Creative Learning 2012–13 Welcome Our Creative Learning programme is about creatively engaging with a broad spectrum of young people and communities in and beyond. It’s about ensuring that the Theatre Royal Plymouth is a place for everyone.

This review gives an overview of the programme and a snapshot of what

Cover photo: Fiona Walsh it means to those who take part.→ 2 CREATIVE LEARNING FACTS & FIGURES Young People

422 Young people took part in the Young Company and summer activity programmes Facts & 28 Young people with disabilities took part in tailored projects 20 Young people not in education, employment Figures or training took part

Community Projects

42 Adults with homelessness addiction and mental health issues took part 120 Asylum Seekers and Refugees took part 87 Isolated women and their young children took part 178 People took part in the People’s Company

Education

1175 Students took part in workshops and projects 92 Young people in special schools took part 49 Schools took part 28 Plymouth Schools took part 131 People gained work experience and professional training

3068 people took part in Creative Learning activities Photo: Fiona Walsh 4 CREATIVE LEARNING EDUCATION Playhouse

For primary schools

Working in partnership with Polka Alongside in-school directing support and INSET Theatre and York Theatre Royal, sessions, the teachers also spent an intensive weekend away with the theatres and playwrights Playhouse gives teachers from to explore a range of directing skills. primary schools across the UK a chance to direct a play by one of Teachers’ professional development is integral to the success of Playhouse. The project has the country’s leading playwrights. begun to create a ‘ripple effect’ as College Road Primary, who have taken part in the project for Every year each theatre commissions a new play five years, have started leading professional and then works with local schools towards development sessions with other schools in their a festival of performances in their home venue. area, using knowledge and skills directly gained The Plymouth festival took place in July over from Playhouse. three days in The Drum. This year, new plays were by David Wood, Nell Leyshon and Jane Thornton. The schools were Boringdon, Eggbuckland Vale, College Road, Newton Ferrers and Wembury Primaries, alongside our very own Young Company.

“What a wonderful, unforgettable learning experience for all involved! Children and staff gain a massive amount from the project on many

Supported by different levels”

Noelle Boucherat, Teacher Wembury Primary School Photo: Rob Ditcher 6 CREATIVE LEARNING EDUCATION Workshops School Ties

For primary and Primary and secondary secondary schools schools working together

Show Workshops School Ties aimed to facilitate new ways for secondary schools and their local primaries Specifically tailored to enhance the curriculum and to work together, affecting positive transition embed students’ learning, these workshops aim for the students and leaving a lasting legacy to deconstruct the process of theatre production of theatre and drama in school. The schools for students and teachers alike. This year world worked with professional playwrights to create class companies such as Matthew Bourne’s New new plays for each other to perform and were Adventures, Hofesh Shechter, Told By An Idiot and responsible for every aspect of the production Frantic Assembly have worked with schools from including performance, marketing, technical Tiverton to Truro. theatre, stage management, front of house and sales, demonstrating how theatre can be used to teach a variety of subjects across the curriculum. Curriculum Workshops The project was delivered across three terms, culminated in a three day festival in The Drum These workshops focus on curriculum topics and provided extensive professional development such as Berkoff, Artaud and Brecht. The work for the teachers involved. The schools were is delivered by our team of highly Specialised Eggbuckland Community College and Austin practitioners, giving students and teachers a Farm Primary. unique learning experience. This year we have also delivered a series of science, technology, engineering and maths workshops using our set building facilities at TR2. Our ongoing consultation “Seeing Rob (a Year 13 student) with teachers ensures that we fulfill individual flourish through his involvement schools’ requirements and develop appropriate in the marketing and technical packages for the future. aspects of the project has been so rewarding. He has clearly grown professionally and personally; his confidence about his future is now really evident”

Matt Nicholas, Drama Teacher Eggbuckland Community College

Photo: Nick White 8 CREATIVE LEARNING EDUCATION Creative Careers

Apprenticeships Assistant Directorship

In partnership with and This position aims to support the development Exeter College, we hosted two apprenticeships, of future Artistic Directors through working closely in fabricating/welding and technical theatre. with both the Creative Learning and Artistic teams. The work includes observation and assisting in the rehearsal room, script reading and Get Started in Theatre workshop facilitation.

