Active Inquiry

Introducing Olivia!

10th August, 2017 - Posted by Gavin - Comments Off on Introducing Olivia!

This week on our blog, our new marketing volunteer Olivia talks about her first day on the job:

My name is Olivia, and I will be studying community theatre this coming September, so I approached Gavin asking if he needed any voluntary help. He told me  that they could use someone who helped out with social media, and getting the word out more about the work Active Inquiry are doing; something which I was more than happy to help out with.

It being my first day working on these wonderful projects, it’s safe to say I was apprehensive when I first came in for the rehearsal with The Shakti Theatre Company. However I was immediately struck by the close-nit feeling between the Active Inquiry team. This transcended across to the women, who were wonderfully expressive.

  We went through the script and I watched it being acted out. It’s still a piece that is developing, and yet it moved me greatly. There was gorgeous imagery of women standing together against a system that judges them, and clear, shocking statistics, which I suspect would be news to the audience, as well as an honest script.

  The women who have been affected by issues of domestic abuse can have lives that are quite erratic and full of crises, which the actors were at different stages in overcoming, I can imagine, so I admire the fact that this piece was put together so well despite the difficulties.

  It being my role to spread the word about these productions on social media, I asked if I could take photos, which most of the women weren’t comfortable with. This really struck home to me the fear they must be facing and the lasting effects which the abuses they have suffered are having on their lives. I feel very glad to be involved in a project that is trying to make things a little easier and is offering them a much needed venue for expression.

  I also spent a short amount of time with the Bethany Theatre Company which includes people in recovery from drug and alcohol addiction. Their piece surrounds the subject of recovery and also the issues that arise in terms of support from the state, and the lack of it, which can make it unbelievably difficult to find a way out of your addiction.

Listening to the discussions I was struck by how much they expressed a love for the group and a wish to make it bigger and get even more people involved, which seemed to come out of a sincere belief that performing pieces like these could be of great help to others in similar situations, and could also make a real difference if it were performed in front of the right people, in front of parliament for example.  Again there was a real feeling of connection between everyone and it felt like the importance of this group in everyone’s lives could not be emphasised enough.

It was a very interesting day meeting incredible people and I am really looking forward to working with them, and hope I can do them justice.

The Bethany and Shakti Theatre Companies can be seen during August as part of the Fringe Festival. Book your tickets now