Home » Feature » Art and Culture
Children’s theater veteran takes helm at ASK
Print Edition
HAVING just opened last year, Art Space for Kids (ASK) may be among the youngest performance venues in Shanghai, but it’s already attracted one of the world’s biggest names in children’s theater.
Tony Reekie, director of the acclaimed children’s program at the Edinburgh International Festival between 1996 and 2015, arrived in Shanghai earlier this month to serve as the director of ASK.
The space’s calender is already packed with an exciting range of performances from all over the world, including shows from Australia, Russia and countries around Europe. These include dance performances, puppet shows and live theater productions intended to delight and inspire the young and the young-at-heart.
Reekie was kind enough to discuss his goals for ASK and the power of children’s theater.
Q: What attracted you to ASK in Shanghai? What sets this venue apart from others like it?
What inspired me about ASK was the passion and commitment of the team and their desire to make sure that the children of Shanghai have the best experience of the performing arts. I’m always drawn to people with passion. The space itself was an extra reason to work with the team at ASK. It is a lovely space; flexible and intimate, a perfect place to bring great quality work.
Q: What kind of experiences do you want to offer children and parents?
The purpose of any program is to provide and present a rich and varied experience. ASK has already been programming works of the highest possible quality from around the world and I hope to assist them in their task to bring the very best to their children.
Q: As a veteran director of the children’s theater program at the Edinburgh International Festival, you oversaw many amazing stage performances for kids. Do children respond differently toward the same performance in different countries? Have you seen the expected responses from local children here?
Children react differently everywhere! Some are very still; some are quite noisy, talking to each other all the way through. It’s part of my job to understand if they are enjoying it or not. What doesn’t change, however, is the reaction of children to a really good performance. They may be still or noisy but they all show a love and concentration that is easy to see. I think the local children are very enthusiastic to the work that ASK has been presenting.
Q: Is it difficult to produce a successful children’s program as an adult? Do you think of yourself as a “grown-up child?”
I think my wife might agree that I am a grown-up child! It’s a good question though. As much as I like to think I’m young at heart, the reality is that I’m not thinking the same way as a child, and it is my job not only to see the performance through my eyes but also sense how it is working for them. If I love it and they are clearly bored then there is no point in booking it, as it must speak to them directly.
Q: Are you the only one who decides what shows will come to ASK, or is that a group decision?
One of the things that made me want to work with ASK is the knowledge and experience of the fabulous team there. They have the skills and understanding of the local scene that makes my job of suggesting works possible. It’s a team effort and I’m very proud to be part of it.
Q: The ASK space is quite different from a traditional theater. It’s only about 200 square-meters and has almost no regular theater seating. What’s the purpose of such a design?
The space is very familiar to me coming from Europe. The journey there has led from big spaces to ones that are closer to the audience, more comfortable and more intimate. An artist once said to me that their work should be a slightly bigger version of the feeling a child has when their mother reads them a story at bedtime. That seems like a good idea to me, creating a special space where a child can explore their thoughts and feelings. The space that ASK has is perfect for a huge variety of shows. It may not be big in size, but in terms of the impact it has on the children it can be enormous.
Q: Since many performances are not locally produced, how do you overcome the language barrier?
In productions where there is language, a local professional performer rehearses with visiting artists to ensure a smooth final presentation where the audience understands what is happening and the flow of the piece isn’t interrupted.
Q: Is it important that parents share the same feelings and emotions as their children during a performance?
The best children’s theater must also work for the adults that come along with them. This is sometimes a surprise to the adults, who don’t expect to enjoy themselves as much as they do!
Q: How does ASK help nurture Chinese performance artists?
ASK has already run a lot of workshops and training sessions with local Chinese artists. This is tremendously important. In the long term, local children should be seeing more work from local artists as they understand them culturally better than someone from outside. It’s also really important that local Chinese artists get the chance to see work from different parts of the world. Watching great work ... is one of the best ways for artists to think about their own work and begin the creative process.
Q: What are your recommendations for 2016 at ASK?
That’s a tough question to ask when the whole program has so much to offer! If I had to choose one, it would be “Goodbye Mr Muffin” from Denmark. It has all the elements of brilliant children’s theater and will be perfect in the ASK space. The children will be entranced and adults will be moved. It’s a genuine family experience which works on different levels for everyone. It’s simple, musical and magical.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