In partnership with The Prince’s Trust this week- long project aims to motivate young people Work Experience towards employment or training through offering hands on experience of a variety of careers. Our hugely popular work experience programmes The group met and worked with staff from our continued this year. Company 15 is for young marketing, design, wardrobe, front of house people aged 14–17. They spend a week following and technical departments, whilst working with the course of a production working with different a professional director to create their departments including production, technical, own production. marketing and sales. 18 Plus offers more bespoke, long term placements for those interested in a career in theatre. Arts Awards

We supported participants of Get Started Offstage Choices in Theatre, Truth About Youth and the Young Company Hubs to achieve their Bronze Arts In partnership with The National Skills Awards, a level 1 national qualification run by and City College Plymouth, Offstage Choices Trinity College London in association with Arts enabled young people to learn about non Council . We are aiming to deliver both performance based careers in theatre. We held Bronze and Silver Arts Awards next year with workshops with 80 young people from four various Creative Learning groups. schools in technical theatre, stage management, community theatre and design.

Practitioner Training and Development

As well as offering a rich programme of INSET and professional development for teachers, we also run a theatre practitioner training scheme. Participants gain paid on the job training across a number of Creative Learning projects and also attend training events with world class theatre companies and group skill sharing sessions. Photo: Rob Ditcher 10 CREATIVE LEARNING YOUNG PEOPLE Young Company

For young people aged 5–25

The Young Company is about getting Blood Tie involved with theatre for personal by Rebecca Huggins, David Lane and Kevin Johnson, August 2012, The Drum development, informal learning and fun. Each week approximately 200 Inspired by Euripides’ The Bacchae and the young people take part in weekly London riots, this visceral new production explored anarchy, conformity, desire and control. workshops, as well as professionally Each of the 17 strong cast performed with jaw- resourced productions in The Drum dropping energy, integrity and commitment; Theatre and other performance an explosive way to kick start our Young Company new writing policy. opportunities throughout the year.

New writing and newly devised work forms the The Grandfathers bedrock of Young Company productions and by Rory Mallarky, May 2012, The Drum this year we worked with a number of partners including Frantic Assembly, Plymouth University Performed as part of the National Theatre and the Barbican Theatre. Connections Festival (see page 14) and directed by one of our emerging directors, The Grandfathers took a global look at issues around national “You know the quality is going to service and the training of young people to fight. be good if it’s the Young Company, The piece had a particular resonance with the young people involved, many of whom were it’s the only place that gives you a from military families and backgrounds. really professional experience” Miranda, age 18, Young Company member The Forest Child By David Woods, July 2012, The Drum

This year we seized the chance to give our younger members the opportunity to perform in The Drum as part of Playhouse (see page 4). Members aged 7-11 took on this new play with gusto as they transformed from school children to feral children to forest animals… much to the dismay of the evil head teacher!

Photo: Fiona Walsh 12 CREATIVE LEARNING YOUNG PEOPLE Young Company

For young people aged 5–25

YC Create The World at Your Feet Young Company Hubs

We continued our Young Company group designed This city-wide theatre and dance project The Young Company Hubs provide weekly drama especially for young people with disabilities who celebrated the richness and texture that and dance workshops in neighborhoods around would benefit from working in a smaller group with migration brings to our city and was the largest the city for young people aged 13+ who aren’t additional support. We also launched a new group participatory project Plymouth has ever hosted. able to access Young Company sessions at TR2. for younger children. These groups are led by a The project included a schools dance tour, a dance This year we established Hubs in North Prospect, drama practitioner and a dance practitioner, at weekend in the city centre and a new piece of site Ernesettle and Whitleigh. The Hubs have proven the end of each term they perform alongside other specific theatre that culminated in ten outdoor to increase the confidence and self-esteem of Young Company groups. performances at the Royal William Yard. It was participants as well as raising aspirations towards delivered in partnership with Attik Dance, Barbican further positive activity. In addition to regularly Theatre, Plymouth Music Zone and Plymouth attending weekly sessions and performing at TR2 “I find it amazing how we can live Dance in collaboration with Plymouth City Council, to family and friends, many of the young people and learn through theatre” and was Plymouth’s contribution to the Cultural have also achieved their Bronze Arts Awards. Olympiad 2012. We are currently planning to establish a further Rosie, age 15, Young Company member Hub in The Lab, our new studio space at the Our Young Company Dance group toured to six Theatre Royal Plymouth, for young people from schools as well as performing on the city centre the Stonehouse area. piazza. As part of the site specific production, Young Company members worked tirelessly with “Not having this session would actually ruin our other young people from around the city to create childhood a bit.”— Louis, Ernesettle Hub an outstanding and remarkable piece of theatre to remember. “I was never very good at working with other people, this group has “The dance tour has been hard work and a big commitment but I’ve really enjoyed being part really helped me to do that” of such a huge project.”— Rachel, age 16, Jared, North Prospect Hub Young Company Dancer “This has really helped my daughter “Working with so many other with her reading and boosted people and seeing how it’s all come her confidence” together has been the best part” Parent, North Prospect Hub Etienne, age 15, Young Company Performer

