by Amy Clare Tasker

It’s October! The London Devised Theatre Intensive is about to begin, and we are getting very excited here behind the scenes. 

Last year, a brave group of theatre makers took a leap of faith with us to create this new programme – and we can’t wait to see what this year’s Intensive will bring! Of course we put a lot of thought into planning our activities (masterclasses, group theatre trips, career coaching, peer practice exchange, and a networking Happy Hour), but the Intensive really is what the core ensemble makes it.

The studio runs in Open Space, a flexible format that gives everyone agency to pursue what they are most passionate about. There are over 20 hours of open devising time during the Intensive where theatre makers can follow their curiosity into various sessions of work which they define for themselves. (You can read about what happened last year on our blog archive…)

I won’t try to predict what might happen when this year’s core ensemble gets together – but I can say that I’m delighted by the variety of artistic backgrounds and skills in the room: music, poetry, improvisation, movement, cabaret, filmmaking, clowning, and more. What happens when we bring together this group of artists is sure to be electric and unpredictable. After all, the motto of Open Space is ‘Be Prepared to Be Surprised.’ (You can find out more about Open Space in my recent article on HowlRound here.)

We’ll be introducing you to all these artists very soon – do keep an eye on the blog and #devise18 on our social media feeds on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

You can also get involved in the Intensive, even if you’re not part of the core ensemble. Registration is open for our Masterclass Series: Puppetry with Oliver Smart of Folded Feather on 10 October; Physical Theatre with Kat Joyce of Tangled Feet on 15 October; and Improvisation: Live Writing with Stella Duffy on 17 October.

Plus we’ll be raising a glass with theatre makers, programmers, and artistic directors on the last day of the Intensive – you are welcome to join us at our Devised Theatre Happy Hour on 19 October.

See you soon!

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IMAGE: Dani Kolanis & Jenn Kay move fast in Nir Paldi’s 2017 Masterclass ‘Stories without Words.’ Photo by Laura Lundy.