Following on from my blog post about how to spot someone problematic, this blog is about what to do when someone messes up. Of course, in lots of cases forgiveness is key, but that needs to be balanced with looking out for the safety of our communities. As someone who cares a lot about … Read more
J’ai réfléchi à ce billet de blog pendant très longtemps : des mois, voire des années !… Il s’agit d’un sujet très délicat à traiter, car ce qui peut déclencher les signaux d’alarme chez une personne ne le fera pas nécessairement chez une autre. Il faut aussi prendre en compte que parfois, ce qui peut apparaître comme … Read more
I’ve been mulling this blog over for a long time- months, if not years. This is a very tricky topic, because what pings one person’s radar will not necessarily ping someone elses’. It’s also very worth mentioning that sometimes behaviour that seems odd or difficult can be the result of neurodivergence, and folks who simply … Read more
In the shadows that lie between real life and mythos lurk characters who are entirely normal but impossible all at once. Demons and gods alike intermingle with humans- sometimes seamlessly, sometimes not. Based on the works of Neil Gaiman (American Gods, The Sandman, Good Omens), Mixed Omens creates an entirely new mythos every evening. There’s … Read more
Viewpoints is a vocabulary for co-creation originally invented by Mary Overlie as a way of reinventing dance improvisation and choreography. The six original viewpoints were Space, Shape, Time, Emotion, Movement, and Story. Viewpoints was later expanded and repurposed for theatre by Anne Bogart and Tina Landau, and split into two categories: Physical Viewpoints (Spatial relationship, … Read more
I heard the term ‘community improv’ recently and had a strong emotional reaction to it, and I’ve been pondering why it brought up such strong feelings. For me, I instantly read the expression as derogatory, though I’m not sure that was the tone intended. But why? In the UK we have a tradition of community … Read more
The world is currently reeling because a police officer, Derek Chauvin, killed a black man, George Floyd, while fellow officers passively watched and civilians filming begged him to stop. Of course, we’re horrified. It’s even more horrifying to think that Chauvin had at least 10 official complaints about police brutality and had been involved in … Read more
There’s a difference between a safe space and a held space. When I imagine safe space I imagine a document outlining the rules about how I should behave. When I imagine a held space I imagine a person. For me, that’s a crucial difference. The very phrase, “Safe Space” can be problematic because it implies … Read more
Constructive criticism is something that I find a lot of improvisers struggle with, both giving and receiving. In a way it can feel contrary to the spirit of our art; it’s our job to make our scene partner look good, to accept and build on their choices, to make classes and rehearsals feel safe. … Read more
Something I love about Grindr is the huge variety of people I get to meet. I’ve met people from all over the world, from different social classes, of different ages… I’ve met builders, gym bunnies, students, IT people, people with very little English, waiters, businessmen, and all sorts more. Grindr is diverse in a … Read more