagination
Over the last few months, I’ve worked on some exciting, creative projects together with the women from Powerhouse.
In August, we came up with animal dramas. We went on imaginary journies to the jungle, fed jelly fish with cabbages, and flew as butterflies through the streets of Newham. As a special treat, we met real animals at London Zoo before summer break.
In September, our worlds turned digital with a social media project. Through short scenes, we brainstormed about when to use phones and the right netiquette. We performed in front of the camera to create our own social media shots and recorded short personal statements.
Definetly a like from me
The social medai project was kindly support by
08/06/2021
Back at the Powerhouse
I’ve recommenced drama sessions with the women from Powerhouse this week. It was exciting to see everybody again after such a long time!
We are currently working on everyday vignettes of ‘the new normal’, and devised scenes about ‘when it is difficult to talk’: Who can’t relate to the boggling situation of being run over by a lockdown Scooter, or the word-numbing search of a public toilet that is actually open?
Here’s to a drama-inspiring summer!
27/05/2021
Missing: Funding for inclusive story telling
With the Arts Council and other funding bodies overwhelmed, it has become difficult to find funding for projects with marginalised communities.
If you want to fund a project about bereavement and questions of male identity, in cooperation with a gay- and bisexual men’s support group, please get in touch with me.
If you want to fund a project for people with learning disabilities about resilience, please get in touch, likewise.
If you want to fund a project about processing grief and combating discrimination against Asian minority groups, please also feel free to let me know.
These projects are ready to go and we have a team of committed artists and local charities that are already involved.
We are looking forward to get to know you!
29/04/2021
Detail from illustration for Tony’s Hot Day by Selma
Celebrating 1 year of creativity in lockdown
A year ago, we delivered a live broadcast about Tony and his hot day in self-isolation, via ZOOM.
Days might have been cooler this April, but we are still celebrating the wonder of being stuck at home with many things to do. In case you have missed it, you can re-watch the live story with music and illustrations here.
The digital choreography about Tony’s fridge together with Act Up Newham! can be watched here.
18/03/2021
Paris in musical film
Routledge’s new publication on Paris and the Musical: The City of Light on Stage and Screen was released today. I contributed a chapter on queer representation in film versions of Victor/Victoria.
I’m honoured that my essay was grouped under the headline ‘Naughty Paris’ together with contributions from Raymond Knapp, Olaf Jubin and others - where else do you want to be during lockdown?
Find more information on the book here.
05/01/2021
Learning German through Song
Unusual times foster unusual collaborations: During this spring, I’ll be offering creative language workshops for the City Literary Institute, Covent Garden.
Through German cabaret songs, short stories and poetry, we’ll discover topics in German culture and produce our own creative responses to themes of love, heimat, or the romantic outsider.
And all from the comforts of our homes…have a happy lockdown 2021!
23/10/2020
A Happy Reunion @ Equal People Mencap - a mini musical about lockdown
Impression from our interactive workshops sessions: Dancing the isolation of social distancing away
Today was our last music stories workshop. We created a short online musical over the last five weeks together with a diverse group of artists. A Happy Reunion tells the story of mouse Zouzou and monkey Big Ben. They pass their time in lockdown with unorthodox dance routines and, after a safe corona-test, inventive cooking together.
It was a pleasure to collaborate with the wonderful members of Mencap Kensington and Opera Holland Park’s outreach team.
Get a flavour of the project here.
07/10/2020
Inclusive reflections on Coronavirus: Just in time before lockdown 2
From our creative arts sessions - reflecting on Coronavirus in all its shapes and forms
Just in time before before new restrictions are introduced, we finished our creative arts sessions at Powerhouse. We explored our feelings of lockdown and responses to the current pandemic in multi-artistic forms, from performing a face mask catwalk to making our own models of the virus itself..
All, of course, without violating the current rules of social distancing.
It’s possible to be creative together and safe.
25/09/2020
‘Music stories’ to process lockdown experiences
with Opera Holland Park and Equal People Mencap
Opera Holland Park’s Inspire has created the opportunity to create an inclusive mini musical together with the services users of Equal People Mencap. I’m looking forward to directing the five-week online project together with my colleagues.
The aim of the creative experiment is to ‘create stories, music and dance to connect to each other and share our visions of the future’.
I’m looking forward to the online opera experience and to imagine a future how it has never been.
The project starts this Friday!
09/09/2020
Sanitise your hands with hope! Inclusive reflections on Covid-19
One of the participants merged signs of crisis with signs of hope: When we reflected on sanitising, Sophia drew hands covered in a rainbow.
I’ve collaborated with Powerhouse for women with learning disabilities over the last few years. I’m happy to announce that we are able to offer post-lockdown creative arts projects with funding from the National Lottery.
