It was the sleeper hit of SWF'08 and it's coming back for SWF'09 but what is Constellations?

Last year's short Constellation session was completely packed out, with many delegates describing it as their "highlight of the festival".

Mark McKergow and Richard Tierney thought it would be interesting to attempt a more in depth session this year so we are running a session on THE DAY AFTER the festival. Friday October 30th.

It's more interesting and involving to with a small group, so this year we are limiting the session to just 25 participants. We intend to work on at least two scripts in a half day session. Participants will all have the chance to be part of the constellations, to experience this dramatic and thought-provoking approach first hand and to expand their own thinking about the dynamics of relationships and story.

The charge is £35 per person. Friday Oct 30th Book now. Only 25 places. First come First Served! To book email Richard now rt@creativetalks.com

For those who were unable to attend the session at SWF 08, Constellation work is based on a therapy used mostly in the emotions around family and relationship issues and, let's face it, most film scripts are about that.

Click Here to read Mark's overview on Constellations.

The approach works like this: The screenwriter will describe their story very briefly and states the question to explore using the Constellation. The writer and constellator then pick out appropriate characters and story elements (perhaps including character traits and more abstract forces at play in the script). The writer assigns a representative to each, and with the help of the constellator carefully positions them in the room, forming the initial constellation. At this point the writer sits down and joins the remaining participants as observers of the session.

The constellator then talks with each representative, exploring the dynamics of the situation, and can move representatives around to see how the dynamics change. One fascinating feature of constellations is how the representatives really do experience the dynamics and emotions of the story, and their feedback can help the writer consider new possibilities. The constellator also moves forwards and backwards through the story to see how things change. There are many more esoteric variations which may be employed if the situation requires it.

Writers always go away from these sessions with a new perspective on their story, different in every case but always transformational. Often writers come to these sessions with a script with a problem, the sessions identify the problem, and offers solutions which the writer then takes back to incorporate.

We hope that by offering a half day session to a smaller group we will be able to work on at least two scripts and get more of the participants having a direct experience of the technique.

Click Here to read how one of last year's Delegates, Marlene Rodgers, found the workshop when her script was used as an example.

 

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Book now. Only 25 places £35 for half day Constellation Workshop on Friday October 30th 2009. To book email Richard now rt@creativetalks.com