Morning!
Yesterday began in earnest with a useful initial creative meeting with Olly and Phil to discuss the shape of the NHS Soulful Commissioner project as the funding is now confirmed. We haven't got a title for the piece yet but the main thrust of our conversation yesterday was about finding the right characters and stories to tell about people's experiences of the NHS. So if you, dear reader or anyone you know has a story that you would like to share that could perhaps be source material for this new piece it would be fantastic. If so, you could drop me a line at carole@arctheatre.com. We are looking for all sorts of human stories and bad and good experiences of the NHS - your help would be much appreciated!
In my experience the beginning of any creative process is always curious, uncomfortable, exciting, confusing and energising! This is because you are like an archaeologist - you have to excavate the territory. And if you are doing this as a team, you have to be willing to both stand your ground (no pun intended!) and at the same time let go of ideas for the greater good of the piece. Its a delicate mix, fraught with all sorts of possible fault lines.
I talked some blogs ago about the Disney Strategy for creative thinking and for developing new ideas. You may remember the three thinking spaces/rooms that we go into - Dreamer, Realist and Critic created by Disney to develop new film ideas.
(If you want to know more, I recommend having a look at Robert Dilts on this - http://www.nlpu.com/Articles/article7.htm and his book Tools for Dreamers is another strong influence on me from outside theatre )
Our meeting yesterday was still very much in the Dreamer room, but over the next couple of weeks our process will move into the realist, as Phil and Olly write the 9 song cycle.
As we were talking yesterday I was giving some thought to the nature of co-creation and improvisation and some of the discussions we have been having recently about how to balance creative imagination and technique, particularly with students.
So I thought I would talk a little bit here today about the value of improvisation. I noted with interest last year that some of the actors I worked with last year on the Pantomime declared that they hate improvisation. It isn't perhaps entirely unusual because there is often a deep seated fear for an actor that he will have no ideas, will blank publicly and look like a frozen idiot. And I can't pretend I haven't experienced this on a few occasions in my early career as an actor - and it really is very eggy! But equally any improvisation exercise set up is the responsibility of the director, who must create an environment in which its ok to fail, indeed in which failure is positively encouraged! Out of failure we usually learn much more than getting something right first time. At the very least we see what we don't want.
The Benefits of Improvisation
Improvisation sets up a safe and fun environment for a person to undergo practical and experience related learning. Being physically, emotionally and spiritually present in the rehearsal or teaching space enables people to learn through real and direct experience. This personal growth results in not only being a better improviser but being able to transfer this learning to every area of their life, whether it's personal relationships, or professional work or school.
Improvisation as part of a rehearsal process simply means playing with ideas, images and exploring language and emotions on your feet. Its often spoken of as if its an entirely alien activity to the shaping of a piece of work. This couldn't be further from the truth - as it is precisely the thread that links the internal creative resource of the actor/student to the material and text and makes it their own.
Playing with these in the space frees up the imagination and the logical control system of the mind that can all too often close an idea down before it has even been born. The great thing about improvising is that you cannot control the outcome, and if you try you will always fall flat on your face. It demands that you are present in the moment, actively listening, responding and initiating.
You can always tell in a moment when an actor has their 'script' written in their ahead in advance.They are not present to their fellow actors and the energy they emit is at odds with the flow of the others who are relaxed and curious about what will happen next. It can take a while for people to let go of control of an outcome and simply respond and initiate as the ideas emerge. It requires honesty and generosity.The one most useful attitude you can adopt in improvisation and in generating ideas are the simple words 'Yes.... and" which build on what the person has offered you and enables you to grow an idea together. Conversely the 'No....but ' attitude in an improvisation sounds the death knell.