Together with the group, I’m exploring the ‘Symbols of Lockdown’ in multi-sensory workshops. We are making sense of the Coronavirus through the methods of the creative arts, from lockdown choreographies to creating our own fashionable facemasks. We’ll even build our own models of Covid-19 to make it more tangible. Singing is difficult at the moment, but we are finding alternative ways of expression to music.
It’s encouraging to see images of crisis merge with images of hope through the arts.
28/07/2020
Vivaldi’s ‘Summer’: Ritornello Composition Workshop
Opera Holland Park and Tri-borough Music Hub hosted a collaborative virtual composition session today, for children between the age of 7 and 11.
For the breezy summer project, we explored how Vivaldi’s ‘Summer’ can sound when remixed as a sound collage. Together with MD Davide Keefe, I facilitated a refreshing virtual trip to the seaside for an enthusiastic group of young composers and music-makers.
We learned: Beware of sea gulls stealing your chips!
Have a good summer break.
23/05/2020
Un ballo in maschera @ home - Opera Holland Parks Virtual Open Day
How better to recreate opera at home than with a fancy dress party, inspired by Verdi’s Un ballo in maschera?
Opera Houses may be closed at the moment, but this doesn’t mean that innovative opera outreach needs to stop. On 23rd of May, Opera Holland Park held their annual open day virtually, with interactive workshops and live streaming. For it, I developed a digital accessibility workshop together with Abigail Sudbury, head of OHP’s Inspire programme. We had a masked ball together with families and children between 0-5.
If you feel like dressing up at home to a powerful aria - send in your pictures #OHPOpenDay.
05/05/2020
#TheatreAgainstLoneliness
From our interactive performance of Tony’s Hot Day: performers and audience members united on screen through an unusual digital performance
Last week, we cooled our lockdown blues with the interactive performance of Tony’s Hot Day.
I officially launched the Facebook site @TheatreAgainstLonelinessProjects. TALP is a creative hub that aims at bringing people together through unusual performances. The live storytelling project about Tony, a man who discovers creative pastimes during lockdown, was a worthy opening. Or have you every experienced a collective choreography about putting your head in a fridge?
Find out more about Tony and follow Theatre Against loneliness on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theatreagainstlonelinessprojects/
22/04/2020
Lockdown stories: Tony’s Hot Day - A live story broadcast on the creativity of self-isolation
The great thing about innovative ways of musical storytelling is that they adapt well to different settings, even to the digital.
Join me, my international team of artists (from Ireland to California) and inclusive drama group Act Up Newham for an extraordinary and interactive lockdown event: 29th of April, 2pm on ZOOM.
There is lots of fun to be had with a fridge!
in collaboration with
09/03/2020
On tour with The Pirates of Penzance: Opera workshop for 200 primary and secondary school children
Today, I offered a warm-up workshop for Opera Holland Park’s tour version of Gilbert and Sullivan’s Pirates. The company stopped over in Weston-upon-Mare and about 200 young adults were on board when we explored characters from the show and sang famous pieces from the comic opera.
It was indeed a reason to be merry!
Tarantara
15/02/2020
A heart-warming performance in the SOLD OUT Applecart Arts Theatre
“What a triumph! Very heart-warming to see.”
Yesterday, we had a lovely final performance of They Called Her Salt in the sold out Applecart Arts Theatre. I would like to thank everybody who supported the inclusive opera project. The women form Powerhouse were in top form. And we received lots of great feedback from the audience.
15/01/2020
Exploring physical theatre routines for our Hades character: a construction site general wearing an orange safety helmet
They Called Her Salt at the Applecart Arts Theatre: Share the love differently this Valentine’s Day.
We have started rehearsals for They Called Her Salt and are excited to show you our work on Valentine’s Day 2020.
Join us for our alternative Valentine’s event: February 14th, 5.45 pm, Applecart Arts Theatre.
12/12/2019
With Dave and Abigail from Opera Holland Park during our last workshop at Kensington and Chelsea’s Learning Disability Centre
Puzzled Up! - winter memories with a bass
For our last Puzzled Up! Winter memories session, we were joined by bass player Dave.
The participants loved the strings and exploring different temperatures in our interactive snowman game.
04/12/2019
Last devising workshop for They Called Her Salt before winter break
After many inspiring devising and performance workshop during November, They Called Her Salt met today for the last time in this decade. Today, we explored our environmental character: a cherry tree appears in our Orpheus version and is in danger of getting extinct. But there is a glimmer of hope. Have a lovely winter time!
P.S. Our social media channels are open and our poster design is ready. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram: #TheyCalledHerSalt. Register for tickets on Eventbrite.
22/11/2019
First Puzzled Up! session with the team of Opera Holland Park’s Inspire
Our first Puzzled Up! workshop centred around winter memories and seasonal sensations. Together with the participants from Kensington and Chelsea’s Learning Disability Service, we explored the most wonderful season of all through the operatic art forms of music, voice and stage design. We sang and hummed our way through the seasonal cycle from April Showers to Autumn Leaves and were Walking and clapping on Sunshine right into our Winter Wonderland. I’m looking forward to the next three workshops up to Christmas.
