One of my favourite teachers from theatre school once said, “Theatre is a community experience because you need other people to do it. You can’t do it alone.” This is true.
You need collaborators: teachers, directors, a production team and fellow performers. Eventually, you also need an audience to truly create the performance experience. The work we do at Purple Carrots is about creating community: If we are taking turns having a solo moment on stage, we are practising supporting each other and feeling supported. If we are dancing together, we are practising teamwork, cooperation and listening. If we are simply sitting in a circle, we are practising seeing each other and sharing the space. These skills are invaluable.
Knowing that you are a part of a community is a very special feeling; It is a feeling that you are important, valued and seen. It is also the feeling that you are not alone- that you have others to lean on. Being a part of something bigger than yourself while still having your individuality appreciated is essential to living a happy and fulfilling life.
Whether conscious of it or not, each individual student at Purple Carrots Drama Studio contributes to the creation and sustainability of a very meaningful community. They share a deep connection with their class mates because they share vulnerability together. They breathe together. They are a community that values kindness, flexibility, generosity and immense creativity. When we share our open sessions with parents and friends on the final day of workshops, we are essentially inviting an audience to participate in a community ritual with us.
Personally, I have always found my own community through the arts and am deeply grateful that I was gifted that experience from a young age. Today I am proud to be a part of creating such a community for others.
Through a shared vision, we feel connected.
The feeling is palpable.
Best of all, being a part of the Purple Carrots community myself means getting to work with some of the most creative and exciting artists I’ve ever met!
By Jordan Campbell.
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