After two weeks of the Early Years Incubator Project, one of our African participants, Sam Setumo, takes a moment to reflect on what he has learned to date.
"I have been making theatre for young people and adults now for over 20 years but was my very first time to engage with theatre for early years. Over these years, I have leant and picked a variety of skills and techniques of how to make theatre and a large chunk of these skills were around how to interpret text and perform it. So, when I was coming to the incubation program for early years, I was confident that it will be a walk in the park as I am an experienced, even qualified theatre maker of note. Little did I know that what I thought was my advantage could turn out to be my obstacle.
As soon as we started in the first week, I got an opportunity to ‘show off’ my stage prowess; we were asked to work with an object that we had brought from home and share with the group. The performer in me got excited and true to my nature I put up a performance. After watching other people and listening to feedback, I came to the realization that, if I am to make it as a maker of theatre for early years I have to unlearn most of my theatre making instincts. It was a light bulb moment, I saw the difference between performance and being, acting and playing. I realized without being told that, the energy that I had brought to the space will almost unsettle the little ones. I realized the importance of presence, taking it easy, paying attention to details as if my life depends on it because in this work the difference between success and failure is found in details. I slowly started to know what is meant by following the material as opposed to using the material. So many life changing revelations were coming to my awareness at an amazing speed. My most cherished moment was when I perceived the concept of ‘not knowing’ and being okay with it. This took the pressure of ‘making’ out of me and it was replaced with ‘playing’. Then I started enjoying everything I do and the more I enjoyed, the more I had more revelations and lessons.
However, I have realized that old habits are hard to kill and every time we have to share our work I have to tell the performer in me to go on leave because otherwise when he sees the audience he wants to come back. What makes me happy is that, slowly I am warming up to this new way of doing things and I have realized that, these newly acquired skills will come in handy even for my adult theatre work; it will bring a fresh perspective and new ideas to my work.
When it comes to facilitation and process I am speechless. My jaws are on the floor and I guess that is where they will be for the rest of the program. Jennie and her team of trainers are amazing, they are magicians. I am used to cracking my head for ideas, but the techniques used here start from very simple exercises and before you know it you have so many ideas you don’t even know what to do with them. I really like the techniques of starting from ‘the known’ to the unknown.
I am excited about the rest of the program and indeed the future. The experience is so amazing I can write a book but I will stop here for now."
- Samson Setumo