Devising is a process of collaborative writing. It’s what to do when a group of people come into a room united by the sole desire to make something together, be it a piece of theatre or a scenario for a film. Devising is a way of working to find and develop ideas. It is a way of working that involves stepping out of the conventional roles of playwright, designer, director, actor or production manager in order to become part of an ensemble.
How do you make a creative ensemble without an all-knowing director? How do you play to make a story? How do you play to find the structure? How do you play to find the image? How do you play to find the meaning? How does the group become the author of the piece? How does the director become a facilitator? How do you make your own work? How do you avoid blocking each other? And how do you write without a playwright?
The course teaches a range of strategies and processes to enable a group of people to make theatre from anything: A few objects, a picture, a piece of music, a story, a poem, the odd word, a piece of string, a mark on the floor, a way of standing or even a way of looking at each other.
