|
What is your name?
Alice (Lila) Flynn
What is your profession?
Ooh, I work as a freelance theatre practitioner which means I do all
sorts of things for various different companies and people, working
within and around theatre. My profession is a pick’n’mix of creative
delights!
What does it entail?
For some projects I work as a drama facilitator, usually within
educational and youth theatre settings, which might mean I’ll lead
sessions exploring aspects of theatre or perhaps working with a group
towards a performance.
For other projects I work as a playwriting facilitator, running
sessions in schools or youth groups. I’m lucky enough to work with a
group of very talented young playwrights at The Engine. The Engineers,
aged 15-25, meet every other Tuesday at The Lighthouse, Poole (7-9pm).
My colleague, playwright Craig Norman, and I will devise practical
playwriting exercises for the group and give them the space and tools
to create their own new work for performance. The bonus is it’s free
and we’re always on the look out for new recruits!
I also work as an actor and playwright, with my particular area of
interest being physical theatre. I love how the body can be so
expressive and I think that’s why I also enjoy teaching and practicing
Yoga too. I feel Yoga balances heart, mind, body and spirit and, to me,
it’s important to nurture a sense of balance and stability when working
within what can potentially be quite an unstable (and exciting!) career.
How did you get into it?
I’ve always been drawn to the theatre, both as performer and audience
member. And I’ve always had fun writing too. In terms of academic
training I studied English Literature at Cardiff University. I opted to
study a subject I enjoyed, but that I also felt would serve me well in
terms of giving me different options in the future. I also think I
wasn’t ready to take what I then saw as a risk by choosing to study
drama; I think perhaps I didn’t feel confident enough to pursue a
career in acting at that time. I also knew that at uni there would be
plenty of opportunities to perform in drama clubs, on student radio
etc. That’s where I started writing for performance. The good thing
I’ve found over the years is that there is no single way to approach a
career. You can make your pathway unique to you! It’s a case of trial
and error although there aren’t ever any mistakes to be made but rather
just lessons to be learnt - and learning can be a lot of fun!
After university I did a lot of odd jobs and by that I mean some office
work, waiting tables etc as well as some genuinely odd jobs such as
being paid to be a potato for the day… All of these gave me great
fodder for creating characters and ideas for writing. Inspiration and
gifts like that are everywhere! The odd jobs also enabled me to earn
money so that I could take time out for work experience within the
areas I really wanted to work within.
Although, to be honest, I wasn’t quite sure exactly what it was that I
did want to do. So I embarked upon a long adventure of trying things
out! I spent a week on work experience at Radio Solent. I worked for a
week as a runner for a London production company. Pretty soon I
realised the production side wasn’t for me. I then began to look at
what else was around locally that combined the things I was interested
in. I think the most productive thing I did was to ask local artists,
arts advisors, people from arts agencies, theatre companies and arts
education agencies to meet with me. I asked a lot of questions! I asked
what they were looking for in employees, I asked how I might be able to
get involved and often, at first, this was through volunteering – a
great way to learn from experienced mentors! I told them where I felt I
was at in my career(the very beginning), but I also told them what I
was interested in and, I hope, showed them how enthusiastic I was about
theatre and working within the arts. And a lot of the people I met with
then are now my employers today!
Did you need any qualifications?
Hmmm, I’m not sure about that. I think having a degree has stood me in
good stead as studying English Lit taught me a lot about writing,
communicating, cultural issues, different ways of seeing and being – it
opened my eyes in many ways. It was a very good foundation for learning
and I’m still learning, every single day. I’m endlessly inspired by the
groups I work with, I learn from students and project participants and
my colleagues, this certainly keeps me motivated and smiling!
So much can be gained from experiential learning. I’d recommend joining
local groups related to your field of interest. I’m part of a local
playwriting group and, in the past, I’ve attended lots of dance
classes, yoga classes, theatre workshops, drama conferences – anything
where I could play and learn and meet people and ask more questions!
Every workshop or class I attend feeds my own creativity and I can then
bring new ideas and ways of work back into my sessions with others.
