Above: Bryan Raven Managing Director, White Light Ltd. White Light is a true industry leader… a multi-faceted company employing over 250 people with an annual turnover of £37 million that covers every area of entertainment and the corporate event industry.
Well here we are …somehow…
I suppose this is what people call ‘mixed emotions’, in the sense that I really am quite flabbergasted/ concerned that we are almost in the fifth month of the year. At the same time, it’s a month in which venues up and down the country can start to think about reopening, with a few taking the plunge straight away.
I personally cannot wait to get back inside a theatre and was just telling someone the other day how strange it is to think back to the things which may have irritated you in a pre-Covid world but which you would now gladly experience in a heartbeat: the epic queues to the toilets at the interval, having your view of the stage blocked by the person in front’s head as well as paying through the nose for a drink from the theatre bar.
I, for one, will relish the whole experience when I go see my first show next month and am genuinely looking forward to taking this initial step back to normality.
At White Light, for the first time in months, we’ve had people pre- rigging in our warehouse and it’s been fantastic to see and speak to crew members who are clearly so eager to get back to work.
We were also given the fantastic news last month that we will be receiving £1million from the second round of the government’s Cultural Recovery Fund. We fully appreciate how fortunate we are to be in this position and want to thank everyone who sent across their well wishes as we really do appreciate them.
We’d also like to once again thank organisations such as #WeMakeEvents who have truly worked tirelessly to ensure our industry has a voice and continues to do so. We also recognise that more work is needed to help people obtain money through the third round, such as our brilliant freelancers, and will continue to fight for this wherever we can.
Please keep an eye on our social media channels over the next few weeks as we will be announcing plans to reconnect with you all in person over what we’re currently calling ‘Afternoon Tea’…
In the meantime, stay safe and hopefully see you all very soon.
The reimagined venue is complete with a Changing Places toilet facility.
By Dan Hicklin
The brand new Octagon Theatre is just one of a small number of buildings in Bolton to accommodate a Changing Places toilet, equipped with facilities that most standard accessible toilets do not provide.
Changing Places toilets are for people with profound and multiple learning disabilities, as well as people with other physical disabilities such as spinal injuries, muscular dystrophy and multiple sclerosis.
Over 250,000 people in the UK require the use of Changing Places toilets to enable them to enjoy day-to-day activities that many people take for granted.
The Changing Places facility provides adequate space for the user and up to two carers, is fitted with a height adjustable adult-sized changing bench, a tracking hoist system, a privacy screen and a shower, as well as a centrally placed toilet.
This new facility will make the venue more accessible and provide an enhanced visitor experience for people with disabilities, providing extra comfort and independence for them and their carers.
Octagon theatregoer Ian Brown, who is carer for his disabled son, Thomas, added: “As a family we love going to the theatre and we believe these multi-sensory experiences have played a massive part in our son Thomas’ development. However, like many disabled people, Thomas has quite complex toileting needs, this restricts massively where we can take him.
“It is simply incredible that the Octagon has listened to families like ours and included a Changing Places toilet as an integral part of their rebuild, offering comfort and dignity to all. This vital facility ensures that as he grows, Thomas and his sisters can continue to experience the magical, family friendly productions that the Octagon has to offer.”
The Changing Places facility was installed as part of the venue’s £12million redevelopment which has seen the complete modernisation of the entire building with updated performance spaces; brand-new participation facilities; improved front-of-house experience; and expanded backstage accommodation. octagonbolton.co.uk/visit-us/access
@OctagonBolton @octogontheatre
Sudbury Dramatic Society’s video push is winning formula and hits all the right notes.
By PAUL JOHNSON
One of the highlights of our new daily shoutout initiative was the publication of Sudbury Dramatic Society’s book and promotional video which, in 2021, marks the group’s first hundred years.
With planned celebrations somewhat curtailed, due to the pandemic, SDS is delighted to announce the publication of the book; Sudbury Dramatic Society – The First 100 Years, by Sara Knight, with Liz Cole.
The book has its origins in an extensive society archive kept on the backstairs landing at The Quay Theatre. It is full of photographs as well as the results of interviews with past and present members.
SDS is responsible for converting the Quay Theatre building in the late 1970s from a riverside warehouse to a bona fide theatre which, these days, operates as a separate charity, hosting professional and amateur companies, as well live streaming and films.
The society was formed from a base at the Victoria Hall in Prince St. and also performed in the Gainsborough Theatre (now the Infinity Nightclub), fundraised for St Leonard’s Hospital before the advent of the NHS and performed for World War I soldiers convalescing at Belle Vue House.
