{"version":1,"type":"rich","provider_name":"Libsyn","provider_url":"https:\/\/www.libsyn.com","height":90,"width":600,"title":"Practical Bravery: CREATIVE PARTICIPATION!","description":"The Possibility Club podcast: Practical Bravery - CREATIVE PARTICIPATION!   In this episode of The Possibility Club podcast, we're exploring the spaces where creativity becomes a conduit for connection, and where theatres and arts venues become the heartbeats of the communities they serve. Our guest is the Head of Participation at Southwark Playhouse, orchestrating a symphony of projects that resonate with thousands yearly, from all ages and backgrounds. His work is about creating a mosaic of experiences that reflect south London's diversity, challenges, and aspirations. Through strategic development, he weaves the threads of local needs with the theatre's aims, securing funding to turn vision into reality and offering tangible opportunities for emerging talents. Let's explore the conversation where art and community come together to rewrite stories, with  David Workman.    --- David Workman via LinkedIn https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/david-workman-3ba02132\/?originalSubdomain=uk   \u201cI constantly pinch myself at how lucky I am to be doing the job I\u2019m doing.\u201d   \u201cI realised all my career has been spent in the Borough of Southwark, which is totally unintentional.\u201d   Southwark via GoogleMaps https:\/\/www.google.com\/maps\/place\/London+Borough+of+Southwark\/@51.4652303,-0.1528077,12z\/data=!3m1!4b1!4m6!3m5!1s0x48760398794427df:0x41185c626be6770!8m2!3d51.4880572!4d-0.0762838!16zL20vMG45Y3c?entry=ttu   \u201cSome of the wards are some of the poorest in London, if not the UK. But that\u2019s slap bang up against brand new developments.\u201d   \u201cNo-one has to engage with us, I\u2019ve got to reach out to them.\u201d    \u201cThe minute we went out and ran a workshop in a community space, we had a lot more people come along. We went into their territory and said we want to be part of this community.\u201d   Southwark Playhouse https:\/\/southwarkplayhouse.co.uk\/   Southwark Playhouse \u2014 participation pages https:\/\/southwarkplayhouse.co.uk\/participate\/   \u201cI still suffer quite regularly from imposter syndrome, thinking I got here, how did I get here? But I guess I\u2019ve been doing it for fifteen years now, so maybe I should get over that.\u201d   \u201cAll I\u2019ve learnt, I\u2019ve learnt by doing. Not necessarily through studying it per se, but doing it, getting it right, getting it wrong, learning on the job.\u201d   \u201cLast year we opened a second venue, so we now have two venues in Elephant & Castle, and within our new venue we have a dedicated participation space, which is all of my work. Realistically I\u2019m not going to be able to fill that space twenty-four seven with all the work I do, but I want to make that space usable. So we\u2019re partnering with charities working with refugees, adults with dementia, young people at risk of exclusion. They\u2019re already doing great work \u2014 which there\u2019s no point us trying to replicate, I\u2019d rather support and amplify that in the community, rather than trying to muscle in.\u201d   Bristol Old Vic https:\/\/bristololdvic.org.uk\/?gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjwwMqvBhCtARIsAIXsZpaWRrn75HVlHHPChA8o1USd1QqX5NVN0Ryfo7v3eAbjNnZk4HbAxkwaAhg8EALw_wcB   Theatre In Education via Wikipedia https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Theatre_in_education   Shakespeare\u2019s Globe schools team https:\/\/www.shakespearesglobe.com\/learn\/   \u201cI don\u2019t that there\u2019s one approach for everything you do. You have to be adaptive, you have to adapt to different communities, different demographics, one size will not fit all. But also I work with a lot of artists and if I employ someone because of what they\u2019re going to bring to that project, their own approach, their own artistic practice. I\u2019m not keen on imposing on a practical side how that might be.\u201d   Elephant & Castle via Wikipedia https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Elephant_and_Castle   "The community is changing. There\u2019s very little point me not changing how I approach my work.\u201d    \u201cIt\u2019s a way of softly building those relationships with the community, really.\u201d    \u201cWe\u2019re not funded by the Arts Council and we never have been and we\u2019ve sustained and grown that over thirty years. Our model is, in a year we\u2019ll stage between twenty-five and thirty shows and we have spaces of different sizes. By not having money from the Arts Council it gives us more flexibility but more risk. But we get the balance right, generally.\u201d   Operation Mincemeat via Wikipedia https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Operation_Mincemeat_(musical)    Operation Mincemeat https:\/\/www.operationmincemeat.com\/   Little Angel Theatre https:\/\/www.littleangeltheatre.com\/   \u201cI\u2019m a glass half full person. I approach things with a \u2018let\u2019s see what happens\u2019 kind of approach.\u201d   \u201dThere\u2019s always going to be a need, a desire, for live art. Post-pandemic it took a long time for that to come back, and I think it\u2019s still doing that. People have to weigh up the costs of coming into London. You have to take a punt on something. But there\u2019s lots going on and there are a lot of exciting voices coming through.\u201d ------   This episode was recorded in February 2024 Interviewer: Richard Freeman for always possible Editor: CJ Thorpe-Tracey for Lo Fi Arts   For more visit www.alwayspossible.co.uk ","author_name":"The Possibility Club","author_url":"http:\/\/www.alwayspossible.co.uk\/podcast","html":"