It’s a win-win situation!
If not, did you need any other skills to get into your profession?
I would say that although formal education can be great and good for
the CV, it is also important to find a way of learning that suits you.
Having enjoyed learning ‘on the job’ so much, I was a little reluctant
to return to formal education. I also knew that I had come to a stage
in my career where I wanted to deepen my own creative practice as
actor, writer, director and facilitator. For a good couple of years I
explored training options and for a while, felt I ‘should’ go down a
specific route of formalised drama training. But I’m also a little wary
when I catch myself saying ‘I should do this or that’. A friend of mine
asked me to look at what would be the most fun thing to do, because
when we’re having fun, our passion and joy and enthusiasm are
contagious, our creativity is flowing freely and all this shines
through in our work. So, after visiting drama schools in London and
overseas, attending auditions, doing my research and checking things
out, I went for the option that spoke to my heart and found a way of
training that suited me. In December 2008, I’m off to Australia to
train for six months on an acting/directing internship with a physical
theatre company who have a very holistic, organic way of creating
theatre. It has taken time to find the right path for me, but it seems
to me that when the timing is right things do fall into place.
What tips would you give to someone interested in your profession?
I think it’s important to follow your passion and really do something
you love. I also think it is a good idea to be flexible in your
approach to finding work, to not get too attached to ideas and plans
and to know that there is no one way to do things.
Listen to your own needs and take into account factors such as
lifestyle choices and interests. Where do you want to live? Do you
think you might like to work for one single employer/company or would
you like to set up your own company? Do you prefer working alone or as
part of a team? You may well not know the answers to such questions
until you try things out!
Know that you can do absolutely anything you want to, you really can.
At times you might feel a little daunted by the industry and perhaps
feel that fears hold you back, I know I’ve certainly felt that in the
past. However, with support, patience and a gentle approach, fears can
be overcome. Know that there’s no need to be afraid of making
decisions, nothing is final and there is no right or wrong. Go easy on
yourself, take your time and think of it all as an experiment, no right
or wrong: a result is just a result! And most importantly have fun with
it, it’s all play!
How competitive is it to get into your area of work?
Some people say the arts industry is very competitive but I think it’s
just a matter of whether you choose to buy into that or not. Remember
that you’re on your own unique journey in life and that no one,
absolutely no one is the same as you, no one has had the exact same
life experience as you and no one has the exact same talents that you
offer. You don’t ever need to compare yourself to others as no two
people are the same.
All you need to do is just be yourself. Let your enthusiasm, talent and
light shine through just by being you. Be open to opportunities coming
your way and the right people and jobs will find you!
What do you enjoy the most about your profession?
Ah, so many things! I enjoy seeing and sharing how creativity allows
people to express themselves in all sorts of ways. I love working with
people of all ages from very young children to adults. To me, life is
all about sharing connections and I feel that theatre and creative
pursuits really enable people to connect with themselves and each other
at a very deep level.
What do you enjoy the least about your profession?
Well, I guess the least fun bit is the administration side: sorting
invoices, typing up notes, filing my own Tax form and time spent at the
computer screen. The upside of this is that it teaches me discipline
and it is necessary in allowing me to do all the work that I love that
is away from my desk!
What’s the most interesting thing you have done or the most interesting person you have met?
Oooh, I have met so, so many amazing people over the years and have been able to do a lot of fantastic things.
I’ve found some of the week long workshops I’ve attended very
interesting. A year ago I thoroughly enjoyed East 15’s physical theatre
summer workshop and this summer I was in Poland with Pieśń Kozła, a
theatre company who have a very sensitive and stimulating way of
working. I also spent a really happy five weeks at the Satchidananda
Ashram in the USA this summer, training to be a Yoga teacher. That was
wonderful!
Everyone I meet always has something very interesting to share whether
it’s a skill, a tale, an idea, a smile, a piece of writing, a movement
or something else, some unexpected surprise. I think that’s why I feel
so very grateful to be doing what I do – every day is filled with such
gifts!
|
