by Peyvand Sadeghian

The core group of the intensive are coming to the end of our time together, and it’s been a nourishing experience. Material being developed for shows already in development, career plans focused, dormant ideas hatched, and unexpected project ideas that popped up are now being pursued. The next challenge (for me at least), is to not let this just be a great two weeks of learning and change, but to continue the momentum beyond our last day together.

Throughout these past two weeks, we’ve all had to juggle life outside the studio from the personal to the logistic, to just being really far away from home. The Open Space so thoughtfully held by facilitators Amy Clare Tasker and Laura Lundy has created an environment that’s not only conducive to creativity, but that also allows flexibility and support in each other’s needs. I sound like I’m gushing now, but it is amazing and a real credit to each individual at how vulnerable, open and ready the group has been, whilst remaining non-judgemental and respectful of appropriate boundaries.

With my mind looking towards the future, I’m realising what a luxury it is to have a studio to be working in each day. It shouldn’t be – it’s essential. The point at which I need to start trying things off the page, is when my living room with Judge Judy on in the background is no longer working. In fact, it’s probably never the best way to work even when I am just jotting down ideas.

Working with other people working has also been valuable. Although we’re not always working directly with each other, in the times when the group has split off to work on individual projects, the focus has been contagious. Maybe a good kind of peer pressure? As someone who enjoys the collaborative processes of theatre making, I easily get lost inside my own head, and before I know it I’ve become a hermit and not spoken to anyone outside of Facebook for days. 

To invite people in to the process and test your ideas makes better art, and meeting that friend for a rant and a coffee and not beating yourself up about it will help your sanity. For all the skills and approaches I have picked up along the way, this has also been an exercise in considering ways of working that are actually productive and becoming more attuned to my own needs.

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IMAGE: Peyvand Sadeghian (centre) and fellow participants, co-working solo during Bryony Kimmings’ masterclass in Autobiographical Performance. Photo by Amy Clare Tasker.