“Accompanying artists on their path toward self-expression”
What Brought Me to Write and Edit for Artists
I have met many artists at various stages of their careers who are powerful and confident in their craft but uncomfortable when pressed to articulate their art and ideas verbally, and especially in written form.
My long-term collaboration with Prague Quadrennial as a writer, editor, consultant, and curator in addition to my teaching in art academies and conservatory-type theatre programs, I realized a crucial part of my practice was to assist artists and artists-researchers on their path toward self-expression.
I am very passionate about my work with artists and artists-researchers. My distinctive approach combines a background in performance design and the history of theatre arts along with extensive professional experience in academia, writing, grant writing, editing, and curating. I mobilize these qualifications to guide each artist’s efforts to document, analyze, and promote their performance and scenographic practices. In doing so, I help to raise their symbolic, and ultimately, their economic value.
I particularly enjoy working with artists who would like to write in English as their second language. As a writer, editor, and curator with professional collaborations in Europe and the United States, I am sympathetic to the unique challenges of conveying the significance of an artist’s work to audiences that do not share their language and culture.
Every artist is different and therefore the way our collaboration unfolds is negotiable. I am happy to work with my clients and find solutions that will accommodate their needs.
Grant writing and editing
I write and edit grant applications in the field of arts and theatre. I make sure your application follows the given guidelines, contains clear, specific, and persuasive language, and demonstrates the project’s credibility and viability.
Developing written documents: artist statements, project descriptions and proposals
I help my clients develop their intuitions, ideas and draft notes into organized and persuasive texts that document, analyze, and promote their work. This includes artist and research statements for promotional purposes and tenure packages.
We begin with a conversation via Skype or Zoom to discuss your art, working methodology, and the values that underlie it.
If you have a draft statement, I will carefully review it with you.
We will discuss the goals you want to achieve and are reflected in the writing.
I will then integrate this information with additional research to produce a document that clearly and effectively captures your art/project in its uniqueness.
Alternatively, I will guide you in producing the document yourself.
In a follow-up session, we will discuss the new document and any further choices or changes to reinforce your writing skills and empower you for your future writing.
Articles and Book Chapters Editing
I will carefully read your article or book chapter ensuring that your ideas are conveyed clearly and convincingly. I can help you to develop your ideas and strengthen your critical framework, or read your material for organization, argument, use of evidence, and language.
MA and MFA Theses and Dissertation Editing
I help artists and artists-researchers to develop and complete their MA and MFA Theses and doctoral dissertations.
Whether your research is practice-based or theoretical, whether you need help with organizing your material, strengthening your critical framework, or improving your flow and word choice, I will work with you to prepare a document that meets your program’s requirements.
I can also help with required citation format and bibliography.
Preparation for Public Presentations and Talks
As a historian of theatre arts and a curator, I assist artists and artists-researchers in building their presentations and talks. After some initial research, I will have a conversation with you via Skype or Zoom about your art, working methodology, and the values that underlie it.
We will also discuss the purpose of your talk and your target audience.
I will then process this material and do some additional research prior to a second meeting.
I will help you to make selections of presented material, identify underlying themes, situate your work in larger historical and cultural contexts, and provide a critical framework, if needed.
TESTIMONIALS
Over the past ten years, I have worked with Barbora on several academic/artistic projects that helped me to find my own voice as an artist-researcher. As a costume designer, I create characters on stage and in film using shape, color, and different materials, butI am also interested in analyzing my work as a researcher, explaining my creative process to academics, artists and students from all over the world. Barbora has not only proofread my presentations, but also accompanied me through the process of brainstorming and putting my thoughts on paper. She was also instrumental in identifying contemporary critical terms that best describe my practice. When I was invited to come to the Department of Theatre at The Ohio State University State University to give a workshop and deliver a key note lecture, Barbora worked with me to prepare my presentation, helping me to choose and organize the presented materials and address my audiences whose cultural and historical backgrounds differ from mine. Barbora is a great listener; her expertise combines a strong background in theatre studies with a unique sensitivity for artist’s work, all of which has been a wonderful resource I could use to craft my presentations. I strongly recommend working with Barbora to anyone who is challenged to present their artistic work.
Simona Rybáková
Costume designer and researcher, Head of OISTAT’s Costume Sub-Commission
Simona Rybakova
Costume designer and researcher, Head of OISTAT’s Costume Sub-Commission