It's been 5 years of stories...
72 members
21 collaborations
15 commissions
21,000 audience members
4 training programmes
20 members now training overseas
5 grants awarded
How did we create iLand?
Devising a piece of theatre is the least straightforward task one could hope for. Imagine making a piece of clothing from scratch. First you need to learn how to sew - learn about the various types of stitching - learn how to make different items of clothing - AND learn how to be creative in your design.
Next, you have to choose what you want to make.
We began work on our iLand story 18 months before the performance. Once we had planned the project and set our targets, we assembled a team, auditioned a cast, and set to work.
The process developed in four phases:
PHASE 1
We learnt how to tap into creative skills and share ideas with each other. The team of young creatives was mentored in theatre styles, methods and techniques. Two of our cast members, Ben and Brendon, took on the role of assistants in order to make sure all ideas were communicated between the cast and the creative team throughout the process.
We worked for 8 months in Malta whilst corresponding with UK director Paul Edwards via Skype, emails, photos and videos. The team set up focus groups, surveys and workshops to familiarise itself with what teenagers in Malta experience nowadays.
PHASE 2
In May, Paul Edwards joined the team here in Malta, where we spent three days exploring our strengths, weaknesses and opportunities, until we eventually structured the material generated; at this point, we shelved many of the previous concepts and discovered new ones, seeing as the voice and message of these young people had become much clearer.
Paul's fresh approach and insight brought a new lease of life to the work. Site visits were crucial, seeing as the architecture and the character of the building were to inform many of the choices.
PHASE 3
Over the Summer, the team developed a concrete concept and a skeleton for the piece, bearing in mind the space and how this would affect the narrative.
The director, together with Ben and Brendon, also visited London for a week in order to undergo professional development and to work closely with Paul.
Finally, we began to generate text, movement, moods and floor plans.
PHASE 4
In the run up to our performance, we tweaked and pruned the performance - piecing it together, refining language, honouring the message we wished to covey, securing transitions and peppering the piece with all the elements required to create what we now know as our iLand:
18 months in the making and ever evolving.