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The Collective (2022)

by le4dingl1ght
Events

 

Event Date: 30th January 2022.

Leading Light Collective in Co-Production with Hidden Viewz Productions present The Collective.

For our birthday 5th birthday and in celebration of our #5 season release, we celebrated with HiddenViewz Productions by creating a looking glass for our audiences to see into who we are as a Collective. What you are looking at are a collection of photographs which represent how we’d like the industry to look.

You are looking at a mixture of creatives from different ethnicities, classes, religions and sexualities coming together proudly unapologetically. If you look close enough, you’ll see that we may look different, but it’s our unity that makes us stronger.

Supported by Aim Low Productions, Excellence Theatre, FlairBox, Nuu Theatre, Solar Flare and The Bread and Roses Theatre.
Hosted by Piece of Cake Theatre Company.
Photographer: Shammell D.G Photography

 













UTERIA by BETHANY HENRY GEMMELL

by le4dingl1ght
News
whatleadsyourlight

Uteria, my darling, are you okay? I’m not.

When we first met, I was not expecting you. You could have called ahead. Well – yeah – okay – you did. I just did not know the signs back then. At that time, your existence confused me. By that point, the only explanation for why you were here was that I was becoming a woman. My

God, the agony! As Mum came rushing in with a hot water bottle while I was writhing on her bed, she said, “That’s what you are now, my darling! A woman!” She reaffirms that sentiment when I tell her the contrary. I think she’s now the one confused. The world and she tell me that I am in fact that. They say as long as you exist with me, Uteria, that I will always be a woman. No wonder some men get rid of you.

The thing is, though, I am fine with you here, Uteria. I don’t know a world without your monthly visit. Some people, who are not necessarily women, just menstruate! The idea of my being a woman shredded away year by year since your first visit.

Like an egg in that follicular phase, the notion of my being a man in truth had been developing in the background long before I realised it. It was not yet open nor taking centre-stage, but there it was for at least twelve years. I remember at thirteen not feeling an inherent connection to the labels girl and woman. They were hollow, Uteria. Meaningless. Mere lifeless placeholders.

If I called myself a girl or a woman back then, I was not lying, I was just upholding a myth.

Everyone used to say that there were gods on the mountain top. It was an accepted reality. “You don’t believe there are gods on the mountain top? You must be stupid! You must be confused!”

I bleed, therefore I am. Right?

At the age of twenty-five, Uteria, I climbed that mountain to look. All I saw was just grass and rocks and sky.

Well – unlike how you prepare the womb – there was no soft lining to gently catch me and keep me safe when realisation of my inherent manhood hit me. I did not know the realisation was going to strike me in July 2020 on my bedroom floor. God, it was hard! I cried for an hour. I was told I was a woman but if my being in truth a man felt so right, how come it felt so wrong? I reflected on my history: I used to cry when I wore dresses; I hated being given make-up for gifts; I wanted to play with my brother’s toys.

Thus, Uteria, like the luteal stage, the egg appears. Womanhood breaks away. My feelings of manhood keep developing in the background as I grow. There is cushy lining for those feelings now.

And so, the cycle continues.

—

About Bethany

Bethany Henry Gemmell (they/them) is a London-based Northern educator and writer. In the past couple of years, they have written for the Royal Court Theatre’s Listen Local project, for Wild Forest Theatre’s production Turning Tables which debuted in the 2021 E17 Festival, and for different festivals like One Egg No Batter’s 24-Hour Play challenge and the Playwriting Collective’s Love and Survival production which was held at Tower Theatre. So far, their accomplishments in theatre include: firstly, co-founding Wild Forest Theatre and being one of its artistic directors and, secondly, being recently shortlisted for The Queens of Cups’ New Moon Monologues twice and for Leading Light Collective’s Dear Mother Nature project. Consistently, their writing has been positively received and has amassed keen interest from audiences in workshops and readings. In their writing, they like to play with a multi-media approach to story-telling and they focus on different themes such as autism, relationships between family and friends, growth and self-reflection, true crime and scandal, and the trans experience. When they are not writing, they are painting, playing sports, completing puzzles, finishing their Human Rights Masters degree, and volunteering for charities. They have previously written under Bethany J. Gemmell and Patrick Henry Gemmell and their Twitter handle is: @hengemmell

Managing your Organisation (2021)

by le4dingl1ght
Events

Event Date: Friday 18th June 2021

We partnered with Sparkfest Bath to provide freelancers with a masterclass day on managing an arts organisation and freelancing within the new cultural landscape. The three company directors took participants through their job roles as the Artistic Director (Belinda Clarke), Lead Producer (Hannah Blair) and Engagement Producer (Flick Isaac-Chilton). The team provided basic tools that are needed when handling artistic programming, freelancing, governance, financial and legal management and audience engagement.

