1st Year Performances

1st year was a year of lots of learning and both these shows left me with alot of knowledge and also a thirst to go further and learn.

It was a change going from straight acting into a contemporary performance world. But I learnt from this year that all of it links together in one way or another. And I was able to grow a basket of skills further.

Persona: The Indo Celt Warrior

During the 2nd term at RCS, I undertook the module on persona creating. I came up with the persona of the Indo-Celt warrior. This was a persona that was a look at being Scottish and Indian. He has cropped up in many a piece of text written and performance ideas.

Materials : Colour in the Air

In the final term of 1st year, we were tasked with working with materials that we linked to. I was linked to rangoli (coloured powder) and food powders like tumeric, masala, chilli, paprika. And through these I created images with colour and movements.

We Probably Shouldn’t

At the end of 1st year, under the direction of 4th year Daniel Purves, devised with Grace Ward, Fionnuala Featherstone and Megan Sutherland, we looked at the text of Frankenstein and the idea of competition. Taking on tasks including water and apples and tasks that generated a competition to find the winner. It was a tough week, which the Monday of the week we opened I dislocated my kneecap. That then changed the roles given as I was now not able to run about so I became the MC of the show. It worked out well in the end.

Photo Credit : Julia Bauer & Daniel Purves

2nd Year Performances

2nd year brought its own challenges but it was a year that I grew in movement skills by learning how to look after my knee injury. But I also learnt skills in facilitation that have been with me since.

The first performances that we did were in 2 schools, one being my old primary school, it was an experience.

Before History We Danced

The only public performance that we had during 2nd year was our choreography show. This was taught by guest lecturer Will Dickie. It was in collaboration with members of the public who joined us in the evenings to be apart of the show.

This was a show that will be etched in my memory for the rest of time…

Photo Credit : Julia Bauer

2nd Year Artist Statement

At the end of each year on the course, we created a document called An Artist statement. This was to show our learning and our growth as an artist from that year. An image below shows me and the meanings I got from Choreography and Movements and Facilitation learning I got from 2nd year.

Photo Credit : Sanjay Lago

3rd Year Performances

3rd year was the year I began to feel alot more confident as an artist and was beginning to find the kind of work I liked to create. I found that text and dance was the things that I enjoyed doing.

During 3rd year, I performed at an Open Mic Poetry Night, I worked with Bijli Productions on their show of “One Mississippi” for my placement, leading to a year of work with NTS. I then wrote a piece about my Nana (maternal grandfather) before ending the year in collaborations.

A year that made me ready for the final hurdle before graduation

The Lost Smile of an Indian Man

This was a solo piece that looked at the journey of my grandfather to Britain and how it resonated with me how I wouldn’t be here without him. The piece had photography taken by artist Mark Billingham. The piece went on to inspire future work of identity and belonging and family. Within this piece the text fused together poetry, memory and Bollywood songs.

Imperium

This was my 3rd year collaboration show alongside fellow artists Daniel Cox and Sinead PriceGreene. This show looked at power and masculinity and devised looking at Ancient Roman history. Looking at Gods and Men. The show then went on to become a show that was alot more physical than I expected, but a challenge I took on.

Photo Credit : Sanjay Lago & Mark Billingham Photography

4th Year Performances

4th year was the biggest year by far. Even though the performances weren’t many. The year consisted of my degree show and then my elective module.

This was the year that was setting up for life post education. So learning about the self-employed life, working with artists, collaborating and getting our basket of learning together.

Into The New : Mein Kaun Hoo? (Who Am I?)

I spent the majority of the year creating my degree show and we had sharings throughout the year. It was apart of the Into The New Festival 2019. The theme of the festival was self care and an antidote to caring for yourself.

The show was a real struggle for me as I couldn’t find the enquiry I wanted to go with. I knew the themes were going to look at race, belonging, my sexuality. I knew my show was going to be autobiographical. Yet I wasn’t able to create what I thought was good enough for a show.

I had support from Artist Kay Singh on how to learn simple Kathak movements. I had my friend Calum Moore, a Director, go through pieces of text with me. Yet it wasn’t until we had a class with artist Tashi Gore, that I was able to pinpoint what my enquiry was. And that was:

“Who Am I, Thanks to the movements of the past and the pathway in front for the future”

With this Enquiry I was able to get into the deep nitty gritty of my autobiography. And thanks to the lecturing staff on my course, I was able to get the starting of a show that would be something I choose to develop post graduation!

(Images on the page in Upcoming Performances)

Arts in Prisons

This was the first year where 4th year was made so that our degree show making process was longer and we had to choose 1 instead of 2 electives.

I was glad we got more time to create our degree performance, otherwise I wouldn’t have had the show I created. But was part sad that we only got 1 elected now. I had always had 2 choices in my head.

The options we had were:

1. Secondment (anywhere in the world!)

2. Directing (One 4th year with a group of 1st years)

3. Site Specific (to create a performance on a site)

4. Arts in Prisons (Working within the criminal justice system)

I always knew I wouldn’t do Secondment as I couldn’t afford to go away for 6 weeks and could try it in the future. Directing I never felt was for me as I had a tough time with my directing show because of my knee and also felt I could get this experience when I left.

So it was down to 2 options. In the end I thought to myself, what can I not easily do when I graduate. And in the end it was Arts in Prisons. It is a whole world in itself and so much to learn. And I could do more site-specific work when I graduate. A friend also mentioned that in some way or the other all work we create becomes site-specific as we create in various locations.

So I chose Arts in Prisons, and along with my 2 classmates and fellow Artists Lewis Fraser and Grace Ward, we learnt about so much to do with the Criminal Justice System under the amazing teachings of artist Jess Thorpe!

In the end I feel I made the right choice as I learnt alot about a new world and how the arts support it. I was partnered with Lewis and Mentored by Artist Murray Wason during a placement in HMP Low Moss.

This module took me to Dundee, it took me to understand Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs in a welcoming class, it took me to see one of the best operas (The UK Premiere of “Dead Man Walking” at RCS), it took me to check in in different locations in Glasgow, it took me to emotional places that I felt changed me for the better.

I ended my time at RCS doing a module that not only helped me to grow as an artist but also as an individual.