International Directors’ LAB with Emma Rice [PUBLIC SHOWING]

Check out the VIDEO here. [Thanks Storybottle]

Renowned UK director, Emma Rice, from ground-breaking theatre company Kneehigh, will be in Melbourne from February 13 to 18 to conduct an International Directors’ LAB, the first of its kind in Melbourne.

For over 30 years Kneehigh has been celebrated as one of Britain’s most playful and irreverent theatre companies. As its Joint Artistic Director & Assistant Chief Executive, Rice has taken the company from a local theatre group in Cornwall to attracting commissions from the Royal Shakespeare Company, the Royal National Theatre and collaborations with the likes of French Soundtrack legend Michel Legrand.

An important opportunity for the Australian circus and physical theatre sector, the LAB is an initiative of The Australian Circus and Theatre Association (ACAPTA), and is funded by the Theatre Board of the Australia Council. The idea for the LAB came from a report, commissioned by the Australia Council in consultation with ACAPTA, which identified the need for a professional development program for directors to enable the Australian circus and physical theatre sector to secure a significant share of a rapidly growing domestic and international market.

Rice will mentor seven Australian directors who, along with some of Melbourne's leading performers, will learn new ways of creating theatre work by exploring process, concepts, ideas and dramaturgy. The hallmark of Rice’s work is the integration of physical theatre and circus in narrative story-telling on stage. Members of the public are invited to see the culmination of the week-long workshops by the next generation of theatre innovators at an artists’ talk and public showing at the Meat Market in North Melbourne on Saturday 18 February, 2.30- 4.30pm.

After a vigorous and open selection process, 7 deserving Circus and Physical Theatre artists were selected to take part in the week long LAB intensive. These participating directors are: Sally Richardson (WA), Megan Jones (Vic), George Filev (Vic), Alexandra Talamo (Vic), Derek Ives (Vic), Dave Sleswick (Bris) and Amy Gibson (Vic).

We asked George Filev, participating artist, what this opportunity meant to him. Filev said “In Australia there is a growing need for experienced directors of Circus and Physical Theatre. I am keen to advance my skills as a director and this rare opportunity to work with Emma Rice will go a long way in getting me closer to that goal. It's only through valuable, local initiatives like this that people like me get a chance to learn from and work with world renowned mentors. The directors LAB is a fantastic gift to my sector and I hope it continues into the future and adds to the talent that currently exists.”

Rice’s visit to Melbourne is also supported by the National Institute of Circus Arts (NICA) in Prahran, where students, staff and industry practitioners will gain insights into directing for this rapidly growing artform when Rice delivers an artist talk there on 17 February.

PUBLIC SHOWING:
WHEN: Sat 18th Feb 2012, 2.30pm - 4.30pm
WHERE: Arts House, Meat Market. 5 Blackwood Street, North Melbourne.
BOOKINGS

MORE INFO: For more information and Emma Rice’s bio, visit: http://www.kneehigh.co.uk/

IMAGE CREDIT: Brief Encounter by Kneehigh / PHOTO BY: Steve Tanner