As artists we rely a lot on our intuition-our gut instinct, yet more and more it is expected of theatre practitioners to make sure that what we’re creating would be desired by audiences, praised by critics, easy to sell to venues etc. The creative process then stretches in time-funders requires work-in progress showings, critical responses by industry professionals, scratch showings etc.
And of course, many people come with many opinions. The artist then is bombarded with all these ideas, good advices on how to make his/her work better. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not against scratch nights, I do value feedback but I would appreciate if it was MY choice rather than something I need to do to tick a box on a funding application. Because as much as it can be helpful, it can also undermine the artist’s confidence, introduce self-doubt, and that’s awful! So, many artists humbly organize such showings, expose their work, often in a very early development, take on number of advice and then began to wonder: whose work is it, anyway? Do artists of any other art form allow such invasiveness into their creative process?
On one hand, venues and funders scream loud how they support risk taking and want artists to experiment, cross borders, etc. But the reality is, that they will only fund and book safe projects: tried and tested! There is no room for failure! And yet, it is failure that develops us more than any success…
I first came across 24h plays project years ago in my drama school in America. I loved the rush, the intensity, the madness of it. It’s a great challenge for everyone involved. There is no time for “safety check” as such. The project forces us to trust our instincts-whether we are playwrights, directors, actors or designers.
I think that in a way, this project is my argument against that invasion into the creative process! I really want the artists involved in 24h Plays Scotland to say to themselves: I can do that. I can write a 10 min play in several hours, I can create a character based on my intuition, I can memorize those lines, I can manage, I can direct that etc. I want theatre artists to trust themselves as I have seen a lot of self-doubt out there.
Is there a risk of failure? Absolutely! But as Beckett said: “Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try Again. Fail again. Fail better”.
But then there is a question: how do I make those intuitive choices of my own in a project that requires a strong collaboration of all involved in order to be successful?
TBC
And of course, many people come with many opinions. The artist then is bombarded with all these ideas, good advices on how to make his/her work better. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not against scratch nights, I do value feedback but I would appreciate if it was MY choice rather than something I need to do to tick a box on a funding application. Because as much as it can be helpful, it can also undermine the artist’s confidence, introduce self-doubt, and that’s awful! So, many artists humbly organize such showings, expose their work, often in a very early development, take on number of advice and then began to wonder: whose work is it, anyway? Do artists of any other art form allow such invasiveness into their creative process?
On one hand, venues and funders scream loud how they support risk taking and want artists to experiment, cross borders, etc. But the reality is, that they will only fund and book safe projects: tried and tested! There is no room for failure! And yet, it is failure that develops us more than any success…
I first came across 24h plays project years ago in my drama school in America. I loved the rush, the intensity, the madness of it. It’s a great challenge for everyone involved. There is no time for “safety check” as such. The project forces us to trust our instincts-whether we are playwrights, directors, actors or designers.
I think that in a way, this project is my argument against that invasion into the creative process! I really want the artists involved in 24h Plays Scotland to say to themselves: I can do that. I can write a 10 min play in several hours, I can create a character based on my intuition, I can memorize those lines, I can manage, I can direct that etc. I want theatre artists to trust themselves as I have seen a lot of self-doubt out there.
Is there a risk of failure? Absolutely! But as Beckett said: “Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try Again. Fail again. Fail better”.
But then there is a question: how do I make those intuitive choices of my own in a project that requires a strong collaboration of all involved in order to be successful?
TBC
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