Rubbing of shoulders.

The late excellent acting teacher, Arif Hasnain, called passing on knowledge ‘The rubbing of shoulders’.

The phrase is sometimes used in the context of mingling with the rich, but that’s not what Arif meant. He didn’t care for the rich. 

People who know something well teach it to those who want to learn: the journeyman bricklayer to the apprentice; the political person to the new activist; the old hunter to the young.

So it is with actors. The experienced actors pass on to the emerging actors. This is the way humanity develops. 

Being an acting teacher is often described as ‘Giving back’, but there’s more to it than that. It’s our duty and obligation to fulfil the right and privilege we have to be teachers. 

It should be part of the on-going nature of life itself as the master teaches the student. And the student has to fulfil their obligations.

The passing on of knowledge is crucial to progress. To go from incoherence to coherence you must be guided, criticized, and assisted. You can’t do much by yourself.

Participate and rub shoulders.