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An opportunity arose to travel to Cardiff with Transient Theatre Director Jeremy Holloway to go to the City’s new Pub Theatre at Porter’s called The Other Room. This trip also included speaking to the theatre’s Artistic Director Kate Wasserberg about how she came about establishing The Other Room; not only this but also to watch their adaptation of Blasted by Sarah Kane. 

Aim: To develop a question sheet to interview Kate Wasserberg and achieve an understanding of how to establish a pub theatre. 

- To get to Cardiff before 10AM (rush hour). 

- To meet Kate before the box office opens at Porter’s. 

To take up the time during the day, we were able to wonder around Cardiff City Centre and embrace the Welsh culture and the arts that Cardiff provides. I was introduced to Chapter, an old boys schools transformed into a well-loved Arts Centre that hold a variety of performances also cinema screenings. We ended up watching a solo piece called Dark Vanilla Jungle by Philip Ridley, Directed by Chris Durnall performed by Company of Sirens. 

Over the two years of my work experience, I have been given opportunities to work in areas that I either wanted to look into or carry on with in the future. From performing, to setting up a performance/workshop/lesson; I have overcome my fears and gone out of my comfort zones this has made me become adventurous with what skills I possess.  

Nevertheless, the journey of my life at South Devon College and my Work Based Learning has changed my ideas of my future. I started off working with Transient Theatre in which we established a lifestyle drawing workshop, this has helped me gain experience of managing a small event. I was also given the opportunity to perform at Glastonbury and alongside Forkbierd Fantasy. I have revived my love for acting and do not want to let it go (I had the idea of being a Dramatherapist or not a performer). I have gained skills in events management with Transient Theatre, furthermore, Wigfest where I was part of the process of admin and leading bands/members of the public to a certain area (who were invited to this festival). 

I had the opportunity to work with Sarah Smith in her lessons on Thursday 5th and 19th February 2015. This responsibility was to work with and guid Year 11′s and Year 9′s with their Performing Arts examinations/GCSE.

I have only experienced being at Newton Abbot College as a student and not a teaching assistant, so having the courage to come across as a practitioner was hard as I do feel intimidated when I speak to people sometimes. This experience however, has made me get pass that stage of unease and helped me learn how to create a bond between myself and a student who is reluctant or very timid. It has made me feel that I can adapt to work with certain people, as I have worked with children before, teenagers are a much awkward age to connect with but I was able to work with them as a practitioner who is confident.

However, I became doubtful in myself when creating certain choreography and mentioned that my friend is an expert in the field of creating choreography to R&B or Hip Hop. This really should not have happened as I slipped out of the professional profile but into the unconfident person and so could have inflicted on the performances or dancers to lose faith in me. Although, I reacted this way, I was able to come together and created a dance suited to that genre and proved myself that I could do it. 

To help develop student performances and gain experience as a director by the end of the day.

- To speak to Sarah about the running and order of the showcase.

- To work with the Year 11 groups on each of their pieces. 

- To set a professional manner when I work with the students. 

I started off watching a couple of performances with Sarah in the theatre as the student was doing a tech cue-to-cue with Mr Abbicks. The student was performing a one-man show set for children, and after he performed, Sarah and myself were giving him feedback as he needed to react more, know how to perform to children and overall learn what he is doing with his body or arms that could potentially narrate the story. We worked with him until he felt confident with his performance. 

I then worked with the two dancers who I worked with two weeks ago and watched them rehearse as one of them created more movements. He refused to show his partner alone (due to confidence issues) and so I set them a time to learn and show me back their dance. 

I was then passed on to the group of girls who were doing a group dance to Uptown Funk. They where also doing solos such as Lady Gaga - Applause and Ellie Goulding - Explosions and a trio group to No Type by Rae Sremmurd. The trio were hard to work with as they stropped or had disagreements with timing; I was able to help them with counting the beats and creating a few pieces of movement so they could carry on. This group of girls where not only argumentative to one another, but because we rehearsed outside the theatre (a large auditorium) where between each session, students would pass such as boyfriends, best friends etc who would disturb them. I seriously told them they do not have any time to muck around and if they wanted to carry on in the theatre industry (which most of them did) they had to learn discipline and professionalism. 

