The JMK Trust: Direct Access 2009

Do you want to be a theatre director?
Have you ever thought about directing a 'classic' play?

Direct Access open days are free, professional workshop opportunities to learn about the craft of theatre-making from the country's finest directors.

Since 1998, the JMK Trust has provided talented young directors with awards, guidance and development opportunities. This remarkable impact and influence can now be seen throughout the British theatre industry.

The work and ethos of the JMK Trust will be taken into the regions for the very first time as Direct Access launches at partner theatres in Newcastle, Plymouth, Bristol, Manchester and London, to inspire the next generation of theatre-makers.

Whether you have little or some experience, these full day workshops will give you an expert and practical introduction to developing the skills and techniques needed to fulfil your potential as a director and to succeed.

Newcastle's Workshop will take place at Northern Stage on Saturday 7th November.

To find out more about the work of the JMK Trust and to register your free place on one of these exciting events, please visit the JMK Trust website on www.jmktrust.org

The Beautiful Journey

A UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY
WILDWORKS 'THE BEAUTIFUL JOURNEY' NORTH EAST WORKSHOP
April 5th – 10th 2009

Something extraordinary has happened…

WILDWORKS is an acclaimed international company of artists, musicians and theatre makers who create large-scale theatre events in unusual sites working with the communities who live there.

‘THE BEAUTIFUL JOURNEY' a promenade performance sited in a working dockyards, featuring stunning visual imagery, water, film, food, fire, ice and music – where audiences will become part of a mass exodus and find themselves transported to a world of futures… the edge of tomorrow.

WILDWORKS believe that by working with local makers, performers and musicians is a vital part of the process of making their stunning landscape theatre.

Bill Mitchell, ex artistic director of Kneehigh Theatre, and his team of visionary theatre makers, invite you to join them.

During the workshop WILDWORKS will pass on our collective experience of making our particular style of outdoor work. This is a unique chance to get to know, each other and find out what's at the heart of our work.

The workshop will give time and space for individuals to explore their own creativity outside the usual boxes of performer, maker, musician etc. You will make installations, play with character, create sculpture, and invent sounds music and narrative in the landscape.

The workshop will take place from April 5th - 10th 2009 in Wallsend, Tyne & Wear.

This amazing opportunity is open to anyone over 18 years who would like to have a creative experience.

To be accepted for the workshop we also need to know about your availability during the preparation and performance of THE BEAUTIFUL JOURNEY North East (July 2009) - in case you are selected to join the team. Please note that you don't have to be available 24 hours a day during that period! - we can work with a certain amount of flexibility during rehearsals although places are more likely to go to those who can commit for the whole of rehearsal and performance.

If you are over 18 years are a performer or a maker, musician or none of those but would like to have an amazing creative experience then please apply by sending a application letter telling us about your skills, any previous experience and the reasons why you would like to take part, along with your age and contact details.

Email: info@wildworks.biz

Post:
WILDWORKS

reference N.E WORKSHOP

c/o The Works,
Crusader House, 

Newham Quay,

Truro, Cornwall

TR1 2DP

Application deadline Friday 20th March

The Beautiful Journey forms part of North East England’s world-class programme of festivals and events developed by culture10 and is funded by One North East, Northern Rock Foundation, Theatre Royal Plymouth and Arts Council England.

Devoted & Disgruntled - North East

Do you love theatre?
Do you find it frustrating?
Do you wish it were different?
Do you feel like an outsider in your own profession?
Have you just started out and need support?
Are you looking for a theatrical community outside London?
Is your sector always left out of the discussions?
Have you been in the profession for years and feel jaded?
Are you looking to change things?

DEVOTED AND DISGRUNTLED NORTH EAST:
What are we going to do about theatre?

Dear Friend

Four years ago I sent Improbable’s first invitation to Devoted and Disgruntled, an event that grew out of my passions and frustrations with theatre, about how I love theatre but still felt frustrated with how it happened sometimes.

Out of that first event an amazing number of initiatives have quietly and forcefully blossomed. Some of them are obvious, others, equally important, are more subtle and tangential. Just as important as all the initiatives and projects to have come out of D&D is the way in which, over the last 4 years, we have been slowly building a genuine sense of community.

