EPISODE 5 – Deepening storytelling

The Theatre Blueprint podcast continues excavating how an idea is brought to the stage. In this episode, Drew talks to British writer, director and dramaturg Uzma Hameed about bringing stories to life.  This is a delicate and  beautiful conversation, exploring how artforms are translated and  how the collaborative act can be guided. 

Credits:

Interview: Uzma Hameed

Presented and co-produced by Drew McOnie and Siân Prime

Produced and edited by Scratch Post Productions

Music: “Seize the Day” by Andrey Rossi – made available by uppbeat.io

The Theatre Blueprint is a collaboration between The McOnie Company and SYNAPSE, the programme of business development support at Goldsmiths, University of London.

https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/theatre-blueprint/id1652858652?i=1000586921149

We are moving to releasing an episode of the podcast a week – we’re delighted to have so many listeners already, thank you.

The next three episodes of the Theatre Blueprint delve into how an initial idea is brought to life. This week Drew McOnie speaks to award-winning composer and lyricist Grant Olding, who writes and produces music for stage, tv and film.

https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-idea-collaboration-across-artforms/id1652858652?i=1000586069999

Credits:

Interview: Grant Olding

Presented and co-produced by Drew McOnie and Siân Prime

Produced and edited by Scratch Post Productions

Music: “Seize the Day” by Andrey Rossi – made available by uppbeat.io

The Theatre Blueprint is a collaboration between The McOnie Company and SYNAPSE, the programme of business development support at Goldsmiths, University of London.

Last month, Dr Kathrin Schmidt won the ENCATC (European network on cultural management and policy) Research Award 2022 for her PhD research ‘Performing Salone: The impact of local and global flows on the aesthetics and ecology of contemporary Krio theatre in Sierra Leone’. Kathrin completed her PhD last year, under the supervision of Dr Shela Sheikh at the Department of Media, Communications and Cultural Studies and Dr Carla Figueira at ICCE.

Her thesis analysed contemporary Krio theatre in Sierra Leone (‘Salone’ in the country’s lingua franca Krio) within the context of local and global flows of people, media, images, technologies, finance and ideas, and ensuing hybridisation. Based on extensive qualitative research in Sierra Leone, read through the lens of postcolonial cultural studies, cultural policy and political economy, the thesis examines the development of cultural and creative industries from the perspective of Sierra Leonean theatre in the context of macro- and microcosmic processes and in particular in relation to the development industry (currently the main funder of Krio theatre activities). Her thesis thus highlights the interconnectedness and relationships between the micro and the macro-levels of cultural production, between the local and the global and between aesthetics, politics, policy, economy, governance structures and history.

Despite the enormously rich and diverse cultural life across Africa, there is not enough research to help understand how cultural productions in diverse African contexts can be better supported, so that artists can help change narratives and shape futures while earning a good living. So it is very good to see more thorough empirical work on the arts in a specific African context and in relation to the social, political and economic conditions they are embedded in and shaped by.

Kathrin’s findings do not pretend to suggest a magic formula to ‘save’ theatre in Sierra Leone, but rather analyses how theatre and its wider ecology link to and represent our complex and globalised world. She offers poignant examples of the impact of local and global flows and of the current political economy – especially within the context of globalisation and commodification – on the policy, structural and institutional framework for theatre and cultural production more broadly in Sierra Leone; such as the disproportionally large role that international institutions play in the current ecology of culture in Sierra Leone, which gives them a de facto policy-making authority. As such, her research offers interesting insights into the global system that we currently live in, shaped by colonialism, its legacies and neoliberal globalisation, and stresses the importance and value of diverse epistemologies and the decolonisation of dominant discourses and practices in the fields of both culture and international development.

Congratulations, Kathrin, for winning the ENCATC award!

The Theatre Blueprint Podcast

The Theatre Blueprint is an exciting new collaboration between The McOnie Company and SYNAPSE, the programme of business development support at Goldsmiths, University of London.

It aims to unearth the mysteries of successful theatre making, amplify an awareness of what really goes into getting a show on stage and highlight the multiple pathways into a career in the performing arts. Talking to theatre practitioners from every corner of the collaborative process, this podcast is less of a personal insight into the individual and more of an exploration into the entire ecosystem of the live theatre industry. 

Presented by Olivier Award-winning director and choreographer Drew McOnie and Academic Lead for Enterprise at Goldsmiths University, Siân Prime, the Theatre Blueprint podcast lifts the curtain on the small army that, like a swan’s legs beneath the surface of the water, works tirelessly to provide a smooth voyage from the imagination to a fully finished production.

Interviews trace an arc from how an initial idea becomes a show which employs not only actors and directors but designers, casting directors, marketing teams, dramaturgs, education and outreach professionals, wig and make up teams and everyone in between. 

The Theatre Blueprint podcast is for theatre lovers, those who are curious about joining the theatre community, current practitioners and anyone who’s intrigued by how this art form, that requires so much passion, truth and humanity to simply exist, relies on the many techniques, talents and hardwork of its practitioners. 

The Theatre Blueprint is a collaboration between the McOnie Company and SYNAPSE, the programme of business development support at Goldsmiths, University of London. It is produced by Scratchpost Productions.

