A day of creative workshops and introductions into different theatrical careers commenced at Festival Theatre last Saturday (28th September), under the name of “Find Your Light” Day, designed for 16–25-year-olds and inspired by A Chorus Line.
Izzy Sivewright, the day’s organiser and part of the creative engagement team at the theatre, emphasized her passion and enthusiasm for the success of the day (with this being the first of hopefully many “Find Your Light” opportunities at the theatre), outlining the day’s intention for illuminating different paths for young people in the creative sphere. Thereby, the day spanned from the opportunity to talk to lighting designers to work with performance poets, and offered a jam-packed schedule of a morning coffee with the creatives of A Chorus Line (playing last week at Festival Theatre), A Performance Poetry workshop with I Am Loud artists, Photography and Storytelling with Anneleen Lindsay, and finally, a dance class reminiscent of what audiences can see in the finale of A Chorus Line, led by Chris JS Wilson. An avid theatregoer and lover of the arts (certainly an Edinburgh University stereotype, if not the majority), I was intrigued and eager for this creative enhancement opportunity and what the day would have in store…
Coffee with the creatives of A Chorus Line quite literally involved a coffee, pastry and therefore an informal air with which to leave ingratiation at the door, and instead speak freely with the creatives. Questions we before feared might be inadequate were instead answered with theatrical insight, and the lives of those working in the Arts were increasingly demystified. A stage manager, sound and lighting technicians as well as a costume technician readily told us about behind-the-scenes highs and lows of their careers whilst also elucidating their paths into the theatrical world. We were divided into groups of three or four and took turns at different tables with different creatives; a distinctly personal way of operating in an industry infamous for its impersonality. Whilst beginning at Curve Theatre in Leicester, A Chorus Line toured to Sadlers Wells in London, before reaching Edinburgh, a fact which seems to heighten how fortuitous “Find Your Light” Day is; never in London would a young person have the opportunity to talk so freely and intimately with creators of a 5-star show – we can only be thankful for a day so tailor-made towards the needs of aspiring creatives. Another fantastic opportunity theatre-lovers must be reminded of – a bargain students surely cannot overlook – is the £10 tickets available to 16–25-year-olds on any day of the week, accessible through the free creation of a Festival Theatre account. Using this I managed to see A Chorus Line; the hard work of all the creatives involved pulled together into a devastating yet scintillating and fabulous musical.
The first workshop of the day was in performance poetry led by Katie and Kevin of Loud Poets. During this, participants were invited into the world of poetry and its various iterations, then encouraged to write poetry ourselves. Even to someone heavily exposed to literature and theatre, performance poetry is never normally in the usual roster of interests, instead a much more marginalised creative pursuit, let alone a career possibility. However, the workshop leaders detailed to me not only the broad stroke of their work – their curated poetry nights, as well as open mics and Fringe festivals – but also the integral role of performance poetry and the complex relationships between acting (almost a dirty word in this art), performing, writing and the amalgamation of these. This unique insight highlighted the importance of this “Find Your Light” Day: a light shed onto a vastly unknown creative skill.
The Dance for Musical Theatre led by Chris JS Wilson, entailed a very Fosse-esque version of One, which we performed as fabulously as capable. A former-Edinburgh University Medic, Wilson began a career in choreography as soon as he graduated, and remembers fondly his years in Bedlam and Footlights productions, encouraging all creatives to really appreciate the resources Edinburgh students have at our fingertips. Creating a portfolio career for himself, in which he has choreographed, directed, taught as well as creating his own work, Wilson reflects on how the arts can be a hostile industry whilst also triumphing the necessity of the “You Can Do It” mentality. It, therefore, seems very fitting that Festival Theatre began this “Find Your Light” initiative (future events hopefully upcoming) with the inspiration of A Chorus Line, a musical narrating the hardships of a theatrical career, but how important it is to pursue what you love.
Young people are encouraged to “find [their] light” – whether that is a “spotlight” or the intricacies of all different types of lights, the importance is laid on exploring all opportunities available.
Image Provided via Capital Theatres Press Release