The Annual Albany Residency
Most writers long for the opportunity to work in isolation, uninterrupted by the disturbances of the modern world. During the warmer months Stages provides the opportunity for a WA playwright to live and work in glorious solitude at Albany’s heritage listed Vancouver Arts Centre.
The residency is for a period of 1 to 4 weeks, depending on the playwright’s wishes. It includes free accommodation overlooking the Bay at Mary Thompson House, next to the Vancouver Arts Centre, travel expenses, per diems and the opportunity to conduct a development project for Albany community members interested in playwrighting.
This community development project could be designed as a weekend workshop or weekly seminars/classes and would make the particular skills and experiences of the residential playwright available to the Albany community. It could be focussed on topics such as:
- Aspects of playwrighting skills and practice
- The experience of developing new work
- Nurturing our creativity from a concept to finished work
- The experience of the playwright in getting their work produced
For further information about the Albany residency, contact the Stages Director.
2005 Residency
John Aitken was granted the first annual Albany residency which took place in January 2006. During this period John achieved his objective of completing the first draft of his new stage play: Dangerous Music. As part of the residency John gave a two-day workshop on playwrighting at the Vancouver Arts Centre which covered topics including character development, plot construction, the Imaginary Body and the Centre (inspired by the work of Michael Chekhov), the dramatic impulse, the “beat” of a scene, shaping dialogue, the one-person play, radio drama and so on. The workshop was enthusiastically received by all who attended
On reviewing the residency experience John said,
“The residential wing of the centre is very conducive to writing, with sweeping views over the bay. I was largely left alone to complete my work but the staff were always extremely helpful. By removing myself from my accustomed city schedule I suddenly found I had a great deal of extra time to concentrate on the work in hand. The solitude also assisted me in my efforts to study the construction by Deryck Cook of Mahler’s unfinished 10th Symphony, which, in a very organic way, became an important element of the play. After the second act had been completed I finally understood why my two main characters had been discussing Mahler and his work early in the first act.”