Haqeem’s Experience (Participant) [he/him]

Work On The Self? Yes, please.

I was on a journey of discovering myself again when I came across this programme on Instagram. I was curious about how the programme would incorporate working on the self into physical theatre training. Having little experience in theatre, I did not know the existence of physical theatre. So, I was pleasantly surprised to learn about it through the programme. It took me weeks before I finally decided to sign up and it was probably the best decision I have made this year.

The various activities that we did during the programme were interesting as we get to explore our thoughts, beliefs, habits, memories, and even our bodies. Each activity always leaves us questioning everything, but do not expect the facilitators to answer them. There were times when we experienced frustration, as we had no idea what we were supposed to do or had difficulty understanding the concepts that the facilitators were trying to teach us. We had to seek these answers ourselves, and when we do find the answers eventually, we can then appreciate these activities and grow as both an actor and also as a person. At the end of each activity, there will be a discussion with everyone where we get to share our experiences. This was when I felt a sense of solidarity with all the other participants especially when others had the same sentiments regarding the activity.

WOTS is a safe space for us as we get to express ourselves without judgement. Everyone’s safety and comfort were of utmost importance. Besides taking care of ourselves, we learned how to take care of each other in the space. It became a refuge for me, almost like group therapy, where we help each other to bring out the best of our ability as actors and also as human beings. The friendships forged with the other participants were a bonus that I got from this programme and I am very grateful for it. Even after our sessions ended, we can still continue to practice working on ourselves with each other.

Work On The Self? Curiosity. Confusion. Anger. Vulnerability. Disappointment. Frustration. Relief. Gratitude. Happiness. Love. That is what WOTS is.