My connection to Graeae was initially as a participant to their workshops. I came to their Discover Week in late 2017. A week has been etched hard in where memories lie.
After auditioning to get into Ensemble 2018, I was an ensemble member for 6 months. I received theatre training, voice and breath training, facilitator/leadership training and mentorship from incredible professionals and individuals outside and inside the Graeae family. Training program finished with a show at RADA and Rich Mix.
Afterwards I have been steadily maintaining a relationship with the Graeae team and staff as I continued to try and make a career in the theatre industry. I have continued to train my practice as an actor and as a drama facilitator with their CPD. I have delivered a couple of workshops for them as a freelancer as well. I was also supported massively by them for their rehearsal space when I was doing my DYCP project.
There is this very important mission that can be a bit vague to me, I deliberately try not to coin it but it is a mix of social model, ambition and a lot of heart. I don’t really see Graeae as a ‘theatre company’, to me they are a conduit, a catalyst; people take their glow and stretch the glow, make it theirs and go very far.
Graeae gave me confidence and a sense of self-worth. They have done a lot of things for me that are hard to sum up. I have made lifelong friends and mentors there.
They were a place where I met deaf actors and interpreters who changed my outlook on deafness/deaf identity and have brought me back to the deaf community.
Testimonial
Graeae gave me confidence and a sense of self-worth. They have done a lot of things for me that are hard to sum up.
Graeae gave a LOT of training: acting, directing, workshopping, writing, voice work, movement and opportunities to show my acting/writing work and have introduced me to a lot of incredible professionals in theatre world and disability arts. They have employed me as a facilitator as well. They have helped me with rehearsal space and a quiet room whenever I need to practice for auditions. They provided me with rehearsal space for my DYCP project called the Yellow Square Project; a developing project exploring creative storytelling techniques designed for deafblind children and young adults. For me that has been my biggest success to create a project and a body of work from the ground up was a challenge. I have continued to work as an actor/performer for other companies like Deafinitely Theatre and Criptic Arts.
Sadly the Covid pandemic really hindered my progression as a professional actor, I was still emerging. I still feel directionless at times. Imposter syndrome is always a thing. Being out of the game for a long time you lose some of the confidence and become rusty.
Interestingly I have been working in education for some time now (once with a deafblind unit and now currently working at a deaf school) and the skills and experiences that I got from Graeae I often use to help young people where I can.
My advice: really keep asking questions, Graeae is full of advice and guidance, they help break things down for you and make a plan. There are actually a lot of organisations that can help you if you don’t know about them Graeae
If you can… step into the light, don’t hide.
Look after your body and mental health first above everything else.