Earthbound – Pre-project reflection

by | Feb 1, 2024 | Reflections

I would describe my practice as multidisciplinary, I like to use a mix of art forms to present live performances and filmwork that tell stories which I highlight things that I feel are important such as environmental and social issues. I always aim to make people think and be more sensitive to the world around them through my work but always with a sense of humour I feel as though humour is a great way to get people to open up and to listen sometimes making people laugh I think is a great way to get them to listen to something that’s actually important and poignant and I try my best as much as I like to and I as much as I’m passionate about changing the world I try my best not to be preachy and not to come across as if I’m lecturing people I like to open up conversations that are two-way conversation and understand opinions that might be different to my own and where they’re coming from and different perspectives and try to use that in the way that I make my work. 

In terms of the climate and environment, I am curious about how we can make artwork that really I guess really highlights the importance of action against climate change and also using it to build campaigns around that so engaging young people and communities so that they care I think again art is a great way to get people to care about things and I think that’s the first challenge when you want to make any change is to get people to care about yeah about the things that are happening and about other people as well. 

In my personal and professional life, I am extremely compassionate and empathetic and I try to encourage that in others. I’ve explored this through a show that I have been developing for the last few years actually as a whole project, a campaign I suppose, by working with young people and also creating an outdoor theatre show called “For the love of stuff” which is focused on the behaviours of society and our impact on the environment and each other and the dangers of consumerism and I guess again just sort of encouraging people to question things and notice that the power of media, the power of capitalism and encouraging people to have that own voice and express themselves, express what they care about and that you know especially with young people that no voice is to little I think young people can often be intimidated by older generations and they think that they might be wrong or they might be questioned or attacked or by having an opinion that might be different and so I think it’s important to give voice to young people and that’s what I’ve been trying to do with this project and it’s really an ongoing campaign we’ve made the show and we plan to tour it this year we plan to make a smaller version of the show so that we can reach more people take it into schools do some rural touring and also build a more extensive outreach programme around it. 

I think the challenge was when speaking to people again not feeling like you’re lecturing or preaching finding ways to open those conversations without seeming as though you’re judging somebody for having a different perspective to you but also trying to change their mindset around something because I found even going into schools and talking to children they do like to get stuff you know they’re like to get presents they like and that’s important to them and I found it challenging trying to get some people to think about why maybe that’s not so important and thinking about what is important in life because that’s kind of my goal in life and in my work so yeah that was a challenge sometimes because when somebody just didn’t see your angle your viewpoint at all I struggled sometimes to know how to how to deal with that without lecturing so yeah they were challenges I guess. 

And then also with the show is very upbeat it’s lively people enjoy it it’s entertaining again I sort of felt a bit like oh but do they know how important this is you know people do people get the themes do people is it really helping to change people’s mindset and yeah I’m wondering now through this next phase how we can reach people and and do that some more how do we change people’s mindsets through the work that we do yeah without preaching that is the ongoing challenge yeah I think oh and the stuff that worked as I think when we get the audience audience involved so the participation audience participation we’ve got people to make instruments and sing our songs and make banners and show them off and I think I’d like to do more of that because when we were doing that artwork with groups then that was an easy way into the discussions about what they put on their banners and why and what things you know what matters to them so doing more of that I feel is a positive way forward yeah I think that’s it.

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