After growing up in Tasmania and completing a Bachelor Degree in Performance Studies in Brisbane, Australia, I am now living in Tromsø to experience the Norwegian theatre culture.During my degree I studied a variety of theatre styles and forms including: process drama, forum theatre, physical theatre, collaboration and performance-based theatre as opposed to ‘traditional’ theatre.
We were given the opportunity to experiment with our own self-devised works, many of which became public performances. My degree was not about learning how to be a Stanislavski-method actor, it rather concentrated on the role of theatre and education within society. I explored questions such as, how can drama be used as social action or community cultural development?
Now that I have finished this degree I am working as a director, teacher and performer. Tromsø is a very cultural city and I find the general attitude towards the creative industries very refreshing, especially compared to Australia where often the arts aren’t valued as an important aspect of society.
Due to my training, my method of teaching drama is based around physical theatre. When working with Teater Aksen I intend to use Anne Bogart and Tina Landau’s 9 Viewpoints of body and space to teach ways of training optimal use of the body. This technique was devised and adapted during the 60’s and 70’s and emphasises a collaborative rather than hierarchical way of working. Viewpoints encourages ‘actors to function together spontaneously and intuitively and to generate bold, theatrical work.’
