“Devoted & Disgruntled”: Improbable's Devising, Eldership, and Open
“Devoted & Disgruntled”: Improbable’s Devising, Eldership, and Open Space Technology DISSERTATION Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy in the Graduate School of The Ohio State University By Ian Bradford Ngongotaha Pugh Graduate Program in Theatre The Ohio State University 2013 Dissertation Committee: Lesley Ferris, Adviser Beth Kattelman Joy Reilly Copyright by Ian Bradford Ngongotaha Pugh 2013 Abstract Improbable, a London based, international theatre company, after having achieved over a decade of critical acclaim found themselves in an excellent position in the industry to serve the theatre community. Through what the company terms ‘eldership,’ the company has stepped back and placed more and more of their energy helping others, particularly young and emerging artists. Beginning with creating mentoring programs, and evolving into studying, training, and developing alternative leadership methods, the theatre company created a theatre conference like no other. Borrowing heavily from the Open Space Technology principles of Harrison Owen and the influence of Process Work and World Work pioneered by Arnold Mindell, Improbable created the Devoted & Disgruntled conferences. The Devoted & Disgruntled conferences have worked so well for Improbable because they mirror the ways that the company works when creating their devised performances. Like the company’s work, the Devoted & Disgruntled conferences are a collaborative endeavor. There are no invited speakers, the conference agenda is not preplanned, but is developed by those attending during the initial hour of the event in a collaborative process where all of the participants are empowered to take charge of issues and concerns they feel passionate about, opening dialogues, pooling resources and knowledge, and seeking actionable plans and solutions.
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