06-02-12
FOREST FRINGE MICROFESTIVAL - CULTRGEST, LISBON, PORTUGAL
17th - 19th February 2012
Next week I'll be heading out to Lisbon to be part of the Forest Fringe's first international Microfestival at Culturgest in Lisbon, Portugal. I will be developing my new work FLÂNEURS over a week and presenting a little something for audiences by the end of it.
If you want to follow the progress of my new work FLÂNEURS please follow my tumblr -
17-11-11
Double Bill at the Basement in Brighton
Next week I'm heading back down to the Basement in Brighton to perform It's Ok, It's Only Temporary, or as it's informally known 'the apple smashing piece' If you're in Brighton or even London, why not pop over and say hello.
Double Bill - The Basement, Brighton
Friday 25th November
7.30pm
£8
31-08-11
Bank of Scotland and National Theatre of Scotland - New Directors Initiative
I am really delighted to confirm that I have been given the opportunity to work as Assistant Director along side Vicky Featherstone for the NTS production 27 by Abi Morgan. The show is rehearsing through out September, October and opens at the Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh on the 21st October.
04-08-11
Let's all go and enjoy the Edinburgh Festival...
09-07-11
Recently NTS streamed 24 hours of Five Minute Theatre pieces online. Five minutes of apple smashing from It's OK, It's Only Temporary was streamed on the 21st June at 10.40pm. If you would like to see this or any of the performances again, you can view them by clicking below
10-05-11
SHE SAID I COULD
Do you enjoy the thrill of doing something a little bit naughty? Jumping on the bed, blowing bubbles in your juice, sliding down a banister, playing with your ball indoors? I miss that feeling now I'm a grown up, can you help me misbehave? You wont get in trouble, I promise, just point at me and roar; 'SHE SAID I COULD!'.
SHE SAID I COULD is an interactive piece of live performance to be performed in a public space with children and young people.
IMAGINATE FESTIVAL FRINGE
Traverse Theatre Bar Cafe
Sunday 15th May 2011
12 - 4pm
05-05-11
I am performing It's Ok, It's Only Temporary this weekend at Converge with the Edinburgh Peer Group. Yes the one with the apples.
Converge
Saturday 7th May
6.30pm - 10pm
Performance 9pm
Out of the Blue, Dalmeny Street, Edinburgh
12-04-11
The Supper Club
The Basement, Brighton
Saturday 23rd April 2011
7.30pm
I'll be going down to Brighton for a week long Residency at the Basement to develop; It's OK, It's Only Temporary and then finishing off with a performance at the their Supper Club. It's my first time in Brighton and I am raring to go! Image above by Matt Pattinson.
28-03-11
Next week my workshops with Places for People culminates in two public performances at the SPACE Theatre in Craigmillar. Over the last 12 weeks, the cast have been meeting every week to create ME YOU WE. We initially began this project with the idea of exploring discrimination towards people with disabilities and how this could be overcome. After a few weeks of getting to know each other and using drama skills, it became apparent that we wanted to make something that reflected our experiences and our individuality, rather than our disabilities.
ME YOU WE is a celebration of our individuality, a celebration of me, you and we.
Thursday 7th April
1.30pm & 3.30pm
SPACE Theatre
Craigmillar Arts Space
11 Harewood Road
24-03-11
This month I've been directing six short plays written by the Traverse Theatre's Scribble group. The Traverse Theatre has collaborated with the Lyceum Youth Theatre on this project and I've been working with some of their young actors. The Scribble pieces open tonight at the Traverse Ttheatre as part of a double bill with LYT's new production BASSETT.
24-02-11
Last December, my trip to Brighton to perform at the Basement's Supper Club was sabotaged by snow. However I am pleased to confirm that I will be performing In April's Supper Club as well as developing It's OK, It's Only Temporary during a residency also during April at the Basement. No acts of god please.
08-02-11
Last week I started a new project with Places for People in Edinburgh, together we are going to create a performance about the stigma regarding disabilities and the Hate Crime Bill. The performance will be part of a conference hosted by Places for People in early April. All participants in the project are clients of Places for People.
