Artistic Statement

As a musical theatre performer, my work begins with storytelling. I have always loved to read because books allow me to step into worlds beyond my own and see life through many different eyes. Performing gives me that same sense of discovery, but in a deeper, embodied way. I love to perform because it transports me into a world where I can live a hundred different characters in just one lifetime, each one teaching me something new about humanity and myself.

Collaboration is at the heart of my practice. I believe theatre is most powerful when it is collective, a group of artists coming together to create something that none of us could achieve alone. I thrive in environments where ideas are exchanged freely and where trust and openness allow creativity to flourish. Beyond performance, I see my role as an artist as part of a larger responsibility. I want my work to contribute to meaningful change, whether by challenging perspectives, amplifying unheard voices, or making the arts accessible to communities who are too often left out of cultural spaces. My artistic journey is not just about shaping myself as a performer, but about using my craft to build bridges and create impact that extends beyond the stage.

In my work as a performer, I have approached collaboration in what Linda Candy describes as a family style model of creative partnership; one grounded in openness, mutual respect and shared authorship. Candy (2019: 116) explains that effective collaboration depends on “a high degree of openness and flexibility and a willingness to engage fully in all available communication paths,” a definition that reflects how I naturally work within group settings. Having studied in an environment for 4 years that valued collective effort and creative exchange, I am used to processes that feel organic and familial, where trust and communication form the foundation for creation. Beyond performance, this sense of family-style collaboration informs my commitment to using the arts as a tool for social change such as building bridges with communities who are too often excluded from artistic opportunities. By embracing collaboration as both an artistic and ethical practice, I aim to contribute to something bigger than myself, ensuring that the work I help create resonates collectively rather than individually.

Line of Equiry

Complementary collaboration is a pattern in which each participant’s role is different and a division of effort based on distinctive expertise. (Candy, L. 2019: 110)

From what I understand, complementary collaboration relies on negotiation, communication and mutual trust to integrate varied approaches into a cohesive outcome. In contrast, family collaboration is grounded in shared artistic languages and intuitive understanding between practitioners with similar training or vision. While complementary collaboration highlights differences and the productive tension it brings, family collaboration values unity and emotional connection. As I have primarily worked within family-style collaborations, I am interested in exploring complementary collaboration further, as it challenges me to adapt, communicate across different fields and develop a more flexible and inclusive approach to my professional practice.

However, I sometimes find complementary collaboration challenging, as my instinct to take creative control can make it difficult to embrace decision-making fully.

Documentation

For my documentation, I will be using something from my undergrad and 2 pieces from my experience within the past couple of months at Leeds Conservatoire. This will allow me to see my development, without me previously being a conscious collaborator in my undergrad.

Community Outreach

Micro workshops: ICP Week 3

For my micro-workshop, I focused on the concepts of stillness, presence and listening to with the whole body. I wanted participants to explore how grounding themselves physically and mentally can enhance their performance awareness and emotional connection on stage. The workshop encouraged performers to slow down, notice internal sensations and become more in tune with the energy and rhythm of the group. By creating moments of intentional stillness, I aimed to show how presence can be just as powerful as movement or dialogue. Delivering this workshop allowed me to reflect on my own practice as a performer, recognising how important embodied listening is for authentic communication, both with myself and with others. It also gave me insight into how I might integrate mindfulness and physical awareness techniques into future ensemble or devising processes to deepen creative connection.

Tomorrow Cabaret: ICP New-Work Week 2

Reflections/Analysis

Across my outreach project, micro-workshop and Tomorrow Cabaret, I have experienced collaboration in a range of contexts that have each shaped my development as a performer and creative practitioner. Jo Butterworth’s didactic–democratic framework (2009: 90) provides a useful way to analyse this growth, as it puts collaboration on a spectrum between teacher-led (didactic) and collectively-led (democratic) approaches.

Butterworth’s assertion that “the model identifies the respective skills that are normally required, the type of social interaction, methods of leadership and possible approaches to participation by the client group” (Butterworth, J, 2009: 98) directly relates to my evolving understanding of collaboration across different projects. In my outreach programme, I took on a more didactic role, guiding the kids who were new to the performing arts. This required clear leadership, planning and adaptability, yet also demanded empathy and flexibility, both qualities essential for maintaining trust and inclusion. This was so important for these kids, as in their everyday life, as it is something they don’t always have. In contrast, my micro-workshop on stillness and presence reflected a movement toward the democratic end of Butterworth’s framework. Although I facilitated the workshop, the focus was on shared exploration and embodied awareness, encouraging participants to listen to themselves and one another rather than follow direct instruction. Finally, The Tomorrow Cabaret represented a fully democratic form of collaboration, where creative decisions emerged collectively through group discussion, experimentation and compromise. This project challenged me to relinquish control and embrace differing perspectives, deepening my understanding of ensemble practice and the creative potential that arises from tension and negotiation.

