This is a big moment , our Diva character 'Solitaire' from our narrative , will hit the internet this month via our social media on a regular basis . She will  give her  own updates , comments via twitter and facebaook,  that reflect her own unique take on things. This something of an interesting experiment, that  we have planned .  For the character  Solitaire, to enter cyberspace and take a presence there.  I am very excited about this , as it is all new territory, ..

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April has seen a flurry of activity as tickets are now on sale, around the recruitment of ambassadors for our novel 'Black Divas ' Ambassadors audience development scheme.  We designed this scheme and it is being implemented by Dare to Diva and Curve Box Office.  We have our own website up http://www.dareto diva.com  and our social media on Facebook and Twitter is buzzing.

We are making good progress towards our target number. Plans are afoot , to launch some pre-publicity around o..

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We have had the press launch of the East Midlands Cultural Olympiad in Nottingham at a place called Primary. After all thats happened on the journey . So off we go at last !!!!!

Our brilliant new audience development , ambassador scheme is now also launched . It uses famous and semi famous Black Diva names, selected by the myself as artistic director, for their contribution to disco house dance music also with a song title of theirs that links to our production narrative (they are encouraged to l..

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Looking back at famous characters of theatre and film, actors often remark how they and audiences, really enjoy very strong flawed characters. ! Solitaire our character of the piece, is Leicester born bred Highfields gal and is unmistakably a remarkable one ! Love her or hate her ? This will probably be, a defining question for the audiences . How much of her role is something audiences in some degree, will identify and project their own responses , or be repelled by in some way - will be really intere..

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I have had a marvellous week in Leicester, in the company of two exquisite novelists , Kerry Young from Leicester discussing her Costa nominated book Pao published by Bloomsbury . Rozena Maart from SA, her book Rosa's District Six - published by Tsar. With Kerry I questioned her at an event she was leading, at De Montfort University Cultural Exchanges, about the hybrid language and voice of her main character , a Jamaican Chinese man living in post war Jamaica, as well editorial processes and the desir..

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In year or so , that has seen Vesta Williams, Amy Winehouse and most recently Whitney Houston -unwind from this mortal coil . In Whitney Houston's case in particular I have just commented , publicly to highlight and acknowledge the family's turmoil and the struggles that Divas can face in the music industry hidden from public view -i.e. when not on show. This was done via a phone link on a local BBC radio programme. It therefore , seemed timely to mark , to observe - some ordinary peoples , the media a..

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On the 20th of January a really important milestone was reached !!! It has took till now to process the whole experience properly. With the huge push towards the sharing of the work in progress, at a prestigious theatre studio space, in front of a 50+ specially invited audience. The audience included the pros, Dramaturge, Director, Producer, Literary other Theatre /Performing Arts practitioners etc. Alongside Board members of the project , arts partners for the the project and Cultural Olympiad. Import..

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I have just finished a technical rehearsal in preparation, for further rehearsals the following day.
It has gone well and working in the actual space with Technicians and later on with other digital creatives. To perform and share an extract/work in progress to a specially invited audience. With humming video screens in effect,this has been a great , a very new experience as a live performer !

A good amount of patience, care diligence , understanding, communication skills, is needed working ..

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Whirl wind of a week testing filming and to finalize 'the Diva's Dressing Gown' at the very least for the forthcoming sharing . Everything is becoming so real and taking shape by turns. This is all incredibly exciting and nerve racking all at the same time . Recently the Creative Team and myself did a site visit to the theatre (for staging /technical purposes) , where we will be doing our first sharing of project work to date. Just standing in the space, like I had never been in there before - empty ba..

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After holiday inertia coughs and colds, Sean and Andy (digital performance platform visuals and lighting design respectively with myself . Have done us proud with testing all the technical kit acquired Mac Mini etc) and electronic bits and gummings, in preparation for our first sharing , work in progress , at a theatre later this month. In addition to it also being preparatory work for our project installation later in the year at a local digital media centre. The three days testing at De Montfort Perf..

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A single pulse of an old african diaspora five beat rhythm in my mind -is the vision for the entire piece. As it underpins the choreopoem of our project , all the text. choreography, movement - the whole dynamic of the piece etc is structured on these five beat cycles . In writing the text this is from within me and moves without . I aim to infuse it into the creative team and for it to be fully internalized by all of them. The same later on by , audiences - but on a more subtle level. For now as we wo..

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Something of a roller coaster, in the last week or so . Branding, logos artwork , media interviews, recruiting new Student Interns, staging deviser, planing the most technically challenging film live action and digital interactivity - Whoah !!! All rounded off marvellously with costume consultations, a project management task list, with loads of tasks completed, plus an injection of further funding, for the music (acoustic and electronic) component of the project CHAMPION ! as they say in the North Eas..

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What I write below, makes me happy, very proud and relieved - to actually be making good progress,s its all becoming very real the vision - despite a lot tense moments ... (no time for blogging just go go go !) over the last number of weeks . The whole 2012 branding logo matter is finally resolved, with a partner coming to our aid and our creative design branding person saving the day ! But it highlighted a number of key issues around legal status, for a solo entrepreneurial artist like my self . I can..

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