Photo: Katie Chan 14 CREATIVE LEARNING YOUNG PEOPLE Young People’s Projects

Truth About Youth National Theatre Connections Summer Stakeout

In partnership with The Prince’s Trust and Elder Connections is the National Theatre’s new writing Summer Stakeout is open to everyone and sold Tree, Truth About Youth was an intergenerational programme for young performers. We supported out this year with a week-long Musical Theatre project which set out to challenge perceptions of eight groups from across the region to perform Academy, the chance to create a ‘play in a week’ age. Over the course of three weeks we worked new plays in a four day festival in The Drum. The and a series of family workshops for children aged intensively with a group of young people who were groups were: Exeter College, West Exe Technology three to six and their parents or carers. not in education, employment or training, and a College, Trinity School, , group of local older people. The project culminated Fowey Community College, Callington Community in a public performance at the Devonport Guildhall College, Lyme Youth Theatre in association with Summer Mix after which participants spoke about their The Woodroffe School and the Theatre Royal experiences of working together. The feedback Plymouth’s Young Company. In partnership with the Youth Service we was incredibly moving with many participants contributed to the city-wide Summer Mix stating that they had gained a new and profound programme with two week long projects in drama understanding of other generations. ‘No One is an Island’ - Autism Project and dance at TR2.

“I didn’t know what to expect when we met In partnership with Plymouth Arts Centre we “I feel like I learned a lot as well as making some the people from Elder Tree but they were really ran drama and visual arts workshops with young new friends this week. It’s been fun and I definitely nice and it made me realise that they weren’t people with Autistic Spectrum Disorders and want to keep it up.”— William, age 15, Summer Mix so different”— Luke, 19, participant Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder with Discover Drama participant challenging behaviour. The group took a trip to Nowhere Island - one of the lead Cultural “It’s been so refreshing to work Olympiad projects that visited Plymouth in July - “It’s amazing to see what can with these young people, they all and over the following weeks went on to create be achieved in less than a week. their own island, complete with inhabitants and have so much to offer” explorers. They chose to name their project ‘No Benjamin’s confidence has Gwen, Elder Tree participant One is an Island’. improved massively”

Parent of Benjamin, age 6 Quack?! participant Easter Eggstravaganza

This was the chance for younger children to take part in two new musicals, which were performed to families and friends at TR2 after an intensive four days of rehearsal. Quack! was a musical version of the Ugly Duckling story, especially written for five to seven year olds, whilst Greece Lightening, for eight to 11 year olds, was a whistle-stop history of the Olympic Games.

Photos: Rob Ditcher 16 CREATIVE LEARNING YOUNG PEOPLE Breakin’ Convention

In May we hosted Breakin’ Convention, an international festival of Hip Hop dance theatre. Three world leading acts performed at the Theatre Royal Plymouth alongside local and regional acts who were selected through an audition process at TR2.

The building was packed from late afternoon to late evening with audiences enjoying DJs and dancing in the bar areas, market stalls, a festival barbeque, live graffiti art and specially commissioned artworks.

The event was preceded by a programme of workshops at the new Plymouth Life Centre with the very best national artists, as well as two major city centre dance events. Workshops also took place at South Dartmoor Community College, Street Factory Studios and Dame Hannah Rogers at Seal Hayne.

A true highlight of the event was the international crew Ill Abilities, whose members have a range of disabilities. Their motto ‘No Excuses, No Limits’ was viscerally borne out in their show, resulting in a standing ovation on both nights. The dancers also wowed audiences front of house with impromptu dancing alongside locals and young people.

