Dramaturg support

As a studio holder at Spike Island I applied to the studio funds scheme for £250. With so little funding out there this fund is far from insignificant. I was awarded the money to enable me to spend a day with a dramaturg, interrogating and developing my solo performance piece, in my skin. I could have approached a number of excellent people to take up this role but Caroline Williams was top of my list and she said yes.

Audience viewing Caroline Williams’ video and sound installation Now Is the Time to Say Nothing. Photo credit: Paul Blakemore

The two half days we spent together have been really valuable, resulting in shifting the piece into a more theatrical space. They also highlighted how much I was trying to do on my own within the performance. I now have greater confidence in the piece and I’m committed to trying to find the financial support I need to do the work justice. When I initially approached Caroline I had some specific questions that I wanted to explore that had been raised by people at a number of sharings of the piece I did back in February:

·      What are we doing here together at this table?

·      What is the fiction of the space?

·      What happens if the moments between are extended?

In the time we spent together these were answered along with a multitude more. Having an outside eye enabled me to find the deeper narrative, the echoes, and to interrogate my intentions and the relationship to my audience. I’m really grateful to Spike Studio Funds for making this interaction possible.

Caroline’s final provocation was to encourage me to really think about my use of photography in the piece alongside my relationship to intimacy and privacy. Next steps – find some further funding and get a promo video made.