As you may, or may not, know, I (Safyan) am one of the NTW team known as the ‘YOUNG COLLECTIVE’ - check out our information here – it’s not just me but other amazing artists too!

A group of staff and the YOUNG COLLECTIVE (including me) went to Dolbryn Caravan and Campsite on a residency in September. Dolbryn is a peaceful family run and family friendly campsite in the heart of the Teifi Valley in beautiful West Wales. We stayed there as a group for three days to explore ideas and experiment to come up with themes for our performance, creating phenomenal content, and developing key acting skills in the process – all contributing to our show in March - EXCITING!!

During the residency the YOUNG COLLECTIVE;

1. networked with each other

2. explored and experimented with the story we want to tell

3. played acting games

4. group discussions about the idea and themes for the performance

5. explore forms of expression

This was a beautiful, amazing, experience and a brilliant new opportunity. I learnt so much specialist terminology and techniques during the activities - how to find a story, developing rough ideas through group discussion, and I love every second of it. I’m very glad that I went and participated.

To be honest, this is one of my first experiences of doing anything like this, and it was a new challenge is to understand how the process works. I loved group activities where we got to know each other better, and my favourite part was definitely one of the clay games and the numbering games too. I would say this was an amazing opportunity for us to explore and to experiment to get a better idea of what we would like to produce as a team and I felt a warmth, support, and love hanging with the group

Lastly, we chatted, we bonded with each other, we laughed, and we learned new things. Some of us went up to the vineyard and chilled, some looked out at the moon and stars, some participated in an open mic, a few of us did scary stories in the dark, played football, and pizza had too. The residency was such fun, inspiring, supportive – I love working with the YOUNG COLLECTIVE and I feel grateful to have been part of this.