Could art be the antidote we need right now? Abigail Sewell, Theatre and Film Director and Co-founder of Uproot, a socially driven cross-arts production company, explores the intentionality and connectedness of creativity.
The impact of the past year has been devastating on a mass scale. Many of us have learned a valuable lesson about our connectedness as a global population, and though this was specifically in the context of physical health, it’s got me thinking about the myriad of other ways that we are connected.
Since the closure of theatres in March 2020, much of my work has come to a standstill and in this time I’ve become increasingly aware of the power of the arts. I’ve been learning about myths from around the world and have found that there are infinite parallels between the stories passed down through seemingly disconnected cultures. I find it remarkable that distinct communities can be so aligned with a shared intentionality behind their stories, and I consider this evidence to suggest that storytelling is an innate and necessary human thing. Drama holds a mirror up to us and reflects back imagined alternate versions of our realities. When we engage in this state of imaginative play, we are able to gain empathy for one another’s lives. I feel like we need a major dose of that right now. Engaging with drama reawakens our ability to play and imagine, empowering us to dream and want for more. Art is a powerful force for change and now feels like a particularly important time to be intentional with our creative expression.
“I find it remarkable that distinct communities can be so aligned with a shared intentionality behind their stories, and I consider this evidence to suggest that storytelling is an innate and necessary human thing. Drama holds a mirror up to us and reflects back imagined alternate versions of our realities.”
I’ve always been compelled to question the ‘why’ behind my art. I tell stories because I recognise their capacity to spark change for the storyteller and the listener alike. My work as a theatre and film director engages with themes of race, gender, class and sexuality, championing untold narratives from underrepresented voices. My work typically centres Black women because I am acutely aware of the power of representation and what happens when our stories are told for us. For this same reason, in 2020 I Co-Founded Uproot, a socially driven cross-arts production company. We exist to uproot racist structures and we are committed to challenging who takes up space and who has the right to tell which stories. In the face of crumbling societal structures, now is a potent time to envision change and rebuild. So let’s reimagine and be intentional about what we leave behind, what we take forward and how we can reconnect with one another in the process.