One of the issues that has been raised at successive D&Ds is that there is a real need for this kind of event outside London so I’m particularly delighted that, as a direct result of discussions at D&D, The Empty Space have invited us to bring Devoted and Disgruntled to the North East, providing an opportunity for the theatre and performing community here to gather in Open Space and work on what could be improved; the things about which you are passionate and the things you wish were different.

So if there are things you are passionate about or things you are pissed off about, projects or proposals you need support on, or if you just want to connect with your peers, all are possible because in Open Space you set the agenda.

On past experience of D&D, the more diverse our group, the more creative and exciting the work has been. Anyone that is passionate about theatre and prepared to take responsibility for making it the best it can be is invited.

If you feel like this event might not be for you then that is a sure sign we need your input! If you feel that the issues that affect you or your sector never get discussed so what’s the point of turning up? This is the event for you!

Please join us on this journey.

Phelim McDermott
Co-Artistic Director, Improbable

Natalie Querol & Caroline Routh
Co-Directors, The Empty Space

find out more

The Art of Business Performance

Northern Stage presents a new series of workshops for individuals wishing to develop their communication and presentation skills. Our last event in July received significant praise and endorsement from delegates, including representatives from RBS, Northumbrian Water, Newcastle City Council and Newcastle Building Society.

Our next workshop is on Tuesday 14 October. Erica Whyman, Chief Executive of Northern Stage and Director of recent productions including Our Friends in the North and A Christmas Carol will lead a Communication Skills workshop with a professional actor. This workshop is aimed at individuals who wish to boost their performance in presenting to a range of audiences, including meetings with colleagues and clients, pitching for new business and after dinner speaking.

This full day course with lunch offers extremely good value for money, with an inclusive price of £195 + VAT per person.

If you would like further information and booking details for this workshop please email Jane Hall at jhall@northernstage.co.uk

Take Part at Northern Stage

The participation team is proud to announce a wealth of activities taking place this Autumn.

There’s loads going on for young people this season, not least the launch of Northern Stage’s first ever Young Performance Group in September. If you’re aged between 13 – 16 and full of ideas and enthusiasm you should sign up now for the chance to take part in this 10 week project which will culminate in a performance on the magical set of our under sixes Christmas show, The Goblin Who Saved Christmas. We’ll be hosting a variety of performances and events throughout ‘Juice’, a celebration of work by young people for young people throughout October and November, and on the 1 November we welcome the return of our popular Family Day. Why not come along and make your very own gingerbread house that will be displayed in the theatre for all to see over the festive season?

For more chances to get involved with our two fabulous Christmas shows, Hansel & Gretel and The Goblin Who Saved Christmas head along to Seven Stories to meet the cast in an extra special story telling session and make Goblin decorations to adorn the Northern Stage Christmas tree (more info coming soon). Don’t forget you can purchase a limited edition A4 picturebook of The Goblin Who Saved Christmas when you book your tickets for the show online or at Box Office.

This autumn we have decided that it shouldn’t just be the performance group who get the chance to get involved with Northern Stage skills workshops so we are delighted to announce a new season of workshops open to everybody. They take place on a one off basis so you can just pick and choose which sessions you think you would enjoy. You don’t need any special knowledge or skills, just come along and have some fun and learn something new. The first session is with Monkfish productions on Wednesday 8 October and even better, it’s FREE with a ticket to the show!

Next month the participation team will be starting some behind the scenes work on the Looking For Bill project which will take place in and around Newcastle in October. Forming part of Northern Stage’s ongoing exploration of theatre taking place in unusual spaces and theatre spaces being used in unusual ways, Looking For Bill will culminate with some of Shakespeare’s most remarkable monologues being performed in places you would least expect them...keep your eyes peeled on the Metro!

For more information on any of these projects see the participation section of the website.

Hopefully see you soon! Sophie.

Workshops update

Being off-site, you don't often see or hear much from our workshops team, but they're the people behind all the fantastic sets you'll see in our shows as well as the same team who designed and made much of the furniture you'll find around the building.

At the moment they're hard at work building the set for The Bloody Chamber, which amongst other things features this custom made Grand Piano. You can click on the images for larger versions.





What you may not realise is that they also build a lot of commissioned work. They've recently built a giant disco wardrobe which is being taken to Edinburgh for The Gymnast, and they're hard at working building the set for Skellig at the Sage Gateshead, based on a design by Rea Smith. You can see photos of the model box below.







Thanks to Mike Wymark, Head of Workshops for the photographs.