EVALUATION

Evaluate  your  own  contribution  to  the  whole  final  piece,  reflecting  on  how  you  worked  as  part  of  an ensemble and how your role contributed to the whole piece.

I contributed consistently throughout the development by adding comments and helping ideas be explored. However, my biggest contribution to the final piece was the moment when we all walk and attempt to fit onto one spot of floor. This was taken from the smaller group piece in which I had a large part in creating in another rehearsal. My contribution was more evident throughout the development period as we worked on that moment for the overall piece quite extensively. Though we didn't end up using the entire moment - the absence of Robin in rehearsals meant that it was difficult to do so - we built on from it to develop it in a way that would work for the piece whilst matching the theme. I wish we would've been able to actually use the entire moment with Robin but at that late on in the rehearsal process, we didn't have much choice other than quick thinking. I think as a ensemble we solved the problem efficiently and were able to move on with our rehearsals. 

This contribution had a large impact on the final piece's structure. It allowed us to move from the partner work to floor work with ease. Without it, the piece wouldn't have flowed as well as it did and the structure would've been stifled. Furthermore, the movement I helped create wasn't movement for the sake of movement to make the transition look good - the roots of the piece's development were from Ellie's interview which we had also used in the duet work. This meant that moment was authentic to the production's sensitive theme rather than just plain choreography. I wish we were able to explore the idea of a mass group of people moving towards one place or attempting to stay in one place in greater detail as this was the idea I was attempting to interrogate with the pedestrian moment of the piece. 

Another significant contribution I played was with the development of looking at the ideas surrounding censorship and being politically correct. I brought one of my recorded interviews to class which opened up a discussion on my friend's comments about not paying more attention in geography class. This opened up a dialogue in class about the public being unable to define the words 'migrant' or know the difference between 'asylum seeker' and 'refugee'. We were able to use this to build on our ideas about people trying to be PC by twisting their own definitions of the words so not to offend anyone. This contribution was significant to the final performance as our piece mainly revolved around being PC and/or not being closed minded about the entire crisis. I was able to contribute through my recordings which I could use to build ideas from and help shape the final piece. 

I believe I worked well in our ensemble, especially during the more difficult moments during the rehearsals. Many of the cast were reluctant to cooperate, focusing too often on the negative side of things, making it a lot harder than it needed to be when developing work. However, I believe I was one of the more proactive members of the cast. This is because I attended every rehearsal, recorded multiple interviews and brought in articles for stimulus during different sessions. This meant I had a large range of material to work from which allowed me to develop myriad ideas that I was able to bring to the table. If given a second chance, I would have liked to have had a louder voice in the development of our piece both creatively and motivationally. This was probably the biggest area of my own personal failure because as the group was so large all trying to create one piece, it meant that some people's idea's got drowned out. I should've been more active in really pushing to explore some of my own ideas that I didn't end up suggesting. However, despite this, I believe our ensemble work in the final performance was a success. It took us a long while to get there, even up to the last minute, but I think we managed to tell the story we wished to tell successfully and efficiently. 

Overall, I wish the rehearsal period had run a lot smoother than it did. But, in the end, our goal was to create a piece of theatre about mass migration and I believe we did. We effectively explored different varieties of migration - the bird/floor bit, the current crisis - as well as the different responses - 'i think all migrants are [beep]' or 'i don't read the daily mail' in ways that were exciting and physically engaging. I wish we were able to actually put on the original show we were going to but I understand why we didn't. 

Big group piece

From our interviews and the idea of people trying particularly hard to be politically correct, we created the first part of our piece. I really like this moment, it allows us to shed light on a different side of the current issue of migration. We're able to keep it relevant with the subject matter by linking it back to the current crisis whilst observing and exploring it in a different way. The action of us all running to cover someone's mouths whilst they're talking really shows the pressure some people feel to constantly be PC. I feel like maybe we should edit some of the dialogue people say in this section to make it less blatantly racist. This is because I feel that some people could possibly think we are giving racists a platform to spur hate rather than make a point about

I really liked that we were able to include Ivory and Jasmine's running into the big group piece. I thought the piece they created was extremely poignant. With the entire group doing it, if it's done well, it looks really good. It provides us all with an individual platform to each tell a different story of someone who may be fleeing their home in a way that isn't generic and moving for the sake of moving.

Incorporating Isabella and Imogene's duet work was slightly harder as the movements were more intricate and precise. It was harder to get everyone working at the exact same time to the interview whilst doing the correct movements but we all definitely improved over time. I really like the idea of relying on someone else to safely take your weight being explored in this moment. This allows us to present the idea that we, the UK/Europe/the World, have an obligation to help those in need. We have the ability the take the weight of those who have fled their home - it's just the question of whether or not our government are brave enough to do the right thing.

The last part we developed was taken from the group piece we developed previously. This involves all of us walking around before all trying to fit onto one piece of floor. his was taken from Jasper's interview with Ellie in which sure uses the word 'crush'. We thought this was an extremely visceral word that pushed us to look at the idea of a mass group of people attempting to all fit onto one small space. Not only would this show the idea of a mass movement of people towards the same thing but it would also look at the idea that some people possess that we, as a country/continent/world, do not have enough space to take in any refugees.

• asylum seeker: noun, 'a person who has left their home country as a political refugee and is seeking asylum in another'.