Reflecting on these experiences through the lens of Linda Candy’s concept of complementary collaboration, I now recognise how each project embodied complementary qualities, even if I was not consciously aware of this at the time. Candy describes complementary collaboration as a process where individuals contribute different but equally valuable skills and perspectives toward a shared creative goal.

“Collaboration inevitably involves multi-disciplinary teamwork and, where the participants are engaged in the creative process, we call it ‘co-creativity’. (Candy, L, 2002: 13)

In retrospect, my outreach programme, micro-workshop and The Tomorrow Cabaret each relied on this dynamic, combining contrasting strengths such as leadership, facilitation and creative experimentation. When viewed alongside Butterworth’s Didactic–Democratic Framework, the connection becomes clear. While I often assumed I was shifting between leadership and shared authorship, I was also engaging in complementary collaboration, where diversity of skill and viewpoint enriched the final outcome. Recognising this has deepened my understanding of how both models intersect, showing that effective collaboration depends not only on structure or hierarchy, but also on the ability to value difference as a creative asset.

Pfeiffer, Richardson and Wurm (2020: 358) argue that successful devised-theatre processes require “fluid, non-hierarchical practice” in which participants negotiate meaning and authorship across different communicative and cultural frameworks. This concept resonates strongly with my own experience in projects, where collaboration was not simply about shared tasks but about navigating difference; whether in expertise, background, or creative approach. Their notion of collaboration reinforces the idea that the creative process becomes richer when roles are flexible and participants listen to one another, echoing both the democratic end of Jo Butterworth’s framework and the complementary collaboration described by Linda Candy. Including this reference strengthens my argument about how I’m moving from more hierarchical modes of practice toward more inclusive, co-creative models of collaboration.

Through these experiences, I have learned how different collaborative models demand varied leadership and listening skills. My journey demonstrates a progression from structured, director-led facilitation toward shared authorship and creative independence. This evolution reflects a growing confidence in my ability to balance artistic vision with openness to others. Moving forward, I aim to continue developing this balance, recognising that effective collaboration thrives not only on clear direction but also on the trust, respect and equality that enable authentic artistic exchange.

Conclusion

Throughout this module, I have recognised a clear shift in my approach to collaboration and personal development in my documentation. In the past, I often focused heavily on supporting others; prioritising their creative ideas, needs, and confidence over my own. While this helped me become a considerate and reliable collaborator, I sometimes neglected my own artistic voice and ambitions as a performer. Last year and this year have therefore become important turning points for me. I am intentionally focusing more on myself; exploring what I truly want to achieve, the kind of performer I aspire to be and how I can take greater ownership of my creative growth. This shift is not about withdrawing from collaboration but about learning to balance collective work with personal artistic development, ensuring that my individuality continues to evolve alongside my ensemble practice.

Throughout this portfolio, I have explored collaboration as both an artistic and ethical practice, a process of balancing individuality with collective creativity. Across my outreach project, micro-workshop, and The Tomorrow Cabaret, I have learned that collaboration is not simply about shared labour, but about actively listening, adapting and valuing the diverse strengths that others bring. As Gaunt (2020:15) states, “working in ensembles demands a reflexive awareness of both one’s individual contribution and the group’s creative momentum,” and this resonates deeply with my own development. I have become increasingly aware of how self-reflection and ensemble awareness coexist; my growth as a performer depends on my ability to contribute authentically while remaining responsive to others.

These experiences, framed by Butterworth’s Didactic–Democratic Framework and Candy’s theories of Family and Complementary Collaboration, have deepened my understanding of how different collaborative models can shape artistic identity. I have moved from leading and guiding others to embracing shared authorship and collective responsibility. This shift has also taught me that genuine collaboration involves both courage and vulnerability, the willingness to relinquish control and trust the creative process. As I continue to develop my practice, I aim to carry this awareness forward, using collaboration not only to create meaningful art but also to nurture spaces where creativity, equality and empathy can thrive.

Musical theatre has the power to move people; to make them laugh, cry and imagine. My ambition is to use that power to inspire change and remind audiences and myself, that art is never just about one person, but about the collective experience of something bigger than us all.

Bibliography

Grammarly was used to check punctuation and grammar.

Candy, L. (2019) The Creative Reflective Practitioner: Research Through Making and Practice. 1st edition. Abingdon, Oxon: Routledge.

Candy, L. (2002) Computers and creativity support: knowledge, visualisation and collaboration. Knowledge-Based Systems.

Butterworth, J. (2009) ‘Too many cooks? A framework for dance making and devising’, in Contemporary Choreography. Routledge.

Pfeiffer, K., Richardson, M. & Wurm, S. (2020) ‘Translaboration in the rehearsal room: translanguaging as collaborative responsibility in bilingual devised theatre’, Target – International Journal of Translation Studies.

Gaunt, H. (2020) ‘Ensemble practices in the arts: A reflective matrix to practice’, International Journal of Education & the Arts.