Beginnings of an R&D

I make no apology on beginning this blog as follows:

This blog is like a London Bus…… I’m going to spell it out!!

You wait ages for one and then 2 come along at once. Unlike the London bus – where you have to choose which bus to go for, you can have the ‘pleasure’ of reading both!! I have actually been feeling like I’m riding two buses. With the process of Still Suspended having been in an element of suspension, until its glorious release to the digital world last Friday and the groundwork being cemented for this new R&D, the feeling of being on two journeys has been strong!

It is time now to firmly jump onto the other bus – and what a creative colourful party bus this one is. Still Suspended and the Turner process will remain in the rear-view mirror and I think will fuel my practice for a long time to come, but focus and drive is very much on this journey.

I just realised this is probably not the most impactful way of announcing that we have secured an Arts Council England grant by going on about double deckers – we have just secured an Arts Council England grant!! A huge achievement – with enormous help from all parties involved and especially Nat from the newly formed Filament and Ash from The Uncultured. They very much smoothed a potentially stressful ‘bus ride’ of a submission process and helped me paint a truly inspiring picture which thankfully ACE were impressed by. This is an under 15k project grant, but with a difference – it’s all about the journey!!

I haven’t been on a bus for about a year and a half – I don’t know where this is coming from – maybe a need to get out and about again!

This ACE funded project will guide a genuine R&D process to develop, probe, challenge, amplify, adapt and reshape the way I apply my practice. We are entering into another uncharted period as communities and a society as we work out how we ‘recover’ from the turbulent waters of the last year and I think Squeeze Box mirrors that - taking risky steps is daunting at first but as you will read I have some genuine caring and passionate hands guiding me and my work.

So, back to this bus, which is now definitely a limousine, we find the artist equivalent of the Marvel Avengers assemble (that’s not easy to say) with creative super powers oozing from every zoom screen and we promise that we will gather, together as one, in like real life (not Zoom) settings – safety first of course! I am truly inspired and a little bit disbelieving that for the next few months I will be surrounded by some of the most genius, giving and creative minds. So, ready to face the villain of inaccessibility, hegemony and to reclaim the narrative of disability is:

Steve Sowden: feeling a real privilege to pour rage into addressing these issues, Steve will work towards turning around the medical model by allowing people to feel the impact this model has and then facilitating a push back against these themes – being proactive not reactive

Nat – playing with ideas and metaphors of power in small boxes by critically analysing the process and providing subtleties to remind us all to continue to play with the personal and political

Cat Radford – will be going back to the creative process and working with both new and old people – the mastermind behind linking strings of this diverse group and the uncomfortable themes they explore and melding the two together

Tim Dollimore – will combine his many talents within this creative process. Bringing creativity together with his social interest in disability and passion for social psychology Tim wants to work towards changing big perspectives

Sam Parker – Utilising skills as a dramaturg, both in text and practically, Sam wants to ask good questions to push the boundaries and possibilities yet maintain narrative and cause.

Jen – working on the subtleties and nuances that tell hard truths without affronting the audience – taking risks and enabling Hugh to build his practice in an honest and impactful way

And me, what do I bring and what do I want to get out of this process?

First of all, from year dot I don’t think I have been part of a true R&D process and have always had to focus on an ‘end result’ which has built my theatre and artistic mind and given me a real passion for process – this time I get to play without the constraints of final content. I get to play with awe inspiring projection/sound equipment that has the potential to amplify messages of equality and diversity. I get to play in the virtual world, continuing to navigate the strange times we are in and to find ways to be heard over the virtual noise. I get to play with applying my research by moving and writing and creating… and I get to pay with some extraordinary artists!

During this mix of online collaboration and live devising, I will share as much as possible through this bog and social media. I think posts in the past have been about hitting numbers and promoting work, but throughout this process it will be about sharing, questioning and probing with everyone who wants to join us on this journey. Combining my inspiration, the outrageously skilled creative team, posts over social media and workshops with community groups, we will contextualise all of the learning and ideas into a final invited show back, which is yet to be imagined because in the workshop space, every time a facilitator welcomes participants into he space, a new story is told.

At times I think a lack of a rigid rehearsal schedule will cause slight anxiety for me but true creativity and knowledge will emerge, finding meaning in what we do and ways to shout this from the rooftops. Reflecting on my previous blogs, I have always found meaning through focusing on moments that have sparked an idea or deep response or path to another path to an idea and this ACE funded project will not only be full of those rare moments of community and inspiration, but will be the fundamental core of the piece.