You can explore your own winter memories and associations when wandering through our memory installations in Holland Park during the summer.
Stay warm for now!
02/11/2019
Inclusive masterclass with mezzo-soprano Cathrine Carby
To kick off our multi-sensory opera project, the participants of They Called Her Salt met mezzo-soprano Catherine Carby today at Goldsmiths’ Grant Wood Theatre to hear world class performances of two Handle arias from Guilio Cesare. The women from Powerhouse then created some creative verbal, sung and danced responses. And I can tell as much: Lemons played an important part during our workshop as well. Thank you to everyone who participated in this inclusive experience!
The women from Powerhouse: Angela, Lis and Sophia thinking about how to playfully tease an opera singer with a lemon - a form of multi-sensory engagement
Opera singer Catherine Carby with participant Allison and dramatherapist Jacqueline
16/10/2019
They Called Her Salt receives Arts Council Grant
Today, I have received the good news that the Arts Council England supports my new disability opera and storytelling project. I’m collaborating with the charity Powerhouse for Women, their facilitator and a team of wonderfully gifted colleagues on this innovative retelling of the Orpheus and Eurydice myth from the perspective of a women with a disability.
We are looking forward to inspiring workshops and producing an unusual take on making opera.
Archive
August 2019
ReWrite summer show at Theatre Peckham: There are Dreams in Us
Between the 29th of July and the 2nd of August, I directed and facilitated ReWrite’s youth theatre together with my colleague Amari Harris. Our show brought together elements we devised during our weekly workshops with the amazing young performers from ReAct.
There Are Dreams in Us is an innovative piece of performance-making devised by the young adults and the creative team of ReAct Youth Theatre. It explores socio-political nightmares and anxieties against the current climate of political rage and translates them into a surrealist collage and dream play.
Come join us in a unique immersive experience that uses different forms of expression, from the non-verbal to the multi-linguistic and visual. Together, we can bring our fears to life and see how they transform into creativity, political awareness and hope.
Our dreams of horror are not ourselves.
Our dreams of the future, are dreams of hope.
The performance opened with a mesh of contemporary fears and anxieties that became untangled throughout the performance
A family scene replayed: could there a be way out of the conflict by exploring alternative endings to the story?
Our young performers came up with scenes around socio-politically relevant topics such as dementia, alcoholism or gender bullying
July 2019
Accessibility workshop series L’Arlesiana for Opera Holland Park at Equal People Mencap
Together with Opera Holland Park’s Inspire and the services users of Equal People Mencap, we explored French pastorals and war-time ruins. I facilitated two workshops in response to OHP’s production of L’Arlesiana with musicians and singers.
15/07/2019
‘Tony’s Hot Day’: Interactive storytelling workshop for Powerhouse, Canning Town
After working with Powerhouse on a melodramatic storytelling project last summer, I was asked to offer another storytelling workshop this summer: We came up with a ‘What’s in the fridge?’-rap and some lovely sound-and-movement-scapes to illustrate the story: Tony struggles with the summer heat in his East London apartment and comes up with an innovative solution to cool himself down - with the help of his friends, a fly and a cockroach.
All of our work culminated in an energetic performance. Thanks, once again, for a lovely workshop experience, Powerhouse!
“This is unfair,” said Tony, “you little fly, can make wind with your wings and cool yourself down. And you little cockroach can stir the air with your many feet and cool yourself down. But I as a human being can only sit here and sweat. Sweat, sweat.”
May 2019
The Fool Eater: Exploring loneliness together
On Friday the 17th of May, we welcomed more than 50 people to our interactive story performance about urban loneliness and isolation.
The story about Benny Carneby who pays a visit to an unusual doctor to get his ‘fools extracted’ engaged the audience in multiple ways and invited them to join a mental well being workshop and panel discussion afterwards.
Indeed, we found out that being lonely together creates an inspiring community.
March 2019
Van Gogh: Colours of the Mind at Telegraph Hill Festival
Writer and facilitator Tae Catford has asked me to direct her play about an imagined last therapy session between Vincent Van Gogh and his therapist. We had a wonderful rehearsal period and our performance was positively received by the audience at the Telegraph Hill Fire Station.
Poster announcing a Van Gogh: Colours of the Mind - a two-handed play of Vincent and his therapist
ReAct at steps festival and horniman
The Fool Eater becomes part of the Get Creative festival 2019
Organised by the BBC, Voluntary Arts, and others, this festival aims to bring together different communities through creative projects. A great place for The Fool Eater.
February 2019
Arts Council funds The Fool Eater: a project about urban loneliness
I’m delighted to open the news feed with the wonderful message that the Arts Council England founds my story project The Fool Eater, about questions of urban isolation, body imagining and sexual identity.
Join our narrators for an interactive event in May!