Former Beaulieu student Françoise Guerrier moved to London in 2007 after living in Manchester where she completed a degree in performing arts. I caught up with Fran to talk about her life in the arts.
How did you get into the arts?
Ever since I can remember I was always getting involved in performing. I was an active member of St Brelade?s Youth Club and performed and produced shows for the Youth Services Arts Alive. I used to attend a Saturday acting class and every summer was involved with the Jersey Youth Music Theatre?s shows. I knew that I was destined to have a creative career and so plunged head first into performing. University was an amazing experience where I greatened my performing vocabulary to a different level and where my passion for producing performance really took shape. I started my own theatre company ?Chic Neurosis? that produces various types of theatre including experimental, surrealism, physical theatre, issue based, black comedy, multi media and Performance Art pieces for various venues and festivals including the Edinburgh festival. I also work as a freelance actress touring various plays around the UK and doing short and feature films. Now I have two great sides of the industry, I?m actively involved with producing various Music, Art and corporate events and performing in them. I have also taken a course in Creative Event Management and Project Management at Greenwich University and am currently doing a long distance diploma in drama healing therapy.
Why the move to London?
My move from Jersey was to get some experience in the big bad world, a must for wannabe actors! Jersey doesn?t have much to offer really for someone who wants a career in the arts especially in performing! So I moved to Manchester which was fabulous but then ended up travelling down all the time to London for work and auditions. I always knew that a move to London was inevitable, as in the arts industry it is the place to be. It was just finding the right moment and so when I was asked to be involved in the production team for the Royal opening of St Pancras International last year it seemed the perfect time to pack my bags and move south to the bright lights! I haven?t looked back!
What exciting events have you been involved in recently?
It rather varies. Over the last year I have been involved with the Royal Opening of St Pancras International, I produced a multi media comedy with my theatre company for a festival in Manchester. I performed in Tim Burton?s Sweeney Todd that opened this year starring Johnny Depp. I am very involved with assisting the organisers of Jersey Live and have been an active member of the events team for the past two years as well as Guernsey Live. I am also freelancing in event production for Harvey Goldsmith?s company, Artiste Management Productions, where I have been recently assisting on the production of Bruce Springsteen?s tour and also a massive one day festival at Wembley Arena called PKO BP London Live which was sponsored by Poland?s national bank for all the Polish in the capital. I have also just produced, with a creative partner, an interactive art installation that I am hoping to take to festivals and events over the next coming year.
Would you like to get back into doing performances yourself rather than organising them?
I?ll admit I absolutely love being on stage and although I have not been acting on stage or screen recently I feel like I am always performing! Sometimes you need to put on an act to deal with various situations and people in the events industry?I?m always good at making people laugh! After spending 3 years touring theatre around the country, it has been a nice break to be on the producing side and I?m extremely happy working in production but entertaining the masses and treading the boards is my first love and so this is what I will always do ? but just in between the events! I have recently been contacted by a theatre company I used to work for, they have work for me in the next few months and now I?m settled in London I?ll get onto my agent to start getting me some more acting work. I just need to find the balance between doing events and performing.
What?s next on your schedule?
One of the next events I am involved with is a new music and art festival in Shoreditch, East London called Concrete & Glass. I?m also hoping to have one of my dome installations included in the festival. My recent creative venture is a partnership with a fellow Jersey artist producing an interactive art installation called SENSATE. The piece housed in three different domes stimulates your senses. We initially took it to Jersey Live and now want to put it at other events like La Fête dé Noué – so watch this space! I?ve always got some creative project up my sleeve. I am currently devising some new performance art pieces that will contain multi media and am looking into putting on a play. There are also quite a few music events that I?m working on but they are top secret at the mo!
The next event Fran is involved in is Concrete & Glass takes place in London on 2nd & 3rd October.
To see the full programme please check: www.concreteandglass.co.uk
