I believe that the arts are for everyone. The arts is an extensive and commodious subject, almost anything could fall under the title and therefore anyone can see it and anyone can have an opinion on it. ‘Art’ is defined in the oxford dictionary as “The expression or application of human creative skill and imagination, typically in a visual form such as painting or sculpture, producing works to be appreciated primarily for their beauty or emotional power.” and performance art is defined as “An art form that combines visual art with dramatic performance.” In our modern 21st century the arts is open to anyone that wishes to see it, nothing such as gender, race, age or disability is something that can be held against them anymore. The only thing that may cause more of a complex issue is the price. That is the only demographic that could make it inaccessible to all, but there are multiple ways around this; with many shows having discounts or offers, fringe shows are always breath takingly cheap, or there’s always a competition to win free tickets for the west end. I believe that the theatre does reflect social experiences of all in our society, its just whether we all wish to see various pieces of theatre. Many go to the theatre to be enamoured, for a laugh or for a celebration, so some genres of theatre are less common as they wouldn’t create enough profit, but if you look close enough every topic possible is covered somewhere or another. And so, therefore I wish to discuss why I believe that the arts are for everyone – through the discussion of ‘Kill Me Now’ by Brad Fraser and ‘The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime’ by Mark Haddon. I believe the arts to be an intricate way in to exploring new worlds and new ways of life, it is an eye opening opportunity to expand your knowledge and feel complex array of emotions through the portrayal of others experiences.
The Act for Change Project believe that the arts are for everyone regardless of race, gender, class, sexual orientation, nationality, age or disability. They are a registered charity whose mission is “to strengthen diversity in the live and recorded arts, and to communicate to the unrepresented audiences that a future exists with them firmly featured in it. To that end we're campaigning to ensure that the live and recorded arts – honestly and without prejudice – represent the Britain we live in today.” The Project has received supports from celebrities such as Stephen Fry, Rufus Norris and Jack Whitehall just to name a few, as well as organisations such as United Agents and Equity as well as theatres including the Young Vic, National Theatre, Soho Theatre and Donmar Warehouse. ”According to the British Film Institute, only 3% of people who work behind the camera in the film industry are from racial minorities." This tweet was posted by The Act for Change Project in November 2018, one might say well then theatre isn’t equal, but whats to say 100% of those in a racial minority actually want to work behind the camera in a film industry. This percentage may be so low because it’s not something of their interest or something they want to work in. The Act for Change Project is something I find very interesting especially their core aims which I think are fundamental for making them stand out. Especially as they are a charity who are pro continually moving forward whilst including everyone no matter any differences.
Through the means of the play “Kill me now” written by the Canadian playwright Brad Fraser, published in 2016. It shows audience members or those who just hear about it an insight in to a different way of life, which is exactly what theatre is all about. The play is centred around a father and son, of whom is severely disabled. It juggles the experiences and topics of all things that are relatable to anyones life such as eating, school and even sexual desires and how all of this is or can be achieved disabled or abled. One particular topic the play tackles is language. Joey the disabled son struggles with his speech, as the reader of the play or as an audience member this is visible to us as he says things such as “Nuwuh wunuh luh ah muh.” which translates to ‘No one wants to look at me.’ Those close to him in the play understand his way of speaking, and similarly as a person looking in throughout the length of the play we too begin to understand his way of speaking. I think this is Fraser’s beautiful and sophisticated way of writing and a very clever idea. Because it allows those who are watching this new and possibly strange character to gain an understanding as they familiarise themselves with his unique ways. This alone opens up the arts to whoever chooses to watch it but also it opens a new perception and understanding of those with a disability. Joey struggles to speak, is in a wheelchair and has very limited mobility, walking by someone like this on the streets could be daunting. But theres nothing daunting about watching someone performing on stage as you are open to taking the performance in. Secondly, within the show you see Jake, Joey’s dad bathing and cleaning Joey, opening up the realisation that there are fully grown men out there that need as much help as a young infant in caring for themselves and in turn make it okay. Further to this, the play goes on to shock the audience when Jake ‘masturbates him’. Hand over hand Jake assists his son to to help with pent up sexual tension. This is a moment the audience will never forget, although visually not seen as hidden with in the bathtub, the point is clear. A unique moment in theatre for the viewers, the idea of a dad helping his son with built on sexual tension is something you don't usually come across. Paul Taylor of the Independent says “It is an unflinching portrait of disability.” I agree with his opinion as I believe that the arts is a fantastic way of opening up peoples mind and broadening their horizons if only they choose to do so. One of ‘The Act for Change Project’s’ core aims is ‘The opposition to and elimination of discrimination on any grounds including, but not limited to, the grounds of race, gender, disability, sexual orientation, age, socio-economic background, nationality or religion, in live and recorded performance arts, arts and production including, but not limited to, television drama, film, and live theatre and audio (the “Arts”)’. As even though many a reader won’t of read or even heard of the play “Kill me now” there isn’t a valid argument to say that the arts aren’t open to everyone because plays like this do exist, you just have to choose to see different styles of theatre, not just the main stream musical thats open on the West End.