Yesterday began in earnest with a useful initial creative meeting with Olly and Phil to discuss the shape of the NHS Soulful Commissioner project as the funding is now confirmed. We haven't got a title for the piece yet but the main thrust of our conversation yesterday was about finding the right characters and stories to tell about people's experiences of the NHS. So if you, dear reader or anyone you know has a story that you would like to share that could perhaps be source material for this new piece it would be fantastic. If so, you could drop me a line at carole@arctheatre.com. We are looking for all sorts of human stories and bad and good experiences of the NHS - your help would be much appreciated!In my experience the beginning of any creative process is always curious, uncomfortable, exciting, confusing and energising! This is because you are like an archaeologist - you have to excavate the territory. And if you are doing this as a team, you have to be willing to both stand your ground (no pun intended!) and at the same time let go of ideas for the greater good of the piece. Its a delicate mix, fraught with all sorts of possible fault lines.
I talked some blogs ago about the Disney Strategy for creative thinking and for developing new ideas. You may remember the three thinking spaces/rooms that we go into - Dreamer, Realist and Critic created by Disney to develop new film ideas.
(If you want to know more, I recommend having a look at Robert Dilts on this - http://www.nlpu.com/Articles/article7.htm and his book Tools for Dreamers is another strong influence on me from outside theatre )
Our meeting yesterday was still very much in the Dreamer room, but over the next couple of weeks our process will move into the realist, as Phil and Olly write the 9 song cycle.
As we were talking yesterday I was giving some thought to the nature of co-creation and improvisation and some of the discussions we have been having recently about how to balance creative imagination and technique, particularly with students.
So I thought I would talk a little bit here today about the value of improvisation. I noted with interest last year that some of the actors I worked with last year on the Pantomime declared that they hate improvisation. It isn't perhaps entirely unusual because there is often a deep seated fear for an actor that he will have no ideas, will blank publicly and look like a frozen idiot. And I can't pretend I haven't experienced this on a few occasions in my early career as an actor - and it really is very eggy! But equally any improvisation exercise set up is the responsibility of the director, who must create an environment in which its ok to fail, indeed in which failure is positively encouraged! Out of failure we usually learn much more than getting something right first time. At the very least we see what we don't want.
The Benefits of Improvisation
Improvisation sets up a safe and fun environment for a person to undergo practical and experience related learning. Being physically, emotionally and spiritually present in the rehearsal or teaching space enables people to learn through real and direct experience. This personal growth results in not only being a better improviser but being able to transfer this learning to every area of their life, whether it's personal relationships, or professional work or school.
Improvisation as part of a rehearsal process simply means playing with ideas, images and exploring language and emotions on your feet. Its often spoken of as if its an entirely alien activity to the shaping of a piece of work. This couldn't be further from the truth - as it is precisely the thread that links the internal creative resource of the actor/student to the material and text and makes it their own. Playing with these in the space frees up the imagination and the logical control system of the mind that can all too often close an idea down before it has even been born. The great thing about improvising is that you cannot control the outcome, and if you try you will always fall flat on your face. It demands that you are present in the moment, actively listening, responding and initiating.
You can always tell in a moment when an actor has their 'script' written in their ahead in advance.They are not present to their fellow actors and the energy they emit is at odds with the flow of the others who are relaxed and curious about what will happen next. It can take a while for people to let go of control of an outcome and simply respond and initiate as the ideas emerge. It requires honesty and generosity.The one most useful attitude you can adopt in improvisation and in generating ideas are the simple words 'Yes.... and" which build on what the person has offered you and enables you to grow an idea together. Conversely the 'No....but ' attitude in an improvisation sounds the death knell.
When we are in the 'flow' creatively as actors, directors, dancers, musicians we know it! There is no mistaking this state.There is a vitality of energy and excitement and a fertility of ideas. We feel it -and whilst we may not be able to articulate what it is, sure as hell if we follow our intuition to develop an idea or a character something authentic and special is most likely to emerge! Trust your own creative and emotional intelligence to surprise you. Its a blast! And of course this improvisation process applies to communication in all walks of life. Listen, accept and extend.
Have a good one.
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