21-12-10
I'm really excited to confirm that in January 2011, I will be directing some short plays by young people as part of Class Act 21! at the Traverse Theatre. Class Act is the Traverse's annual playwriting project in schools. Tickets are available from the Traverse Box Office - 0131 228 1404.
24-11-10
Exciting News!
A work in progress showing of It's OK, It's Only Temporary will be performed at the Basement in Brighton as part of their Supper Club evening on the 4th December 2010. Matthew and I will be there creating a lovely sound-scape to accompany our apple smashing action, if you're around, please come and say hello.
I've also uploaded the Forest Fringe work in progress of 'IOIOT' you can view it - HERE
27-10-10
The Chekhov Shorts Tour has got off to a flying start, we arrived in Lyth, Caithness on the 21st. Beautiful venue, beautiful accommodation and we soon got the party started, which happened to continue for the next 6 nights in Inverness and Banchory. Oh yes, Lung Ha's party hard; we had some top notch Michael Jackson Impressions, cringy party tricks, sing alongs on the Steinway, no wonder we received a phone call from one of the hotel's receptions in the small hours. It was very hard to leave the cast in Banchory for a final night of partying as the Creative Team headed back to Edinburgh. Audiences have been really great, Inverness was a little small despite my article in the paper which read; ' Jenna returns with Chekov Shorts', yes is was misspelled and a little obscure. Banchory and Lyth were really busy and very generous. Now everyone is back in Edinburgh ready for tomorrow's matinee and evening performance at the Traverse Theatre and the Tron next week.
In other news, I start a new project next week with Artlink and adults that are hard of hearing. 'In the Loop' is exploring forms of visual communication through live art as a way of breaking down barriers to the arts for those that are hard of hearing. Really looking forward to it, taking inspiration at the moment from the likes of Forced Entertainment and Miranda July.
12-09-10
01-09-10
September has arrived!
A big thank you to everyone who made along to the Forest Fringe work in progress showing of It's OK, It's Only Temporary, it was much busier than I or Rachel had anticipated. I have had some good feedback mainly concerning the apple smashing, about experimenting with different apples types. Instinctively I do feel the Granny Smith is rather firm, and perhaps a soggy Royal Gala would be more appropriate, all thoughts welcome. However, I am still waiting for another 21 green envelopes to come through my door, so far I only have 3, one of which was an advert for another show.
If anybody has or knows the whereabouts of the remaining envelopes, please use them, it's not too late.
In other news, rehearsals start for Lung Ha's Theatre Company's Chekhov Shorts next week. Very excited, this is the nice part where we get to play and improvise. Please visit Lung Ha's for more info on where it's touring to.
07-08-10
Following on from the Scratch Night at the Arches, It's Ok It's Only Temporary is being developed for another work in progress showing at the Forest Fringe during the Edinburgh Festival:
Friday 13th August
Forest Fringe, Bristo Place
5pm (30 mins running time)
FREE ENTRY
Please remember that this is a work in progress, hopefully see you there!
28-07-10
So this week is really very incredibly busy. Firstly tomorrow night I have the first Scratch performance of the new work - It's OK, It's Only Temporary, the Arches from 7.30pm. And I even have a little copy for the larger piece of work -It's OK, it's Only Temporary
We believe there are three types of people in the world, those that are tethered to the past, those that are anchored to the present and those that are being catapulted into the future. This lively new work uses live music, text, visual art and elements of body art to explore an unexpected encounter with an ever-present tramp, a reluctant futurist and a tethered self-scholar of personal history. With apples exploding in the air, a buoyant approach to punches in the face and a constant chase after the future, this new work asks us to examine where we place ourselves in the spectrum of time and why, as we declare It's OK, It's Only Temporary .
Collaborating with musician Mammal I from synth quartet 7vwwvw, Its OK, It's Only Temporary will to create a musical composition throughout the performance, using loop pedals, synths, a toy piano and by recording text live on stage.
