Finding an opportunity outside the university environment as a volunteer and then end up getting paid for the labour I put into.
On The Line by Odd Eyes Theatre
CONTEXTUAL STATEMENT
On the Line is a community theater production where two college kids Kai and Tia, from North London, find themselves in a very serious and challenging situation. Odd Eyes Theatre tells the real story of two college kids from North London and how their lives changed overnight. The important and recent story while still being truthful to the real story. As part of our studies, I was trying to find a professional practice that is outside our university. I emailed, texted, and called so many companies I was almost giving up on this quest. Then the marketing director saw my messages and we had a lovely phone call for me to start the rehearsals as a marketing assistant and assistant director while helping the Stage Manager as an ASM. Just to be able to speak on the phone and share ideas with other creators was important for the start of my process.
Starting out in a theatre company as a volunteer and then being paid for your work can have significant impacts on the wider theatre industry in London. While the practice of volunteering in theatre has long been a common way for emerging artists to gain experience and connections, it can also be exploitative, leading to a lack of diversity and representation in the industry. By creating pathways for volunteers to transition to paid work, theatre companies can provide more opportunities for underrepresented groups and ensure that talented artists are compensated fairly for their contributions. "Volunteer work in the theatre industry can be a stepping stone to paid work, with many volunteers going on to secure paid roles within theaters or other arts organizations.” (Smith,2019). This can help to break down the barriers to entry that have traditionally made it difficult for diverse voices to be heard in the theatre and can also promote a more sustainable model for a theatre production. However, it is important to ensure that the transition from volunteer to paid work is transparent and equitable and that volunteers are not taken advantage of or used as a source of cheap labour. By fostering a culture of respect and fairness, theatre companies can create a more inclusive and supportive environment that benefits everyone involved in the industry.
EVIDENCE
On the Line started for me as volunteer work then evolved into a paid opportunity. In this process, I made sure I was journaling about the rehearsals, tech, and the show for me to be able to do rehearsal reports at the end of the day and look back at the progress I made during the course of rehearsals. During all the rehearsals I also had the job to produce Vox Pop interviews after two shows. "The importance of volunteering in theatre is that it allows people to gain experience, meet others, learn skills and develop knowledge that is essential in developing a career in theatre." (Alderson, 2018, p. 25) Volunteer theatre work has long been a staple of the theatre industry in the UK, providing emerging artists with a valuable opportunity to gain experience and connections.
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LAST DAY OF CAMDEN PEOPLE'S THEATRE
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In recent years, there has been a growing awareness of the need to address this issue and provide more opportunities for underrepresented groups. For example, initiatives such as the Young Vic Directors Program and the National Theatre's New Work Department have been successful in promoting inclusion in the theatre industry by providing opportunities for emerging artists from different backgrounds to work alongside established professionals. In my case, as a Turkish-Cypriot artist I never thought I would have the chance to be able to work in this production. I feel lucky to be able to find this through my university level practice and been able to show what I can do even though I am from a very different culture. However, there is still much work to be done to ensure that volunteer work is not exploitative and that all artists are compensated fairly for their contributions.
REFLECTION
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Overall this rehearsal process taught me a lot about the theatre community in London and how things work with theatre spaces, critics, and a professional theatre environment.
The most important part for me was starting as a volunteer and then getting paid at the end. I felt connected to the cast and crew from day one as they accepted me into their safe space. The part where I was shocked in a good way was the last show day when everyone was saying their highlights on the process and both actors said how I helped them throughout finding their characters' journeys and being the first person to watch the show and give feedback to them.
It was a really special moment for me as an artist who joined the rehearsal process a little late and still had impactful comments from the actors about how their journeys were so special. During intensive rehearsals, our director Emilia loved to do some improvisation at the end of every rehearsal. That day was the day for improvising the non-visible characters and how Tia and Kai respond to them in real life. There was Sienna from California who had a huge house with maids and threw a party for those two and their college teacher Mrs. Who was really old, grumpy, and had only one eye who was annoyed at Tia and Kai all the time. With only having this much information about the characters I found myself portraying these characters for the sake of the play and I loved it. It was a really good opportunity for me to understand the play and the space more and also help the actors to build their characters from what I wanted to create as they had to become Sienna and Mrs. At some point in the play.
At that moment I realised this is a collaborative rehearsal space and everyone has so much knowledge on the story, the role they are doing, the schools they were about to tour as this was a play mostly for college students and the producers of the show making this a non-profit production. As I was just the marketing assistant and assistant director who also helped with acting. It just takes a little work for you to be in the room, then you can show your skills and all the work you have done throughout the years of your studies in that room. When I first learned I was going to be part of this show I felt really happy but also a little sad because it was not an acting opportunity. But as I know from previous experiences theatre can be learned by experience and working with a variety of artists. Theatre is a unique and dynamic art form that is best learned through hands-on experience. As an artist, it is important to immerse oneself in the process of creating a theatrical production, from the early stages of script analysis and character development to the final performances on stage. By working alongside other theatre professionals, such as directors, designers, and actors, one can gain invaluable insights into the collaborative nature of theatre and develop the skills necessary to bring a production to life. Through this experiential learning, artists can cultivate their creativity and hone their craft, while also building their professional networks and gaining practical experience in the industry. As the great theatre director Peter Brook once said, "The theatre is not a classroom, but a laboratory." (1968, pg 9) By approaching theatre as a laboratory, artists can experiment, take risks, and ultimately push the boundaries of the art form itself. I tried to apply this practice to the rehearsal space and found a very interesting learning pathway within the journey.