Spect-Act

Ray Bird — Mon, 21 Nov 2016 21:08:47 +0000

We’ve been commissioned by Active Inquiry to document this unique approach to working through social problems with theatre workshops and show production. Combining a trinity of charities whose aid goes to the addicted, afflicted, abused, homeless and socially marginalized, the project aims to add another aspect for dealing with these issues that are prevalent in modern culture. We’ll be making videos for each organisation and a longer film detailing the project and it’s development with the individuals involved. Watch this space!

The Blurb

“I want the Spectator to take on the role of Actor and invade the Character and the Stage. I want them to occupy their own space and offer solutions” –Augusto Boal

Spect-Act is a two-year project with the goal of developing a network of Theatre of the Oppressed companies in Edinburgh. The techniques of the Theatre of the Oppressed blur the lines between actor and audience and offer a space for dialogue and building knowledge.

Active Inquiry has been working with groups from The Bethany Trust, Shakti Women’s Aid and The Alma Project to create unique pieces of theatre exploring issues of relevance to the participants.

Thank you to everyone who came along to our public event on 21st May.

The podcast from this event is now available. For more information about getting involved with Spect-Act please contact Active Inquiry.

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Gretna 100

Ray Bird — Fri, 25 Mar 2016 11:57:59 +0000

Back in 2014, we were asked by Active Inquiry and the Out of the Blue Arts and Education Trust, to create a film documenting their social history project to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the worst British rail disaster in history. Over the space of a year and a half we followed various theatre rehearsals with Active Inquiry and Strange Town Young Company, local historians, traced Royal Scots archives, engaged with Pilmeny Youth Centre, worked with Citizen Curator in creating an exhibition to mark the event, and spent a long time with researchers trying to find out more about the tragedy. In the end, we created a short promo film used in the exhibition itself called the ‘Tree of Life’, this longer 30-minute film called ‘Gretna 100’ about the arts project which Out of the Blue are using to promote the history of their building and their link with the past, and have entered another 30-minute film called ‘The Leith Battalion’ about the tragedy itself into festivals with the hope of reaching a wider audience.

On the 22nd May 1915, at Quintinshill near Gretna, the worst train disaster in British railway history left over 200 men from the 1/7th Royal Scots dead. This ‘Leith Battalion’ trained at the Drill Hall on Dalmeny Street which later became the focus point for families looking for information after the disaster.

Working with Out of the Blue Arts and Education Trust in this same building 100 years later, a group of community actors from Active Inquiry and Strange Town Young Company researched and devised a piece of promenade theatre, Persevere, which guides the audience around the Drill Hall and enables them to catch glimpses of stories of Leithers 100 years ago saying goodbye to sons and brothers, hearing the news of the crash and coping with the aftermath.

“difficult not to be moved and shaken by the profound sense of place, time and continuity conjured up by this fine 24-strong community company”
Joyce McMillan- The Scotsman – ‘Persevere’ review 5th June 2015

In addition, a group of community researchers worked with Citizen Curator and artist Jan-Bee Brown to research and curate an exhibition, Seven of the 7th, exploring the disaster through the story of seven soldiers who were involved. This exhibition also included The Tree of Life, produced in partnership with Pilmeny Youth Centre and artist Heather Scott, in which pupils from Leith Academy researched and helped to make a glass dog-tag for each of the 216 soldiers who died.

The Gretna 100 project was funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund.

[See image gallery at rarebirdmedia.com]

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active inquiry Archives - Rarebird

Spect-Act

Gretna 100