As promised, here is a brief report back from The Future Playground, last week’s event which opened up a discussion about the making of new theatre for children. About 80 people turned up and took part in a wide-ranging and bouncy discussion. Artists, producers, presenters and funders took part and as a whole and in groups we discussed such topics as the invisibility and visibility of work for children, how artists might be persuaded and facilitated into making work for children, the commercial implications of presenting work for children and families which cost the same to make as work for adults but for which the ticket prices are expected to cost much less and why, in the theatre world, work for children is looked down on as not worthwhile product and the people who make it not proper writers, directors, actors etc etc. Those discussions will continue! And at the meeting a new website was launched. The Future Playground is a social networking site for those involved in or interested in the making of theatre for the young. Take a look!
And we all got to see The Forest too. And I’m heartily recommending it. An engaging, beautiful and more abstract look at “forest” with virtually no language but movement and music. There were a good number of children in the audience from about 18 months to 9 years who were engaged from the very beginning and rapt throughout. We’re presenting it from Wednesday 10th to Saturday 13th March and if your child is outside our recommended age range for the show don’t worry, there is plenty in the piece to keep them interested and involved. With fingers crossed, if The Future Playground achieves its aims, we’ll be able to present much more new work for children that is of the same high standard as The Forest.
Send to friend
2 Comments
About eight years ago we were lucky enough to be invited to view the final dress rehearsal of the Twits at the Arts Centre just in advance of their Christmas performance. To experience live theatre, and enjoy a quality production as well as the opportunity for the whole school community to join in such an event was a unique and memorable occurance, talked about and referred to for years after the event. Visiting a theatre is an experience which is not within the remit of most of our families. I wish you success and respectfully request that in the allocation of funding for projects, opportunities for disadvantaged groups are in some way promoted.
LESLEY MOSELEY at 6:17am on Tue 23rd Mar 2010
Thanks very much for your comments Lesley. I remember The Twits very fondly too and I'm not surprised that the memory of the event stayed so fresh for children and teachers for so long - that happens a lot with us! That's the sort of power of art that we are talking about and hope to promote when we choose productions to present, particularly to children. When we're searching for funding for our projects, it seems that the largest chunks of money available for arts/culture work with children are for those children from neighbourhoods/communities that have fewer (or no) opportunities for engagement with the arts. We are extremely keen to engage with those children, their schools and families and when such project opportunities arise we do publicise them widely to catch those schools who are eligible and interested. We've found many keen and vibrant schools to work with over the years and can't wait to find many more.
Brian Bishop at 3:23pm on Thu 25th Mar 2010