What are you up to in your work at the moment and what are you looking forward to?
As I'm currently on a gap year, I've taken the opportunity to widen my skill set, including classes in vocal work and stage fighting. I've also been working as a youth theatre teacher and an assistant director in theatre and opera, which has been great fun. I've got more opera work in September, which I'm really looking forward to, as well as several very exciting projects with local artists on new work.
Can you tell us a bit about the process you've been through from getting your Gold to where you are today?
Several aspects of Gold Arts Award have influenced my artistic journey. Learning the new skill of tap dance encouraged me to learn more dance styles and I have since added Ballroom and Latin to my repertoire. My work experience backstage at Chipping Norton Theatre reminded how much I love the rehearsal process and led to me shifting my focus from performing to directing and creating work. Finally, the issue section made me look closer at various aspects of the industry, particularly the role of dance in modern musical theatre, which I look to challenge in my work.
What can we expect from you at the Gold Expo?
At the Gold Expo I will be performing a high-energy, exhilarating routine featuring 10 different styles that really celebrates the diversity in dance. See if you can spot them all!
How did doing Gold benefit you? Why do you think young people should pursue it?
I found Gold Arts Award beneficial because it was a brilliant opportunity to focus on my personal artistic growth, which can sometimes be difficult during group work in classes or clubs. It also gave me the luxury of several months to really develop my work and focus on my own interests.
I'm really looking forward to seeing Vivienne performing at Rich Mix :)