Sara Knight is the current Chair of Sudbury Dramatic Society and Liz Cole is a longstanding member and a member of the Quay Theatre Board. She is also the granddaughter of SDS founder member and local artist Paul Earee. Liz had been researching her own history of drama in Sudbury, and it is her notes that form the ‘Introduction’ to the book and have contributed to the first chapter.
SDS is a still major contributor to The Quay Theatre contributing in the region of £50k annually. Productions have been on tour and fundraising in locations as exotic as Westwood Park, Great Maplestead and Spain.
Author Sara Knight says: “this is absorbing local history whether you are a member of Society Dramatic Society or not, which we hope will inspire you to support or contribute to the society as it moves forward into the next 100 years.”
The book has been published with the aid of grants from Sudbury Freeman’s Trust, and Councillor Jack Owen. Sudbury Dramatic Society – The First 100 Years is available initially via www.sudburydramatic.com for £12.99.
England’s largest arts festival, Brighton Fringe, is back with the most exciting and unusual cabaret, circus and comedy, dance, drama and drag open now until Sunday, 27 June
This summer, if you don’t fancy going abroad you can always head to the south coast in person or in principle and celebrate the limitless variety of the UK arts scene with Brighton Fringe!
In the spirit of invention that has always inspired the Fringe, 2021 will be a hybrid festival with a mixture of live and digital shows with more than 330 events already lined up – and there’s more yet to come.
Performances are as eclectic as ever and come from the likes of Arthur Smith, Marcel Lucont, Circus Abyssinia, The LOL Word, Bent Double and Sara Barron.
The Wardrobe Ensemble and The Wardrobe Theatre bring their critically acclaimed two-woman retelling of The Great Gatsby, while other drama on the south coast menu includes The Lady in the Van and King Lear.
For more information, to browse through all the acts and to book your tickets just pay a visit to:
Website: www.brightonfringe.org
Facebook: brightonfringefestival
Twitter: brightonfringe
Petersfield Shakespeare Festival is poised to return for its 9th season with bold, live, open-air performances at an exciting new venue
By Clare Glancy & Lucy Hollis
The Petersfield Shakespeare Festival is set to transform the lockdown nightmare to a midsummer dream as it returns this July with a fittingly festive play in a perfect and magical setting.
A cast of eight promise to delight audiences with A Midsummer Night’s Dream, performed in a clearing beneath a magnificent oak tree, nestling amongst the woodland of Wylds Christmas Tree Farm, Liss from 20 – 25 July 2021.
The venue will be open early to enjoy the family-friendly festival vibe and beautiful surroundings before the show. Tickets are priced to encourage everyone to attend, and concessions are available.
Liverpool Theatre Festival returns this Autumn after a hugely successful inaugural year – and this time organisers are also introducing a Summer event to premiere new works.
The outdoor festival at St Luke’s Bombed Out Church in September 2020 was created by theatre producer Bill Elms after every single theatre closed their doors in March.
The festival went ahead with Covid-secure safety measures in place and featured established shows and artists with performances of musical theatre, drama, comedy, cabaret, monologues and children’s shows.
It won an award, became a massive success feeding the appetite for live entertainment and was shortlisted for further accolades. It is now back with a whole new strand to introduce new works.
While The main Liverpool Theatre Festival featuring established acts, artists and productions will run from 1-12 Sep and is planned to launch the city’s Autumn theatre season, Little LTF runs from 12-18 July and will be staged in a specially designed undercover performance space.
Once again, the festival hub is St Luke’s Bombed Out Church & gardens in Liverpool city centre. www.liverpooltheatrefestival.com
2021’s festival will be delivered by renowned theatre producers Selladoor Worldwide and will include family entertainment, live theatre, dance, music, contemporary art and comedy hosted at landmark venues across the city.
By PAUL JOHNSON
After securing an £841,647 grant from the DCMS Cultural Recovery fund, Preston City Council has a full line up for the brand-new festival, which is due to take place in and around the city from 21-30 June.
The festival will celebrate arts, culture, and homegrown talent in Preston.
CEO of Selladoor Worldwide, David Hutchinson, said: “We couldn’t be happier to be working with Preston City Council to deliver an exciting programme of cultural events this summer to celebrate arts and culture in this fantastic city. As we all know It has been an incredibly tough year across the creative industry and we hope this programme will help to kick start the re-emergence of the live arts as we move out of lockdown whilst also offering the people of Preston some exciting, imaginative and much-needed live entertainment.”