Come along if you can. For those that saw the work at the Forest Fringe Micro-Festival, it has developed and morphed a lot, in fact it's entirely different. I hope to see you there.
The next big thing is this is my last week as Creative Administrator with Lung Ha's Theatre Company. So I'm trying to get everything ready and organised before I leave. Oh it's the end of an era.
I have to run off now and finish off a soundscape.
Phew!
17-05-10
Lots of exciting news this month. Firstly, Rachel and I will be putting together a Scratch Night for the Arches at the end of July. This will be our first opportunity to develop It's Ok, It's Only Temporary into a piece of theatre. Very exciting.
Secondly Lung Ha's Theatre Company and I have been awarded the Creative Assistant Bursary from the Federation of Scottish Theatre for our touring production of Chekhov Short Stories. By this time I will have left my role as Creative Administrator and will be working with Maria Oller as Assistant Director on the production.
So there we have it, lots of exciting things coming up.
19-04-10
Firstly a big thank you to everyone who made it along to the Forest Fringe Microfestival last weekend and to those that took part in It's Ok, It's Only Temporary. It was seemed to happen in a blur especially because my collaborator Rachel Moffat couldn't be there, her plane was forced to land in Paris on Thursday due to 'the ash', so she was unable to be there.
I met some lovely people during my installation and I'm so grateful to those individuals that gave so much to the work. I made a lot of little discoveries that will no doubt inform the next incarnation of It's Ok, It's Only Temporary. The highlight for me was definitely the two occaisions where people asked for no.9, and also when I was given a paper crane. Beautiful. I will create a page for IOIOT on the website very soon and keep it updated with all the developments and images. Looking forward to the next stage.
I must also say a massive thank you to Andy, Debbie, Ellie and the Arches for all their support during the weekend.
22-03-10
New work in progress It's Ok, It's Only Temporary can be witnessed in its first live art installation incarnation at the Forest Fringe Micro-Festival at the Arches in April. Dates for the Festival are the 16th and 17th April, not sure which day or or how long this work will be as of yet. More details soon.
IOIOT is a new piece of experimental theatre by Live Artist - Jenna Watt and Bristol based Director - Rachel Moffat
For more Info Clickety Click HERE
15-03-10
I just finished the Ron Athey Winter School last week. It was the best experience I could have hoped for, I meet amazing artists and observed their practices, I was very sad to leave on Friday night and return to reality.
20-02-10
Nice bit of news this month, I will be directing five plays for Words Words Words at the Traverse Theatre on Monday 1st March.
For more information about Words Words Words, please visit the Traverse Theatre
08-02-10
It's not official yet, but it looks like I will be leaving Lung Ha's Theatre Company this summer to pursue my own creative interests. I've already been with LHTC for over two years and its time to move on. I'm currently trying to organise some freelance work, in directing, performing and education. It's already proved to be a good decision.
19-01-10
This March I will be taking part in the New Moves Winter School with Live Artist Ron Athey. This is possible thanks to the support of the Scottish Arts Council.
I'm a little bit apprehensive about it and it's only January, but still really looking forward to focusing on performance work again and of course working with Ron Athey! If your not sure who Ron Athey is, then have a look at this - click here
09-12-09
Currently keeping my head down and working with Lung Ha's, we have started development on the co-production with Grid Iron so lots of exciting times ahead. On the freelance side of things, Saturday 12th is my last Saturday with North Edinburgh Arts. The past 12 weeks culminates in a small performance by the kids on the theme of FEAST; including strange platters, a song about cooking, a machine that makes stories and lots of artwork. Other than that, I am mostly wrapping up Christmas presents.
Over and out.
12-10-09 - Response
I've had a good few days off from working with Lung Ha's following our production Dangerously, Yours... I realised recently how emotionally involved with this group of people I have become and how utterly in awe I am at what we can all achieve together. I was really frustrated by the press' response to the show and disappointed in the negative attitudes towards inclusive / disabled theatre that still exist. It may not be overtly expressed but its apparent in people's unwillingness to engage with this kind of work and their inability to talk about it in an objective and free way. After working with Lung Ha's for nearly two years you forget that you are working with a marginalised group of individuals and begin to understand what it is to be truely human and respond to people in an honest and uncoloured way. Dangerously, Yours... was undoubtedly a joyous theatrical experience, and truely married the performers abilities and wants with the artistic content. I just hope that with future productions, people can see past the inclusive / disablity label and acknowledge our status as a professional theatre company.
