Fleming, C. and Cornford, T. 2013-2016. (Principal Investigators)

New Pathways was a ground breaking, major, long-term and multi-organisation research project that ran for three years. It involved a team of 20 researchers and practitioners from Queen Mary, University of London, University of Kent, Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, E15 University of Essex, Bazooka Dramatherapy Arts, Michael Chekhov UK, The Chekhov Collective and various international organisations.

This innovative project brought together professional practitioners and scholars from different disciplines to investigate new uses of Chekhov’s techniques both within and beyond the theatre in the twenty first century. Each strand of the project drew on the rich archival materials held on the work of the Chekhov Theatre Studio at Dartingon Hall.

The key areas that this project addressed were Chekhov Technique for/in:

• Devised Theatre and Catalyst Direction
• Collaborative Writing
• Theatre Design
• Applied Contexts, Drama Therapy, Psychotherapy and other Psychotherapeutic and health contexts
• Voice Training and Singing
• Movement Training for Actors and Dancers
• International practice

The research project utilized an innovative and hybrid methodology and led to different modes of research outputs. There were distinct outputs for the different strands of this research project that were published at different points over the three years.

Michael Chekhov in the Twenty-First Century: New Pathways Conference (2016) This research project culminated in a conference and various events over three dates in September 2016, presenting important new developments in the field and developed both the national, and international, network of scholars and practitioners working with Chekhov Technique. I hosted this event at Goldsmiths for 120 participants which included Chairing the plenary and introducing all events which included:

• Two Research and Development Performances
• A workshop in Chekhov Technique for Non Actors
• A series of six Praxis-Symposia sessions led by different practitioners and scholars
• A series of short papers
• Feedback from two academic auditors
• A plenary
• An archival exhibition
• ‘Cross Currents’ An international Skype exchange with practitioners in other parts of the world
• Two evening social events for networking and informal discussion.

My key output for the conference was a three hour Research Praxis Symposium for 27 UK and international academics and practitioners. This output was a ground-breaking fusion of research presentation and participation based on exhibited, hard to access, archival material and previously unknown methods, processes and critical ideas.

Key output: Praxis-Symposium event: ‘Michael Chekhov Technique for Devised Theatre and Catalyst Direction’. This was a three hour ground-breaking fusion of research presentation and participation based on exhibited, hard to access, archival material and previously unknown methods, processes and critical ideas, engaging 27 UK and international academics and practitioners. This output was part of the larger Michael Chekhov in the Twenty-First Century: New Pathways Conference in September 2016 http://www.michaelchekhov.org.uk/michael-chekhov-in-the-twenty-first-century-new-pathways/.

• Fleming, Cass and Mitchell, Roanna. 2016. 'Michael Chekhov Technique for Devised Theatre and Catalyst Direction'. In: New Pathways Praxis Symposium. Goldsmiths, University of London, United Kingdom September 2016. [Conference or Workshop Item]

https://research.gold.ac.uk/id/eprint/22871