'Welsh cakes and a theatre suddenly in the middle of nowhere'

- Massive Company collaborates with the National Theatre of Wales

31st October – 9th  November, 2011.  Massive Company’s Artistic Director Sam Scott and ensemble member Scott Cotter travelled to Wales to facilitate a conversation between Welsh young people and professional practitioners. Massive Company was a catalyst for the National Theatre of Wales to bring young theatre companies together for the first time.

Massive’s creative visit was a ‘fast packed’ week of meetings and workshops across the country. When locals were told how much ground was covered, they literally gasped. Scott and Cotter would travel for more than 4 hours day, with at least 4-6 meetings in different places.  They led workshops between 4-6pm, and finally would attend productions and forums in the evenings. Dinners were relegated to sandwiches in the car on route.

Massive intends to return to Wales in 2012, for a longer period to build on this collaboration by delving deeper into understanding Welsh Nationalism. In essence, asking young people to “show us your Wales”.

“…there is a strong sense of this (Welsh Nationalism) throughout. I knew of this huge movement to hold on to all things Welsh and the somewhat anti-England feel there is in certain places or pockets of people. It was interesting to see how people were, where Welsh was the preferred language. I remember meeting a practitioner who had chosen to return to where she had grown up because of her connection to this area and the language (although I doubt she would separate them as such). In the short time I spent with her I could see how much she loved being there and how comfortable she was in speaking Welsh. When she spoke of the hills, she looked out on from her office. It was hard for her to explain what they were to her in English. Everything Welsh wasn’t easily translated. Welsh seemed (from the little I know) more conceptual, like Te Reo. The words used to capture a feeling or idea are ‘bigger’ than its English counterpart.” Sam Scott

For Massive Company, this trip was about starting points and seeing who they might go back to work with in the ‘Massive Way’. Massive’s focus on personal stories and experiences was new to most people. When Sam Scott met with The British Council in Cardiff, they expressed that no one else was exploring this style of work in Wales.

“We are ‘slow’ theatre. We are all about relationships and partnerships. From here who knows what might come about.” Sam Scott

Look out for Massive Company’s new devised work ‘The Brave’ – opening at Q and Mangere Arts Centre, April 2012.