Compendium Viewpoints and Composition.

Viewpoints is a way of working for actors and theatre artists that highlights their connection with others and the world around them. The emphasis is on an open awareness and interaction with others in the room (and the room itself). Rather than fixed exercises or body postures, Viewpoints consists of awakening a consciousness of specific qualities of presence in time and space and being responsive to them, usually in an improvisatory way. Viewpoints is a highly physical experience for actors and practice and exercises should be held in the form of a workshop in a suitable room.

Due to the unfortunate restrictions caused by the Covid-19 pandemic the work now will have to be arranged online. This means that the work form needs to be changed from a physical workshop to a lecture form. Thus, there will be a shift from the physical to the theoretical aspect of the work, two sessions of discussions and lectures coordinated by Norwegian actor Per Bogstad Gulliksen.

The persons selected following the open call made by the Political Theater Platform 2021-2022 - graduates of the last three years of acting, directing and scenography – have participated during July-August 2021, in two online workshop sessions consisting of a series of lectures and discussions coordinated by Norwegian actor Per Bogstad Gulliksen from Morten Bruun theater company. The workshops focused on Viewpoints and composition methods.

Viewpoints is a composition technique and a training method for actors that develops the relationship with body and space, control over movement and gesture, presence on stage and reaction capacity, developed by theater and dance artist Mary Overlie in the 1970s.

The first workshop took place between July 5-9, 2021, and the second on August 23-27, 2021. Workshops’ program:

First series of lectures:

Day 1) Lecture on the History and Development of Viewpoints

Day 2) Physical Viewpoints within Viewpoints of Time

Day 3) Physical Viewpoints within Viewpoints of Space

Day 4) How to begin - Introduction to the Individual Viewpoints

Day 5) Viewpoints Working with Music

Second series of lectures:

Day 1) Lecture on Composition

Day 2) Composition towards making Original Work

Day 3) How to Discuss Composition Work in a Group

Day 4) Composition and Related Arts

Day 5) Viewpoints in Unexpected Places

The workshops are part of the program ”PERIFEERIA – Political Theater Platform 2021-2022”. This project is financed with the support of EEA Grants 2014 – 2021 within the RO-CULTURE Programme.