The Gatehouse Performance, the AGM, and Wellington Drive Festival

A very overdue blog, just incase anyone is chewing their fingers to the bone wondering how our performance at Stafford Gatehouse theatre went - it was fantastic!!  It was amazing for us to perform in a proper theatre, although as luck would have it we booked the place on the same night as the annual performance of Shakespeare play at Stafford Castle, which had taken up nearly all the Gatehouse resources. 

Needless to say we did not get a discount, however I voiced our feelings to one of the workers and we did get to use the MET (small theatre) for about 7 hours on the night and only got charged for 3.  
This meant that we managed to make a small amount of money from the performance, which will be used to buy equipment for a fire juggling show we are doing at Wellington Drive Music Festival on the 28th June.


The idea of having a colourful backdrop for Badger Kettle really worked, and this was the most popular piece of the evening.  We put this energetic comedy on last, to surprise the audience, who had just been treated to two quite moody, slow, dark performances. 

I was really pleased with the confidence of the actors - even when they felt nervous, the audience feedback was that the group were polished and professional looking.  There was a great variety of characters, and this is due, I think, to the fact that as with the exception of the narrator, 

all of the actors communicate through movement, they were able to dig further into themselves to come up with their character.  
Words can be so restrictive, I realise more and more.  I can see why much of the work that we do through dramatherapy aims to focus on the non-verbal, it gives a quality of meaning that words cannot describe. 

There is some confusion, which has always been the case, about what Konnektiv actually are about - drama?  drama for health?  dramatherapy?  
experimental drama?  performance?  I share the confusion.  This will be the hot topic of the AGM which is coming up on the 13th. 
 What will our direction be in 2012/13?
How we promote ourselves influences how people view us - for instance audiences may not turn out to see a drama for health performance, or it may not be supported by arts funders, as they may not see the performance as being 'art'.  However, if we want to gain interest and network with health organisations and funders, we do need to demonstrate our commitment to investigating health factors.  This, to me, is crucial.  

So, all in all, there is a lot to think about.  My own personal vision is of an arts and health centre in Stafford.  Resources are limited, a workshop space of our own would be great, and enable us to put on many more different kinds of group, some more performance based, some more arts and health. Some may be more health than arts; especially around lifestyle, but always with some focus on the arts, and specifically, the performance arts.


In the meantime, there will be no more regular workshops until September, as the Performing Arts Centre is being used for sorting musical instruments for the summer.  Our practice sessions for the fire show will take place at the fire station community room, or the park.  And when we use real fire, not sure...  

Anyway, here's some pics of me and Merv practicing poi and juggling balls without fire, at the Community Room...