A rollercoaster of emotions

would be the perfect metaphor

to describe this week.
We started this week in a dazed
yet productive way. We started
to explore physicalitys, but had
no direction or knowledge just
what we wanted to create.
With everything seeming very
disbanded and unclear, it led to
us all feeling very frustrated at
the fact that we didnt really
know exactly what we were
trying to explore. The only subject that we all seemed
to be able to understand would be the subject of the
Four Elements. A workshop led by Sam on Monday
helped us explore the idea of 4 Elements further. This
did help us get to grips with how we would relate
certain words and feelings to certain elements. This
being said, I feel because not many of us knew exactly
what we were trying to create, the workshop seemed
very ambiguous. However, we did mange to bring our
ideas together and create a short Physical sequence
that we could possibly use inside the piece. It is a short
sequence that invokes two circles constantly moving
and intwining with each other. I feel this sequence
would be a perfect way of representing Earth and how
it is grounded and forever evolving. Even though we had
made a start with creating sequences, there was still a confusion lingering
inside the company as to what the basis of our piece would be about. This
led to a discussion that turned into a very heated argument between us as a
company. It led more on to us attacking each other for not having the
correct attitude to work. The debate came to no conclusion, however, I feel
Find a Thread to pull, and
we can watch it unravel

GAMES &
EXERCISES

- Tangled

- 3,6,9

- Circle hand
over hand
rhythm game
(26/09/2014) (WAYS OF SEEING)
Credited: Flickr
it gave us the opportunity to release our frustration which I feel ultimately
fuelled the argument to begin with. We did manage to put this to rest and
continued to explore and finalise ideas. I suggested creating individual or
group Physical sequence based on our interpretation of the Four Elements,
and showing these to each other. I felt this exercise was extremely
successful as it resolves the feeling of unfairness with one person taking
complete creative control. It presents everybodys ideas together and helps
develop the idea of how two ideas could possibly come together to create
one. For my own individual piece, I focused on creating something that
could co-inside with the circle sequence that we had created as a group. I
focused on creating a piece that focused on the subtleness and gentleness
that is evoked in the original photograph. Feedback from the company
appeared to be positive, and I look forward to seeing how I can progress
with this particular piece.
Since the start of the process, Julia had expressed interest in the art of
Shadow Puppetry and said that she thought this would be a great addition
to our overall piece. We managed to start experimenting with a portable
stage light and began exploring physicality. I appreciated how you can show
a lot contrast with size through Shadow Puppetry. Judging from our first
time experimenting with Shadow Puppetry, I feel we need to improve our
physical clarity before we can begin to start devising material.
We have finally decided on what structure we are willing to work from. I
suggested using both Shadow Puppetry as well as Physical Theatre to create
our piece. This incorporates both ideas that seemed to be put forward the
most during the process so far. Spanning off of Julias idea of basing the
piece around a relationship and but showing how all four elements relate
into that made me visualise the following structure. I think we could show
several types of relationships through Shadow Puppetry, (i.e. a typical love
relationship, parent and chid, old lovers etc.), and show the stages of these
kinds of relationship. An optional idea that we could possibly experiment
with, is using the idea of a Family and presenting the different relationships
inside a family and showing how they intertwine.
We have to accept that we do not have that much time left and Shadow
Puppetry takes a lot of time and patience to perfect. However, I feel we
could be literal with showing the different types of relationships beyond the
scrim, however, still use the types of shapes and locations that we have
experimented with this week. I feel the relationship idea is suitable
because it can show how someone or something will eventually be left
alone (relating back to the photo). After using the scrim, we will then
explore Physical Theatre infront of the scrim. Possibly showing how
someone feels after the end of some form of relationship. How someone
tries to find strength in other people, put probably never gets it.
I believe this idea relates back to the photograph because when I think of
a feather, I think of something gentle and soft, in the literal sense; but I
also feel a sense of vulnerability and weakness also. I dont think its really
coincidental that in this photograph there is something in the background
(the orange lights) that seem to show a sense unity amongst themselves.
The contrast between something that seems strong and together(the orange
lights) and something that seems weak and isolated(the feather) gave me
the basis of this idea. A relationship is a fragile thing (like the feather), it
can easily be destroyed by one simple action. The feeling of weakness,
vulnerability and isolation is something everyone feels like when they are
apart of a relationship that ends. Its then that you try to find strength in
other people or other things. I feel this idea is extremely relatable to
anyone, because anyone our age has suffered a loss from a relationship
ending (a love relationship, grandparent passing away etc.).
This week, I feel like my strength has been my ability to speak my mind
and push myself to express my creativity without fear of rejection. I have
noticed that I am starting to become a lot more headstrong which appears
to be moving the work forward in a positive way. My weakness would be my
inability to be able to take into account other peoples ideas when I feel
strongly about my own. With me having the strength of being headstrong, it
can come with the con of not being as open minded about other peoples
feelings.
As a company, I feel we have the strength of being able to pick ourselves
back up after having a heated disagreement that could of taken a toll on
the overall progress of the project. Our strength is our pure determination
to make things as perfect as they can be. I feel no matter how contrasted
our mind sets are, we can still create material that has a lot of potential.
However, our weakness would be our inability to have debates without
having them leading into arguments that create negative energy inside the
space, which can be hard to work with.
I think during this coming week we need to explore more with
Workshops, because this has proved in the past to create some decent
physical sequences that we could possibly use. The Workshops should be a
lot more easier to conduct, as we now have a solid idea that has a clear
objective. I feel we also need to perfect our Shadow Puppetry skills and
start exploring what shapes we definitely want to use. We need to keep our
heads up and grab next week my the horns and run with it. We have
excellent ideas, but excellent ideas will not save us, unless we execute
them well. I feel like we need to do a lot less talking and a lot more doing.