Why ‘Slackline Productions’?
Since starting the company, one of the most frequently asked questions we’ve heard (tied with, “when can we see your next production?”) is, “Why Slackline?” Great question!
While we were debating a name for a theatre company that focuses on telling women’s stories, our first thoughts were of strong women- goddesses, such as Kali or Athena, or Iceni, the tribe of Boudicca. We discovered two things:
1.) Other cool theatremakers had paved the way before us and taken those names.
2.) They weren’t quite the right names for what we wanted to say.
Redressing the balance
“Redress the balance” kept coming up. What was this balance? And how did we want to change it? So we talked more about our mission, which went a little something like this… Yes, there are female-led theatre companies, strong female characters, women writing plays. But still the numbers are so skewed! If 60+% of theatre tickets are being bought by women, why are there still so few women writing, directing and starring in the shows that we buy tickets to see? And why is there this arbitrary age when women start to become invisible, both on stage and screen?
And then, our founder, Kristin, said it: “It’s like a slackline… you know the straps that you connect to trees and try to balance on, but they’re really wobbly? They’re this crazy challenge learning to stand up and stop wobbling and be strong and… Hey! What about Slackline?!”
And we realised that was it. A slackline. Just a simple little strap, really, but one that promotes balance and strength.
The connection to productions and events may be a bit tenuous, but we are proud to be called Slackline Productions. To join the ranks of female-led companies and add our stories, stand up, be strong and redress the balance.
And just like slacklining, we know that there may be wobbles along the way, to which we say, bring it on!
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