• migrant: noun, 'a person who moves from one place to another in order to find work or better living conditions'.

• immigrant: noun, 'a person who comes to live permanently in a foreign country'.

• refugee: noun, 'a person who has been forced to leave their country in order to escape war, persecution, or natural disaster'.

Looking at the actual definitions of the words will definitely be helpful in our physical development as it will ensure we keep linking back to the truth behind what we're looking at. It'll be really interesting to perhaps contrast the google definitions of the words with our interviews and what others may think they mean. 

It's also helpful in general to know what each of these terms mean as in recent history they've become interchangeable and our actual process of development will be made ten times easier if we were well informed. 

Interviews

The best interview I collected was from my friend Jake. This is because he gave the most interesting and less generic answers in comparison to everyone else that I asked. Answers that are different and hold more truth have the most to work from and I feel like there are multiple aspects we could build from using Jake's interview.

Before he even answers the first question, 'can you summarise in the three words the characteristics of migration', he asks 'can it be bad?' - checking whether or not he was allowed to possibly offend anyone with his answers. This was very different from the other people I also spoke to who mostly skirted around offending anyone with the language they used. Furthermore, when asked what the definition of migrant was, he answered "Is it bad I just thought of illegal?" this statement is pure gold when looking at it from a devising point of view. The idea of censoring yourself around other people to remain PC can be explored in so many different and interesting ways physically - it's also a very controversial statement to make, especially in this day and age. This then poses the question - who's the one censoring us?; Is it the social pressure to not offend anyone?; Is it your own guilt/discomfort over what you really think?; Is the first thing that pops into your mind what you actually think or is that just an impulsive thought? All these questions present different and interesting answers that we could explore and weave back to link with the current issue of migration.

His response that 'This is so bad, I should've paid more attention in Geography.' stuck out the most for me as he really presented the lack of understanding some people have about current issues. It's not even ignorance, the words 'refugee', 'migrant' and 'asylum seeker' have become somewhat interchangeable and can become confusing to tell the difference. The average person may always think of the same group of people when asked what one of those mean; someone fleeing from war and coming into the country either legally or illegally. The distorted or in-the-dark view that some people have when it comes to migration could be something we explore physically - it would be interesting to contrast what people think they mean with the actual definition.

Group & Duet Piece

Using Jasper's interview with Ellie, we picked out the fact she was saying all the migrants coming to our island (UK) isn't going to crush us.

We decided to look at the idea of a large amount of people attempting to all fit onto one space, this was slightly hard for us as we didn't have anything to actually mark the spot when devising but we were able to come up with the framework with the piece. We decided to show some elevation by holding Robin up, this was to explore the country holding up the weight of all the extra people. One by one we dropped away so she was left without supporting. This was to explore how so many countries have turned their back on the migrants and closed their borders.

I think the piece definitely has potential and I would like to develop it further to make the movements more precise and choreographed as it's currently quite messy. I also think we should prolong the moment when everyone is struggling to fit onto that one spot as I think it could look really effective - especially with the entire class doing it.

Moreover, Isabella and Imogene worked on a duet piece using the rest of Ellie's interview. It revolved around sharing each other's weight - which ties in perfectly with our larger piece. These two pieces can work side by side or separately as they're both about the same subject.

Though both pieces definitely need a lot of development, we're in a better place than we were previously.

24/03/16's Lesson

I feel the piece we began to develop as an entire class - the slow motion running - could definitely be extremely effective if we work on refining it. I really liked Jasmine and Ivory's initial ideas for the piece - contrasting it with loud footsteps underneath, allowing individual stories to be played out, the quick running at the end - and I think it could be very powerful once it all comes together.

Working with TJ to establish a father/daughter relationship was interesting as we wanted to explore a different way two people in that situation with that relationship would react. We tried hard to show how protective a father would be of their daughter however, this was slightly hard to do in slow motion - especially the moment he picked me up. This is because it caused him to lurch slightly to carry my weight and he couldn't properly control his movement.

The slow motion movement really allows us to explore the different stories individually as it prolongs a moment that is usually done quite quickly. It's extremely hard to control your movements so you have to be fully committed to make sure it doesn't look bad. 

Piece with Sonia and Robin

Using the poem "Home" by Warsan Shire as stimulus, we developed a piece looking at the idea of how our a place of comfort - like your home - could turn on you and become unstable;

"no one leaves home until home is a sweaty voice in your ear

saying-

leave,

run away from me now

i dont know what i’ve become

but i know that anywhere

is safer than here"

We felt the most effective way to show this was through the innocence and obliviousness of children - a lot of the children who have been caught up in migration, will not know what they're running from or where they're going. All they know is that they can't go back home. We explore the simplicity of children playing a game of hopscotch that would then morph into something darker - a minefield and escaping bombs. This was to show how a simple game you play as a child can be distorted by war. 

As we were looking out sounds this lesson, we decided to contrast our piece with the sounds of children playing in a school playground. This is a sound that everyone who has gone to school or lives by one, recognises - it's a very familiar sound of everyone's childhood. Furthermore, it highlighted how safe you feel as a child in your playground compared to how unsafe the conditions the children running from war torn countries have to play and live in. 

It would be quite hard to involve everyone in this piece, however we did question perhaps involving the audience in a game at the beginning before splitting off and performing but we didn't get round to rehearsing that properly.