Photo: Leon Tyler 18 CREATIVE LEARNING COMMUNITY “Dove Tales has improved my confidence; I have visited new places; I know more about other Dialogues organisations in Plymouth and what help and support there For refugees and is on offer” asylum seekers Gulala, Dove Tales participant

Dialogues is the overarching Dove Tales name for all our work with refugees This creative arts group, run in partnership with and asylum seekers in Plymouth. the Racial Equality Council, supported women to On entering our 10th year of working overcome trauma and adapt to life in Britain. One in this field, we commissioned of the highlights of the year was an ever expanding exhibition of beautifully hand-crafted flowers, an independent evaluation which grew as the women toured to other women’s of the programme. Extremely groups to share the technique. They also worked positive outcomes were found for with a film-maker to create a short film about Dove Tales and their experiences of living in Plymouth. participants in the areas of self- We are now training a small number of the women esteem, confidence, happiness, to deliver awareness raising sessions, alongside health, and wellbeing. We are the film, for organisations around the city. currently fundraising to develop Dare to Dazzle and Dove Tales as it Refugee Week was found that very little provision Refugee Week is a UK-wide programme of cultural of this nature exists in the city. events celebrating the contribution of refugees to the UK. This year our Dove Tales group exhibited their hand-crafted flowers at the Plymouth City Dare to be Different Museum and Art Gallery accompanied by a flower- making workshop. This performance group, for young people aged 14 to 25, enabled participants to express their stories whilst building confidence, self-esteem and language skills. This year the group worked with “This group has been a life-line – inter-cultural theatre company Border Crossings I don’t know what I would have towards a performance in The Drum and the project culminated in December with a fantastic done without it” performance at the Devonport Guildhall. Sami, Dove Tales participant

Dare to Dazzle “I’ve learned that people do want to listen to me” A small group for children aged eight – 11, Dare to Dazzle helped participants explore, through Attoitoi, Dare to be Different participant drama, issues they may have had with their feelings and experiences. Led by a Drama Practitioner and Family Therapist, a big focus across the year was on team and confidence building, emotional development and communication. Photo: Fiona Walsh 20 CREATIVE LEARNING COMMUNITY Our Space Funky Llama

Challenging For Adults with Perceptions of Mental Learning Disabilities Health, Homelessness and Addiction

Our Space is a diverse group of In January this year we launched Funky Llama, adults who come together on a a programme of large scale performing arts events run by adults with learning disabilities and open weekly basis to develop confidence, to all. The Funky Llama Club Night will be the first resilience and new skills through of it’s kind in the South West – a professional night drama and theatre. Members bring club experience involving live acts, open mic, chill out space, DJs, dancing and more! a wide range of experiences to the group; they have all had issues with Over 100 people attended the information morning mental health, homelessness or at TR2, and we recruited an active steering group, Driving Force, to inform how the Funky Llama addiction. Their creativity, bravery Club Night will run. Through on the job training and commitment is remarkable. we are preparing participants to help run the event by working in Front of House, Box Office This year we expanded Our Space to include two and Sales, Stage Management and Marketing. We strands – one for newcomers and one for longer are also running theatre design workshops, and standing members - as well as a new participant our partners, Plymouth Music Zone, are training steering group for the project with the aim of the DJs. Key staff from across the Theatre have developing a core group who have the skills and undertaken a range of training including learning confidence to form their own theatre company disability awareness, Makaton and Easy Read. in the future. In addition, an intensive summer project saw members stage short performances In addition to planning the club night, we awarded at the Barbican Theatre, having taken responsibility four Plymouth services bursaries to develop skills for all aspects of production including lighting, in running performing arts activities. This will sound, stage management, design and performance. ensure that creative opportunities for adults with learning disabilities can develop across the city “It has been the highlight of my week for quite and into the future. a while now – as I have been struggling with other areas of my life.”— Our Space participant “Being part of Funky Llama “I gained and felt part of a supportive group which helped build my confidence outside training sessions has been an of Our Space. I have new friends for support.” absolute pleasure! Adults with — Our Space participant learning disabilities have so much to offer, I can honestly say that “I’m so willing to learn. I never we learnt just as much from the knew I could be creative on so participants during the sessions as many levels” they did from us!” Our Space participant Theatre Royal Plymouth staff member

