Photo Gallery :(Rebecca Sheard, 2019)
During my final year, I conducted an Independent Practice as Research project. It was this module that allowed me to put all my skills gained from the previous two years at York St John University and apply them to this project. This was a journey which began with the Artist As Witness module, which explored family relationships surrounded by a world of devastation. It was this that inspired me to explore relationships through the lens of Grimsby’s lost fishing industry, and portray the effects that loss has on family.
When The Boat Comes In explores the struggles of the fishing community, and looks upon the effects the fishing industry has upon relationships and the women left at home. Not only does this piece of work reflect the lost lives of fishermen and the struggles of the industry, but it also serves as a memorial for Grimsby, a town which has been forgotten and lost in time. This is a piece of work that I care greatly, the journey of the process helped me to find myself as an artist and define my practice. It taught me the importance of Grimsby’s history, and what Grimsby means to me and how Grimsby is a part of who I am. I had finally discovered my niche, which is working with working class communities to tell their stories of lost industry.
I am a story teller, and wish to use my work to tell a story. I have always been interested in the lost and forgotten stories of place and people and appreciate how everyone and everywhere deserves to have their story heard. When The Boat Comes In was a project which was produced from ethnographic research, improvisations and theatre images. Throughout the process I worked closely with the Fishing Heritage Centre in Grimsby and met with fishermen and other families of the fishing community. During this time, I would speak openly with the fishermen about their experiences of the fishing industry. These experiences where then later brought into the rehearsal space as stimuli and played a pivotal role in the construction of the work.
I am currently seeking to perform this piece of work in Grimsby to the fisherman and their families and I am currently waiting for a date to perform the work at Grimsby’s Fishing Heritage Centre. I believe When The Boat Comes In should be performed in Grimsby as a reminder of what the town used to stand for, and the stories it holds.
I intend to tour this piece of work around fishing towns in the UK and apply for funding which will allow me to further work with communities in Grimsby. I intend to run workshops for the fishing community and work with the fishing community to create more performances which are reflective of Grimsby, and it’s lost history. The skills I have learned on this project will aid me to facilitate and lead theatre projects in the future, as I now understand the preparation and dedication needed to create a piece of theatre which resonates with a community.
- Pearson M, (2006) In Comes I: Performance, Memory and Landscape. University of Exeter Press,
- When The Boat Comes In (2019) Directed by Jess Wilkins. York. York St John University.
