Faye Patton 1 - Student, Theatrical Studies

Portrait and interview - 1992 

Faye has just gained a First-Class Honours Degree in Theatrical Studies at Dartington College of Art.  In her final year, college productions took her to Amsterdam and the Czech Republic which were unforgettable experiences.

Living and working in Amsterdam was ‘brilliant’ in terms of work/education and lifestyle.  Along with fellow students, they quickly inserted themselves into a sub-culture and found that the practice of squatting is a widespread ethic and acceptable to local councils who, in the early wave of squatting, about ten to fifteen years ago, actually fixed up plumbing and electricity for squatters once they had moved in.  It is a city of extremes with all different cultures butted up against each other.

They were under the umbrella of the prestigious Theaterschool, which has about nine campuses/departments each dealing with a different specialism; cabaret, mime, ‘new dance’, ballet and plays etc.  Seeing different attitudes to the theatre was in itself part of Faye’s research and education.  The School was specialist orientated whereas somewhere like Dartington sets out to broaden the base of skills across all areas.  Her project/theme for ten weeks was sexual harassment, which is rife in Amsterdam (the sordid flipside of an outwardly egalitarian, liberal city) and the most intimidating thing about it.  One nasty experience on the street resulted in them turning the event into research for a piece, which they called Human Behaviour.  It was about the conditioning of men to believe they are allowed to intimidate women, and how culture backs up women’s acceptance of this – how the backlash of Feminism has tried to reverse progress made for women’s freedom from sexual assault.

In the Brno Theatre School of the Czech Republic, they have not yet escaped from the classics; Shakespeare, Chekov and Dostoyevsky etc.  It is a city very proud of its traditions and its architecture is incredibly beautiful.  The suburbs are endless tower blocks, freeways and Coca-Cola signs until the country is reached where it is pre-industrial in places.

Back in this country, Faye is presently dithering about career opportunities and is trying to reconcile contradictions and attempting to find her pathway through her maze of interest.  Her ‘pre-occupations’ are guitars, pianos, performing, making theatre pieces, art, poetry, making strange musical arrangements and things out of bones which she finds on her travels!

Update:  Faye is a Nu-jazz singer/song-writer, guitarist and pianist based in the East End of London.