14-9-09
My goodness, my nephew is one year old which means its been a year since Little Vikings are Never Lost had its premier at Arches Live! in 2008. This year, rather than being in it, I have a few friends doing some good work, firstly Xana Maclean's Cable featuring my buddy Katy Wilson, and also Hitch by Kieran Hurley, really loved his installation at the Arches earlier this year.
My own creative work has currently come to a grinding halt. Lung Ha's Theatre Company have a show starting next week at the Queen's Hall and so that's using all my energy. I love them but my goodness you can become emotionally involved with that lot. - www.lunghas.co.uk
However, I have started a new contract with North Edinburgh Arts, running workshops for P1 - P7. Really excited about our theme for this term, FEAST! So hopefully we will have good attendances from the kids, they were awesome on Saturday.
Still sad, that creatively I have nothing to contribute apart form being a creative administrator for Lung Ha's, better than nothing.
18-08-09
Just a quick update, it's all a bit manic with the Fringe this month and I'm currently directing some Forum Presentations with Lung Ha's this week at the Thistle Foundation. I've been able to see lots of shows already, really enjoyed seeing Hugh Hughes at the Pleasance and have spent a lot of time at Dancebase, there's a really great atmosphere in Edinburgh at the moment despite the rain. I've already spotted Mark Thomas a few times in the Traverse Bar and a BBC Childrens magician off the telly, very exciting. Moving flat at the end of month as well, so its all go, no time for my own work I'm seeing enough of other people's work to make up for it.
21-05-09
I have finally completed all the responses to the Philly correspondence project and am rather pleased with the results. I've managed to send some strange things to USA declared as gifts, very odd gifts. Hopefully they have all been received safely and not destroyed at customs. See below for some of my favourites. So what am I up to now? Well I was part of a Scratch night in April, which was a challenge, we agreed not to take that piece of work any further which I think was the right thing to do. At the moment I'm focussing more on my own practice and creating opportunities in future especially in Edinburgh.
Last week I went to a really great event at Analogue Bookshop, Edinburgh, 7vwwvw were improvising live to a series of projected images produced by Artist Matt Pattinson called Remnants of Joona. There was a real cohesion between the images, narrative and the synth sounds of 7vwwvw. If it is ever to happen again, which is it should, I recommend you are there. Have a look at some of the images HERE
04-04-09
Whoops it's been a while, currently have a couple of projects on the go, the newest of which is exploring the idea of correspondence. Director Rachel Moffat and I are currently working together across the Atlantic to send each other stimulus and other such fodder. I received an amazing package this morning from a group of artists in Philly that Rachel has been working with. Lots interesting forms of correspondence for me to respond to, better get started. Thank you guys!
08-12-08
Hello, just checking in to let you know that I am currently preparing for the National Review of Live Art where Little Vikings has been programmed. All the festival details are online at www.newmoves.co.uk xx
20-11-08
For the past few weeks a group of us have been busy in the Arches exploring different ways of playing and finding out when it's ok to be a little bit ridiculous. The work in progress showing is running for three nights over this weekend, see the Arches website for more details...
PLaY Part Four: A Time and A Place
Part of a series of performances created by Jamie Fletcher and Dick Bonham, Play Part 4 is about when and where we're allowed to let ourselves be a little bit ridiculous.
