RISKY BUSINESS - Devised Theatre

RISKY BUSINESS

HND PA Year 1 Day 2

Our first group project is probably gonna mean me coming out of my comfort zone, which is what I'm hoping for. Risk is the title of our project and is also the theme of our project, and will be a Devised Theatre project. Ellie asked us to think of a time in our life where we took a risk.

Getting to know you

Before we got risky we split into pairs and spent a couple minutes getting to know one another. Then we made a presentation to the group about the person we just met.
What was interesting about this exercise was  that from just a little information about about leads you to asking further questions that lead to discovering something deeper or unexpected. Questions help connect you people. Questions can lead to common experiences or interests that create that opportunity for connection.

Back to Risk

After walking around the space and getting into random groups of random numbers called. We were split into groups where we shared our experience of our own personal risks taken, and what we defined as a risk.
Questions and points that came me where...

Why do we take risks?                     Sometimes risks don't pay off

             Risk is Fear of the Unknown                                What is a risk for some is not a risk for others

                                          The Danger of X Y or Z happening

The one thing that stuck out to me from our shared discussion was that a Risk cannot be taken without first making a CHOICE. A choice to either take a risk or not take a risk.

So CHOICE is the Word that i'm rolling with. Choices is the one luxury we all have. Maybe some have choices that are more limited than the other but a choice never the less.

Map out our World
and Choice was the first word I contributed to our MIND MAP of Risk
The mind map was simply the connecting of Ideas around the Risk theme.

We wrote words associated with the word risk, and then associated words with those new words. So we had a collage of risk related, and distantly related words. This was very helpful in identifying situations that might lead up to a risk being taken.

For instance in the picture above you see that the words Personal & Professional are linked to Success, which is linked to HND, which is linked to Opportunity, which starts with RISK
This exercise was great in help us to define thoughts, feelings,  and desires we associated with taking a risk.

Our final stage of the Mind mapping was to find suitable Metaphors that fit the PICTURE OF RISK, not words but PICTURES. So rather than just writing the word 'Marriage', we would write down 'Wedding Cake' or 'Wedding Invitation' Which present the IMAGE of a RISKY SITUATION. Others images could be 'Confession Booth' or 'Parachute'.

Images are crucial for the development of our piece. A single image can say so much to the audience if given the appropriate focus.  'A Picture Paints A Thousand Words'. And that's what we are gonna do for our audience... Paint them a 'Picture of RISK'.

Let the Games Commence! HND DAY 1

Who would believe it I'm back at college. I probably the last person to of thought I'd be back here again but here I am, and feeling optimistic to say the least. Actually really looking forward to what's to come on this HND Performing Arts course with BMAPA baby!

Let me say I had a vision of how I wanted this course to go. What I wanted to get out of it and what I wanted to put into it. But already I can see that things have already turned in a direction I did not plan for. Which is good. It's good to be surprised and challenged. If we didn't have challenges it would all become oh so boring. I'm done with boring cause I'm living life. And if you're really living life, it's anything but boring.

DAY 1 at BMAPA
Introductions

Introductions are always interesting. They can be uncomfortable but often entertaining. Our course tutors are a mix of experience, talent, humor, skilled, enthusiastic , and engaging individuals who seem committed to tooling us up to be workmen, and work-women in this working world.
The course is set up in a way that we can reap as much out of it as we are willing to sow into it. Which is vital for me. As a mature student who has already completed the 1st year of a performing HND, the thought of going over old ground was not so appealing to me. BUT I've been pleasantly surprised with the freedom will we be given in creating projects to meet our module/unit criteria.

My Group

We're and odd bunch - Which is Perfect. All different shapes and sizes ( for once in my life I'm not the tallest in the group!)  which is gonna be great as we all bring together our ideas and create our pieces.

Mad Lunatics

What was that persons name I forgot? Oh yeah Mad Mel
I will never again under estimate the Power in NAME GAMES. On more occasions than I'd like to admit the only way I've been able to recall 1 of my group members names is by remembering about the crazy action they did during the name game. I was Leaping Leon. Which probably means every time they think of me they'll remember me leaping through the air like a gazelle. But I'm sure they're remember my name. This was the first of our warm up games.
These games were then followed by other introductory warm up games

WISH WASH

NAME GAME with BALLS.
Passing balls to group members, passing the ball around the group ( standing in a circle), and then repeating the exercise in silence. This game is designed to help us with FOCUS and CONCENTRATION.

TICK TOCK
Is about Passing and Receiving information in the moment.

COUNT TO 10
Is about being in sync with the group. By knowing the people in the group, their characteristics. You will know if they are the kind of person who will take the lead, hang back, or shout out.


Paul wrapped up our session and one of the things he said that stuck with me was...
"Theater is about Being Human, the human experience"