Among the most impressive projects to come out of the lockdown has been built by Wanstead resident Shea Donovan, an artistic director who in normal times divides her time between E11, New York and LA.
Shea conceived and developed a project which asked 154 participants to transform Shakespeare’s sonnets into personal creative acts. People from all over the world responded to her invitation, and the resulting films have been compiled into a magnificent collection which are now being streamed online.
She said: “In these uncertain times, the work is interested in exploring how to link individuals and communities in isolation, and how to generate creative work outside of our typical models of in person rehearsal and collaboration. While many artists are unsure of what the immediate future holds, this project aims to ground them in a global artistic community and encourage the creation of new work in crisis.”
Shea moved to the UK with her fiancé, who works in Loughton. As well as performing, she is studying for a Masters at UEL in Stratford. “Wanstead was the perfect location and had the charm and the sense of community we were after,” she said. “I’ve actually recently started participating in the Flamingo Fairs at Wanstead Library selling vegan baked goods (my other love besides theatre!) so I have really enjoyed getting more involved in Wanstead life.”