From time to time we have people ask us about our work, industry tips or just the curious about how we do what we do. @kaybullock got in touch to ask Artistic Director Oliver Scott some questions in support of her HND Dance and Theatre course. Part of her assignment is to ask a range of questions about the work we produce. Thought it might be an interesting idea to conduct the conversation over twitter with the responses posted here.

KB

What area of training and opportunities would you recommend in the field of theatre work?

OS

I can only speak from personal experience but your HND is a good place to start. I started dancing at 18, so later than some and got interested in Aikido, Contact Improvisation and Contemporary Dance. I did as many community classes I could find and then joined an HND/Uni programme at CCPA/Coventry University Performing Arts in its first year. After this I carried on independent training in London with what has now become Independent Dance. And followed the teachers I was most interested in or I connected with their styles. Training in Contact Improvisation http://www.contactimprovisation.co.uk/london.html will really help partner and physical theatre skills. I have also done some work with Action Theatrewww.actiontheater.com Both have supported my physical theatre practice.

There are loads of routes you can take, and lots of short and long courses to hunt down – so my question for you is what direction do you want to take?

KB I am interested in teaching drama/dance to different age groups. I currently run my own drama group and teach at a dance centre.
How do you integrate physical theatre performance into your work and whom has inspired you?

OS Two questions!
I’ll put the what is ‘physical theatre’ question and whether this term is a useful one to one side. And assume by it you mean work produced by companies such as Frantic Assembly, Gecko, DV8 etc all of who’s work which inspire, challenge or provoke me in some way or another. I’ll add the companies and choreographers I have worked with such as Earthfall and Liam Steel (AD for Stand Won’t Dance). However I wouldn’t describe myself as a physical theatre practitioner but as a dance artist (amongst the many invented job titles)

When making work the inspiration, or question I am working with can come from many sources and through a process when and how to combine different media to express and communicate an idea (digital, dance, text, site etc) will inform how the work evolves.