MA Performance Practices project: The Capitalist Self-Care Club
Introduction
In autumn 2022, I worked with the MA Performance Practices students at DMU to create short a piece of devised theatre, which I directed and they performed. The students also took on all the production, design and company management roles. The project ran over eight weeks, with two artist-led sessions and one student-led session each week. It culminated in a public performance of The Capitalist Self Care Club, performed in a studio space at DMU’s PACE building in December 2022.
In my role as lead artist, I sought to introduce the students to some of the principles of Clowndance that I have been developing, in particular around play, joy and vulnerability. While the approach we took was broadly based on my existing process, the content was entirely led by the students. I wanted to centralise and amplify their voices, their ideas and their agendas.
This was a small cohort of four students in their early twenties, three women and one non-binary person, with three coming from drama BAs and one from a musical theatre BA. Throughout this write-up I will use the pseudonyms the students chose for themselves: Björk, Eve, Missy and Imelda, inspired by the recording artists whose music we featured in the performance.
Their ideas, energy, dedication and sheer all-round awesomeness have inspired and challenged me, and given me endless joy.
In my role as lead artist, I sought to introduce the students to some of the principles of Clowndance that I have been developing, in particular around play, joy and vulnerability. While the approach we took was broadly based on my existing process, the content was entirely led by the students. I wanted to centralise and amplify their voices, their ideas and their agendas.
This was a small cohort of four students in their early twenties, three women and one non-binary person, with three coming from drama BAs and one from a musical theatre BA. Throughout this write-up I will use the pseudonyms the students chose for themselves: Björk, Eve, Missy and Imelda, inspired by the recording artists whose music we featured in the performance.
Their ideas, energy, dedication and sheer all-round awesomeness have inspired and challenged me, and given me endless joy.
MAPP students in rehearsals at DMU with Kitty
I have used the same documentation process as with previous studio research; in the moment journaling, the reflective roll and personal post-its to capture the performers’ responses session by session, as well as photos and video. I have divided this write-up of the project into three stages: Provocations, Devising and Rehearsal and Performance. There is also a related blog post on Clowndance as a process, rather than a genre.
Click on a section to read...
Click on a section to read...
|
|
|
Ethical Research Statement
This practical research was carried out with ethical approval from the Doctoral College at De Montfort University, Leicester, UK. Participants have all given explicit consent for their words and images in the form of photography and video to be acknowledged in the research write-up and on this research website. Because the participants are students, not professional artists, I have used pseudonyms to protect their identities.