Fantastic Forum Theatre Opportunity
Take Art is delighted to be launching a brand new Forum Theatre training programme for theatre practitioners in Somerset and the South West. Led by Sandy Akerman, an applied theatre specialist, the training programme will focus on practical work, supported by theory, to explore the creation and use of Forum Theatre.
The training is being delivered as part of Phase 2 of Word/Play, a two year initiative that brings together theatre, spoken word and digital media to create change for individuals, groups and communities across Somerset.
The Training Programme will be delivered in two stages: Wednesday 17 to Friday 19 July and Saturday 10 to Sunday 11 August 2013.
It will take place at Magdalen Farm, South Somerset and Beaford Arts, North Devon. The fee of £100 includes full board and accommodation.
Only ten places are available, allocated through a simple application process. For more details and application criteria, download the Training Programme Information and Application Form below.
The deadline for applications is mid-day on Monday 27 May 2013.
Please visit the Word/Play website for more information about the project.
Soundwaves: An Early Years music network for the South West
Take Art's Early Years team has been awarded funding from Youth Music to deliver an Early Years Music Network in the South West to bring together musicians and Early Years practitioners, preschool and nursery staff.
Date: 15 May 2013
Categories: early years, Get Involved, Inspire,
The network will run until October 2014 providing a series of networking events and training opportunities across the region.
We aim to connect individuals and organisations keen to develop music with very young children and their families in Bristol, Gloucestershire, Devon, Somerset, Dorset and Cornwall.
It is free to join the network and you will receive regular e-bulletins, access web based resources and find information about training events in your area.
For further information and to join the network please email caroline@takeart.org.uk.
Please visit the Soundwaves project page for the latest information on the network.
CALL OUT - Early Years Dance Commission
As part of DanSCe Dialogues 2, South East Dance and partners are seeking a dance company based in the UK for a new early years dance commission targeted towards children between the ages of 0-5 years old.
This commission would suit a company with at least 3 years’ experience of making dance work with a strong desire to make work for young audiences.
How to apply:
Applicants must visit the South East Dance website for full details.
Closing date
9am on Monday 13 May 2013
Interview date
15 and 16 May, 2013
DanSCe Dialogues 2 - Entering the Lighting Lab
DanSCe Dialogues 2 is currently running the first of two Light Labs, where eight emerging professionals working in contemporary dance are being mentored by leading UK stage lighting collaborative team Russell Maliphant and Michael Hulls.
Date: 04 Apr 2013
Categories: dance,
The purpose of this lab is to give participants the keys to intellectual, artistic and technical understanding of the relationship between choreography and light, and in particular, whether it can be thought of as a collaborative creative process, from a joint artistic vision.
In this laboratory, four teams of two artists, one choreographer and one lighting designer, will be mentored and guided by two leading artists who will share their artistic experience as a technique to develop the participants’ collaborative and technical lighting skills.
The mentors in this laboratory are the internationally acclaimed team: choreographer Russell Maliphant and lighting designer Michael Hulls, whose work is internationally recognized and has, among other successes, created the award-winning PUSH, a work originally created with ballerina Sylvie Guillem. Participants were chosen by the Laboratory leaders, after an open call throughout the eligible territories - the South East, South West, Normandy and Brittany.
The first day of the Lighting Lab featured a private performance by the Russell Maliphant Company, with a programme made up of some of the most iconic of this duos collaborations over the past 20 years. Michael Hulls will introduce each work and give some background and context for the creation and collaborative process between light and dancers. After the performance, Russell then joined the participants for a post show talk about the works, leading to an evening dinner table discussion.
The lucky participants:
- From South West England: Jane Castree and Jamie Smith
- From Brittany: Le Pole – Léonard Rainis and Nicolas Bazoge
- From South East England: Company Zoielogic – Zoie Golding and Luke Hornbuckle
- From Normandy: Company Ventura – Anna Ventura and Oliver Shobe
The Light Lab is one of a series of dance sector development activities to be offered over the next two years as part of DanSCe Dialogues 2 programme, an Interreg Iva-Manche funded French/UK dance axis and exchange of practices.
