The Observer: Reid has taken his vulnerabilities and transmuted them into art. The metamorphosis is overwhelmingly moving. Sarah Crompton ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Guardian: This is a powerful show, filled with devastating honesty and wonder. Lyndsey Winship ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

FIND YOUR EYES

This performance is a meditation on tragedy and immense joy. It serves as a conversation with myself to unearth where I've been all these years - a dialogue about struggling with alcohol, grappling with the immense pain of my mother’s Stroke, and contending with the depths of mental health struggles, shame, and guilt. However, this work is also a celebration of evolution, a journey of moving forward, finding breath, discovering love, and embracing life's beautiful imperfections. My solace resides in the immersive realm of creating art, Find your Eyes is the creative process as performance.

The Proposition

After directing Keisha's award-winning show "Man on the Moon," John McGrath approached me and inquired if I was interested in creating a stage production for myself. I promptly expressed my waning interest in the stage and my desire to pursue full-time photography. John then posed a thought-provoking question: What would a stage show look like if it incorporated my photography? This proposition was a delightful challenge because an immediate answer eluded me. In fact, it took me over two years to finally arrive at the right conceptual framework. I informed John that I believed I had the correct idea, and over the next few years, I elucidated to him how I envisioned bringing my studio to life. This entailed transforming my home studio into a performance space and crafting art live before an audience. This concept would only resonate if it had something to contrast against. Thus, I decided to juxtapose episodes from my life, particularly moments at my lowest ebb, with my photography, leading to the thematic framing of "war stories."

I regard John as a co-creator of this work. Without his initial proposal and thought-provoking challenge, this endeavor might never have seen the light of day. I harbor doubts that I would have conceived of this idea on my own. Thus, I am profoundly grateful. Additionally, I must acknowledge the creative team. Each member has played an indispensable role in bringing this work to fruition. This labor is not the result of a solitary mind, but rather a collective effort that contributed selflessly, providing the space for me to transform modest concepts into a grand stage. The names of these dedicated artists are listed below. They have been integral to this process, and I wish to convey my eternal gratitude for their boundless generosity and exceptional talent.

Andrew wong - Creative Associate , Sound Designer and DJ

Ti Green- Set Designer

Liam Hoskins -3D Designer and Maker

Saskia Lenaerts- Costume Designer

Tupac Martir- lighting designer

Keisha Thomson- Dramaturg

Special thanks goes to Ali Gadema for scrip support and editing.

Private and Public

This show posed numerous challenges for me, as I am inherently a private person. My preferred mode of work involves enclosed, secure spaces. Thus, the challenge posed to me by John was to explore the process of creating art live on stage. I aimed to take my private artistic practice and render it public, opening myself up to a realm of vulnerability I had never before traversed. This transition meant presenting not only the art itself but also embracing the vulnerability inherent in its presentation. Paradoxically, within this vulnerability, I discovered a liberating freedom, even within spaces where I felt most uncomfortable. "Find Your Eyes" is the culmination of nearly six years of research. This performance was crafted with love, laughter, and serenity...

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