 

Leading Light Collective X Ditch The Rag Period Workshop

by le4dingl1ght
Events

Event Date: March 2021

As part of our Bread and Roses Emerging Company Award, we produced an online workshop with Ditch The Rag for menstruators and parents to learn in more detail about puberty education, sustainability, environmental activism, socio-economic inequality in relation to menstruation, feminism, natural sciences and period poverty.

For more information on Ditch The Rag please visit their website here: www.ditchtherag.com.

 

WHAT LEADS MY LIGHT: ANA

by le4dingl1ght
News, WhatLeadsYourLight?
whatleadsyourlight

 

As an artist I would say that my identity is what drives me creatively. Since I can remember, the experience of being a black woman in this society has always been very overwhelming. The way I learned to deal with this was thought art, using it as a way to translate my vision, experiences and emotions. In fact, that’s one of the reasons why chose a path in arts, because I fell in love with how I could use it to express myself.

 

Being black drives me creatively for so many reasons, because blackness is so complex and there is so much that comes with it. From struggle, to pain, grace, talent or creativity, all these things drive me and inspire me creatively. The current project I’m working on is a photography project titled “Disrupt the Standards”. The aim is to highlight women of colour, through their photographs and their experience on not fitting the European standard of beauty.Usually when I am not creating, I feel that I am swimming against the current of a river, however lately I do not feel as motivated to create. The reasons range from feeling insecure when it comes to my artistic skills, to the current world situation.

 

With the protests happening because of the Black Lives Matter movement I’ve been feeling really overwhelmed and my creativity has been all over the place. There are days I want to turn to my creative side and express all the anger I feel constantly, but there’s also days I don’t want to create at all because I feel too overwhelm, anxious and hopeless. But I’ve been learning to breathe and to deal with all of it on my own terms, and that’s what I would advise to my fellow black people. Take your time and remember that the process of healing is not a race. And if you’re a black artist, use your art to cope with all this. Stay safe.

 

Ana

 

Creating and Branding your Theatre Company (2020)

by le4dingl1ght
Events

Event Date: Thursday 16th July 2020

We collaborated with Pursued By a Dragon Theatre Company, offering a free virtual masterclass for creatives that have an emerging theatre company or were thinking of starting one but didn’t know where to start. This sell out workshop and collaboration centred around branding, engagement and business governance for a venturing theatre company.

 

Illuminate your Confidence (2020)

by le4dingl1ght
Events

Event Date: March 2020

In collaboration with Hounslow Borough Council & Chiswick School, during March 2020 (just before lockdown)!

A 6 week programme supporting 14-16 year olds, in order to give them the inner confidence & practical skillset that they need to make the transition from adolescence into adulthood.

 

What Leads Your Light: Mind Over Matter

by le4dingl1ght
Events

Event Date: Sunday 16th February 2020

Another year older and wiser and another collaboration! Our 3rd birthday party was hosted by leading poets – Mind Over Matter. MOM partnered with us to create a collection of spoken word, networking and birthday cake. This event headlined poets, Billie P-N, Just Ori, Azan Ahmed and Naomi Knox; whilst also showcasing a talented collection of open mic performances.

 

Mountview: Stage Management Workshop (2020)

by le4dingl1ght
Events
projects

Event Date: Tuesday 7th January 2020

We visited Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts MA Creative Producers to breakdown the role of a stage management team. From learning how to cue visually on a script, using our Memories We Lost in the Fire to making up and tasting prop whiskey, this was a beginners guide to the roles within the stage management realm including the DSM, ASM and SM.

 

Excellence: Dear Black People

by le4dingl1ght
Events

Event Date: Monday 28th & Tuesday 29th October 2019

In collaboration with our sister company, Excellence Theatre (Aaliyah Deanne). Dear Black People was a sold out two day event at The Pleasance Theatre London; showcasing the emerging work of black creators. Excellence Theatre also offers a script writing service for new black British writers, driving to finish their scripts for the industry.

 

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