ZHYVE Belarus!

Last night I made the first broadcast in Radio Radio's new series-  a set of interviews- surprises, completions and new beginnings.

"THE RADIO RADIO SHOW potentially !!! this evenings' studio company includes members of the Belarus Free Theatre, http://www.belarusfreetheatre.com/ ,  the poet/ playwright Peter Oswald, and actress / catalyst Josephine Larson, company directors of the Abyss Theatre Company http://www.the-abyss.co.uk/aboutus.html and Mark Harrison, AKA Stray Wayward, writer and rave consultant for the SP23 crew (AKA Spiral Tribe), and initiator of the Commoner's Fayre project http://sp23.org/commoners-fayre/ .... a total treat for the creative ears : thought provoking, imagination revving, community developing, culture instigating- new takes on great traditions..."

It didn't work out as above, but it was magic.

I had been trying to organize an interview with the Belarus Free Theatre. This amazing theatre troop are in exile from their home country. Estranged from family and friends in Belarus, and fearing for their safety( BFT collaborators, families and friends have been disappeared, imprisoned, tortured) they now tour and devise theatre around the world protesting against their government's dictatorship- the last official dictatorship in Europe, which stifles free speech, free movement and free congregation through a brute rule and the denial of creativity or questioning. The BFT championed Belarusian expressive arts and education through their campaigning and their dynamic, committed and front line underground performances, and now continue that work abroad.

Dartington welcomed the company to take a month long free residency at Space, the set of studios where Soundart Radio is based (we've the tiny DIY radio broom cupboard stuck on the side of the giant well resourced professional standard studio complex).

I had some email contact with Natalia Kaliada, the BFT artistic director, during their month residency at Dartington, hoping to arrange a interview for radio. So many questions I wanted to ask- but I was nervous- the energy of the company when I saw them at Space was focused, electric. I was wary of interrupting their intensive devising and rehearsal schedule, and my ignorance of Belarusian politics and the history of theatre struck me as really glaring, and kinda insulting to a group working so hard with so much on the line.

I approached two amazing Devon based theatre makers- Josephine Larsen and Peter Oswald of the Abyss Theatre Company. They agreed they would come to Soundart and take part in the interview - with many years theatre making between them, both Josephine and Peter 'speak' theatre fluently- and I know, from their performances in Abyss and the scripts Peter writes, that their work is also fearless, provocative, heartfelt and humane.

Then Natalia emailed me on Wednesday morning to say the Belarus Free Theatre was in London on urgent business- they would not be available for interview. I was kind of relieved- I'm not sure what I would have said to Natalia, other than – “Here are Soundart Radio's airwaves, use them like your own please! Share your story with us.”

Peter and Josephine decided to come to the studio anyway, and we listened to Natalia speaking on a TedX Talk about Belarus Free Theatres' experiences, and their hopes for their countries' future.

Peter, Josephine and I spoke in the studio afterward, about theatre as a censored medium, the power of words and the stage, and the difficulties facing the arts through both political control and lack of funding. 
Theatre and poetry (and radio) can highlight and make accessible contentious or taboo'd issues. Bringing attention to themes usually kept quiet or denied allows movement towards solutions.  New ideas arise. The play of creativity and celebration in stoking change and cultural development is well recognised as part of a dynamic society. The Belarus Free Theatre staged 'underground secret and illegal productions' because the artists felt access to creative experimental platforms to be essential to the wellbeing of the Belarusian people. We are so fortunate to live in a culture that promotes the idea 'the arts are for all.'   

I have known Peter for 2 years, and his theatre work with Josephine for longer than that. I wanted to welcome them to the Soundart Radio studio not only because of their specialism in theatre, and natural sympathy towards the Belarus Free Theatre-  but because The Abyss is 'theatre in residence', and Peter a Patron, of the South Devon Arts Centre being built on Totnes industrial estate/ this establishment will house not only The Abyss Theatre Company and the Studio Lounge venue, but the newly licensed Totnes FM community radio.

We spoke about the Abyss Theatre Company's upcoming show- a performance of Peter's 'seven hander' play Lucifer Saved, a surreal spectacle, full of dark/enlightening poetry and circus, being staged 10 times over three weeks later in April as part of the extravaganza of word and performance at the Bike Shed Theatre in Exeter, and coming to Totnes in early June for the grand opening of the South Devon Arts Centre.

The strange concurrence of two rural community radio stations  broadcasting within a mile of each other is really unusual. Somewhere along the line, I'd heard whispers of station competition and territorial attitudes which caused me concern- like there could be a good radio and a wrong radio, or that a certain way of broadcasting was better, or more wholesome than another.   Sat in the Soundart Radio studio, eating chocolate and talking about theatre over the airwaves, we concluded competition and territoriality undermined the potential of both radical theatre and progressive radio. :-) 

Should the opportunity to interview the Belarus Free Theatre come again, I will not be shy to ask, and should it be possible to bring Peter and Josephine into that room, I'll do my best to do so- why? Because this is the kind of theatre we need, and its also the kind of radio.

So - Zhyve Belarus!

Zhyve Theatre!

Zhyve RADIO!

ZHYVE BELARUS!!!!!

tickets to see the Belarus Free Theatre showing a work in progress, this MONDAY are available FREE here


con·cur·rence  (kn-kûrns, -kr-)

n.

1. Simultaneous occurrence; coincidence.

2. Cooperation, as of agents, circumstances, or events.

3. Agreement in opinion.