Today we found out our groups and our stimulus for this devised unit. The groups are as follows:
- Charlie, Lewis, Hope - Cel, Rhiannon, Oliver, James - Lorna, Robert, Ollie, Katya
I am really happy with my group as we have an equal number of males and females. Also, we work well together as we all have different strengths; Ollie and I are quite strong at physical theatre, whilst Katya is great at coming up with ideas and Robert is good at research.
Our stimulus is the Adele song and music video "Chasing Pavements" (shown above). We have been told to create a "new and innovative" piece of theatre lasting around 30 minutes. Our first step was making a mind map of themes we could link to the stimulus and any ideas that came to mind. The ideas we came up with are as follows:
We then dismissed the ideas we thought had the least potential for the four of us and picked out our favourite ideas. Our favourites were alcohol abuse, relationships, abortion and domestic violence. We then realised that we can combine all of these into one piece. We decided that there could be a party scene to establish relationships and to include alcohol abuse. We also thought that there could be domestic violence over the decision whether to have an abortion or not over an unexpected and unwanted pregnancy. I thought that the three sections (the party, the domestic, the abortion clinic) could be shown in any order and could be repeated to show different perspectives. We decided who would play what part in the piece though: I would be the girl who got pregnant, Robert would be my boyfriend, Katya would be my character's best friend and Ollie would be the host to the party.
Although we may not be using this idea for our piece I have decided to do some research on abortion. Under UK law, abortions can only be carried out during the first 24 weeks of pregnancy as long as certain requirements are met. Abortions must only take place in a hospital or licenced clinic and two doctors have to agree that the abortion will be better for the woman in physical in mental terms than continuing with the pregnancy. Alternatively, you can contact a private abortion clinic without being referred by a doctor. However, you will still need the agreement of two doctors. Moreover, abortions are not risk free. The risks associated with abortions are as follows: 1) haemorrhage (excessive bleeding) – occurs in about one in every 1,000 abortions 2) damage to the cervix (the entrance of the womb) – occurs in no more than 10 in every 1,000 abortions 3) damage to the womb – occurs in up to four in every 1,000 abortions during surgical abortion, and less than one in 1,000 medical abortions that are carried out at 12-24 weeks.
Before the abortion:
"When you go for your first appointment, you should be given the opportunity to talk about your situation. You'll be informed about the different methods of abortion, and which method is suitable for your stage of pregnancy. You will also be advised about any related risks and complications. The doctor or nurse will take your medical history to make sure the type of abortion you are offered is suitable for you. You'll have a blood test to find out your blood group to see if you're anaemic. You should also be tested for sexually transmitted infections (STIs), and may be given antibiotics to stop an infection developing after the abortion.
Before having an abortion, you may also need to have:
- an ultrasound scan (if there is any doubt about how many weeks pregnant you are)
- a vaginal (internal) examination
- a cervical screening test for infections (if appropriate) If you have never had a vaginal examination before, the healthcare professional examining you will be aware you are anxious and will be as careful as possible. You should let them know if you are anxious and have not been examined internally before. You may also be given information and advice about which method of contraception to use after the abortion. Finally, before having the abortion, you will be given a consent form to sign." - http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Abortion/Pages/How-is-it-performed.aspx?url=Pages%2fWhat-is-involved.aspx
