Numbers,numbers, numbers 

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My life revolves around numbers. levels. Up. Down. Constantly working out how to perfect my levels. It’s not easy. Colour coordinating my high, low and in range levels, which again brings me to the idea of my lighting in my performance representing these colour zones. The danger levels. Also the fact that if I inject too much for example ^ 60 units, I would probably have an overdose of insulin. Therefore I need to show the struggles of knowing how to control my life.  0-60 units. 0-30+ glucose level.

Social media and the community

https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=1036961129710713&id=119703998103102

A member of our Facebook community would like your input:

I’m a third year drama student with type 1 diabetes and for my final university performance I’m doing a solo piece on being diabetic — I wanted to ask everyone what they think would be the most beneficial things to include in a performance to help the public understand what it’s like to live with type 1? I’m thinking of using lots of visual images and basing the structure on ‘levels.’

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Laura Baillie

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Laura Baillie
Laura Baillie Thankyou so much everyone!!!!!!!

Drew Thomason: I would love to find a way to artistically convey the sense of “grace” that comes from successfully managing the day to day imperfections. A marriage of dissonance and harmony in a way that feels like gently leaning into the frenetic ups, downs and side-to-side jerking around of a roller-coaster! One wins by not letting the fear and uncertainty impact your sense of well-being and knowledgeable care.

Nicola Kelly: Things that people don’t consider…. like being up for hours at night correcting a low then over treating it and then having to deal with that, eating before going out to eat because your blood sugar isn’t going to hold until then, running out of insulin/needles/test strips at the most inconvenient times, not remembering if you’ve taken the shot or not etc

Sarah-Jayne Ormrod:The concept of it being an auto immune disease with such dramatic changes – ie the differences in how you feel being low vs high, something to represent how a small change in your daily routine can have a significant impact on your levels?

Sherry Lou Newlin Robison: I like a lot of these suggestions. I agree with showing the reality of how we can live a normal life. We just have to follow some rules. Also yes, showing levels is key. The highs, the lows, and the toll it takes on a body to “bounce” back after. Type 1 is so complex and there are so many factors that affect our sugars it’s hard to point out all the key factors.

Sharon Hamer: I think the physiological affects it has on diabetics. Constantly having the disappointment of looking at your meter and wondering why your blood is too high or too low when you have been so good. The constant checks and carb counting for everything you eat. Lastly people’s ignorance – including food retailers etc

Rosemary Fitzsimmons Stewart: You know what I love, to see the smile on my grandsons face, even when he has just had his shots and even after changing his little device on his arm. Sorry can’t remember the name of that thing. He is only 4 and has a lifetime of challenges, as does everyone else who has to deal with this. God Bless you and everyone else who is dealing with Diabetes. You will know exactly how to express it to people because it will come from your heart. Much love to you

Evan Dauster: I am sorry you have had to suffer this for so long, please take a moment to watch this film, it doesn’t have to be this way. https://youtu.be/2pjkC71exKU – Then you get stupid annoying spam posts from people trying to tell you that you can cure diabetes- NO YOU CAN’T

My script style will take a lot of influence from the social media and the use of memes I always see posted on diabetic groups.

You’re a lot like my insulin… I can’t live without you.

One of the sweetest people you’ll ever meet

I’ve got 99 problems and diabetes caused them all

Sorry for what I said when I was low

Not sure if I’m hypo or whether I’m just incapable of doing a simple task.

 

 

 

Hair Peace

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Influence on my piece : Voice overs, Projection screens, Audience involvement with props, stood explaining, light hearted style with deeper meaning.

Watching Victoria Melody made me realise I don’t need to make my piece so theatrical. It’s okay to mess up and improvise for 20% of the show. Be Authentic. She used a hairdryer to show her travelling on an aeroplane whilst scooting on a chair across the stage. Simple tacky comedy works. My carb top is only a brief part of my piece, I will highlight it by revealing it from under a hoodie but if the audience don’t laugh it doesn’t matter it’s just one part of the piece and you shouldn’t look for laughs.

“Hair Peace is a comedic exploration from an unlikely sleuth whose personal odyssey provides astonishing insights into ethics, diverse cultures and the personal realities of the global economy”.

“Fascinated by anthropology, she immerses herself into communities and becomes an active participant in their rituals as research for her work…In the past she has become a pigeon racer, a northern soul dancer, a championship dog handler and a beauty queen”.

Victoriamelody.co.uk. (2010). Victoria Melody – Hair Peace. [online] Available from http://victoriamelody.co.uk/projects/hairpeace/index.php [Accessed 27 April 2016].

Hair Peace, “is the antidote for Major Tom. It’s me getting angry and asking questions about the beauty myth and people’s perceptions of identity and consumption.” (Melody, 2015) To get closer to these questions, she’s working with her niece Beverly, who still wears and loves hair extensions while Melody’s hair-swishing days are gone. Well, not quite: Melody’s hung on to three ponytails of real human hair left over from her pageant days, and made a performance based around her DNA-scrutinising, plane-hopping journey to find the real human heads they came from.
Beverley’s involvement, both through advice and through pre-recorded footage, is crucial to the success of the piece. (Saville, 2015) http://victoriamelody.co.uk/about/index.php
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