Here is the statement of intent that I have written in order to tell people why I am going to China for a three week trip.
“I will arrive in Kunming on Friday 25th October 2013 and stay with friends and visit the surrounding region for 5-7 days and then journey north visiting Shanghai and Xi’an to Beijing visiting places on the way. I haven’t confirmed the exact itinerary. I will return to London on 17t November 2013.
I want to find out what is happening in China by making contact with theatre practitioners. The main centres of theatre production may be Beijing and Shanghai but I also want to engage with theatre outside these main centres.
I am particularly interested in learning about the impact of the extraordinarily rapid industrialisation and urbanisation, taking place in China, on forms of theatre and performance.
I want to see, if possible, how traditional forms of performance are responding to the social and economic changes that are taking place. Also I want to see how experimental forms are responding to these same processes. In this way I hope to be able to look at these changes through the perspective of theatre practice.
I have had a long-term interest in Chinese philosophy and have tried to know as much as I can about the Chinese history but I am expert in neither topic.
As well as having depth of experience in directing and creating theatre in many different contexts both in the UK and internationally, I have directed theatre companies and founded arts organisations. If you want to read more about my work go to: http://aztheatre.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/jonathanchadwickbiog-1.pdf
I have deep experience of training actors in drama academies and have made a special training programme around the work of Motokiyo Zeami (http://www.actingfrominnerspace.com). I currently teach MA students at the London Film School.
More recently I have undertaken a Masters of Science in Ecological Economics at University of Leeds. Az Theatre, I am developing a project about social and environmental change called mappa mundi. This involves mapping change through drama videos. http://aztheatre.org.uk/blog/category/mappa-mundi/”