I finally worked with a couple of girls who were doing a two-man show for children. They showed me their scripts and performed their freshly learned lines to me, I really did not feel it was up to a standard for an A or a PASS. For them to get into character I held a mini workshop where we recollected as children and remembered what we acted like, ate and watched on Television. I mainly explained that using a well-known children’s show as a guid would help such as Dora The Explorer, Big Cook Little Cook and Tots TV.  However, one of the performers had no confidence due to another student in the class (and was worried she’ll be laughed at). I had to stay professional but explained to her that she can not let this girl make her get a bad grade. And so after a little chat we were able to create a great performance where she pushed her limits and really got into character with acknowledging the audience as children and keep speaking to them also the other character. They created a wonderful and innocent piece of theatre. 

At the end of the day I spoke to Sarah in confodential about the situation.  

I was needing to explore other areas of work where I can use my Degree and knowledge in Drama and Theatre studies. I enquired Sarah Smith to work with her from 5th February till their GCSE performance showcase at Newton Abbot College to shadow her as a teacher, also using my skills in choreography and performance to help create pieces of theatre.

Aims:

- To shadow the drama teacher in order to observe teaching in practice and keep a record of what she does.

- To support the process by facilitating warm ups and helping with the creation of practical content for the performance.

- To help the students with their creative process by guiding them with ideas.

Only having experience in workshops and facilitating at University, I was keen to see how Sarah or ‘Miss Smith’ works with her students. It was delightful that the students have a respectful relationship with her as she welcomes them with a warming environment with asking how they were and supporting them with positive comments for their other GCSE exams. This session, however, was the class’ last double lesson of rehearsing before placing it into the CAC (the theatre) and the performance day. 

I was introduced to a group of Year 11 girls who were doing a group dance to the song Uptown Funk by Mark Ronson featuring Bruno Mars as ‘scientist’ characters. They created a starting to their dance until the bridge of the song. I was able to help them choreograph movements suitable to the journeys of their characters in the dance. 

I was then given the responsibility with a pair of Year 11 students who chose to create a dance piece using the themes of poppies and remembrance/armistice day. Unfortunately their lack of confidence got the better of them as being timid and very quiet when devising (only creating a few movements) and did not know what to do, they were not keen on dancing and had no experience in any form of movement to music. To overcome their fear and my discomfort to be a leader, I decided I had to take the role as the choreographer to create movements in a slow set of eight.

This was hard to create as the students were quite reluctant to be confident with performing in a dance routine and did not understand the timing, tempo and the fluidity of the movements because of their attire. We, however, were able to create a starting using their fans as props and beautiful objects to devise movement with. 

After the Year 11′s double lesson, I was able to meet the Year 9′s for their graded performance showcase with the theme of Bob Fosse. This class after listening to Sarah and meeting me just went off and all rehearsed in a professional manner. Luckily they were all using one same song so they rehearsed using it, however, there were a few disagreements with who was using the boombox and the fact that if that group had to start again; everyone else had to also. 

I could not help but notice that some of the performers had beautiful movement (they were trained in ballet, gymnastics, jazz and contemporary) but they did not substantially have the moves of Fosse that could be identified as his work into their performances. I was able to work with one group at a time looking at improving their choreography in a Fosse style. One particular song that most groups struggled with was The Cell Block Tango from the film Chicago, but using my previous performance to that same song; I was able to use bits of the choreography I was taught into theirs. The issue was that the song was very arousing yet graphic and so would be inappropriate for 15-16 year olds to do certain choreography that would suit this manner. So I had to devise a few pieces of movement still using Fosse’s techniques to narrate the story/song.       

I was requested to come back and help the class again the next week, however, I was away and so could not go. 

Sarah record:

- Warm welcoming

- Was able to make the students understand how important the use of time is using a sense of humour but strictness.

- She took a student aside to speak to them as they had an issue. 

I feel I reached my aims as I helped out with the student’s dances and spoke to them about their confidence. Not only did I prove to myself a worthy leader but creating a healthy connection/working relationship with the other performers. 

This image is an abstract from a student’s workbook:

AIMS: 

To research into possible work placements for the end of the 2014-2015 academic year and the future until the end of January. 

- To research on the internet for jobs that would be applicable for me as work placement and the future. 

- To consider any areas/jobs that would take me on (voluntary/paid).

