ENSEMBLE or 4 things the Arts have taught me

I remember very clearly the day I decided to actively engage (again) with the Arts … it was in September 2016 taking part in a Musical Theatre trial by City Academy in London.

At that time, I embraced my 10th year in a communication agency working my way up (and my ass off). While everything from the outside looked almost too perfect to be true, I felt something was dramatically missing in my life. I lost my own self, working and living with “my nose to the grindstone”. Almost like a robot, complying to a world where efficiency squishes everything out of you and squashes the little ounce of fantasy or imagination you might have. A world that instead rewards your ability to be always faster with limited ways to mentally escape from your duties. A cadenced life that forces you to fit everything in, but has no way out for you to breathe.

That day in September opened up a new door, a door which would show me the way back to what I truly enjoyed as a child, the possibility to reconnect with my true self and my emotions and find that creativity I thought I never had… Deciding to start the Musical Theatre program came therefore as a gift. One that touched my soul, shook and pepped my every day and forced me to (re)discover what my true values and passions are.

Since then, I have lived one of the most intense 4 years, lucky enough to have been part of 5 (amateur) shows. A dream came true, going from the backseat in a theatre to the stage was something I never thought I would ever be able to experience. I have learnt so very much from arts, theatre skills of all kind but foremost about the power of humans and especially artists to create magic… magic for themselves, the group they’re with and the audience they perform for – limitless. I now fully appreciate why in theatre terms this group is called “Ensemble” – a French word defining the group of dancers/singers/actors supporting the lead roles implying equally a sense of togetherness.

This experience has not only changed the human being I am but the very way I embrace new projects too. The parallels with our business life are so numerous and if I were to choose 4 key aspects to share here with you, it would be those:

• Believe in the power of positive attitude & kindness –The physical and mental efforts that go into a show demand to be surrounded by people supercharged with those values. There can’t be any place for negativity. As for a project, putting a show together means bumps on the road and things not running to plan. At no time, our creative directors showed signs of being worried or even panic facing an issue. As a result, no one else panicked and what sounded overwhelming ended up being a detail which just got ironed out quickly.  
• Adopt a rigorous and continuous can-do attitude, always believing in the success of the project figuring out early on how this will look like – This is what triggers most people’s motivation and makes them commit. No one wants to be part of an “average” show. Equally in business, employees want to be associated with success and know they have contributed directly to this success. This also means people will commit to putting in the extra effort and hard work needed to achieve that result because they know it will be worth it.
• Push your limits – in theatre, you are permanently confronted to new challenges such as singing a solo in front of everyone (which at first feels like being naked…), auditioning for a new role (the most nerve-wracking experience I ever had, much worse than public speaking) or performing the premiere of a show where you still feel wobbly on some scenes… This means surpassing yourself, getting out of your (famous) comfort zone which in return allows you to expand your skills. I still remember the best advice a coach ever gave me before presenting: “know your stuff” = same in theatre, rehearse, rehearse, rehearse. This is how your achievement will become much more significant and help you strengthen your self-confidence.
• Work “Ensemble” - Team first – From all the 4 aspects, this one is probably the most important of all. If your team doesn’t bond or doesn’t respect each other, no good result can come out of it. Only when every single person of the group commits fully and works “Ensemble”, the true magic happens, where everything comes together and of what you thought was impossible to do suddenly becomes possible – and often great. As an ex-agency leader, this is exactly what makes you win a client pitch!  

Now you’re probably wondering why I am writing about all of this right now… I would like to touch so many more people with this story and encourage those who’re trying hard to have a career to look aside too and consider re-engaging with one of their passions. It will not only make you feel better about yourself but expand your skills and horizon too. This world is going to ask us all to be more and more resilient, therefore keeping in tune with one self’s body and with your aspirations will be one way to support this. Finally, it is my way to remind me of the importance of Arts in our life. Arts lift our spirits, have a direct impact on the way we embrace culture and how we evolve, how we are and how we feel. It enriches us at so many levels, so profoundly. It makes us better people. The pandemic has been so hard on this sector and I wish I could do more to help all our professional artists out there to get back up. The show must go on!

If you found this article insightful, please consider donating to Acting for others https://www.actingforothers.co.uk/donate and support the Arts in this difficult period.

This article is dedicated to City Academy, Rebecca Wicking and all Directors and Creatives involved in the Musical Theatre Department and my MT Tuesday family. Also a BIG Thank you to the unlimited support of my family.