Creative Midlands West

Minutes of the Mid*Point Steering Group (19th September)
2 Male Actors required by Jestaminute Community Theatre c.i.c
Afro Vibes Festival
FRED sets sail with the merchant
REP Foundry
Foghorn Improv
The Wedge
Little Earthquake – New Collaborator Workshops
- http://t.co/K1RYze8n #tpwm #tpn
Private Lives
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2 excellent opportunities with @newartgallery: studio visits (closes tomorrow) and a residency! (+ an @eprjcts one) http://t.co/Vx7AXwE1
Eastside Projects offering two Artist Residencies in Bristol and Dublin http://t.co/dDYBq0Jv #tpwm #tpn

Minutes of the Mid*Point Steering Group (19th September)

Posted: 05 Oct 2012 03:19 AM PDT

The minutes of the last Mid*Point Steering Group meeting can be found here

2 Male Actors required by Jestaminute Community Theatre c.i.c

Posted: 05 Oct 2012 03:08 AM PDT

Jestaminute Community Theatre c.i.c is a social enterprise whose objects are :

"to use performance and media arts to enhance the life and well-being, and to enhance social cohesion of the residents in the midlands"

We need two male actors with significant devising/improvisation experience to devise/rehearse/perform a 20 -30 minute play for a men's health project to be delivered in Redditch in November 2012.

Actor 1 – playing age – early to late twentiesMUSThave stand-up skills.

Actor 2 – playing age – 40 +

Audition Monday 29^thOctober in Redditch

Actors must be available for:

Devising: 12^th, 13^th and 14^th November, including an evening show back of work-inprogress on 13^th to invited audience.

Rehearsals 19^th20^th November

Performances 21st ,22^nd, 23^rd and 24^th November at sports and social clubs aimed mainly at a male audience.

Project fee £ 900

Closing date : 5pm 19^th October

Please send CV to Andy at

jestaminute@blueyonder.co.uk

Any questions please email.

Afro Vibes Festival

Posted: 05 Oct 2012 02:59 AM PDT

Struggling to Survive

		We all remember plays such as *The Island, Woza Albert* and Sizwe Bansi from the '70s and '80s ..but what are South African artists concerned with today? As with the UK, South Africa is an ever-changing society, and its theatre makers seek to reflect the many voices that are heard throughout the country. Struggling to Survive is an informal seminar which address this and other issues facing South African writers and directors today.

	South African theatre in the 21st century

		James Ngcobo and Princess Mhlongo will be talking with Dr Yvette Hutchison, Associate Professor of Theatre, Performance and Cultural Policy Studies at Warwick University. Actor, writer and director, James Ngcobo is Artistic Director of Afrovibes and creator of Thirst and Songs of Migration. Princess Mhlongo is director of And the Girls in Their Sunday Dressesand is the Standard Bank Young Artist of the Year for Drama. Dr Yvette Hutchison has taught African theatre and performance at the universities of Natal, Stellenbosch and the Western Cape, as well as in the UK She is also co-editor of the South African Theatre Journal andthe African Theatre series.

We invite you to join us at:

The Drum, 144 Potters Lane, Bimringham B6 4UU

Thursday 11th October at 3.30pm

To rserve your place for this event, please call the box office on

0121 333 2400 / 2444

www.the-drum.org.uk

FRED sets sail with the merchant

Posted: 05 Oct 2012 02:56 AM PDT

FRED, Birmingham's newest theatre company, launches next week with its inaugural production—Shakespeare's most controversial play, The Merchant of Venice—opening on Tuesday at the A.E.Harris building in the Jewellery Quarter.

FRED has been established by its artistic director, Robert F. Ball, to bring classic plays into the twenty-first century, to find new stories in old tales, and to explore drama in non-traditional theatre spaces.

Shakespeare's tale of bigotry, fear, and capitalism was chosen to launch FRED as many of its themes are still, sadly, relevant today. Robert describes the production as "boldly imaginative," and continues, "we've stripped everything in the production away to focus on the story, the language, and the themes of the play. We're inviting the audience to reassess their opinion of a much misunderstood play, and to come with us on a journey of discovery.