Available on Apple  and Spotify 

Siân Prime

In light of recent events in Iran, indie publisher Aurora Metro is hosting an event “Voices for Freedom”, inviting the public to support contemporary playwrights both within Iran and the diaspora.

Join them for an evening exploring Iranian theatre, including panel discussions with theatre makers and academics, and readings from the collection New Iranian Plays edited by Aubrey Mellor and Cheryl Robson. The event is co-organised with the Institute for Creative and Cultural Entrepreneurship (ICCE) and the Department of Theatre and Performance (TaP), of Goldsmiths, University of London. This will be held at George Wood Theatre, Goldsmiths University.

• Panel discussion with theatre makers and academics – including Sara Amini, Sepy Baghaei, Roshi Nasehi, and Isabella Nefar

• Readings from New Iranian Plays, directed by Fatima Kried

• Discounted books to buy

• Refreshments available

The plays reveal the hearts and minds of Iranian people and offer fascinating, new and original plays to perform. Includes:

Home by Naghmeh Samini – (Iran) translated by Hossein Nazari and Ghazal Ghaziani

A Moment of Silence by Mohammad Yaghoubi – (Iran) translated by Torange Yeghiazarian

Dogs and my Mother’s Bones by Mojgan Khaleghi (Iran)

Isfahan Blues by Torange Yeghiazarian – (Iran-USA)

Shame by Sholeh Wolpe -(Iran-USA)

Manus by Nazanin Sahamizadeh (Iran), Leila Hekmatnia (Iran) & Keyvan Sarreshteh (Iran), translated by Siavash Maghsoudi. Based on Kurdish journalist Behrouz Boochani’s testimonies.

Learn more about the collection here – https://www.aurorametro.com/product/new-iranian-plays/

Learn more about publisher Aurora Metro here – https://www.aurorametro.com/about-us/

Readings directed by Fatima Kried

Fatima is a British Libyan filmmaker, writer and producer based in London. They have cut their teeth producing commercials for major global brands. Their film “Yuluu” a micro animation film, has been picked up by 41 festivals over the last two years. Previously they wrote, produced and directed “Can We Talk?” a commissioned piece by The Albany as part of their SceneMakers Award. Fatima currently works within the Product Creative Studios at Netflix.

The panel

Sara Amini is from Iran, and is now based in London. She studied BA Theatre Directing at Tehran University and MA Performance Making at Goldsmiths, University of London. She also trained with Teatr Pieśń Kozła (Song of the Goat) Theatre Company and Ariane Mnouchkine and Theatre du Soleil. She originally trained as a classical mezzo-soprano singer, also she has experience of folk and jazz singing. Acting credits include; Sinai Orchestra Ensemble’s ‘Yusuf’s’. She was Assistant Directer to James Hillier for Mike Bartlett’s ‘Not Talking’ at Arcola Theatre, and Mohammad Rahmanian’s ‘Horses’, and Produced ‘Lemnos’ at International Fajr Festival. She has guest lectured at Sooreh University and Tehran Art University.

Sepy Baghaei is a theatre director of Iranian heritage. She grew up in Sydney, Australia and is now based in London. She has created work with a range of British theatre companies including: the National Theatre, Almeida Theatre, Sheffield Theatres, English Touring Theatre, and Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre. She is also Associate Director of MENA Arts UK, an organisation for UK-based artists with a connection to the Middle East and North Africa.

Roshi Nasehi is a Welsh born singer-composer of Iranian parentage with a strong track record in live performance, collaboration, recording and workshops. Roshi has received several commissions including the Belonging exhibition at the Museum Of London, BBC Radio 3’s The Verb, So & So Circus Theatre, Birds Eye View, the Southbank 2012 WOW festival and the British Council for whom she presented major public sound art pieces in Kuwait in May 2014.

Isabella Nefar is an Iranian – British actress. Theatre credits include JUDE (Hampstead Theatre), Salomé (National Theatre); and Goats (Royal Court). Her film credits include Small City and Waiting for the Barbarians and television credits include Ransom, Aspirin, and Attori O Corsari.

Nazli Tabatabai-Khatambakhsh is an Opera Libretto Doctoral Artistic Researcher at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, her practice thesis is titled Iranian Opera: Phoenix Rising the role of collaborative and international librettist. She is an experienced dramaturg of dance and her practice includes circus, visual arts, museum collections and poetry. Her leadership in the intersectional field of Equitable Practices as a facilitator, trainer, coach, mentor and speaker has been recognised internationally including at the New York based International Society of Performing Arts (ISPA) of which she is a grad fellow and a member of the governance committee.

For tickets: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/iranian-theatre-voices-for-freedom-tickets-439093710107

The event is Wed, 2 Nov 2022, 19:00 GMT 

George Wood Theatre, Goldsmiths University 25 Laurie Grove London SE14 6NH

Applications are invited to create a new art work for the SYNAPSE art collection. 

Proposals 

The new work of art can be proposed in any discipline of creative practic.

The proposal can be multidisciplinary or collaborative. 

Brief 

The proposed art work can be physical, digital, live or time based. If live or time based the work must be able to be recorded or documented for inclusion into our growing permanent collection. 

