Week one of my residency with the Swallows Foundation under wraps. Its been a busy week seeing ten shows with some of the highlights being the fabulous Italian award winning company TPOs BLEAU (a contemporary dance and digital media production for young children), Helen Averys remarkable MADAME LA BONCHE CIRCUS SHOW and the incredible Lawnmower Revolutions GLASS ORCHESTRA. Amina Khayyams Dance Company presented an interesting adaptation of YERMA. I couldnt help noticing how diverse the audience was for this contemporary Indian dance production. Theatres in Newcastle seem to be very focused around audience participatory programmes and with a specific focus on trying to diversify their audiences. During this week, I met with several theatre folks who opened up the doors to their projects. I was given close up views of their programming strategies. One of the most impressive moves made by the arts community in Newcastle is their ability to share resources and spaces. DANCE CITY is a superb complex with a full on dance theatre, several dance studios and offices of local dance companies. The centre offers free wifi and runs an excellent coffee shop. It is a hub for artists wanting to meet and to discuss collaborations. Lots of possibilities gets incubated over coffee. At Northumbria University, I attended a lecture about THE WRITER IN THE LOCAL AND GLOBAL SPACE. What a small world when I discovered that the lecturer is a former Rhodes University journ department academic. I had great fun sharing the podium with Kate Cradock (Gatehead International Festival of Theatre) discussing FESTIVAL COMMUNITIES. I loved engaging with the director of ZENDEH, an Iranian ex-pat artist living and working in Newcastle. Hopefully, her company will be coming to the Festival Fringe in 2015. My meeting with the company tasked with organising some of the cultural programme for the 2015 Rugby World Cup was a really good meeting. A year ahead of time they know their budgets and are putting plans in place. I had flashbacks of the 2010 Soccer World Cup in South Africa and of how aunty Lulu screwed over arts organisations with her undelivered promised. With many more inspiring meetings, many more shows and visits to several projects, theres been lots of time to explore the city, meet with its people and get to discover some of its best restaurants. My apartment looks right over the Tyne River. It a small walk from the castle and almost at the centre where life somehow just doesnt seem to stop. My programme in Newcastle is co-ordinated by Jenny Dewar. Some of you may know her as the UK partner on the Remix Laboratory in Grahamstown. She is an absolute gem, an outstanding administrator and a networker of note. Its been an inspiring week with lots fun, laughter, memorable experiences all articulated beautifully in the words of Spanish artist Jaume Plensa in a public artwork at the Baltic Centre, No bird soars too high if he soars with his own wings. I feel blessed to fly with birds who share my sense of adventure, curiosity and passion. Many thanks to the Swallows Foundation for giving me wings.
Posted on: Sat, 01 Nov 2014 10:53:37 +0000
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