- To demonstrate any gained experience on this blog. 

To gain a new network from different areas of the Arts by June 2015.  

- To develop my knowledge in performance through different areas of work placement. 

My experience working at festivals in 2014 was exceptional with the chances to perform and be apart of the crew that builds the event together. I had the chance to work alongside Actionwork from 22nd-29th June at Glastonbury Festival who is an anti-bullying company who uses film and drama to work with people on anti-bullying or learning how to empower oneself.

The company created a performance using Forum Theatre where we had a scenario about a girl who is bullied at school and is invited to a party where the ending is a mystery, for the audience to change the scenarios before.

Having the experience of devising a piece of theatre, I had to make a working relationship with the others who I did not know. This was challenging because each individual had a unique personality that their personality and mine either clashed or didn’t.  However, for three days, this was the case and so arguments, and disagreements happened which affected the vibes of the environment, the relationships between the company and the performances itself.

Eventually we were able to connect and became great friends, who helped one another with each of our workshops, supported each other when it came to performing or working with the punters.

Personally, I did not take much care with my diet at all and so resulted in hours of recovery where I could have been rehearsing. But the weather did not help with the sun stokes and affecting everyone in a different way where it can turn negative.  

The next festival I worked at was Wigfest on 1st - 4th August, where I was given the opportunity to work as a steward and band liaison. The main aim for this job was to have fun and go by the rules by Matt Walsh (who is the main organizer and steward), which was:

-       Making sure each person entering the grounds had a certain number that we can tick their name and information off the list.  

-       Give each person/s who enter a wristband (for children the colour green and orange for adults).

-       Always check wristbands if they are entering to see if they are eligible to enter.

This was exciting as I had new responsibilities and with the others on my team I was learning new things all the time. Other than the camaraderie of the stewards and having fun, I made great networks where I can work at other festivals for charity.

I was approached by one of the organisers Brett Nimmo and was asked to gain work experience and be a band liaison for Wigfest on 1st- 4th August 2014, I took on the challenge and worked 6 hours on the first three days as a steward and band liaison.

Wigfest, a unique and loveable festival in which takes place every year around the South West. It is a big social gathering for only friends, of friends, of friends to the organisers and to raise money for cancer related charities in memory of two of their friends. 

This year Wigfest was set in Dawlish at a Pig Farm and was raising charity for THTN (Torbay Holiday Helpers Network) http://www.wigfest.co.uk/charity/.

I (at first) imagined it to be quite a big festival (A quarter of Glastonbury?), but it ended to be a lovely and petite social event on a small piece of land with a big marquee, a barn, a big deck chair, a set-up bar in a small hut on the field which also had flushable loos. Throughout the days and nights I was there, it sustained a positive atmosphere and the other people welcomed me with open arms and treated me as if I was there from the start. As it was a small event, it was not stressful by being a steward or band liaison. If anything, it really was a smooth foundation to my experience of stewarding. This event also let me have connections with others who work at other festivals (which I am now into) and so I can work for other festivals like Oxfam at Glastonbury 2015 or Boomtown 2015 and so forth. Also, the bands where local and shocked me with their talents, the headliners were phenomenal such as Muff Said, The Electric Swing Circus and The Fabulous Beaver Brothers. 

The only lapse was organising where the other people were parking and pitching (who were not working). Also the ticket list was not updated for at least a week before the festival, so people who have received tickets and purchased them 5 days before were not on the list and could have effected the profit/money. 

I would love to work and help out again next year, but as this festival was a small event, I think I'm going to need a bigger challenge or the same challenge but at a bigger event? However, I believe I completed my aim for this weekend:

- To gain experience and develop new skills in liaising bands and stewarding for three days at Wigfest.

Explore and research about Wigfest and the charity it is supporting for 2014.

Work alongside and shadow the other stewards who have experience till confident in doing it independently.

I did explore and understand the rules and the importance of that particular role and liaising with the help from the other stewards and the organiser Matt Walsh. I defiantly would desire to come back again, and have as much fun as I did this year. 

Wigfest2014 (2014) Wigfest2014 [Logo]. Available at: http://www.wigfest.co.uk (Accessed: 4 August 2014). 

