What do we want?

Saw an amazing and on the edge piece of live theatre on Saturday at Northern Stage, the Belarus Free Theatre in ‘Minsk 2011’, most members of the company have either been arrested, some tortured and/or lost their jobs or places at University for making theatre which is not sanctioned by the government. Now thats bravery. I’m still trying to digest the weight and momentous reality of life for them and trying to work out my place as an artist in the west and how powerless I feel to help; apart from give money – as they have none, and unfortunately which I havn’t got. But, I will try and spread the word about them and already someone is thinking of donating to them regularly after seeing the show and speaking to the performers themselves.. so mentioning them in this blog is my beginning – they don’t even have a website – though you can google them and there are lots of reviews of them, they will be playing in London next. So, again, how do we support each otheras artists…

On a lighter note? – For a celebration of people and soul lifting brass bands from all over the uk, you can’t beat the Durham Miners Gala. Absolutley brilliant, getting excited already!! If you haven’t experienced thousands of people, families and communities celebrationing just being proud – then this is for you.

Have had a collaboartive video piece accepted for a Salon, yippee! Submitted more and updated entries for a Workshop Facilitators site and it seems to have taken all day, ridicoulous. Rain, fog and more rain here in Gateshead, while trying to choose which Activist activites to go to over the next 10 days. While admiring the brilliant work of fellow north east artist and activist Theresa Easton on producing Political Broadsides with the public at the recent Late Show events in Newcastle – see her blog;

http://theresaeaston.wordpress.com/2012/05/19/poli…

For my own efforts re the Late Shows, recently in Newcastle, I did a shorter performance installation, a re-imagining of a residency I did last year. I had so big an audience that they had to move out of the way – with their lagers in hand…, while I travelled slowly around the studio space by rolling against the walls in the darkening twilight… then I spoke by improvising with my poetic text, in the dark, for more late comers an unexpected second time…weird but good…

Is this what we are choosing?