So the last week I have been researching ‘risk’ via on line searches, some interviews by email and in person with friends, but this week I want to cast a wider net and search statistics on some of the emerging themes and see if I can line up some more interviews and find or take some photographs.
Why am I doing this? Because I have been commissioned as a writer for street theatre group PhoenX and it’s my homework to develop a contribution to a collaborative group, including Owen Allen the initiator who invited me on board, and actor/writer Liz Hurley – our contribution needs to be something that comes from a reflection on this theme which includes research of a variety of types. I’ve been scanning news headlines as well, looking at blogs covering the hot topic of ‘are we raising a generation of insulated kids?’ and pro free range parenting movements.
We each picked a topic close to our heart- a different dimension, and then we will combine our pieces. My topic is cotton wool vs free range parents – the risks we want our children to take to grow and the risks we think will kill them? Well I put it extremely there but I am setting up some tensions and extremes to explore the topic. Then I am searching for the sub themes and I have my own set of research questions to do with child rearing and mentoring, danger imagined or real and so on. I don’t want to reveal too much, we have to keep you the future audience guessing!!
It is so exciting to be involved 1- In collaborative writing, 2- In a venture that is itself a risk 3- Three different age groups, as between the three of us we cover different generations of experience 4- To be paid to write & research something I can feel something about.
We all agree that in this venture we are opening thought and encouraging people to explore issues without dictating what people should feel. We want a theme that is explored from a number of angles, covering local to global dimensions, but which can really speak to local experience. I have found it so inspiring to be part of this group. We are meeting via skype and email at present and collecting our thoughts and research.
The very savvy and enthusiastic Mr Allen gained a radf grant for developing his innovative idea, and now it’s the nitty gritty time of showing what is possible in such collaborations. More news later!! I don’t want to let too much out of the box!
This picture expresses how I think children should feel about their future – that it is full of possibility!
(c) All rights reserved words and image, June Perkins
