From Beardy to Birdy or Weirdy to Nerdy?

"And remember; a bird in the hand...is not worth a criminal record, so don't touch the birds!!" 

There I was kicking my heels around after a full on summer, when how exciting, I was called up by my old friend Mary Eddowes, to be told that her application was successful and that the Research and Development work on her new show the 'Nerdy Birdies'...is to start the following week! How could I resist?


My role in the 'flock' was to create costume ideas, supply materials and be on hand to dress, make, create, respond, advise and buy the bird seed.

The Birdies gathered at South Hill Park Arts Centre for the week leading up to the 'Big Day Out', which is an annual one day performing arts festival in Bracknell.

The Birdies were directed by Matt Feerick who helped each of the performers build real characters; both bird persona's and bird watcher personalities. He carefully managed the potential over comedising of the subject matter so that the characters that the birdies explored were more than surface parody of 'Bird watchers' or hilarious over acting birds.

They explored the motivations behind the act of bird watching, they looked at documentaries and on line sites. They worked on the classical flocking characteristics of birds through dance and used the neutral bird masks which I created during the week to look at movement.


It was a real in depth look at the motivations of 'birders' and the cross over behaviour of the watcher and the watched, the bazaar behaviour of both, when taken a little out of context. The 'birder' characters were asked to build nests and the birds were dressed up in green parkas and hats.

Being R and D, meant that the options were kept open throughout, so it was virtually impossible to create any permanent costumes -all was play and experimentation. I'm sure that this underlying belief and understanding, in their own characters which has been built up over this week, will pay off, whatever shape the final show takes.

The Nerdy Birdies were invited to share their work at a special scratch night which I organised at Festive Road HQ in Milton Keynes. They had a excellent response from the select few...but watch this space because the Nerdy Birdies will be coming to an event near you... And remember; a bird in the hand...is not worth a criminal record, so don't touch the birds!! 

Brewing Up -the show

"A show for all, which investigates the quintessentially English action of drinking tea, and tells the story of our multi-cultural history. 
The performance fuses carnival arts with street theatre, facilitates new partnerships and creates experimental new work. Produced by Festive Road’s Director Jessica Rost and co directed by Sian Thomas and Manuela Benini, with musical direction by Daniel Clark, this blend of talent will reach and infuse the parts that other blends just can’t refresh."
 
I wonder if any other outdoor theatre piece has ever developed via such a windy journey, as Brewing Up has done over the last three years?

Three years of Arts Council investment, three years of collaboration and partnership work with artists, funders, producers and venues across the South East and most importantly ...three years of artistic development for Festive Road


Once upon a time we were a small community carnival company but nowadays I look around me and see that we seem to have become a fully fledged street theatre/outdoor arts production company. The core family of creatives, which we've collected along the way, all have one thing in common; they can't be squeezed into any box that's been invented yet!

Our journey is captured in this short video. But the final shape of Brewing Up ended up being a professional, tour able out door theatre piece ...of course we had to try out everything in between from installations to parades and having got to that 'professional, tour able outdoor theatre piece' there are inevitably more questions than answers...

This 2012 production was directed by Sian Thomas, who co-directed, or rather mentored, the show last year. The show became a fixed 20 minute performance in the round with original music directed by Daniel Marcus Clark and with Manuela Benini once again leading the choreography.

 
With the development of the show spanning over two years, it was understandable that we'd attract some interest when it came to auditioning for paid performers, we already had a following. All the previous work had been with community groups and volunteers and we found that we were in the very lucky position to have a huge number of applications from a range of very talented people; physical performers, musicians, dancers, actors...who applied from Nottingham to Brighton. Out of the 40 odd who we shortlisted for audition, eight were taken on initially.



Due to commitments elsewhere, I was unable to both project manage and co-direct as I had done before. So we recruited Helen Wright as tour manager and I became a producer as well as lead designer. This was the best possible scenario for me as I was at last able to concentrate on the creative side of the production; working closely with Sian, Manuela and Daniel to develop the narrative and in response to the work at rehearsals created the designs for the costumes and set.

