Last night I learned something beautiful at the PANSA (Performing Arts Network of South Africa) AGM. I’m not a huge meeting goer; I get impatient after 10 minutes, but I was glad I could make this year’s AGM since it wasn’t on a Monday or Tuesday (TheatreSports) night.
Anyhoo, there was a lively little debate about the state of the industry, in which Marianne Thamm spoke about the Fleur du Cap awards and explained how they work, and then it was the nuts and bolts of the AGM stuff. Well done PANSA, for growing and working and creating and developing. Well done Brian Heydenrych, last year’s chair Tanya Surtees and treasurer Erica Glynn-Jones. Well done to the others who sit more behind the scenes too.
At one point Tanya explained PANSA’s new action/slogan; Positive PANSA, and I got it in an instant. It is so powerful. Just saying it makes it true. This kind of thing is not new for me; it’s the basis of all improvisation, but to see it powerfully in action in another context was amazing. The strength of positive means no fighting, taking stuff on, owning stuff and shifting stuff, which is exactly what the top guys did when they were challenged or attacked. I (on the other hand) often held my breath. I wanted to lash out in my normal, boxing gloves way, but the more I positive PANSA’ed, the stronger and better I got.
This is a pic from the play I directed at the PANSA 48hr festival showcase in Jan 2009.