Having little knowledge about such a huge event such as Glastonbury widened my eyes. Being chosen for a [possibly] once in a lifetime opportunity to work and create drama at Glastonbury Festival from 22nd June - 29th June 2014, under the company Actionwork. Initially, I thought for throughout the 7 days of being there it would be about the negative subject 'bullying'. However, it was refreshing to find out it wasn't JUST about 'anti bullying', but also how to boost your self-esteem and learn how to keep a positive attitude in a busy modern lifestyle. 

Throughout the week adventure, I have learnt and experienced so much from the actual festival lifestyle and also what I got taught by Dr Andy Hickson. Also, I have taken part in many different forms of artistic workshops from different styles of poetry to singing in acapella. It took me back to remember and release my inner child and what I naturally use to love doing (which was craft and art).

There are many areas that I would like to pin-point out as being the highlights of my week with the company. For starters, meeting new people is naturally easy, but other practitioners? I was nervous. But instantly I clicked with many of the members of the group that made me feel positive. After a few more days, I became closer to everyone. Also another activity we all took part in was the ritual, after everyone had a count of eight sequence, myself and Keeley were chosen to form a dance routine and direct the other ensemble. However, I also lack confidence with telling people what to do and I felt that no one listened to me and argued about my counting of eight. This brought me down as I felt I had failed myself on creating a piece of performance, but having a talk with Andy, he told me that I'm a natural dancer and I should pursue in movement and dance (which I am again). As I said before, the workshops also got me to explore other mediums. Keeley looked at groups singing a Flemmish song in cannon also breathing technique. Tom looked at natural pulses of everyday life and how Shakespeare used it in his sonnets or plays. Sophie taught us about haikus and many other types. Hannah also touched on poetry but writing about the two main characters in the situation of bullying (the bully and the bullied). Paul looked at emotions and a statement from each group (who was either the bully or the bullied). Dan who ran 'Who's line is it next?' and finally Kaia and Olivia looked at reflecting our emotions through painting and art. All these unique workshops reflected each and everyone's personalities and made me feel connected to them and myself intact. Additionally, having the chance to perform a forumed piece of theatre (Emma's Story) at the large tent in The Green Fields.

There is only two main areas of improvement that can be resolved and sorted out for next year's event. Firstly, the company members naturally out spoke one another or snapping at other members. This is found really put me down, I should take it with a pinch of salt, but I am naturally an emotional person and takes many things to heart. Also, many people in the group did not get to see the acts that they wanted to, I myself wasn't bothered but there was negativity around that area. Also, unfortunately, we were not able to perform Mobo's Story as the rain was horrendous; so instead we are performing it back at home in Torbay. 

Further more, I have never came back from a holiday to which I met new friends, filled memories and feeling good about my skin (which apparently looks beautiful?). If I were to go back again (PLEASE) is to pack more appropriate clothing (this was my first time camping) and also not to force myself to be with the others and go to bed at the time I want. I believe I fulfilled my aim and objectives for this week. As I took part and (tried) to be confident in holding my workshop but I came back feeling positive about myself more.

- To participate in and lead some anti bullying workshops and performances for the company Actionwork for seven days at Glastonbury Festival 2014. 

To develop myself to become a positive person.

To be confident in working or hold workshops.

To learn about myself from other member's workshops. 

Otherwise being at Glastonbury with Actionwork I have already felt positive about myself and love myself more. That's what Dr. Andy Hickson believes, is self control and love, won't harm others.      

Photos are copyrighted and are owned by Dr. And Hickson (http://www.actionwork.com), Cath Davis, Hayley Wetherall, Kaia Hickson and Abi Chalk.

'This Is You Now' - Title of my workshop.

This Is You Now is a workshop aiming at letting people realise who they use to be when they went through bullying to how they are now, helping people how to feel positive about themselves and enlightening each members of the session how verbal bullying can affect someone.

The session is aimed at cutting out two shapes of a body, the first one is to be filled with negative words or sentences that they have been called or that they can think of, such as "You're fat". That paper cutout is then scrunched up and then unravelled, and this creates a discussion on how bullying can affect someone and their self image. 

The other cut out is a positive side where nice sentences or words are written that describes themselves or what other people admire them for, for example "I love your hair". This can then also create a discussion about how people have changed since they were bullied for the good and how people can approach others in a positive manner so they can understand being negative can hurt someone.

