01 – 04 August 2011 on Föglö, Åland (FN)
The Body in Space
A workshop with Annabel Arden, Complicite (UK)
for actors, dancers, pedagogues, directors.
Organised by LumparLab (FIN)
Every day we move through different spaces, and, as we do so, our bodies change in response to these changing surroundings.
Application deadline: July 15th
This workshop will give participants an opportunity to explore the effects different environments have on their bodies, and how these effects can be harnessed and used in creating theatre.
Over the course of the workshop, participants study the neutral mask, a Lecoq technique used to find neutrality, and then build character. They will also try to understand the natural rhythms of their own performance, and of the group, and how these can be played with in improvisations, creating hugely different moods just by adjusting rhythms slightly.
Working in different spaces, particularly outside and around entrances and exits, participants will be able to construct their own environments to further explore their findings.
Annabel Arden always begins with the body. In addition to her training at Lecoq and Philippe Gaulier, she is an experienced Feldenkrais practitioner and begins each day physically preparing to work. Among other things, breathing exercises, centring the body and gentle warm ups will be involved, in an attempt to enhance the experiential understanding of and connection to the body which is essential for a skilled performer.
At the moment there’s nothing you need to do to prepare. Annabel may want everyone to bring a story with them, which could be used in improvisations, but most of the work will be about examining what comes naturally to each member of the group, and how to use and transform these tendencies.
Annabel Arden is an actor, director and co-founder of Complicite. She has taught extensively for Complicite and many others including Philippe Gaulier School, NT Studio and DV8. Annabel is interested in exploring performance with singers and has taught at the Royal Opera House and ENO. Her recent directing credits include Glyndebourne, Houston Grand Opera, Opera North and ENO. Earlier this year Annabel and Annie Castledine directed Thomas Bernhard’s last play Heldenplatz at the Arcola Theatre. http://www.complicite.org
Pratical info:
PARTICIPANTS
A maximum of 12 participants.
APPLICATION PROCEDURE
Please send us your artistic CV and a short letter of motivation, reasoning what is your special interest in this laboratory and what will be your main focus or goal in your working process.
WORKING LANGUAGE
The working language will be English. On stage every artist may speak in his mother tongue.
VENUE
Degerby/Föglö (Åland Islands)Our lodging is in a friendly guest house with bedrooms for two persons. Full board is provided. The working space is within 3min. walking distance from the guest house – a large hall with a wooden floor and a stage.
FEE
The price of 520 Euro will cover the seminar, lodging and full board.
Download info in PDF:
Body in Space workshop_ENGLISH
For further information about the seminar and application, costs and possible assisted funding, please contact:
LumparLab
Grete Sneltvedt: +358 18 358 27 or +358 457 3427 188,
lumparlab@aland.net
http://lumparlab.ax
Intervju med Annabel Arden, Director
Interview: Barbara Simonsen, for Rehearsal matters
London , 25. maj 2010
Hvordan kom du til at lave teater?
Jeg blev interesseret i teater som barn, tror jeg – for jeg kan huske, at jeg lavede en masse skuespil på min skole. Og jeg var meget heldig, jeg gik på en skole, hvor jeg virkelig fik lov til at gøre, hvad jeg gerne ville. Jeg kan ikke huske, at der nogen sinde var nogen, der sagde: ”Uha, tror du nu det er en god ide…” Og vi havde mange muligheder for at gøre ting på egen hånd. Og jeg kan huske, at jeg lavede – der er et digt i Alice i Eventyrland, der hedder Hvalrossen og tømreren, der handler om østers, og jeg kan huske, jeg lavede østerskostumer til alle mine venner, og at jeg instruerede det. Det var min ide. Det er det tidligste, jeg kan huske. Jeg kan ikke huske det hele, men jeg spillede i en masse stykker. Og så havde vi en swimmingpool, der skulle rives ned, fordi den var for gammel. Og jeg spurgte, om jeg måtte bruge den til et teaterstykke, før den blev revet ned. Jeg sagde, jeg ville lave Agamemnon af Aiskylos – jeg var kun omkring 15 – og der var ingen, der sagde til mig: ”Jeg tror måske, det er lige i overkanten…” Det var det, der var så fantastisk ved den skole. De sagde bare: ”Okay, sig til hvis du har brug for noget.”
Så det husker jeg meget tydeligt på grund af rummet. For det var sådan et sært rum, en gammel swimmingpool fra det 19. århundrede, og der var meget ekko, og der var sådan nogle små firkanter langs kanten af poolen, små døre ligesom til heste, og jeg tænkte bare: Det her er fedt, fedt!…
- For å lese resten av intervjuet, se http://rehearsalmatters.org/interview/annabel-arden
eller last det ned i Pdf her: Annabel_Arden_INTERVJU