The phenomenon that is “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime”, an inspirational play about a 15 year old boy name Christopher Boone who has Aspergers. Performed at both the National and the Apollo Theatre this production had many a sellout performance. The production itself was extremely clever and so thought through. Perfectly understanding even the tiniest of differences that someone with Aspergers may do differently to someone without. With many people going to see the show because of its raving reviews but without really knowing what it’s about – without knowing the main character had Aspergers. The play completely grabs the audiences attention with all it’s detail; Christopher’s brilliance at mathematics, his unique and intellectual perspective of the world, his courage and his determination. His dislike for human contact and even the love of a rat he finds. For those who know someone with Aspergers would agree that his quirky character completely relates to someone with Aspergers. The play leaves audience members feeling for Christopher, whilst also being entirely on his side, you leave wanting his to simply succeed on whatever journey or quest he may find himself on. I believe this play opens up to everyone, especially those with a disability, because if someone with Aspergers wanted to play Christopher, then theres no reason why they couldn’t. Towards the end of the play Christopher says “I see everything. Most other people are lazy. They never look at everything. They do what is called glancing, which is the same word for bumping of something and carrying on in almost the same direction. And the information in their head is really simple.” He then goes on to compare what others may see and how they would get distracted. He then says a list of everything he would see which is so thorough and detailed. It is simple moments like this that allow the audience member to understand the inner workings of how someone with Aspergers brain may work, therefore giving them greater knowledge. ‘The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime’, reflects the unique social experiences of those with Aspergers, but it reflects so much more than that. Not only does it reflect those with a disability, it allows audience members to reflect the ways in which they approach the world especially in relation to this play. One may watch the piece and think ‘I do something like that ‘ or ‘sometimes I react like that to others’, and gives them an opportunity to perhaps learn more about themselves, which in all is always a positive opportunity. I believe there is an opportunity through shows like this for either a fully abled actor to perform the role of for an actor with Aspergers, either way it is allowing the arts to be accessible as it is creating a role almost made for an actor with Aspergers to do, as they alone are probably the only percentage of actors who can actually understand all the different parts that are fundamental in portraying a young boy with Aspergers as accurately as possible.
