{"id":954,"date":"2020-07-15T13:05:46","date_gmt":"2020-07-15T12:05:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.takingflighttheatre.org.uk\/?p=954"},"modified":"2024-11-16T13:03:12","modified_gmt":"2024-11-16T13:03:12","slug":"lockdown-digital-adventures","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.takingflighttheatre.org.uk\/cy\/lockdown-digital-adventures\/","title":{"rendered":"Anturiaethau Digidol Dan Glo"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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In March it became clear that the physical production which had been planned at The Egg with Bath Spa productions was not going to be possible. I still thought there must be a way to make something happen \u2013 I just wasn\u2019t sure at first what that might be. The result was Lockdown Landscapes.<\/p>

Continuing to work creatively through Lockdown was always going to be real challenge for me, as I hadn’t really worked much in the digital sphere before. To be honest I\u2019d never even heard the word Zoom, except in reference to sound effects for motorbikes or rockets! I had not quite mastered skype or google meets and had just managed to facilitate a group call on What\u2019s app \u2013 so this was really stepping into the unknown. I was really keen to go on this exploratory journey and embraced the fact that I didn\u2019t have a clue where this would lead. There were loads of ideas swimming around my head, that kept occasionally popping up for air and demanding attention. It was hard to put into words what my \u2018vision\u2019 was.<\/p>

Every day the way in which we could make this happen evolved \u2013 I work organically as a director anyway but this amount of unknown and change was a lot even for me! I was, however, in the fortunate position of having an amazing technical and production team to support me in this venture. They were a phenomenal sounding board, didn\u2019t laugh (too much) at my \u2018 can we just\u2026?\u2019 requests and and continually found new ways of working. Dedicating themselves wholeheartedly to ensuring that this was a project that, not only dealt with the unusual circumstances we found ourselves in, but that would also leave a legacy for future theatre making and training.<\/p>

We didn\u2019t have the luxury of lead in planning time, we had to be reactionary and fast paced, learning as we went along. The actors embraced working in a digital space really well, considering most of the cast had never met me or each other before, what started out as a slightly awkward space thwarted with internet issues soon became our rehearsal space, a familiar and safe space to play.<\/p>

This has changed my idea of digital technology and is driving me towards working in a way that blends realities, I\u2019ve only scratched the surface of what is out there and I can\u2019t wait to continue my journey. The need to keep positive, stay flexible and adapt to the circumstances as they unfold has been so important during this time. Working hard to accept what can and can\u2019t be changed has been something we have all had to get better at.<\/p>

Arts Council Wales allowed us to re-purpose a grant to continue our explorations in the digital sphere. We were mentors at the Neverthere Festival advising on access in digital spaces; not just about meetings but also about creating work and how to make a digital rehearsal space accessible \u2013 something we learnt a lot about in Lockdown Landscapes.<\/p>

We have explored the worlds of access in Zoom, Mozilla hubs and various other platforms. During the residencies at the festival we were introduced to so many wonderful digital experts, many of whom we hope to work with in the future. My brain was buzzing by the end of it.
In particular, I\u2019m really interested in looking at how we can use the digital findings of the last few months to improve access to arts events. For many of us it\u2019s the first time we have had to self-isolate or work from home but for others this is not a new thing and won\u2019t be something that changes after lockdown. For many people getting to or being in a theatre isn\u2019t a possibility. What this time has provide is the opportunity to be able to explore ways of providing an equality of experience that isn\u2019t just streaming, that goes some way to create an immersive event that can be enjoyed on a physical or digital platform or through a mixture of both.<\/p>

I\u2019m so interested in blending realities and mixing media to see what the possibilities are. What I have learnt is that the technology is out there and everyone I\u2019ve been introduced to is so happy to help a technophobe like me try and explore more options. Nothing for me will replace the live rehearsal space or live theatre for me but while this isn\u2019t possible I\u2019ve started discovering some real alternatives that can continue to be used in the future. We need to use these discoveries, harness them and keep developing them; having the option of viewing a show on demand, being able to watch at your own pace, the opportunity to view international productions and gather in international spaces, the interactive nature of some online events, no geographical limitations have all been things we have benefitted from. It\u2019s not without its problems \u2013 access to internet and technology is not something that everyone has; something which needs to be addressed. There has been a posted an abundance of work and resources posted online that has either not been captioned or has been inaccessible in other ways. My plea is this: In our rush to make digital work, please don\u2019t forget to consider access and to see it as a creative tool.<\/p>

Elise Davison<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Taking Flight Theatre
Chapter Arts Centre
Market Rd
Canton, Cardiff, CF5 1QE
029 2023 0020<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Youth Theatre meets at:<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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\nUniversity of South Wales
\n86-88 Adam St
\nCardiff CF24 2FN\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Newsletter<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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