Answering the call

Three generations of singers express their feelings for each other in Sing it to My Face which will be re-created for next year's Southern Lakes Festival of Colour in Wanaka. Photo from Barbarian Productions.
Three generations of singers express their feelings for each other in Sing it to My Face which will be re-created for next year's Southern Lakes Festival of Colour in Wanaka. Photo from Barbarian Productions.
Former Burns Fellow Jo Randerson is using her writing skills in a different way these days. She tells Rebecca Fox about one of her more recent projects.

Theatre is calling to Jo Randerson these days as the best way to generate public conversations about societal issues.

''I miss my writing,'' the 2001 Burns Fellow said.

However, she believed her theatre projects helped people have the broad societial conversations.

That is partly how one of her more recent productions Sing it to My Face, which she is bringing to next April's Southern Lakes Festival of Colour in Wanaka, came about.

Randerson, who graduated in 2012 with a masters in theatre arts (directing) from Toi Whakaari: The NZ Drama School and Victoria University had been asked to put together a work for the Wellington Cathedral's jubilee year and at the same time had noticed people in different age brackets being quite critical of each other.

''There were those saying young people are selfish and don't know how to work and then there were comments about baby-boomers using all the resources and making young people pay for their retirement.''

There were grumpy Facebook posts and letters to the editor.

''I felt these comments needed to surface and there be a conversation about them.''

Randerson worked with a lot of young people who were extremely committed to making changes in the world.

''I also know a lot of older people a bit depressed about the way the world is going but they're not on social media to see [those comments].

''There is this generation gap where they do not talk to each other.''

So she wanted to come up with a way the different generations could share those thoughts and feelings rather than them just ''rolling their eyes'' at the comments in the newspaper or online.

''Instead of saying them why not try singing them ... maybe they'll listen more closely.''

Singing made the conversation more graceful and less confrontational.

So they sent out a survey to the public asking those in age groups - under 30, 30 years to 60 years and 60 and over - about what their generation is good at, what their thoughts are about various things.

''We got some strong sentiments because it's anonymous.''

Then Randerson pulled those comments together into a libretto and musical director Julian Raphael composed the score.

''While they're not my words, I'm getting to edit and shift them into a narrative. I'm still telling a story, I'm just telling a story with the public.''

The pair then called for volunteer singers to take part in each age group's choir.

''It was such a hit. A really moving and effective experience.''

The work also highlighted how different generations did not interact anymore.

''They live quite different pockets of society.''

As it was so successful Randerson's production company Barbarian Productions had since taken it to the Wairapapa and Nelson.

She was excited to bring it down to Wanaka especially given the festival's connections with schools.

''It's often harder to get the younger singers involved as they work hard, often having an after-school job and studying.''

For Randerson, the move towards more facilitative theatre has been a real shift but one she is passionate about.

''We want to make this a place that really feels like us, friendly and generous, and I believe we are small enough that community groups have the potential to lead the way.''

There are great community initiatives - such as the Student Army - where groups of the community are getting together to solve a problem.

''I feel very much as an artist were are practising it in a broad societial way. Not just sitting in a garret writing and starving.''

While artists had to be a bit ''jack of all trades'' to survive, she did not believe that meant they are average at a lot of things.

''We weave a lot of different strands together. Listen to a lot of conversations.

''The arts are very useful at the moment.''

For the festival Sing it to My Face is a continuation of their community projects.

General manager Lindsey Schofield said there was always community involvement in the festival and this fitted the bill.

''They've been theatrical in the past. We've used high schools and local actors for the works.''

The choir project is different as it involved different sectors of the community but it quite an accesible way. They were hoping for up to 20 in each of three choirs.

''I sing in a local group and there are quite a few around, so I think this will be a really good community project.''

She hopes people will come to this weekend's workshops to see what is involved. It will require some intensive rehearsals in the run up to the festival in April.

All the workshop sessions will be led by Raphael and Randerson.

Festival director Philip Tremewan said they had wonderful feedback about recent theatre projects that were built around local talent such as Riverside Drive in 2011, Tracing Hamlet in 2013 and Like There's No Tomorrow in 2015.

''It doesn't matter if you're already a member of a choir or a first-timer keen to give it a go. Everyone is welcome to come along to these workshops, learn more about the project and maybe have a sing themselves.''

To take part

The first workshops take place at Wanaka Primary School and Mount Aspiring College (MAC) on Friday. A separate workshop for those interested in joining one of the two adult choirs will be held in MAC's performance room from 10am-12pm on Saturday.

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