These are a list of the sessions that were called on 14th March at Oval House Theatre, where the title is highlighted means the report has been typed up.
1. How can I make my rehearsal process as queer as the content of my shows?
2. Why does the world (appear to) be more interested in gay men than gay women?
3. Challenging Mainstream/ Orthodoxy? Does 'queer' necessarily imply a questioning of a 'perceived' mainstream or is that an orthodoxy in itself?
4. How can music be a queer stimulus?
5. Is queer becoming more 'acceptable' in mainstream society? and if so, does that represent its demise?
6. Is there a queer youth? If there is are they making queer theatre?
7. What is queer? Lifestyle? Physical? Sexuality? Fashions?
8. As queer artists are we still the oppressed underdogs in UK Theatre or are we in fact the ruling elite with all the power>
9. I want to be a member of the Gay Mafia - Does anyone here have a membership form?
10. How do we make queer theatre without feeling afraid of the stereotype that may come with it and the fear of being pigeon-holed for life?
11. What does 'Queer' look like, or is it all in the eye of the beholder?
12. I am terrified of saying the wrong thing and offending someone. What is there to be said and who is allowed to say it?
13. If we were to make topical queer theatre for 2011, what would it be about?
14. The invite said 'Theatre is inherently queer'. I agree, but I still want to ask why?
15. S&M, Kink, Queer, Feminism & You
16. Why am I no longer interested in queer theatre?
17. Who is allowed to make queer theatre? Who is allowed to watch?
18. Where does 'Trans' work sit in queer?
Monday 21 March 2011
Is it the fear of being pigeonholed stop you from making Queer theatre?
Is it the fear of being pigeonholed stop you from making Queer theatre?
Stories about writers being told not to write about being disabled or not to write another play with/about being disabled so that they don’t get pigeonholed.
If writers are being told that how can directors find good work to develop, produce and direct.
Its not being talked about.
Those who have a voice, who are out, who are only given one side of the story. E..g. Miriam Margoyles speaking on Graham Norton show regarding straight people have better perspective in play gay roles.
Rarrgh!!!!!
Discussion regarding actors coming out and the consequences of that.
Discussion regarding bisexuals feeling fear of coming out within LGBT community and the stigma attached. Also discussions regarding LGBT work being misread as not LGBT and how to make it clearer.
Fear of being someone who just bangs on about the same thing.
What are the demands from those higher up.
Various people joined in the discussion mostly lesbians, though bisexual and gay perspectives contributed/listened to as well.
Stories about writers being told not to write about being disabled or not to write another play with/about being disabled so that they don’t get pigeonholed.
If writers are being told that how can directors find good work to develop, produce and direct.
Its not being talked about.
Those who have a voice, who are out, who are only given one side of the story. E..g. Miriam Margoyles speaking on Graham Norton show regarding straight people have better perspective in play gay roles.
Rarrgh!!!!!
Discussion regarding actors coming out and the consequences of that.
Discussion regarding bisexuals feeling fear of coming out within LGBT community and the stigma attached. Also discussions regarding LGBT work being misread as not LGBT and how to make it clearer.
Fear of being someone who just bangs on about the same thing.
What are the demands from those higher up.
Various people joined in the discussion mostly lesbians, though bisexual and gay perspectives contributed/listened to as well.
Friday 18 March 2011
Why do gay men get all the attention/Why aren’t lesbians cool?
Session title : (variations on) Why do gay men get all the attention/Why aren’t lesbians cool?
Convenor : Stella
A brief, pithy discussion with people coming and going.
All of us (from a range of sexualities and genders) pretty much agreed that lesbians aren’t (perceived as) cool/exciting/interesting and that there are far more gay men on our stages/screens as themselves and as characters.
We think it might be because :
- men get all the attention anyway
- gay men are men, the world’s more interested in men
- lesbians are seen as/presented as : depressed, suicidal, prisoners, objects of hatred; gay men are seen as lovely, cuddly, sensitive, sad, se-obsessed (though perhaps it depends on who’s doing the seeing/showing)
- lack of gender equality in productions/programming across the board means there’s a knock-on effect in how few lesbians we see on stage/on screen (both as characters and as performers)
- the gay men who don’t like lesbians are the same gay men who don’t like any women (see also the lesbians who don’t like men/gay men)
- an assumption that lesbians and gay men have loads in common whereas actually they may have least in common?
- if women stopped moving out of (being moved out of) the workforce when having children, would that fix the pay gap problem?
- we all want representation and visibility but we want it to be GOOD, well-rounded, ‘real’
- young lesbians ARE cool (esp in Skins, Sugar Rush) … so only older/middle aged lesbians aren’t?
- is it just to do with the position of women in society overall?
- who is allowed to ‘judge’ the LGBT characters in a piece? Is a straight director/commissioner allowed (LGBT people in session saying yes, straight director in session saying doesn’t feel is allowed)
- we think perhaps the straight world is much more comfortable with gay men than with gay women
- lesbians are women & it’s just not that good for women overall, so is going to be commensurately bad for lesbians
Convenor : Stella
A brief, pithy discussion with people coming and going.
All of us (from a range of sexualities and genders) pretty much agreed that lesbians aren’t (perceived as) cool/exciting/interesting and that there are far more gay men on our stages/screens as themselves and as characters.