"The A.E.Harris building is the best possible location for our production as it offers a stark setting where there are no distractions, just the opportunity to focus on the play. Whether you know the play or not, whether you love it or hate, I hope FRED's production will offer something new for everyone."

The Merchant of Venice opens on Tuesday and runs till Saturday, at the A.E.Harris building, Northwood Street in the Jewellery Quarter.

FRED will be following The Merchant of Venice with further productions in non-traditional theatre spaces. Further details will appear on its web site shortly atwww.fred-theatre.co.uk.

REP Foundry

Posted: 05 Oct 2012 02:54 AM PDT

Calling All Emerging West Midlands Directors, Writers and Theatre-makers

Birmingham Repertory Theatre is looking for West Midlands based writers, directors and theatre-makers to be part of its new artist development programme, REP Foundry.

REP Foundry is a new initiative that will invest in and support six writers, six directors and six theatre-makers by offering them a year-long development and mentoring programme aimed at bringing new stories and new voices to the stage. The scheme will offer professional support and expertise from staff at The REP, masterclasses with theatre professionals and an opportunity to try out new work in front of an audience at monthly scratch performance nights.

Ola Animashawun, Associate Director at The REP says of the scheme:
"We're looking for people who want to set the stage alight with their ideas and who would like to gain a reputation for making theatre of the highest quality – either as a writer, a director, a devisor, or an improviser. REP Foundry will give them the time, space and support to learn and develop their craft."

REP Foundry is open to emerging directors, creators of devised work, people who see themselves as theatre-makers or creators of experimental theatre, writers who have not yet been produced, people with lots of ideas for making work for live performance and for live audiences, recently graduated theatre practitioners and recently formed small to mid-scale theatre companies.

The application process for REP Foundry is now open. Anyone interested in applying can find out more by visiting birmingham-rep.co.uk/repfoundry . The deadline for applications is 6pm on Friday 9^th November 2012.

Foghorn Improv

Posted: 05 Oct 2012 02:50 AM PDT

Foghorn Improv will be performing their new show: There Now Follows a Party Political Broadcast On Behalf of The Foghorn Improv Partyon Tuesday 9th October, 8pm at the Old Joint Stock as part of the Birmingham Comedy Festival.

Big Society is yesterday's news. New Deal is Old Deal.

The year is 2012 and a new political party is being formed. Be there at the beginning: the rise of a new era of politics. Audience suggestions will form the basis of Foghorn Improv's policies. This will be a new party, one with integrity, honesty and created from the words of real people. Our manifesto is simple: A vote for us is a vote for a laugh…

www.foghornimprov.com

The Wedge

Posted: 05 Oct 2012 02:48 AM PDT

The Wedge

a new play written and performed by Naomi Said

directed by Chris O'Connell

produced by Theatre Absolute

Venue: Theatre Absolute, Shop Front Theatre, 38 City Arcade, Coventry CV1 3HW

Dates: 23rd – 27th October 2012 - Performances: Evenings: 7.45pm plus Matinees on 25th & 27th 2.00pm

Box office: www.oxboffice.com or 0845 680 1926

Company website: www.theatreabsolute.co.uk

Little Earthquake – New Collaborator Workshops

Posted: 05 Oct 2012 02:42 AM PDT

Over the next few months, we will be hosting a series of workshops for new collaborators, which will give us a chance to meet new performers / devisors, and which will give those participants a chance to learn more about our way of working through day-long practical sessions.

The sessions are a chance for us to find people we would enjoy working with and might end up working with in the future, but will also give the participants a chance to get to know each other and maybe kick-start new collaborations between them.

The first workshop in the series will take place at the Old Joint Stock Pub & Theatre on Wednesday 14^th November 2012 between 10am – 5pm. This workshop is specifically for theatre performers and devisers who are based in the West Midlands. (We will be running workshops in other locations throughout Spring 2013, some for performers and devisers, and some for artists in other disciplines.)

You can find out more about this workshop and download an application form from

www.little-earthquake.com/participate

The deadline for applications is 6pm on Wednesday 31st October 2012.

We look forward to hearing from you!

Gareth and Philip

co-Directors – Little Earthquake