upswing masterclass 2017

Upswing Circus Directors Development

2017

At the invitation of Vicki Amedume / UPSWING Charlotte led Day 4 (of a 5 day) professional development workshop for Circus Directors at Roundhouse London. This Creative Exchange

was facilitated by

·         Mehrdad Seyf (30Bird)

·         Simon Wilkinson (Circa69) 

·         Martin Hargreaves (Dramaturg) 

·         Charlotte Vincent (VDT)

·         Vicki Amedume (Upswing)

 Charlotte enabled the group to challenge and question the concepts and motivations that lead circus makers  to create work, discussed the design, aesthetics, assumptions, conditions and approach to making circus performance that might limit the development of new work and offered ideas about how to move forward with new confidence and new approaches.

 ·         I feel shaken and stirred by today. I am questioning my place in the world. I want to makes some more work and I feel fierce. I found the honesty of today useful. Things I’ve been afraid to talk about like single parenthood. I feel validated. Participant

·         I am ready, I am getting the tools together – I feel confident, validated and justified Participant

·         I will be fighting for longer development time and how to make that happen Participant

·         I am considering more how to not compromise – to make my work accessible to deaf and blind audiences I need to start small.  Participant

·         I’ve found today empowering – don’t be afraid to follow idea. Don’t be scared. Participant

·         I am thinking about not being lazy – being more thorough, consider the choices you are making… It is interesting to be challenged – I will make more work Participant

·         I have listened a lot today. I have confidence in what I am doing – I need to work on my patience. Participant

·         Your day provided an energy in the discussion that was much needed.  A few people in the group found it challenging as it made them consider what they had not considered before in their work and a few people said it had been their favourite day. I am so pleased that you enabled us to reach a level in our dialogue this week that was necessary but would have been impossible for me to initiate.

Circus Directors Exchange Course Leader