THEATRE ROYAL PLYMOUTH CREATIVE LEARNING SEPTEMBER 2009 TO AUGUST 2010 1 2 CREATIVE LEARNING THIS year our Creative Learning programme has enabled more people years, demonstrating the unique significance of this work. We We’d like to thank all partners, funders and staff than ever before to unleash their creativity and get involved with making have forged many new partnerships both locally and nationally, who have supported this work over the past year - it’s theatre. Two major highlights include the launch of the Funky Llama and in order to broaden our reach we are currently developing unquestionably vital and hugely worthwhile. WELCOME project (front cover image), a cabaret club run by and for people with a formal partnership with the city’s other key arts providers. learning disabilities; and School Ties, where primary and secondary schools Staff throughout the Theatre Royal have been involved in Victoria Allen, Creative Learning Director write new plays for each other to perform in the Drum Theatre. We are delivering all aspects of the programme, including our Finance Simon Stokes, Artistic Director delighted to have achieved our fundraising target to develop our work with Director talking to young people about careers and our Drum refugees and asylum seekers and socially excluded adults over the next three Theatre Technician working with teachers on lighting design. THIS YEAR WE RAN TAILORED PROJECTS WITH... ADULTS WITH REFUGEES AND LEARNING ASYLUM SEEKERS DISABILITIES OF ALL AGES YOUNG PEOPLE YOUNG PEOPLE IN AREAS OF IN SPECIAL HIGH DEPRIVATION SCHOOLS STUDENTS AND THEIR TEACHERS IN SCHOOLS ACROSS THE REGION YOUNG PEOPLE WITH AUTISTIC SPECTRUM DISORDERS I CAN NEVER FORGET THE HOPE THAT I FOUND IN ONE OF YOUR PROJECTS ADULTS WHO HAVE MENTAL WHEN I NEEDED IT HEALTH, HOMELESSNESS OR THE MOST! TR2 ROCKS! Vassily, Our Space participant SUBSTANCE MISUSE ISSUES James, Autism Project participant, aged 8 3 4 COMMUNITY COMMUNITY PEOPLE’S OUR COMPANY SPACE FOR ANYONE OVER THE AGE OF 18 FOR ADULTS WHO FEEL SOCIALLY EXCLUDED THE People’s Company creates opportunities for a broad range of people to take part in theatre related activities Through weekly workshops and visits to the theatre, Our attainment or accreditation. Rather, participants gain new for personal development, informal learning and fun. This year members took part in weekly workshops in drama, Space aims to develop confidence and self-esteem amongst skills whilst rediscovering their own identities and creative singing and playwriting, as well as producing a number of performances in the Drum Theatre and at TR2. people who feel socially excluded due to mental health, talents. Participants have control over how much of their work homelessness or substance misuse issues. The group is they share and the end result may be anything from informal SHORT PLAY FESTIVAL THE BODY experimental and creative, and deliberately not geared towards performances at community venues, to film or photography. February 2010, Drum Theatre by Nick Darke, July 2010, Drum Theatre This festival was developed to offer more chances for This production saw members taking up many new People’s Company members to be involved in all aspects of a challenges both on and off stage, with a cast of production. Six plays were produced by six People’s Company 17 and a team of three Assistant Stage Managers. groups, led by local directors. Two were existing texts, two were written by members of the People’s and Young Company, and two were devised by the groups themselves. A WELL DISCIPLINED, HUGELY ENTERTAINING PEOPLE’S COMPANY OUR SPACE HAS HELPED WITH THE PRODUCTION, WITH COHESIVENESS AND TRUST AMONGST SOME OUTSTANDING Supported by RESIDENTS HERE… I BELIEVE IT HAS CHANGED PERFORMANCES AND CONFRONTED BEHAVIOURS AND ATTITUDES Bill Stone, The Body review, ASSOCIATED WITH THEIR ADDICTION Plymouth Evening Herald Charles Howard Baker, Closereach House Photo - Olivia - Moon Photo 5 6 COMMUNITY DIALOGUES is the overarching name for all our work with refugees and asylum seekers in Plymouth. It has been gradually developing over the past six years and this year DIALOGUES we are delighted to have achieved our fundraising target to FOR REFUGEES consolidate and further develop the programme over the AND ASYLUM next three years. Our funders have told us that the work is unique to the UK due to the variety of cultures involved and SEEKERS the use of the arts to achieve such strong social outcomes. t t DARE TO BE DIFFERENT DOVE TALES Dare to be Different involves regular drama Dove Tales is a creative arts group for isolated women workshops for ages 14+. The workshops who find it difficult to access other provision, and are designed to help build self confidence, is run in partnership with Plymouth and District enhance language skills and enable participants Racial Equality Council. It aims to enable the to express their own stories. This year, the