As part of the festival, Selladoor is looking to collaborate with local creatives and has commissioned work from artists across the spectrum of Drama, Dance and Spoken Word with the aim of curating three Scratch Nights centred around the theme of ‘Lockdown Stories’, alongside work from local visual artists as part of their ‘Preston Awakens’ programme.
To find out how you could be involved, submit a commission or to join the mailing list for the latest news on Preston Live Arts Festival visit www.preston.live and follow at @PrestonArtsLive #PrestonLive.
In May, the BRIT awards went live for the O2’s first show in over a year as part of the government’s Event Research Programme.
With an audience of 4,000 frontline and key workers who were not subjected to any social distancing measures or masks, the awards show signalled an empathetic step towards the UK’s ‘return to live’. However, many artists appeared via video instead of performing live in any traditional capacity.
While fans were still excited to see live-streamed performances the disappointment of those who attended the BRITs reflects that live streams are only expected in parallel to live events instead of as a replacement, particularly if they have made the effort to physically attend a venue.
Artists will probably continue to utilise live streaming in parallel with their ‘live’ shows in order to access hundreds of millions of fans where fan bases are not as established.
The 2021 bursery scheme from the Association of Professional Headshot Photographers supports emerging talent from drama schools across the country.
Entering its 5th year The APHP Headshot Bursary is a major, annual, charitable initiative run by non-profit organisation, which is now open for 2021’s nominations.
The scheme donates a headshot session with an APHP-qualified photographer to a student at each of over twenty major UK drama schools, with each student being nominated by their school.
APHP photographers work with hundreds of UK drama students each year, and the scheme allows the APHP to contribute to the success of emerging actors across the UK at a vital stage of their training.
The following students were the recipients of the 2020 bursary. The first nine have now completed their socially distanced Covid-19 compliant studio shoots and their photographers are noted in brackets. The rest will be completed after restrictions are lifted.
Top Row (l-r):
1. Annabel Bennet (Robin Savage), Fourth Monkey
2. Ameer Aqeel (Robin Savage), Royal Birmingham Conservatoire
3. Maya Elliott (Nicholas Dawkes), ArtsEd
Middle Row:
4. Joshua Robinson (John Clark), Rose Bruford
5. Finn Graham (Alishia Love), The Oxford School of Drama
6. Ida Kummervold (Adam Hills), London Studio Centre
Lower Row:
7. Charlotte Ayers (Tom Barker), The Academy of Live & Recorded Arts
8. Erwan Hughes (Kim Hardy), Royal Central School of Speech and Drama
9. Rachel Ellen (Michael Wharley), Royal Central School of Speech and Drama
Conor McLeod, Guildhall School of Music and Drama
Lena Robin, Drama Studio London
Marco Voli, London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art
Tia Jackson Owens, London College of Music
Jessica Elsie Dunn, Drama Centre London
Financial need: although this is not a hardship bursary, the question is asked that students in need are given first consideration.
Performance excellence: exemplary displays of acting ability during the year.
High academic achievement: superb performance in the written and reflective aspects of training.
Awards are announced throughout the year, according to each school’s timetable, and are published in full on the APHP website by the end of December 2021. www.theaphp.co.uk
National Theatre Wales stages a new show, Possible, a playful and profound piece of storytelling about love and finding the courage to explore the past, in order to shape the future.
Set to an emotive soundtrack, with live music and surreal cinematic visuals, it’s an experience that’s part theatre, part spoken word, part gig and part film, streaming live and on demand this June and July.
Commissioned in 2019, Possible was going to be a show all about how we imagine and discover love in our lives. But then the pandemic arrived, driving the show’s creator, Shôn Dale-Jones, to reimagine things. “I wanted to capture the emotional journey we’ve been on since the pandemic exploded into our lives and make something which might hold us together around the things that really matter,” Shôn said.
Not only did the show’s narrative change with the arrival of Covid-19, but the way it was created had to change too. Rather than creating songs, music and video in the same room, the team had to collaborate remotely from different cities. And instead of creating the show for the stage, everything has had to be designed for a 16 x 9 screen.
Streamed live from The Riverfront in Newport from 29 Jun – 2 Jul, then available on demand from 6 – 13 Jul.
The book has been published with the aid of grants from Sudbury Freeman’s Trust, and Councillor Jack Owen.
