Ramesh Meyyappan has recently been awarded a year’s residency with Solar Bear theatre company. This is an opportunity to focus on developing his own skills whilst supporting the aims of Solar Bear: to raise the profile of deaf performers in the UK as well as developing a network with the wider international deaf arts community. Here, Jamie Smith of REVEAL Scotland talks to Ramesh about performance, deafness and his journey from Singapore to Glasgow…
1. Tell me briefly about your upbringing in Singapore – were you always destined for performing arts?
I have mostly happy memories as a child, although I think I was a bit of a handful. I don’t think I was necessarily interested in theatre and ‘performing arts’ but I did enjoy the attention I received when I’d perform some comic skits for the school or class – laughter always seemed like a good tonic! I think also at a young age I became aware that performing was a medium for communication – being deaf having that sort of voice was increasingly important and significant. Working in theatre sort of happened, I was given opportunities quite early on and don’t recall ever having to turn my hand to anything else. Theatre has always been there, been a part of my life. It’s odd, working in theatre itself was not an aspiration, for me it was a job like any other and with hindsight I now realise I was lucky to be given early opportunities.
2. What brought you from Singapore to the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts (LIPA)?
I wanted to know what was happening in Physical Theatre and knew there were a lot of companies in Europe that I liked – so I first chose Europe and then the UK – given that I didn’t know any European language other than English.
I ended up in Liverpool because LIPA offered a course that would let me explore and study what I felt I needed to at that time. It was also a good place to be at that time as there were a few physical theatre companies based there as well as Hope Street Physical theatre course.
3. What was it like being a deaf student in Liverpool?
LIPA was good. I got opportunities to explore a wide and diverse range of experiences. The course itself was incredibly practical and in the first year I was given a little taste of everything. I also got opportunities to work with theatre companies and groups in Liverpool including Spike theatre, which I later collaborated with, and Hope Street, where I was eventually asked to lead a few workshops.
I didn’t want to take a disabled arts programme but rather a ‘mainstream class’ – it wasn’t my biggest battle in life convincing LIPA to allow me to do this, but it did require some persuading. I think before the tutors confirmed my place on the course they wanted to be reassured that they would be able to offer me the support I needed to access the course – some tutors were more confident and successful than others.
4. Where has your base been since graduating? Where does your heart lie, if anywhere!
Straight after graduating I stayed in Liverpool for a wee while. This wasn’t entirely planned but I had spent some time trying to establish myself there – getting to know people and getting involved in various projects – so it wasn’t right to leave straight away. I then had a brief spell back in Singapore before finding myself in Glasgow with my Scottish wife. Similar to the experience in Liverpool, I spent a considerable time in Glasgow trying to establish myself as someone who others could work with: I feel I’m only just starting this journey in Glasgow and have some way to go, so I imagine I might be there for another wee while.
Ultimately I’m Singaporean and my family are mostly in Singapore – so that is my home. But my heart is wherever I find myself – I don’t want to use energy yearning to be somewhere else but instead choose to love being wherever I am!
5. Your career has many strands – performance, directing, community arts, education. Do these conflict with or compliment one another? Which strands of your career do you enjoy most and how do you balance them all?
I think anyone who works in the arts finds they may feel quite insecure – aware that often in the arts your shelf-life is limited or that what you do doesn’t always keep you busy. I’ve been incredibly lucky in that I’ve had opportunities to diversify and not just be an actor or performer. I don’t think there is much conflict between the various strands; each has its own challenges and rewards. I wouldn’t say I enjoy one strand of work over another – I’ve got to put equal effort into whatever I’m doing otherwise it wouldn’t be beneficial to me or those taking part.
6. You won an Unlimited commission for the 2012 Olympiad – tell us briefly about that and the work you are producing / have produced for this.
The Unlimited applications came at a perfect time for me. Previously, I’d been given an opportunity to present a scratch performance (idea) by National Theatre of Scotland. I used the opportunity to explore the adaptation of The Baron in the Trees – the feedback I got from the Scratch was positive and I knew at that point that the idea could be developed so much more. I wanted to work with a wonderful producer called Chloe Dear from Iron-Oxide. It was just at that time that Unlimited were inviting submissions – perfect! The commission provided a budget that allowed me to be adventurous and even risk taking with the performance: looking at using aerial techniques and choreography within the performance and extending my own visual performance vocabulary.
7. You have just been appointed as artist in residence at National Theatre of Scotland – how exciting! If you can, tell me about what plans you have for this role.
This is a wonderful question that perhaps you should come back and ask me in a few months – big dreams! Can I just add though that the residency is with Solar Bear, although other companies such as National Theatre of Scotland are supporting the residency, though not in a monetary way.
Basically, I will be working with Solar Bear throughout the next year and very generally aim to not just raise awareness of ‘deaf theatre’ in Scotland but develop a wider audience for visual work, making people more aware of the potential of deaf artists. This brief I know is quite broad and general but is certainly worth the effort.
I suppose I aim to achieve this by developing working relationships between deaf and hearing people within the performing arts, looking for and creating opportunities for collaboration. I will continue to explore visual possibilities within performance, to make theatre that includes deaf performers accessible to mainstream audiences – or at least those who are interested in visual and physical theatre.
There is quite a big deaf performing network internationally and Solar Bear need to be part of this. Hopefully, this can happen by exploring options for performance at deaf festivals or bringing companies and individuals from overseas to Glasgow – then the deaf in Glasgow will become part of that network. There are plans at the early stages for workshops and performances that will be led by deaf artists.
This September we will have our first performance (work in progress) – working title ‘Smokies’ – as part of the Arches Live. It is inspired by Mick Jackson’s ‘The Pearce Sisters’, a dark story about two sisters living on a remote island who smoke fish and whatever they find in their nets – including men!
8. Scotland seems an exciting place to be at the moment for disabled artists and for the inclusive arts practice. Do you think Scotland is or could become a world leader in disability / inclusive arts and why?
What is exciting is the number of disabled and deaf artists who are creating work and having that supported. I do think Scotland is fairly inclusive given the opportunities that exist through funding. However, I think we still have to work on ensuring deaf and disabled artists get an equal platform for their work, and are employed a lot more in mainstream work. I believe the quality of disabled work in Scotland is good enough for mainstream stages: when venues programme work because of its quality and not in a tokenistic way then I think Scotland can absolutely hold its head up and say, ‘Look!, we are leading the way‘. I think we are almost there – just a few wee steps to go!
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You can find out all the latest news on what Ramesh is doing at his website: www.rameshmeyyappan.com
