The Forgiveness Project: 1st Creation Workshop
Last December, HHG held our first creation workshop for “The Forgiveness Project”, an original collective creation. We’ll be describing more about the ongoing development in the next few months. But to start off, here’s some feedback on last year’s first session from HHG Associate Artist and project sound designer Noah Drew.
—
Oops! I said I would write this blog shortly after the December workshop for The Forgiveness Project. I’m finishing it now on Feb. 1st. Shame on me!
That turn of phrase, “Shame on me/you/him/her,” has a whole new resonance for me since the workshop. In addition to exploring forgiveness, the workshop focused on explorations of shame. What particularly stays with me is the idea of shame being something one gets on oneself, and then, if not cleaned up, in oneself – shame as a substance, sticky and corrosive.
We talked a lot – the group of fascinating artists who gathered for the three-day process – about what shame and forgiveness are for us. We had intellectual conversations, created movement pieces and theatrical events, and told personal stories. There were many beautiful and brave moments, and lots of laughter.
In the end, it seemed like we accumulated dozens and dozens of starting places for a show. I have no idea at all what kind of piece might emerge from these beginnings, but the possibilities are exciting. Forgiveness, interestingly enough, played a much smaller role in the process than shame did. True forgiveness seems somehow both simpler to understand and harder to experience. Shame is universal, and potent. I’m eager to see what comes next.
– Noah Drew
Comments are closed.
