“Inspiration doesn’t just happen at your desk. It’s a 24/7 job,” says Melissa Thompson of the Cirque du Soleil in-house ‘think tank.’
And she should know. Because together with Zahra Peal and Brigitte Mezzetta, she’s part of the trend-forecasting team that identifies new potential creators and inspirations for future shows.
From their colourful corner of our Montreal head office—a light-filled space where couches, comfort and creativity abound—these dépisteurs créatifs are always on the lookout for inspiring innovations that could influence a show and lead to new ideas.
“We see as much as we can,” Zahra says, referring to the theatre, dance festivals, eccentric events and exhibits that are part of their regular scouting trips around town. And from blogs and books to magazines and more, they read everything they can get their hands on.
“Our job is to find the creative gems and tangents that might otherwise be overlooked,” Melissa explains. “Ideas that might be way out in left field, but that are quite magical when introduced into the context of a show.”
“We’re always building up our library of research,” Melissa adds, “and we’re always looking for the element of surprise.”
When the team gets a request to help develop a show, it spends up to a month brainstorming and looking for ideas, tangents and trends in design, art, architecture, fashion, food design, sound, and the list goes on.
“The process is organic,” Melissa explains. “And the parameters of the project become clearer over time.” Eventually, the team presents its research in packages that feature tantalizing images, quotes and questions intended to provoke a discussion.
With their complementary backgrounds in visual arts, industrial and graphic design, the three creation scouts have an unparalleled perspective on global culture. And although they’re humble about their contributions, they admit they have a meaningful influence.
“Our goal is to support and inspire,” Zahra says. “And the real challenge is to keep surprising people. That’s important, because ultimately it’s what Cirque is all about.”
We invite you to get to know our family of talent scouts. Who knows? You just may meet one of them in the near future.
Click here to get to know more about them.
Please note that Cirque du Soleil does not accept unsolicited project proposals.
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{ SOURCE: CirqueClub }