Using the themes of social justice and anti-fragility as a starting point or launch pad for the creation of the work, this is an opportunity for the artist/s to create a new work that is responsive to recent global events and the potential for our re-imagined world.  

The opportunity for the artist or artistic team to work creatively and innovatively to the theme of the brief are welcomed. 

Award  

The commission award is for £3,000. 

Criteria 

Applications will be accepted from current students at both undergraduate, post graduate and post graduate research level, and from alumni of Goldsmiths up to 5 years of graduation. 

 The application must  convince the panel that the proposed artwork can be developed, created and completed by the creative or creative team to a high quality standard. 

 The application must  convince the panel that the proposed artwork can be developed, created and completed by the creative or creative team to a high quality standard in the time allocated. 

 The application must  convince the panel that the proposed artwork can be developed, created and completed by the creative or creative team to a high quality standard with the budget awarded. 

 The work must be original and newly created for this commission. Previously created works, adapted existing works, or works already in progress will not be accepted. 

Submission 

Please submit your proposal as a word document of no more than 1,500 words in total, outlining the following:

• Genre/s of the work
• Description of the work
• How this responds to the brief
• Reason for creating this
• Your process (how will you do this)
• Why you are the right person/people to do this
• Innovation (in process/content/experience)
• Impact you hope this will make 

On request a digital recording or audio file may be submitted, if the applicant/s have good reason.  

You should include a CV or bio. 

Supporting materials 

You may submit visual, audio or textural supporting materials to support your application – as examples this could include examples of previous works, a website, a mood board etc… 

Deadlines  

Applications should be saved as a word document. 

Application need to be sent in an email titled Commission and emailed to Adrian De La Court at  a.delacourt@gold.ac.uk 

Deadline for submission is 4pm Monday 29th November 2022. 

The successful applicant/s will be notified by Monday 16th January 2023. 

The absolute deadline for the delivery of the completed artwork/s is Friday 1st September 2023, but an earlier date for delivery can be negotiated if this is supportive of the impact of the artwork/s. 

Please note that the funding is on the condition of a terms and conditions agreement that involves that award winner/s allowing us to present their success and the commissioned artwork/s on media and social media and a request that the winner/s use our logo and present on social media at point of the works development and creation. 

A public private view / premier will be organised together with a guest list, by the commissioning team with input from the successful artist/s. 

Publicity and marketing of the event / exhibition / performance / screening… will be led by the commissioning team and ICCE, but a present input into the publicity and ongoing marketing is expected from the awarded artist/s to maximise the impact of the commissioned work. 

Please  note, that no applications will be accepted past the given deadline due to the professional nature of the funding. 

We cannot answer questions beyond the information given in this commission brief due to the external nature of the funding source. 

Dr Cecilia Dinardi, Senior Lecturer in ICCE, was part of a roundtable panel on how to decolonise culture and the city at UNIL, the University of Lausanne, in Switzerland. The international conference, organised by GRAAR (Group Reflecting and Acting Against Racism), an initiative of UNIL’s Institute of geography and sustainability, took place on 5^th and 6^th October 2022, and brought together geographers, sociologists, urban planners, anthropologists and students to discuss how to de-centre knowledge production.

Cecilia’s contribution drew on the Latin American school of decolonial thought to interrogate creative urbanism and policy mobility, arguing that theory-making about culture and the city continues to be Eurocentric. To decolonialise it, we need to speak from our own location on the map, stop seeing European urban experiences as the future, and engage in collaborations and comparative urbanism from different cities. We need, following Boaventura de Sousa Santos, an epistemological interruption. This can reveal alternative categories, futures and possibilities, such as those emerging from the informal, the grassroots and the bottom-up. In line with the work of Walter Mignolo, she discussed how decoloniality – as a praxis, a mindset, a perspective and a way of re-doing culture – can’t be universal but needs to be situated, and highlighted the need to address the problem of internal colonialism in Latin America.

The roundtable also had presentations by Prof Martin Muller with David Gogishvili (UNIL) and Dr Julie Ren (University of Zurich), and was chaired by doctoral candidate Clotilde Trivin. Cecilia was invited to participate by Prof Muller’s urban studies research team, M3 – materialities, multiplicities and metropolis. The team seeks to re-draw the global map of cultural cities by creating an international database of cultural flagship buildings, and show the new global shift towards the East.  

Conference venue, Geopolis, and goats at the University of Lausanne

Overall, the conference discussed issues such as:

• De-centralise, de-colonise or worldling knowledge?
• The challenges of de-centering cultural practices and academic research
• How decolonising becomes a buzzword that needs to be critically used
• The incompleteness of knowledge and the dominance of the English language
• How to decolonise our own research practices – starting with one’s own institution and discipline
• The power of the high-impact journals in defining what constitutes knowledge
• The extractivism nature of ‘parachute’ research conducted in the global South by researchers from the North 
• The ethics and practicalities of co-producing research with marginalised/silenced groups in society
• The powerful idea of the pluriverse

The full conference programme can be seen on: https://www.unil.ch/igd/decolonizing-geography-and-environmental-studies