All information was written by Dr.Andy Hickson, director of Actionwork 2014 . All copyrights are owned by Dr.Andy Hickson and ActionWork.

http://www.actionwork.com

To adapt our two performances in the Actionwork marquee before the official starting of Glastonbury Festival 2014.  

- To look at the space of the performing area in the marquee.

- To look at key moments in Emma's Story where we can forum. 

- To rehearse Mobo's Story in a field with using the snare drum.

Throughout today, we worked in the Actionwork Marquee to talk about the week ahead, who's doing warmups and what time people are on break and when their workshops are.  We firstly looked at Mobo's Story being directed by Sandy and working the performance around a spacious area that most of the crowd could be. We worked on how to not block from the audience, our animal characters and how to exaggerate our movements and emotions. 

To consider all areas of improvement and re-run both performances without errors. 

- To run through each play and improve areas needed.

- Look at music, rhythm, and timing for Mobo's party. 

- Organise costumes for both performances. 

Today we started off by rehearsing Mobo's Party and ironing out the icky bits and improving them, such as the falling over scene and the party scene . However, we decided to instead of using recorded music, we use Abi (who played Mobo the monkey) to play the snare drum for the rhythm when the animals make way to Mobo's party. We also had to remember patterns during the animal dance which is animal noise, movement, ensemble's animal noises and then same movement. This is quite confusing for a while but again, it's about the rhythm throughout the play. 

For Emma's Story we literally walked through it all as we knew everything for each scenes.

To improve the current performance as well as devising a new performance for 'The Kid's Field' at Glastonbury Festival. 

- To experiment scenes with different mediums in Emma's Story (movement, vocal or other genres of theatre).

- To create a new performance suitable for children under the same topic 'anti bullying'. 

Today we recapulated the devised scenes from last week and decided to look at what we could do to make some scenes look much more interesting. I had the idea of 'the locker scene'  to create a human locker out of the antagonists to symbolise that Emma's trapped in her negative frame of mind but also trapped in a locker by her bully. We also looked at different styles of music that to reflect our characters, the environment or the emotions reflected. Dan also had the idea of a sports scene [football or athletics] by using a dub step remix. However, we chose to do a comical slow motion race of all the characters to Chariots Of Fire. 

Another idea from a member the group is to have a performance that would be interesting to children and they can understand the message of bullying. We were inspired by Cbeebies's Mama Mirabelle's Home Movies. Which is a children's program about life situations and learn how to come about it correctly but set in the African planes and the children are reflected as the animated animals elephants, cheetah and zebra. This was where Mobo the monkey, Ellie the elephant, Ziggy the zebra, Tina the tiger and Peter the peacock were created from. Whilst devising each scene, we put on African and tribal music to understand the beat and rhythm of the African planes. Also exploring the body stance and centre of gravity in tribal movements and how we can interpret this into our animals. 

Links: 

Nature and Events (2013) African music compilation - 38 minuets of African melodies. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rV5rNcD7PEY (Accessed: 15th June 2014). 

To develop a performance using the subject 'anti bullying'. 

- To look at what the target audience is.

- To collaborate and use each other's ideas. 

- Plot a story line (beginning, middle and end). 

The whole company attended today and was intrigued and full of ideas that could be brought to life. Dan (directer of company) created a brief script [alike to Suzie's Story'] called Emma's Story. We all received a copy of the script to read from, I took the role of Suzie who is only brief in the performance but is the sensible character and is the only one in the play that is not an antagonist. After reading through the script, we began to physically create it in the performing space of Sandy's kitchen. Having the language of the common teen society, we chose to look at the audiences aged 15+. But we had considered to change some inappropriate language to something simple for the younger audience members.

To develop a constructive working relationship with other members of the group by the end of the rehearsal.

- Look at what we are doing in Glastonbury.

- Consider what we need to bring.

After the working hours at University myself, Paul, Jennifer and Hannah attended the first Glastonbury rehearsal. This was the first session in which myself and Jen had not met the other members of the group (accept Paul and Hannah as they worked with Hayley during the Healthy Lifestyles project). However, it was a warming welcome to develop a knowledge of what the group needed to do or bring. Exciting feelings improved my confidence and strength during the physical warmup and helping create a piece for forum theatre lead by Sandy Akerman.