During this time of social distancing and dark venues, Halifax Presents continues to check-in with members of our arts community to find out how they are staying creative and managing during the pandemic.
This week we check in with Halifax theatre artist and artistic director of Theatre du Poulet, Roland Au.
1. How are you staying creative during the pandemic?
I didn’t do much creation process. But I started to sketch and video edit. I took this period as a time to learn new things than to create as usual.
2. What’s the one thing getting you through?
Cooking.
3. How are you staying in contact with family and friends who are not in your bubble?
Skype, WhatsApp and Facetime.
4. What is the biggest lesson you’ve learned so far during the pandemic?
Wear the fabric mask confidently.
5. What do you feel the most grateful for right now?
My friends and family in Canada and Hong Kong didn’t get the coronavirus.
6. What is something you are doing now that you don’t normally?
Making fabric masks for the community.
7. What skill have you developed since the pandemic started?
Arduino programming.
8. What have you missed the most?
Theatre and rehearsal.
9. Your #1 pandemic survival tip.
Stay home, smile. Having a nap every day is okay.
10. Your biggest indulgence since the pandemic started.
Afternoon nap almost every day.
11. What have you stockpiled?
Cardboard and ideas in my head.
12. What have you been reading?
Art as Experience, 1984, And Then, You Act, and Eichmann in Jerusalem: A Report on the Banality of Evil.
13. What have you been watching?
Netflix.
14. What have you been listening to?
Podcasts.
15. What are you doing for exercise?
Sit-ups, but not often.
16. The one thing you haven’t been able to live without?
My partner, Carmen Lee.
17. Do-it-yourself haircut or the natural look?
My wife helped me with a haircut.
18. Night owl or early riser?
Early riser.
19. Will you be the first out as restrictions are gradually lifted or taking a wait-and-see attitude?
Not sure.
20. What’s the first thing you will do when this is all over?
Travel to other countries and vacation.
Meet Roland Au
Artistic director of Theatre du Poulet, Roland graduated from The Hong Kong Academy for
Performing Arts with a Bachelor of Fine Arts (Honours) Major in Acting.
In 2014, he participated in Galway International Arts Festival, Baboro International Arts Festival for Children and Symphony for the Restless at Macnas in Ireland. He and his wife settled in Nova Scotia in 2015.
In 2017, Theatre du Poulet was invited by the Nova Scotia Live-in Festival to present The
Extinction of Hong Kongers. The show was also adapted into radio show produced by Nothing to See Here at NSCAD University in Halifax. It would go on to win the Emerging Artist Award at the Toronto SummerWorks Festival and Best Newcomer Award at the Halifax Fringe Festival in 2018.
In 2019, Theatre du Poulet presented an exhibition work 12548 km at the Prague Quadrennial and created a new production Settle Elsewhere in Halifax.
You can find out more about Roland and Theatre du Poulet online at theatredupoulet.com or follow them on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter.