It's up to you....

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This week in my blog at www.sarah-osborne.co.uk I was championing the values of journeys…of making sure a process is as cherished as its product…of the gifts available to us when we engage in a purposeful and authentic approach to developing the way we operate. It occurred to me today as I talked to a couple of the actors in A Christmas Carol that one of the things that has got harder for me as artistic director is signposting you, my youth theatre members, on the next stage of your own personal development.

The reason is simple…there are so many of you in each group. When we younger – and smaller - it was so easy to work my way round the individuals in a group or cast with a word or two about their next challenge as in what they needed to develop to make the next step towards successful characterisation or the skills needed for a better performance. Now it often takes all my time and headspace making sure everyone is engaged and particularly at the moment that the productions are shaping and forming effectively… In some ways we are a victim of our own success but I wouldn’t change the vibrancy of our youth theatre for anything…

So I need your help…I need you to find a time to talk to me if you want to know what you can do to stretch yourself that bit further…to make sure you let me know if something doesn’t feel right or you’re having problems with something… I won’t always have the answer there and then but in discussion or through reflection it will start to become clear…I’m careful not to push anyone too far out of their comfort zone…but at the same time I am happy to challenge people as much as they want…

So there you go youth theatre members…the challenge is all yours…I look forward to hearing your questions…

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