This was a new way of working for our company -when the visual design responds to a pre-developed narrative and devised performance, although probably the conventional way round to do things in the world of theatre. Our leadership very much springs from our visual arts background; we are used to devising around the visual design and I for one, found the performative lead challenging at times.
The lead artists/directors of the company had been disposed to being mere prop builders...but this is what we had invited people into the company to do, it was the only way to find out what kind of company Festive Road can become.

Perhaps Festive Road's strengths will always lie in our impact visually, the power of our design and inventive use of materials but we watched, learnt and responded to the challenges with relish. The company has successfully assimilated the right people to extend the skills base and I think that we are stronger for it.

Brewing up is now a finished production (as finished as any production ever is). It is ready to tour and looking for bookings for next year at arts festivals and events around the country so please spread the word. 

Wild and Free

I was interested in the conflict or ambiguity of the wilderness and the harnessing of nature by man; the windmills, the wild heron, the wealth and power held by Norwich and it's merchants in days gone by and the continual struggle between the land and sea's take over of the land.

So I am now a 'Lead National Designer', at least that was my job title for a recent commission I was selected for this summer...Carnival Cross Roads East Bound.
This project was chosen by LOCOG to represent the East of England’s and the carnival sector’s contribution to London 2012 Festival. It was funded by Arts Council England and Legacy Trust UK.

Led by UKCCA's Creative Director, Pax Nindi, and working with local partners across five hub towns, Carnival Crossroads East Bound brought together local carnival artists, community groups and schools with a team of five national designers, (one of which was me), to create a carnival showcase of the East of England and celebration for London 2012 Festival.
I'm still not sure why I was selected and I'm certainly not among the 'usual carnival suspects', I don't ship feathers in from all over the world, I never use sequins and I make carnival out of the most unconventional materials? All I can think is that Pax had an ulterior motive by bringing together such a diverse group of designers, perhaps an attempt to infiltrate the carnival world with a big dose of womblism?

I was given the job of designing up to 100 costumes to represent the people of Norwich, a place that I'd previously never even visited before.

But it turned out to be a fascinating exploration for me, into the stories, histories and characteristics of, what I realise now, is a very independent and quite rebellious region of the UK. From Boudicca to Nelson, the Norfolk folk have never stood by and watched anything passively or gone away quietly for anyone!

Three sections were created. Boudicca's army was the largest, made up of 40 or more musicians and young people; our Norwich hub street band. They were led by Boudicca's chariot, a large 'Queen' costume on wheels and two wild horses (back pack mounted puppets)...




The next section was inspired by the Green Man, an iconic symbol which occurs in such large numbers, carved into the wood and masonry of the many ancient churches in the region. And there really are so many churches...and pubs I discovered.

The Green man 'King' costume was designed for an operator to hide inside; the arms were animated from the inside and the whole costume was really a large puppet on wheels, about 16 foot high.

The last section was inspired by the 'Norfolk Broads'. And I was very lucky to have the opportunity to design these costumes for a group of young stilt walkers, the Hi -Jacks. In my designs I combined the symbol of Nelson and the wading birds of the broads, forever fishing for gold, as in the peddler of Swatham's tale; the real treasure ends up being right under your feet!

The whole piece of work was titled 'Wild and Free'. From the start, following my first visit, I was so immediately aware of how resistant and separate Norwich felt and I was interested in the idea that a traveller, to and from Norwich and the East, must pass through the broads... Norfolk isn't on the way to anywhere!

But also I was interested in the conflict or ambiguity of the wilderness and the harnessing of nature by man; the windmills, the wild heron, the wealth and power held by Norwich and it's merchants in days gone by and the continual struggle between the land and sea's take over of the land.

Local artist, Pat Howe helped me and along with community groups both in Norwich and volunteers back at my workshop in Milton Keynes, we created the costumes. And the creations were finally presented at the 'Love Luton' event in July, which brought together all 500 people from all five hubs across the East of England, to perform as part of the London 2012 Festival.