We spoke to Amaarah about her experience of taking part in creative projects at the Albany and how this has helped her to develop as an artist and curate her own event. Amaarah’s event Standards: do we set them or face them? is a night of spoken word, dance and music acts curated and performed by young artists exploring how we can celebrate one another and ‘reset the standards’. The event will be taking place in the Albany Red Room on August 30 (7.30pm – 11pm) and is a free drop-in event.

Keep an eye out on our blog for more Q&As from the Albany’s Young Artists.

Give us a brief introduction to yourself.

My name is Amaarah Roze and I’m 18 years old. I enjoy exploring many different fields, however my main disciplines are acting and facilitation.

Tell us what kind of Albany projects you’ve done?

I have been a member of Sounds Like Chaos for about 5 years: outside of that, I have been a peer mentor for various summer programmes and helped out on events.

Do you have a favourite moment or experience from an Albany project?

I’ve spent a lot of time at the Albany in the past few years and made some really great memories. One of my favourite moments would be when Sounds Like Chaos had a performance at the Albany on valentine’s day. To celebrate the occasion, we had a party in the theatre and it was so much fun. Another would be when I peer mentored on a dance and circus course. All the young people I worked with were so lovely and even though I had only known them for a week, seeing their performance at the end made me so proud.

Are the projects you have taken part in important to you?

Definitely. Sounds Like Chaos is extremely important to me because they have given me so many experiences I would never have had otherwise. It’s a free company that doesn’t just give us the chance to perform semiprofessional theatre but is also always giving us opportunities to collaborate with other theatres and build our own professional network. All the projects I have been involved in have helped me in some way, whether I have learnt skills I can use professionally or had the chance to build relationships with other young people at the Albany, some of whom will be performing at my upcoming event.

What do you like most about being part of creative projects?

Being part of creative projects is always so much fun because you get to work with so many great people. My favourite part about it is the bonds you build and the ones you strengthen. There is so much to learn from everyone involved and the staff are always happy to pass on their knowledge.

What inspires you?

If I’m honest, I draw inspiration from almost everywhere. My friends and family are probably my biggest inspirations, they’re the reason I’ve organised my event. Seeing the strength and talent each person has is what made me want to show them off, not just to other people but to themselves as well because they deserve it. The event is about celebrating each other and yourself, and realising that we set our own standards.

Do you have any advice for others who are thinking about joining a creative project?

My advice to anyone who wants to do anything in life, is just do it. If you have your own idea or you want to help make someone else’s idea a success, go for it. Why not? Everyone at the Albany is so friendly and will do their absolute best to help out as much as possible, so as long as you’re willing to put in the work, there’s no reason not to.

Are you an artist?

Yes, I would say I’m an artist, or at least I hope to be one in the future.