OTHERWORLDS

ARTIST JAM / FREE TRAINING INITIATIVE

2 Sessions Available:
Saturday, September 24 at 11am-2pm &
Saturday, October 1 at 11am-2pm

REGISTER BY SEPTEMBER 8, 2022

at Deli Studios – 107 Leadenhall Street, EC3A 4AF

Presented in collaboration with

‘OtherWorlds’ is a collaborative space—in the form of a 3-hour shared training and movement jam for performers, actors and theatremakers who are historically Othered—where we can further our practices, share our stories and forge meaningful connections. ‘OtherWorlds’ is our attempt at reclaiming the label and experience of ‘Other’ – using our imagination to turn them into stories that forge new intimate encounters with the audience. These connections can also become the seed for the creation of new work and new companies.

The day will begin with a movement warm up and exploration, leading into facilitated creative discussions and personal sharings that aim to give space to each individual in the room and their stories. We will journey together to make our bodies available to intuition and imagination, we will lower our judgments on ourselves and each other, and we will reflect on both our stories and the art we want to create.

“Your imagination needs to be broken in, I think, to become anywhere near as weird as the world.”
-Alexander Chee
How to Write an Autobiographical Novel

WHO IS IT FOR?

People who have been historically Othered, who have had to migrate, adapt and contort themselves to exist within the majority consensus reality. This includes those from the global majority, members of the LGBTQIA+ community, those who live with disabilities, those with experiences of refuge and migration. Everyone’s stories are messy, and you will have space in the interest form to tell us a bit about yourself. This is for people whose stories are still underrepresented in today’s professional theatre industry and in drama schools: the pilot aims to create organic opportunities for us to connect to each other and for collaborations to emerge.

HOW DO I TAKE PART?

To take part, please submit your interest via this form by September 8, 2022. Selection is not merit-based or first-come-first-serve—it is purely based on our attempt to match up artists who may be interested in collaborating with each other as best as possible (based on preferences you have given).

‘MYTHS, STORIES AND WORLDS’ – THE PRACTICE

‘Myths, Stories and Worlds’ is an intercultural practice for performers and theatremakers that is based on researching our personal and cultural myths—the telling of stories invokes the universal emotional truth of our humanity. Facilitated by Elisabeth Gunawan, we will explore how everything we create as artists comes from a questioning of the world and a consequence of our history – myths begin from the ‘stories we tell ourselves. The work combines movement exploration, imagination, moving meditation and writing as forms of creative research. The development of this pedagogy has been sponsored by the Grotowski Institute in Wroclaw and by Arts Council England’s Developing Your Creative Practice grant.

We will focus on:

Personal and cultural narratives
Cultivating personal artistic journeys
Research of ‘worlds’ – both in our histories and in the art we create
Cultivating physical and spiritual freedom in performing and creating
The creation of original work

APPLICATIONS

My work supports many kinds of people who practice art: from theatremakers, to writers, actors who are seeking to bring their personal narratives to deepen their work, and people who work with creativity and stories.

ABOUT THE ORGANIZERS

Saksi Bisou is a migrant and global-majority led company that tells stories about the corporeal and imagined landscape of exile and migration. Their debut Stampin’ in the Graveyard, was a concept album/digital theatre piece that combined soundscapes and poetry to tell the story of the end of the world—and how the last thing standing is a microphone in the last theatre on earth. The music is a requiem to the things we have destroyed as humans, and a hopeful challenge. Saksi Bisou has been critically acclaimed internationally and produced by the Electric Dreams Online Festival, Bloomsbury Radio and Knaive Theatre.

WE HAVE SUPPORTED

‘Myths, Stories and Worlds’ (née ‘Mythical Storytelling’) has collaborated with various actor-creators in the past years to support them in their work. This includes Unforgettable Girl (Created a Monster), Spinning Wheel (Hannah Kumari), At Broken Bridge (Jasmine Chiu x Ellandar Productions).

PROMISED LAND
Created and Performed by Elisabeth Gunawan