Photo: Cassandra Horsley 22 CREATIVE LEARNING COMMUNITY “laughing, playing, performing – given me so much and restoring a lot of confidence and faith in life” People’s People’s Company member Company

The People’s Company offers The Good Person of Szechwan opportunities for anyone to come by Bertolt Brecht, July 2012, The Drum along and have a go. As well as a This modern-day parable, written by one of weekly programme of drama, writing the 20th century’s most influential practitioners, and singing, there are professionally tackles the basic human issue of how to be a good person in an imperfect society. The People’s resourced productions each year Company created an ensemble piece, which in The Drum. comically conjured the trials and tribulations of a struggling urban community with startling effect.

“Again, the People’s Company Sailors and Sweethearts create work that is exciting, by Nick Stimson, March 2013 engaging and unpretentious. A year in the making, this production was inspired A massive achievement.” by the work of local artist Beryl Cook and real life stories of nights out on the town in Plymouth. The Sailors and Sweethearts review, Western Morning News cast included several people new to the People’s Company who had never performed before, and the show sold out ten performances, receiving rave reviews. Loud, brash and raucous, it was a huge amount of fun for all involved.

Photo: Fiona Walsh 24 CREATIVE LEARNING

In the past year we have worked with the following theatre companies, organisations and schools.

Theatre Companies Organisations Schools St Peter and The Waterfront Cathedral School of St Mary Primary School

High Street Primary School Batsheva Ensemble Age Concern, Plymouth Budshead Pilgrim Primary School Birmingham Repertory Theatre All Stars Brook Green Centre for Learning St Andrew’s CofE Primary School Birmingham Royal Ballet Attik Dance Notre Dame RC School St George’s CofE Primary School Curious Directive Banardo’s Sir John Hunt Community Sports College St Peter’s CofE Primary Frantic Assembly Barbican Theatre, Plymouth Whitleigh Primary School Glyndebourne British Red Cross Woodlands School Stoke Hofesh Shechter City College Plymouth Ford Primary School National Theatre Closereach (Broadreach House) Devonport Stoke Damerel Community College New Adventures Dame Hannah Rogers Trust City College Plymouth Ontroerend Goed & Refugee Support Council College Road Primary School Cornwall Paper Birds Devon & Cornwall Police Constabulary Bodmin Community College Polka Theatre Devon and Somerset Fire & Rescue Service Eggbuckland Callington Community College Rambert Devonport Guildhall Austin Farm Primary School Falmouth University Red Cape Theatre George House Eggbuckland Community College Fourlanesend Primary School Ridiculusmus Hannah’s at Seal Hayne Eggbuckland Vale Primary School Fowey Community College Stuff and Nonsense Theatre Company Highbury Trust St Boniface RC School Told By an Idiot Mencap Poltair School West Yorkshire Playhouse Millfield’s Trust NIE Ham Torpoint Community College York Theatre Royal National Skills Academy All Saints Academy Plymouth National Trust School Open Doors International Language School Moorview Plymouth Arts Centre School Devon Plymouth Centre for Faith and Cultural Diversity Chelfham Primary School Plymouth City Council: Arts Unit, Inclusion Works Peverell Devon Academy of Performing Arts Team, Youth Service, Ethnic Minority Achievement Team Devonport High School for Girls Exmouth College Plymouth City Women’s Institute Boringdon Primary School Kingsbridge Community College of Art Hele’s School Newton Ferrers Primary School Plymouth Community Homes Longcause Community Special School Queen Elizabeth’s Community Technology College Plymouth Dance Plymouth College South Dartmoor Community College Plymouth and Devon Racial Equality Council Plympton St Mary College Plymouth and District MIND Tiverton Primary School Plymouth Libraries Plymstock Dunstone Wembury Primary School Plymouth Music Zone Dunstone Primary School West Exe Technology College Plymouth University Ridleys Dorset Shekinah Mission Marine Academy Plymouth Lyme Youth Theatre in association with St George’s Community Care The Woodroffe School Students & Refugees Together START The Elder Tree The Prince’s Trust The Theatre Royal Plymouth is a registered charity number 284545