women to overcome trauma and adapt to life in addition of a crèche meant more young Britain by creatively sharing their experiences in women were able to take part. The group a mutually supportive environment. This year the worked towards their first ever performance group have recorded stories for BBC Radio Devon at the Refugee Week 2010 launch. and Sound Art Radio and hosted a world food event in the Theatre foyer during Refugee Week. IT’S GREAT – IT’S NOT JUST ABOUT ACTING BUT HAVING REFUGEE WEEK FUN AND MAKING FRIENDS Refugee Week is a UK-wide programme of arts, Yehzen, aged 14, Dare to be Different participant cultural and educational events that celebrates the contribution of refugees to the UK. Throughout the year we worked with many organisations to coordinate DARE TO DAZZLE a varied programme of events in Plymouth during the Dare to Dazzle is a small group for children aged week, from a football tournament to film nights to eight to 11 to explore, through drama, issues cooking events, including launching the week with they may have with their feelings, experiences, music, theatre and speeches in the Council Chamber. identity and relationships. It is led by a creative practitioner and a social worker and has improved the children’s behaviour as well as providing their parents with valuable advice, signposting and confidence as to how to support their children. SINCE MY COMING TO THE UK Supported by THE FIRST THING I KNOWN MY SON IS MUCH HAPPIER SINCE IN THIS COUNTRY [IS] THIS ATTENDING THE GROUP. I CAN TALK GROUP. FOR ME I’M SO TO HIM NOW ABOUT HIS FEELINGS GRATEFUL TO THIS GROUP Karen, parent of Dare to Dazzle participant Sandos, Dove Tales participant 7 8 COMMUNITY THE Funky Llama project enabled adults with learning In the run up to the night, people with learning disabilities disabilities to be creative, challenge stereotypes and share from all around the city joined the Funky Llama crew, their art with mainstream audiences through creating exploring theatre and visual arts, enabling them to create FUNKY a Cabaret Club night in the Drum Theatre. performances and dress the venue. Plymouth Music Zone The event was unique to the South West, sold out also led two music groups who performed on the night. LLAMA within days of going on sale and included everything We are now fundraising to create a platform for established from drama to dance and live music to comedy. artists with learning disabilities and grassroots groups to perform FOR ADULTS WITH LEARNING DISABILITIES alongside each other as part of a much larger night club event. IT PROVES THAT WE ARE NOT USELESS PEOPLE… NO DISABILITY IS A PROBLEM OR A Supported by ONE OF THE MOST FUN BARRIER, WE HAVE ABOUT TIME SOMETHING LIKE THIS NIGHTS I’VE HAD AT WORK! SOMETHING TO GIVE WAS DONE PROFESSIONALLY member of Theatre Royal bar staff CJ, Funky Llama participant Audience member 9 10 EDUCATION ACTIVATE provides a variety of opportunities for primary schools to engage with the Theatre. As well as a range of drama and dance workshops linked to productions, this ACTIVATE year we also offered teacher twilight and INSET days, and FOR opportunities for children to explore different careers. PRIMARY We are in the process of developing a range of curriculum specific workshops on topics including SCHOOLS Ancient Greece, The Romans and The Tudors. NINE SESSIONS WERE DELIVERED BY THE FOLLOWING COMPANIES LINKED TO PRODUCTIONS IN THE DRUM THEATRE AND THEATRE ROYAL STUFF AND NONSENSE The Three Little Pigs GLYNDEBOURNE ON TOUR The Magic Flute DANCE EXPLOSION BIRMINGHAM ROYAL BALLET Dance Explosion was a mass participation Sleeping Beauty project which aimed for every child in every primary school to dance the TRAVELLING LIGHT same dance at the same time in their THEATRE COMPANY schools and in the City Centre Piazza. How Cold My Toes In partnership with the Barbican Theatre, Plymouth Dance and Attik Dance and using Michael Jackson’s ‘Black or White’ a special dance was choreographed. A team of professional dancers taught the piece to all participating schools. Heart FM played AS A CREATIVE SCHOOL, the song on the radio and the schools tuned OUR VISIT TO TR2 WAS in to dance. The project has left a legacy WELL PLACED TO SUPPORT of dance in many schools across the city. OUR CURRENT WORK. THE WELCOME WE RECEIVED WAS SECOND TO NONE AND THE ORGANISATION Supported by OF THE DAY WAS CLEARLY THOUGHT THROUGH AND AGE APPROPRIATE Nicki Carvell, Deputy Head, Burraton Primary School Photo - Alex - ChristakiPhoto 11 12 EDUCATION PARTICIPATE aims to deconstruct the process of theatre production for students and teachers by delivering work associated with professional theatre production and practice. As well as PARTICIPATE providing workshops for students, twilight and INSET days, FOR SECONDARY career days and an extensive work experience programme, we SCHOOLS, COLLEGES were also able to respond to the needs of specific schools.