Devised and Directed by Dick Bonham and Jamie Fletcher
Devised and Performed by Helen Cuinn, Kieran Hurley, Julia Taudevin and Jenna Watt
The Arches, Glasgow,
Friday 21st November, 7.30pm
Saturday 22nd November, 7.30pm
Sunday 23rd November, 7.30pm
£6 / £4
07-08-08 - Development
This is my 7th day in development for Little Vikings Are Never Lost. I've been hiding in the basement of the Arches trying to piece together and drag out all the ideas that have been swimming around in my head for the past couple of years. Commuting to Glasgow has been a bit of a nightmare and absolutely knackering but its worth it. Last week I worked with my designer and sound designer which has been a welcomed relief from my isolation. I'm really excited about the music and sound of the piece, its turned into a really organic process, marrying text and sound. As some may know I am not a fan of using text but its actually been very important in terms of developing the scenes. Who'd have thought it. I am really enjoying writing each scene and translating what I visualise into stage directions. The most frustrating thing is accepting that not every scene is ready to write itself yet and I have to wait for those to reveal themselves to me. The other big issue that I've been dealing with is learning not to compromise and remember what it is that gets me excited about the whole piece. Advise can spring up from the most surprising of places. As well as all this, I'm still with Lung Ha's Theatre Company, who have been so supportive of me and havent grumbled once about me running away to Glasgow to make my own show, thanks guys. Also the festival is upon us and Im looking forward to viewing it all as an audience member rather than tearing all your tickets at the Traverse. Lets hope everyone can bear to face another show at the end of it all.
Bench Review
Bench is a quiet, simple, low-fi live installation in which Jenna sits on a wooden bench on the upper floor of Tramway waiting, taking time out from the NRLA crowds and queues, enjoying an in-between moment and taking the occasional polaroid to record relatively nothing for the purpose of posterity. Jenna doesn't take many polaroids- mostly she sits, wonders around to chat with her friends or goes off to the toilet- but when she does take a shot she writes on it then hangs it on a string stretching across the bench area. Photographic highlights of Bench include a shot of the bench itself, one of the adjacent Tramway staircase, a picture of a family friend who came to visit the installation and a partial pic of Jenna's legs and feet. The writing on the polaroid of the bench says 'You don't have to queue for this one!'. 'I'm not going to take my clothes off' reads another. And on the far side of the string I pick up a sparse looking installation shot of Bench that says 'Eventually, you get into a state where you appreciate the crap you talk'. Quite.
The meagre installation, the humble photographic subjects and throwaway polaroid form, not to mention the artist's flippant approach to her own art, all combine to choreograph the specific in-between moment or deliberate non-event that is Bench. The tender, self-reflexive and deprecating statements the work displays about itself make me smile and I chat to Jenna a bit about the installation then carry on looking. Two minutes later Jenna takes a polaroid shot of the wall next to the Tramway upper floor toilets and writes on it 'And I'm wondering why you're even up here- it just confirms to me that you're a dickhead' .
This comment completes my perfect moment with Bench. Jenna is right to question my festival fervour, my motives in coming up here specifically to seek out a woman quietly trying to remain undetermined and waste time in the name of live art. In coming here to witness I have transformed Bench into something entirely more definite and spectacular than the productive in-between Jenna is trying to articulate and in the process I have been called a dickhead. It serves me right. It's a long time since anyone called me a dickhead so directly - and no-one ever did it in a piece of live art - because of this I smile all the more. Such an antagonistic response to audience is a beautiful and all too rare thing in live art.
The carefully constructed low profile of Bench, with its bold questioning of its audience and acute sense of self awareness, represents a brave move for a young artist caught in the headlights of NRLA. Bench is also one of the only live works this year that has responded overtly to the specificity of its NRLA context in form, content and concept; Bench is a deliberately in-between work by a not-quite-yet-arrived Elevator artist, it acts as NRLA programme down-time or filler to Kris Verdonck's Duet and it is installed in an architectural space specifically designed for lingering or waiting. Bench was a much needed antidote to other more sincere and overtly staged live works at NRLA and the scripted 'looking away' Jenna achieved in the work perfectly harnessed the notion of waiting, killing time or purposeful lingering to which audiences and artists at NRLA are so accustomed. Jenna says she is at her most productive in these in-between moments, and I believe her.
Written by Rachel Lois Clapham, Co-Director of Open Dialogues