Workshop: Developing A Safer Way of Working
Delivered by Alexandra Donnachie in 2 parts: a comparison between two trauma-based shows with very different processes.
Alexandra’s first play was an autobiographical piece which she performs with her younger sister, Kate Donnachie. The play (3 Years, 1 Week and a Lemon Drizzle) is an exploration of the effect Alex’s eating disorder had on the sisters’ otherwise very close relationship. They play was self-produced primarily for budgeting reasons and although it was very well-received when it toured across the UK, including a run at EdFringe 2018 (Underbelly), no safeguarding measures which might now be seen as non-negotiables in a rehearsal room were put in place and so the process of making and repeatedly performing the play unfortunately had a damaging effect on Alex especially.
In this workshop Alex unpacks what she has since learnt from having the complete opposite experience when working on When We Died which has numerous safeguarding measures in place for her, the wider creative team and, importantly, for audiences.
She’ll share what she would – and does – do now, and indeed what she’d advise other artists to do to protect themselves and those around them when making trauma-based work.