With Covid-19 bringing the theatre industry to a halt, we also wanted to find new ways to support our network of amazing freelance artists. We make work collaboratively: devising theatre with many great minds in our rehearsal room – everyone has a voice, so it felt natural to us to make space for other artists to go on journeys of their own to explore themes that the company is examining – and that their work could feed into and contribute to forthcoming productions. Over the last 14 years the research and the engagement work has become not only integral to the way we make theatre, but also much more closely linked. This happens in many different ways – workshops, gathering stories, teaming up with academics, commissioning lectures, and so much more. We have always rigorously researched every Ad Infinitum production, and along with that, woven into the creative process, is a way of engaging with our audiences, communities and artists outside of, but alongside the productions we make. Your podcast Home from Home has just completed a second series, where did it start? So inspiration for The Long Lie (TLL) (working title) really grew out of these thoughts and experiences… And the system itself, after the last 11 years of austerity and funding cuts doesn’t feel like it’s fit for purpose. When the pandemic struck last year and we began to learn about the vulnerabilities in our elderly care system, it made me think very seriously about the provisions we have in place, whether they are good enough, the people who go above and beyond, and also the many incidences of neglect…it feels like something we could all benefit from thinking about more. How can you make the last part of our lives a meaningful and enjoyable experience? And I keep feeling that there isn’t a good solution for this.
Ad infinitum theatre professional#
It was fraught with emotions and different opinions – from my grandparents, my parents who took care of them, other family members, myself – about what the best thing to do would be, and how could we best take care of them as they reach the autumn of their lives? Would it be best to move closer to them so we can visit regularly? To have them move in with my parents? To move them into a care home that allowed for independent living but also transitioned to more dependent care if they were to deteriorate? Have professional care for them at home? The discussions were painful and difficult for all involved. It didn’t just ‘happen’, instead it was a very complex process. I’ve been thinking about how we care for our elders ever since my four grandparents started reaching the final stages of their lives. You have three projects at the moment that focus on older people, what’s inspired this focus? Nir Paldi, co-artistic director of Ad Infinitum, talks about three projects working with older people.
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