At ITAC3, the International Teaching Artists Conference in Edinburgh, we gathered in a small room for a session with Simon Sharkey of the National Theater of Scotland, and we were not disappointed. Simon’s Scottish brogue was thick, melodious, and inviting. He began talking about his company (which was founded in 2006), and he catalogued the staggering number of productions they have created in their short history. Most famous is surely Blackwatch, an international hit based on a Scottish regiment’s witnessing of the war in Iraq. I saw Blackwatch in New York in 2007, and though I had not seen any of its work since then, I was impressed enough by that experience to take its claims seriously.
Simon began to describe his theater’s central artistic approach to collaboration. He said it had to do with a certain Hirab Johnny. I was sitting next to a fellow American, Tricia Tunstall, and she and I both turned to one another quizzically, as if to say, “what did he say?” After one or two more references to the stages of Hirab Johnny, Tricia asked me, “who is he? Is he someone we are supposed to know about?” It still took a few more paragraphs of that smoky Scottish brogue before we realized that Hirab Johnny was at the center of Joseph Campbell’s take on mythology, and therefore was not a specific person at all. All along Simon had been saying “a hero’s journey,” not “Hirab Johnny.” In fact, a hero’s journey is central to the way Simon and his colleagues work when devising a play with far-flung collaborators. They begin with five steps of the journey (a distilled version of Joseph Campbell’s more elaborate breakdowns):
Working through a variety of exercises that introduce the hero’s journey, they then embark on the creation of theater pieces that tell a heroic tale. Since the National Theater of Scotland seeks collaborations with communities from all over the world, they naturally learn about stories from other cultures that inspire and stimulate exchange among nations. Rather than thinking of a national theater that enshrines its own heritage, Scotland’s national theater reaches out to create relationships with other countries and communities. The company’s newest venture is entitled “Home Away,” and it answers the company’s initiative from its first year, “Home.” They are collaborating with communities in Chicago, New Delhi, Jamaica, Brisbane, Rio De Janeiro, and in Scotland: (Glasgow, South Uist, Dundee, Tomintoul & Glenlivet), and internationally through the World Wide Web. The new pieces will be premiered this Fall in Scotland, along with a five day participatory arts conference. More info at www.homeaway2016.com You are invited to attend, and if you go, please say hello to Hirab Johnny for me.(And oh, Simon, too, pictured below)
3 Comments
3/11/2017 03:07:26 am
We are always following your great articles about simon sharkey and Hirab johny. They are giving best instructions for everyone. So we have to understood the following services and reviews.
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12/7/2017 02:49:09 am
There are a lot of ways how being musically inclined help others or serve the community. I know a parent of a friend of mine who composes songs for their church. He uses those songs to convince street children on never giving up on life and to stay strong. He also sells the songs he produced and use the money to help homeless children by providing them food, shelter, and education. There are also other famous singers who use their money to provide for families who experienced harshed calamities.
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5/16/2019 07:22:46 pm
What a wonderful person we have here! Most of us are having a hard time finding the purpose of our talents. This person right here already knows his talent's purpose. I remember my cousin, she plays guitar and sometimes, she uses that to gain money by performing in the streets. At first, I thought she will use that she will use the money for her self. One night I saw her feeding street children. I asked her where did she get the money she used to buy those food, then she told me it came from her performances. Please continue what you are doing. You are inspiring a lot of people.
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AuthorThomas Cabaniss, composer Archives
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