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PROJECT DESCRIPTION LEAR LANDSCAPES – A theatrical exploration into methodology

Lear Landscapes is a cross-genre venture investigating Shakespeare’s King Lear in contemporary performing arts within an international network of artists and theatre associations.

Laboratories The project is divided into two parts. The first consists of two laboratories in 2010 and the second of three laboratories in 2011. All five laboratories research and reflect the methods applied from five different points of view: the performer, the pedagogue, the director, the scenographer and the dramaturge. Laboratory work will involve professional performing artists (from dance, theatre and performance), providing different experiences, backgrounds and age.

Research method and method research Methodically, the laboratories of Lear Landscapes are based on two anchors: The "Viewpoints" created by Bogart and Landau offer the performer tools for the creative process on stage. Their approach follows a formal route, through structure, form and composition. To complement this, text research is based on the Russian tradition of drama analysis (Knebel, Vasiljev, Alschitz). This means that a physical work, which has its main focus on listening and responding, working within an ensemble and interacting with others, will be combined with intensive work on the text, focusing on themes, perspective and philosophical aspects.

Laboratory work is accompanied by ongoing feedback, documentation and evaluation. Laboratory research concerns several levels: It is about developing a method that connects the Viewpoints with the Russian tradition of text analysis. And it is also a research on the contemporary impact of Shakespeare's King Lear. The combination of working on a research method and method research improves performers' skills as well as upgrading teaching. Knowledge acquired through the work will be shared and disseminated (documentation, website, colloquia and in articles in theatre magazines).

Pre-project In August 2010 LumparLab completed a pre-project called “Shakespeare Revisited: An enquiry into theory and praxis” which included research and preparations at several levels. We started to build up and develop a network of cooperation partners in Nordic and European countries. In November 2009 we conducted a preliminary laboratory to explore the possibilities and difficulties of our research. This first approach had its main

LumparLab Teaterförening r.f. | www.lumparlab.ax c/o Grete Sneltvedt, Sandviksvägen 540, 22630 Lumparland, Finland 1/3 focus on Physical Viewpoints; the goal was to train and develop the actors' awareness and presence in time and space on the floor. The text analysis focused on the main themes and ideas of King Lear, Act 1. As we found out, this combination is strongly inspiring and pools the creativity of the artists. After this extremely fruitful touch with the practical part of our research, we began the Lear Landscapes project in September 2010.

24 August, Stockholm Colloquium During the pre-project we liaised with theatre scientists at university level to provide an exchange, both theoretically and artistically. In August 2010 we arranged a colloquium in Stockholm. Our partners so far are Svein Gladsø (Prof. Media and Theatre Dept. NTNU Trondheim University), Kent Hägglund (Ass. Prof., lecturer and writer at the Institute of Education/Stockholm University), Martha Vestin (Prof. emeritus Dramatiska Institutet).

Laboratories 16–22 September 2010 The first laboratory continued and investigated in greater depth the process begun in the preliminary workshop (November 2009). By investigating vocal possibilities in Lear’s Landscapes, we took one step further into Vocal Viewpoints, addressing sound and human voice as a tool on stage. Again, certain aspects in time and space guided our enquiry.

19–25 November 2010 This laboratory will continue and deepen the enquiry of Physical and Vocal Viewpoints that begun in the September laboratory, addressing sound and human voice as a tool on stage. We will investigate how listening and awareness of breathing rhythms, sound and silence create and alter meaning. We will focus on the use of phonetic elements in verse and prose – how do we convey imagery and meaning through sound and rhythm in spoken language. We will further focus on improvisation and composition while we explore dialogues and scenes.

10–16 February 2011 Lear Landscapes 2011 will start with a change of perspective – the use of music, light, scenography and visual arts on stage. We will investigate aesthetics, style and atmospheric aspects as well as the possibilities these related arts offer as dialogue partners to the actors: repetition, kinaesthetic response, topography, architecture, shape and gesture will be focused on, discussed and rehearsed from another viewpoint.

12–18 May 2011 The tools acquired in the preceding laboratories will now meet the Viewpoints of scenic composition. By means of exercises and improvisations we will continue our practical enquiry. Advanced composition work will train the actors' capability to carry out complex composition tasks in close connection with the material. Text analysis will lead to a deeper understanding and accurate use of the original text.

1–14 August 2011 The final laboratory will focus on deepening analysis of major themes found so far in King Lear. We will choose aspects of key interest to the actors, reflecting contemporary concern. Screening the material developed so far, we will continue the enquiry towards an apt frame for a scenic performance, which means use of original text vs. improvised

LumparLab Teaterförening r.f. | www.lumparlab.ax c/o Grete Sneltvedt, Sandviksvägen 540, 22630 Lumparland, Finland 2/3 text, use of related arts, taking decisions on rhythm and space. The laboratory will begin with a seminar in cooperation with Theatre de Complicite from England to provide new impulses to our methodological enquiry.

Mid-October Stockholm Colloquium In October 2011 we will conclude the project with a Colloquium in Stockholm. We will present our report containing reflections on the whole process of our enquiry. The goal is to arrange a seminar where our experience will meet different points of view and experience with other methods. As our partners will try to take part as observers during one or more laboratories their reflection will contain experience both from the concrete artistic work in Lear Landscapes and from their own experience and knowledge from other work.

Perspective Our theatrical enquiry into methodology in this diverse manner aims in the long run to find a way of bridging the gap between training and rehearsing for a performance. The laboratories have their main focus on research on both the methodical work in actor's training and the play King Lear. After closing the work of research through laboratories, which will not push on any results in terms of performance, the enquiry will be resumed by a separate phase of a Nordic Lear Landscapes production (2011/2012).

LumparLab LumparLab is a theatre association situated on the Åland Islands. Its aim is to further knowledge and skills about current theatre developments in the Nordic countries and, at the same time, establish a cross-genre approach to practical theatre work. LumparLab cooperates within a network of artists, theatre associations and independent academics at a Nordic and international level. Lear Landscapes is an autonomous project within the association.

LumparLab combines several perspectives on theatrical work, since the board brings together professionals from different fields: performance, education, directing, dramaturgy, scenography and theatre science background. Furthermore, we connect with universities and scholars at several levels to challenge and bring forward our own work as well as to share our approaches.

Leading team Grete Sneltvedt MA pedagogue and Heidrun Kaletsch theatre director are both certified as stage art pedagogues by Dr. Jurij Alschitz (European Association for Theatre Culture/GITIS Moscow). Since 2003 they have taught as a team in Italy, Sweden and Åland, continuously developing their training methods. Within LumparLab this project focuses on the collaboration between performing arts and science in the Nordic countries. Katja von der Ropp MA (theatre studies/Berlin, Helsinki), works as dramaturge and director of cross-genre performances in Berlin. Ingvill Fossheim MA, scenographer and costume designer, works in Norway/Finland/Great Britain. Mervi Appel BA, producer (art history Turku University, arts management, Fondation Hicter, Brussels).

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