We think it might be because :
- men get all the attention anyway
- gay men are men, the world’s more interested in men
- lesbians are seen as/presented as : depressed, suicidal, prisoners, objects of hatred; gay men are seen as lovely, cuddly, sensitive, sad, se-obsessed (though perhaps it depends on who’s doing the seeing/showing)
- lack of gender equality in productions/programming across the board means there’s a knock-on effect in how few lesbians we see on stage/on screen (both as characters and as performers)
- the gay men who don’t like lesbians are the same gay men who don’t like any women (see also the lesbians who don’t like men/gay men)
- an assumption that lesbians and gay men have loads in common whereas actually they may have least in common?
- if women stopped moving out of (being moved out of) the workforce when having children, would that fix the pay gap problem?
- we all want representation and visibility but we want it to be GOOD, well-rounded, ‘real’
- young lesbians ARE cool (esp in Skins, Sugar Rush) … so only older/middle aged lesbians aren’t?
- is it just to do with the position of women in society overall?
- who is allowed to ‘judge’ the LGBT characters in a piece? Is a straight director/commissioner allowed (LGBT people in session saying yes, straight director in session saying doesn’t feel is allowed)
- we think perhaps the straight world is much more comfortable with gay men than with gay women
- lesbians are women & it’s just not that good for women overall, so is going to be commensurately bad for lesbians
Tuesday 15 March 2011
HOW CAN I MAKE MY REHEARSAL PROCESS AS QUEER AS THE CONTENT OF THE SHOWS I MAKE?
Convener: Ben Webb
- Begin by defining queer (I can't!)
- Queer seems to me to be inherently undefinable, unplaceable, shifting...
- Can you define it by what it's not? Or do we just then end up with binaries?
- I am tired of the constant reiterative struggle to define - why can't we just do?
- ...but a working definition of queer would be useful (if not definitive)...
- The show doesn't need to be ready for opening night.
- It's useful to not knowing and not be right and create an environment where these things are possible (or even better encouraged).
- Queer theatre might be theatre that is not always the same (a process is by definition ongoing). Maybe stop thinking of theatre as a product.
- Keep your process moving.
- Process becomes the product. So enjoy that.
- Learn to craft process (the space where it happens) rather than the show... an open space.
- People bring predictability.
- Work out a of a conversation - multiple voices.
- There is an ethical imperatibe of paying close attention to who the people you work with really are = complexity.
- Derek Jarman's process. If you show up you're in the film. A community.
- Four principles to do: 1) Turn up 2) pay attention 3) Tell the truth 4) Don't be attached to the end result.
- Chaos (Declan Donnellan?)
- Queer artists tend to have a lived practice (a queer proposition) - how we live dissidently within the culture.
- Everything comes out through the work. You can't switch it off.
- Aren't you a working artist every moment of your day (and night). Reconsider rehearsal time. How does this effect the quality of the work?
- Initiate a process that enables us to love each other more as collaborators.
- Open Space as rehearsal (Improbable)
- Is rehearsal process resistant to Queer? Is rehearsal counter-revolutionary?
- Explore Anarchist ways of running meetings (hand signals / decentralisation).
- Is Queer anti-system?
- There are two stories on stage. The story you are telling plus the story of the company's experience together.
- Is there something queerly erotic about a strongly guided process- this is where we're going.
-There are many types of Queer.
- Telling people what to do is not being in control. You are never in control anyway.
- Phrasing things as questions/invitations can be useful.
- Tickle people into trying things they're not sure about (directing as seduction).
- Process work (what flirts with you today?)
- It's always people, people, people.
- Check in/check out every day (create a space for weakness).
- Queer = un/anticapitalist.
- Begin by defining queer (I can't!)
- Queer seems to me to be inherently undefinable, unplaceable, shifting...
- Can you define it by what it's not? Or do we just then end up with binaries?
- I am tired of the constant reiterative struggle to define - why can't we just do?
- ...but a working definition of queer would be useful (if not definitive)...
- The show doesn't need to be ready for opening night.
- It's useful to not knowing and not be right and create an environment where these things are possible (or even better encouraged).
- Queer theatre might be theatre that is not always the same (a process is by definition ongoing). Maybe stop thinking of theatre as a product.
- Keep your process moving.
- Process becomes the product. So enjoy that.
- Learn to craft process (the space where it happens) rather than the show... an open space.
- People bring predictability.
- Work out a of a conversation - multiple voices.
- There is an ethical imperatibe of paying close attention to who the people you work with really are = complexity.
- Derek Jarman's process. If you show up you're in the film. A community.
- Four principles to do: 1) Turn up 2) pay attention 3) Tell the truth 4) Don't be attached to the end result.
- Chaos (Declan Donnellan?)
- Queer artists tend to have a lived practice (a queer proposition) - how we live dissidently within the culture.
- Everything comes out through the work. You can't switch it off.
- Aren't you a working artist every moment of your day (and night). Reconsider rehearsal time. How does this effect the quality of the work?
- Initiate a process that enables us to love each other more as collaborators.
- Open Space as rehearsal (Improbable)
- Is rehearsal process resistant to Queer? Is rehearsal counter-revolutionary?
- Explore Anarchist ways of running meetings (hand signals / decentralisation).
- Is Queer anti-system?
- There are two stories on stage. The story you are telling plus the story of the company's experience together.
- Is there something queerly erotic about a strongly guided process- this is where we're going.
-There are many types of Queer.
- Telling people what to do is not being in control. You are never in control anyway.
- Phrasing things as questions/invitations can be useful.
- Tickle people into trying things they're not sure about (directing as seduction).
- Process work (what flirts with you today?)
- It's always people, people, people.
- Check in/check out every day (create a space for weakness).
- Queer = un/anticapitalist.
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