– 46 things I’ve learnt by watching Oblivia’s performances, talking with the group and working with them
Lesson 1: You are allowed to laugh as much as you want to (as a spectator in a performance).
Lesson 2: (As a spectator) you don’t need to understand or rationalize everything that happens on stage.
Lesson 3: And yet, it all happens for a reason.
Lesson 4: Show your emotions freely (as a spectator of a performance). Don’t ever wait for what might happen next, but laugh, cry, clap your hands together when you feel like it. What’s about to come, will come.
Lesson 5: The best type of humor is to laugh at and with yourself.
Lesson 6: Your taste (as a spectator) will evolve.
Lesson 7: Things (including performance groups) evolve.
(6+7 show that you should try again if you’ve met/tasted/seen something you don’t like)
Lesson 8: It’s as much about the light, sound, space and costume as it is about a single human being (= performer).
Lesson 9: A trio is an ideal for a rock band.
Lesson 10: (Oblivia is a national treasure.) We should take better care of our national treasures.
Lesson 11: The black box is inspiring.
Lesson 12: It’s not about the looks. You can look/be/feel like a fisherman or a librarian and still rock as AC/DC.
Lesson 13: A trilogy is a good length for an artistic study.
Lesson 14: It’s good to have a 5-year-plan.
Lesson 15: It’s good to keep all doors a bit open.
Lesson 16: Sometimes you just need to blow your own trumpet.
Lesson 17: Do what you saw and make it your own.
Lesson 18: Try everything once, even folk dancing.
Lesson 19: If it doesn’t work, it doesn’t work. Carry on.
Lesson 20: Long relationships are to be valued.
Lesson 21: New faces are a must.
Lesson 22: Share the responsibilities.
Lesson 23: Share the glory.
Lesson 24: Always look for the perfect combo. Always.
Lesson 25: In the dictionary you’ll find a link to Oblivia’s work as a definition for charisma.
Lesson 26: Spectacle can be Live Art can be Spectacle.
Lesson 27: Farting is funny.
Lesson 28: Papier Maché is a great safety word.
Lesson 29: Face the unknown. Usually it’s friendly.
Lesson 30: This is all light and easy. It doesn’t mean that unimportant and forgettable.
Lesson 31: Children are radicals.
Lesson 32: More radicals than children are the adults giving the power to the children.
Lesson 33: Adults have the power and they need to use it well.
Lesson 34: Children have power and adults can rejoice in that.
Lesson 35: We don’t need to understand words, but emotions and/or layers of being, memories and Stimmung.
Lesson 36: Do. Be. Do.
Lesson 37: Improvisation is about trust.
Lesson 38: Everything is about trust.
Lesson 39: Trust is political.
Lesson 40: All art is political.
Lesson 41: The most political art is the sort of art that doesn’t give you answers but raises questions and helps you to think by yourself.
Lesson 42: We are nature.
Lesson 43: How to play a polypore.
Lesson 44: Art is multilingual by its nature.
Lesson 45: All is material.
+ you don’t need to make 50 lessons, you can do 46.
This is what I’ve learned from and with Oblivia during the past 15 years or so.
