Rooted and Wild: Performance Making in Nature

Re-wild, play and move with beautiful nature.

Nestled undercover amongst the trees, we will start off with mediation, movement and ensemble exercises - creating a sense of groundedness, trust, playfulness and openness within the group.

As we progress we will adventure out into the wilderness, using our senses and creative prompts to begin exploring the landscape. You will be led in games and devising exercises, by expert facilitator Hester Welch, to spark the imagination and encourage exploration with your body and pleasure in play.

Towards the end of the weekend, you will devise your own solo or duet performances, as well as, a handful of ensemble pieces. These will be inspired by/respond to the landscape and creatures who call it home, working with Hester as an outside eye.

As a group, we will intermittently sit undercover amongst nature, drinking tea and sharing/showing our ideas- utilising the collective imagination to galvanise those ideas into practice. 

The group will be an intimate 12 participants max.

 V.S.D. (Very Serious Disclaimer): Hester is a clown through and through. This is NOT a pretentious course. There will be moments of tenderness, beauty and perhaps even grief (hello Climate Collapse), as well as A LOT of play. Serious play. Seriously.

Who is it for?

• Anyone who wants to deepen their existing performance practice by connecting directly with nature.
• You might be an actor, dancer, theatre maker, clown, musician or circus artist seeking new ways to devise performance.
• Perhaps you are tired and uninspired from making work in a lifeless black box studio, and desire to be free in the wilderness.
• You may also be an open minded and adventurous non-performer, seeking ways to express yourself and try something new in a supportive environment…

Do get in touch if you would like to see if this is the right course for you at this time.
 

Where?

A secret nature location near Eastville Park, Bristol (BS5) - revealed after booking.
 

Investment:

£80 - £110

Please select the amount that best reflects your financial situation.

I am offering a low price for this initial weekend, as this is first time I am putting this particular course out into the wild. There will be some non-intrusive filming/photography to help with promotion of future workshops.

And snap up a deal, as it will not stay at this price again!

NOTE: If there are less than 4 registered before the 3rd Oct, I will change the course from 2 days to 1 day and the investment will change to £45-55 for the day. Please do book sooner rather than later if you'd like to come.

Who is leading it?

Hester Welch is an International Theatre Maker, Creative Engagement Consultant, Trainer, Clown and Activist. She is Co-Artistic Director of Wayang Kitchen (Malaysia), creating site-responsive performances that play with food.

Trained at Ecole Philippe Gaulier, Goldsmiths University, Trinity Laban Centre, the National Theatre, SACPA (Indonesia) and with Clowns Without Borders in trauma-informed facilitation, her work draws on Michael Chekhov technique, Lecoq, Laban, European clown, nature play and embodiment practice. After being taught by  Dr Cass Fleming, she has now started to collaborate with The Chekhov Collective.
 

For 15 years she has worked as a director, facilitator and performer across the UK, India, Malaysia, China, France, Italy and Indonesia, applying a creative toolkit of play and clowning, ensemble work, movement and sensory play to build inclusive, person-centred spaces- "playgrounds" that foster connection, presence and creativity. Her roles span Associate Artist with DogLeg Theatre and previously David Glass Ensemble and Omnibus Theatre, Founder/Co-Founder of The Lost Cabaret Bristol and Paris, and Spilt Ink Theatre (UK), as well as, facilitator/trainer for organisations including the NHS, Bristol Old Vic, Bristol Beacon, Bristol School of Acting, Borderlands Charity, Bristol Clown School and Trinity Community Arts Centre, where she regularly leads Clowning, Devising, Nature Play and Creative Wellbeing sessions.

www.hesterwelch.com

Accessibility:

Sadly the outdoor location is not wheelchair accessible. The terrain is uneven and could be muddy if it's a wet weekend. Please note we will be outdoors for the whole course. We have an undercover area we can gather in, where we can make tea if needing to warm up. Bring warm and waterproof layers. If it rains we will still be playing outside.

Note: I can not offer refunds. If in the circumstance of an official weather warning deeming it unsafe to continue- the course would be cancelled/aim to be rescheduled.