Kate Taylor reflects on her recent Hatching Residency at The Nest

Pre week 1, the offer of a familiarisation was presented by Talking Birds. I felt heard, and knew it would support certain traits linked to my ADHD; anxiety around new territory, expectation. Basically any over thinking put at ease. So a couple of weeks before my residency began, I met the core team at TB, saw the space, and felt super at home. Note to self… should I feel I need this in the future, just ask!

Week 1

My artistic enquiry was around feeling generally ‘Missed’. Miss read, miss understood, my personality missing, miss placed, miss interpreted. In tandem my literacy and language ability quashed at Secondary school, and it’s damning effect. Not heard, valued, felt illiterate, and non sensical, had reared it’s ugly head numerous times, yet brushed over with my accepted and ‘known for’ language, ‘movement,’ Add to that, masking, high functioning, and sparkly commissions & hyper focus. Step to the side movement, let the pen paper and voice do the talking! It became apparent that I first needed to address some emotional baggage; areas of my personal life, which at the time I either couldn’t find the words to express how I felt, or advocating for situations/people to be seen and heard. Whether this would form the body of something for the public eye, the cathartic and healing process made me realise that I need to make this a regular part of my artistic practice. Both a personal & creative outlet.

Week 2

Let’s not ignore the joy of having my OWN space. This had an incredible impact on my creative flow, wellbeing and whole self. The set up for each day was like a ritual. Low lighting only. The room lit by X3 anglepoise lamps. By the door was for functional equipment only; My bag, lunch, shoes etc. And adorned in what ever light mother nature provided, my epicentre of creativity. The red desk! An additional desk, was ready for thoughts on the move, fold out mat for stretching and walls ready to be dressed in ideas and words. I will now aim for this. Driving to a creative space gives purpose.

For me I find it hard to switch off at home, and separate work/ life. But closing the door on a day, knowing you will return to pick up where you left off, is super productive for me. Task for me; to research where this might be! Returning to a growing number of poems, words, phrases (blue tacked to the wall) from week one, which was predominantly head to pen, to paper, I would arrive in the mornings and vocalise them. I then started to experiment with how they might sound as script. Particularly drawn to the material based around my Residency themes. A ‘one woman show’ account, started to emerge. I would also improvise around phrases, with the feel that this could be presented in intimate setting, involving the the audience in an investigation, around loss of self, hormones, HRT, missunderstood, neurodivergency/different thinkers, lack of voice, “Missing”. That’s it! Working title “Missing.”

Week 3

Are you sure you’ve got the right person? That’s not the person on the description. I think you’re mistaken. See, they’re very different from what you’ve just said. Really nice lady you say?Oh! They didn’t say. Miss…
Miss Read
Miss Placed
Miss Heard
(From an improvisation, as if addressing the audience. Sat close. Part of the performance. Made to feel at home, so they can invest in the work/themselves). I also like the idea of their being multiple characters, either played by myself or woven into the work somehow; Miss Judged etc…calendar marked with sightings of the last time they laughed, tears flowing. I found myself sat in the comfort of the room’s red arm chair, fascinated by the thought of just being. Happy to just be. Is that what’s missing!? Improvising around functional objects and daily happenings. ‘Chair, with your supportive qualities, and sturdy legs’. Chink of light you cast a moment magic, content that you won’t return’ Not sure of it’s relevance, but it felt poignant amidst an angst and weighted theme, and a feeling which over thinkers often crave. Creatively is could offer a space to reflect. For now, something to dig around in! Don’t chuck ideas away at the first hint that they might not connect. Movement breaks! Being a dancer, I moved between writing. Sometimes slow and stretchy, lot’s of daft dancing, laughter, then full on technique. When feeling stagnant always move. This multifunctional space was perfect. Again, this is a must in my search for a space! Where possible communal moving is essential in my work. The idea of a participatory one woman show is coming through stronger, and…

Week 4

Self publication!? Is my work any good? Impostor syndrome! This Residency has helped me to shake that, and loose my ‘pigeon’ hole main skill set – dance/movement! Finding a space to share my witing/poetry is on the to do list. My exploration was shaping up into X2 camps! Personal/autobiographical and strong theme ‘Missing.’ Both sharing the same pivotal moment, where this Residency has allowed everything to bubble to the surface, or should I say cascade! I group together my ‘finished’ creations on the one wall, then brain dumps on the opposite. This helped me to see any synergy, and any strong
recurring ideas/content, and also the shear amount of creativity, this residency/space has allowed me produce. Another shout of to the importance of a safe, non judgemental environment, which allowed for both mess and order Design brain dump: Often after a movement break, which has allowed my mind to wander. Inspired by music, writing, improvised text. Visulising a performance setting (Yes, music on all the time, not often did I work in silence. But my drive home was quiet), I would sketch out, (often stood up in the moment), over sized furniture, or an immersive CSI scene. Designs would hold intrigue through cleverly placed information that the audience could explore, move and add to… Even as I wright this, taking over a non performance space/studio theatre with an interactive piece of performance art, a wall covered in images of ‘missing’ women, clues, script, improvising through discussion, sound, moving as one, maybe even a spot of DJ’ing by myself, 90’s dance hits revival…

REFLECTIONS

Even though this residency was all about developing, and building confidence in my writing ability and exploring voice, the roots to my creative practice IS movement, and I definitely felt a strong physical language coming through. It’s inherent, but using it where relevant. Pictured below, my headphones would always start the day by filling my ears with the sound of comedian and writer Bob Mortimer. Just felt right. Set the tone. The desire to bring a sketch show feel into my work was very present, something I have played with from being a child. This comic, and side kick Vic Reeves, have been a big influence. Their physical/clown like humour and engaging story telling. I think it’s an area I will explore both within potential one woman show ‘Missing’ and in it’s entirety to. Maybe an R&D is next on the cards for working title ‘Missing.’ During an informal sharing of my ideas to TB and visiting artists, the suggestion of the work being a ‘live workshop’ intrigued me. Self publication for my other channels of writing? The potential of a small exhibition in a family run cafe in Kent? The main reflection is to not loose sight of what I want to do. To not get distracted, to loose the impostor syndrome.