“Be water, my friend”: embracing disruptions to the rhythm of teaching drama and artistic creation in 2020/1

In a time when theatre shows and courses have been abruptly cancelled all together, or blended classroom learning approaches and social distancing measures in rehearsals have been haphazardly introduced, I found myself needing to adapt to these new changes very quickly, as an affected freelance theatre director and educator. My personal guiding philosophy to navigate the murky waters of the pandemic is to go with the flow, come what may, rather than resist the tides of chaos, like a river meandering its obstacles within its course before entering the vast ocean.
In this session, I will share her strategies of responding to the unique challenges the local theatre scene has been presented with, through acknowledging and accepting observed rising anxieties within myself and my community, and practising a letting go of the urge to control brought about by a more pronounced general fear of the unknown. I will tie these coping mechanisms back with my ethos of working collaboratively in the creation and teaching of theatre, in ensuring the process is made accessible and equitable for everyone involved, while considering their safety both physically and mentally. I will also introduce some of my on-going creative projects, as I continue to modify existing activities conducted live, and innovate new hybrid forms with digital aspects.