ADD CURIOUS INCIDENT POINTS
As our world and culture continues to expand and change I believe it will become more of the ‘social norm’ for actors who may have disabilities like Joey or Christopher to be more common, as they become more accepted and grow in confidence to put themselves forwards for not only roles whose characters have disabilities. But for any role putting their own spin on the character as any actor would or in fact should if they really are pushing the boundaries to create new theatre. Both ‘The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime’ and ‘Kill me now’, show the lives of two very different people with disabilities, just by these plays existing they are opening up the arts to everyone. With many people being scared or nervous of those who are different from us, just by having these out there for the world to see, allows for more awareness of these different disabilities and others. This then makes people more open to seeing these differences out in their lives and so going forward in to the future I truly believe we will see more actors with disabilities as well as more plays discovering and portraying the lives of those with disabilities. However, this is something that is already taking place. With hundreds of theatre companies specialising in performers with disabilities, such as theatre company ‘Mind the Gap’. On top of this, in 2012 Shakespeare's ‘The Globe’ had the ‘Deafinitely Theatre’ company put on a performance of ‘Love’s Labour’s Lost’, and this piece was the first ever full length Shakespeare play to be performed in British Sign Language. The artistic director Paula Garfield said “I think it’s the first time that we’ve been so well profiled in such a well known venue and it’s a very rare opportunity. It’s every director and actor’s dream to work at the Globe.” Having one of the most established and well recognised theatres in the world put on this kind of performance really shows the change that is taking place and the want to allow everyone to be included in the arts. In the UK there are over 8.7 million deaf people and so to have the opportunity to see a performance at the Globe would have been phenomenal, as not only can deaf people see the performance and understand but those who are of hearing also get an insight in to the world of deaf people, which in turn could possibly inspire them to learn British Sign Language (BSL), which would be a positive thing not just for the deaf population but for the arts industry as it could mean an expansion of a new style including sign language. This also links to one of ‘The Act for Change Project’s’ core aims which is ‘cultivating partnerships with other organisations in favour of equality and diversity in the Arts.’ All of this shows our world is evolving to keep up to date and current with the needs of our population and to keep allowing the arts to be accessible to everyone, and as The Act for Change Projects mission states ‘represent a Britain we live in today.’ You can take the thoughts from the above to plays and relate it to any play ‘Cuttin’ It’ by Charlene James discusses hard topics such as violence to women and children and deals with racism and brutality. Through showing pieces like this it makes people more aware of how others are treated, how it affects them and how it can be wrong. Similarly in ‘Blasted’ by Sarah Kane, it talks about negative attitudes to disability, sexual activity and graphic descriptions of violence. By showing and talking about all these difficult topics it opens up our awareness, so therefore making the arts accessible to all, as it gives people who think the arts are inaccessible a chance to access it and it also continues to educate people. It is through continual education that the world will continue to change and evolve to make the arts more accessible than they already are. This connects to The Act for Change Project as one of their core aims is to educate people.
In all, I believe the arts are accessible to all because in our modern 21st century the world is constantly ever evolving and people becoming more understanding of people in all their unique ways and differences through the use of education and the creation of more shows that discuss new and different topics. Through an already existing growing and understanding community of all differences and education and charities with aims such as ‘The Act for Change Project’s’ want in ‘advancing education and awareness of equality and diversity in the Arts’. A lot of what I have discussed links mainly to disability within the arts, but if you look at plays that discuss race you could compare similarly to how I have done with disability. I believe the arts are for everyone, its just where you to choose to look. Our world is forever evolving and what is current and mainstream right now probably won’t be in the years to come. Through ‘The Act for Change Project’ core aims believe The Act for Change Project will achieve equality in the arts and allow them to be accessible to all. Your race, gender, class, sexual orientation, nationality, are or disability doesn’t affect whether the arts are for you, its whether you choose to open yourself up to the arts. Each time you look at a piece of art, read a play or watch a performance you are choosing to watch that particular ones. So any themes that come up are what you choose to view that particular time, it is within your control to change that and be in charge of what you view and how you view it. Similarly with performing or being a writer or a painter, the world is looking for talent and in our modern 21st century something that may make you different quite often makes it easier for you to get the job. I believe all of the different points I have spoken about is relevant within theatre today as race, gender, class, sexual orientation, nationality, age or disability are all topics that are currently discussed worldwide as I think that anything should be able to be discussed in theatre if people choose to discuss it, especially if it is done in a tasteful manner. For example, ‘Kill me now’ shows you the genuine experiences of a young boy with disabilities and truthfully shows the audience the struggles he goes through in a manner that lays it our manner of face with out being explicit, this shows the audience a taster of a different way of life. I think through my discussion of ‘The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime’ and ‘Kill me now’ I believe they educate the audience, as the stage is an open space ready for equal representation and everything should be able to be seen. So I believe what ever angle your coming from performer or viewer, the arts reflect the social experiences of everyone you just have to choose that area of the arts.