Workshop with Hector Aristizabal

Tuesday 6th December 2011

Blog Category: Acting Company Blog

On Monday 28 and Tuesday 29 November Acting Company and Making Theatre worked with Theatre of the Oppressed practitioner, Hector Aristizabal from Columbia.  Tim met Hector at a Theatre of the Oppressed event in Kolkata, India last year, and invited him to come and work with the Company.  Tim said, “It was great to be able to invite Hector to work with Mind the Gap. He is an inspirational theatre maker and he brings a unique perspective.”  

Thanks to the support of Professor Jane Plastow from University of Leeds a group of MA students studying Theatre and Development were also able to take part in the workshops.

Hector said, "I feel lucky, it’s unique to work with these two groups (Mind the Gap and University of Leeds).  The rhythm of the workshop was different and it made me slow down, which is good because I always work too fast.  The Mind the Gap group did not hide their emotions, they didn't have the same censors or filters and worked with their emotions so in that way were far ahead of the rest of us.  Lot's of us tend to rationalise first then respond emotionally."

On Monday evening Hector gave a performance of his piece NightWind at the University of Leeds which everyone went to see. He said "Working with a group after they've seen the performance and seen into my life, there's a great deal of empathy.  It was fantastic for me and the audience to have met before, for both of us it's someone we know."

You can find out more about Hector and his work through the ImaginAction website at: www.imaginaction.org

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