In the one- on one performance called "A piece of you", you are invited into a zoom-meeting with artist and composer Greg Sinclair. When I was introduced to this over email beforehand, I had my doubts. Spending 30 minutes alone in a zoom-meeting with a stranger sounded awkward. The endless zoom classes, virtual "workshops" and immense screen time of 2020 had given online meetings a bit of a bad aftertaste. But the face that met me on the other end of the computer was friendly, sincere and refreshingly present. After a little introduction, Greg proceeded to ask several questions about me, and then he drew and created a little musical piece based on the answers I gave. The questions ranged from how far I thought I was from his base in Edinburgh, to what my biggest fears were. The tiny performance was very interactive, and he didn't write anything down unless I agreed, making the music truly a piece of me. It felt like a safe space, and Greg's playful and creative radiance created a really nice session. Greg plays the cello, in my opinion an instrument perfect for the task of the performance. Since it is an instrument with so many musical "perspectives", I would imagine it allows Greg to express all the different answers he may get.

Greg told me he sometimes does this performance for children as young as age 8. I would imagine he gets even more honest answers from the children, than from self-aware young adults such as myself, which must be a real joy. I have to say this is one of the more extraordinary experiences I have had at a festival, and a small light in the dark times of video-theatre. It was a heartwarming and inspiring exchange, and a really nicely thought-out piece of art.

Additionally, I not only got the recording of my piece over e-mail, but I also got the original score sent to me by mail. I will now have a tiny piece of me hanging on my wall. 🙂

Written by: Anna Moberg

A Piece of you by Greg Sinclair was a part of the Showbox festival 2020.