 |
|
Get creative with Full Body and the Voice.
Full Body and the Voice thrives on commissions to produce a whole range of exciting projects that use theatre techniques and the unique talents of our actors. To learn about some of these look at our section on Special Projects
Whether you are a school, a business, community group or individual we are able to work collaboratively with you to produce the results you want.We offer workshops and Training in the performing arts to a wide range of people.
If you just want some general information about the company here are some frequently asked questions:
1) Do you have a mission statement?
2) What are the company’s current aims and objectives?
3) What is the recruitment policy for new members to the company?
4) What is the process of creating material for the shows you put on?
5) Who are your performances aimed at, and what type of venues do you perform at?
6) Who is responsible for making decisions about the material used in shows and how that material is delivered?
7) What do you consider to be the most important issues to address when working with people with learning disabilities?
8) When did the company first begin, and how?
Answers
1) Do you have a mission statement?
The company’s mission statement is ‘To Act… without prejudice’. This applies to all aspects of our work. In our theatre work it is about being prepared to work in ways that include actors with learning disabilities. In our training work it is about finding new ways for people to learn and valuing each other’s skills. As a company it is about how we treat each other as colleagues and getting the best from each individual.
2) What are the company’s current aims and objectives?
Projects for 2007 and 2008 are categorised under the following:
Self-generated
* Expand the Youth Theatre to four groups with two new ones in North Kirklees.
* Secure funding for an ongoing programme of training and support for a pool of artists associated with the company.
Collaborations
* Begin the process of devising and producing a new production working in collaboration with another theatre company.
* Publish the book on theory and practice of making theatre with actors with learning disabilities
Commissions
* Continue the training programme for CID officers in South Yorkshire Police Authority.
* Deliver workshops for MENCAP service users and at a confernce in Doncaster.
*Work in schools and colleges with pupils and staff throughout the area.
3) What is the recruitment policy for new members to the company?
We are always interested in meeting people who want to develop their skills as performers and theatre makers. For adults with learning disabilities who may be interested in performing in our shows the first step is to sign up for one of the training courses we might be running. This gives us an opportunity to get to know them and for them to get to know us. For non-disabled artists we tend to look at examples of work and have an informal discussion to explore common interests and take it from there.
4) What is the process of creating material for the shows you put on?
The work is evolving all the time. In the first five years the shows were all devised and drew on the experiences of the actors and their lives. We are now working with writers and other contributors because we value the narrative skills that these people can bring and it is important for actors with learning disabilities to be able to tell other people’s stories.
5) Who are your performances aimed at, and what type of venues do you perform at?
We have traditionally played to a broad audience base and made a point of performing in mainstream venues. This was an important statement about the work and how we wanted it to be regarded. We are now looking at different places where the work can have an impact. In 2005 we began to tour local community venues and attract audiences who don’t normally go to the theatre in order to see what their response is.
7) Who is responsible for making decisions about the material used in shows and how that material is delivered?
The Artistic Director, has overall responsibility for the programme of work and directs all the touring shows. But the work is the result of a collaboration between actor, designer, musician, choreographer, facilitator… whoever happens to be involved in the process at the time. In recent times we have begun to explore other ways of working.
7) What do you consider to be the most important issues to address when working with people with learning disabilities?
The same as with any artist: To create an environment that allows them to give themselves freely and honestly. To accept that we all have different ways of communicating and expressing ourselves and that the role of the director or facilitator is to keep searching for creative ways that enable this to happen.
8) When did the company first begin, and how?
Full Body and the Voice started life as a one-off project run by Artlink West Yorkshire in 1996. A group of learning disabled people, calling themselves No Limits Experimental Theatre, attended the Lawrence Batley Theatre four days a week for twelve weeks and put on a performance on the main stage. The response from the audience was so positive it was decided to get funding to run the group as a full-time company. By Autumn 1998 money had been secured through the European Social Fund to appoint an Artistic Director and administrative back-up. At the time Huddersfield Mencap managed the project but its success meant that by June 2000 we were able to go independent and become a limited company with charitable status.
The original group of actors attended a four-week audition process which was more about them demonstrating how they wanted to work rather than the director and facilitators ‘training’ them as performers in the traditional way. The company name came out of an exercise expressing what the work was about and Peter Wandtke said it was ‘to use the full body and the voice’!.
Back to Top
|
|
