Attacks Lab- Curatorial Statement

December 07, 2011

By Dani Fecko, Associate Curator, PuSh Festival
& Anita Rochon, Attacks Lab Co-Curator

A workshop with Guided Tour (2012) and City of Dreams (2011) director Peter Reder is among the many Attacks Lab offerings.

The idea behind Attacks Lab started two and a half years ago, in conversations with PuSh Executive Director Norman Armour and Rumble Artistic Producer Craig Hall.  The intention was to create a space for directors to be able to talk about each other’s work in a critical way – not to put each other down, and not always to raise each other up, but to have frank discussions about why/how artistic decisions are made, when they work and why they might not. Last year, Rumble and PuSh hosted the Director’s Lab that brought seven directors together with CanStage’s Matthew Jocelyn for a week of exploration, discovery and discussion.

Award-winning director and hybrid artist Phil Soltanoff offers a series of workshops.

Attacks Lab 2012 has a wider array of activities with a roster of some of the most exciting voices in theatre from the local, national and international scene. We built on feedback from last year where the directors appreciated the opportunity to examine and define their own practices in relation to others, so this series has an equal mix of hands-on workshops and conversations with focused questions. The topics range from working with actors and designers to case studies to the specific techniques of the invited directors. Many of the sessions have been opened up to artists of all practices as well as to our audiences.

Directing is usually a solitary endeavor with few opportunities to reflect and examine in a public context. With local moderators bringing years of experience and pointed enquiries into the workshops and conversations, we hope to facilitate heated and relevant exchanges meant to inspire and challenge all involved. Most of the activities are free or very affordable as it was important to us to encourage healthy participation and cross-pollination. The Attacks Lab 2012 series is the perfect compliment to the festival so we invite you join us for many (or all) of the events.