To find out more about DanSce Dialogues 2 please visit the Take Art project pages
Related Articles
More Funding for Performers - The Take Art Seed Fund 2013
Take Art is delighted to announce a deadline of 17th April for the 3rd round of Seed Funding for graduate theatre-makers, emerging artists as well as the more established performance artists based in Somerset.
Its purpose is to help the performing arts sector in Somerset to grow. The fund, although modest, is still an important way in which we want to support and encourage Somerset practitioners, especially graduates, young and emerging artists. It has been made possible by Somerset County Council's creative industries fund.
The deadline for applications is Wednesday 17th April.
Download the criteria and more information about the fund below, along with the application form.
Good luck...
Contact Sarah or Mark at Take Art if you need more help at Take Art on 01460 249450.
Word/Play: the thing is…. Take Art brings performance poetry to Somerset’s unheard voices
Over the last three months eight of the UKs top Performance Poets have been working with four groups of service users from Chard, Taunton, Yeovil and Frome to help them discover their inner poet and rediscover their self-confidence.
The Word/Play project run by Take Art is the first of its kind in Somerset, using the relatively new and exciting art form of performance poetry to empower individuals and give them the freedom and encouragement to tell their stories. Over 40 participants with mental health or specific learning difficulties have taken part so far, writing, recording and performing incredible pieces of original poetry.
Debs, a participant from the Chard group said, “It’s been amazing, I have finally found my voice for the first time in my life.”
Each group has had nine sessions working with a lead and shadow performance poet, including UK spoken word stars Jonny Fluffypunk, Chris Redmond, Sally Jenkinson and Liv Torc.
Liv Torc who is lead poet on the project said, “It’s been an amazing journey, to see people with absolutely no self belief or confidence go from shoe gazing to writing and performing with passion, courage and genius. This really has been life changing stuff for everyone involved and such has been the success, some of the groups are going to continue to meet beyond the life of the project.”
Word/Play: the thing is… culminates of Tuesday 26 March with a big celebration performance at The Tacchi Morris Arts Centre, where all four groups will come together to share their achievements and perform their creations, many of which will be accompanied by multi media films and animations. Participant’s work is also available to read online at www.takeart.org/wordplay
Word/Play: the thing is… is the first phase of the two year Word/Play project, that aims to empower Somerset individuals and communities through performance poetry, forum theatre and community theatre. The project has been funded by the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, Lloyds TSB Foundation for England and Wales and Literature Works and is supported by Apples and Snakes, South Somerset Mind, Chard Intentional Peer Support, OpenStoryTellers and Somerset Skills and Learning.
If you would like more information, photos or a press pass to the event on Tues 26 March please call Louise Monks or Mark Helyar at Take Art on 01460 249450.
Sad News for Somerset as The Brewhouse goes into Administration
This is devastating news for Taunton and Somerset residents, the Brewhouse staff, artists, companies and the whole of the county.
The Brewhouse plays a vital role in the arts infrastructure of Somerset and we hope that all those involved can come together and plan a new and secure future for the organisation. Our thoughts are with the staff, patrons and everyone who works for and loves the Theatre and Arts Centre.
Ralph Lister, Chief Executive, Take Art
For more information about this story please visit the BBC website.
Take Art present a new theatre commission for the under 5s
This March Inspector Sands, the winners of the 2012 Sprout Commission, are bringing their new show Rock Pool to four Somerset Children's Centres.
Date: 20 Feb 2013
Categories: early years, Press, Inspire,
In 2012, the Sprout commission to create and tour a new piece of Early Years theatre was awarded to Theatre Company Inspector Sands and their show Rock Pool, for 3-5 year olds.
Take Art, Farnham Maltings and Arts Partnership, Surrey set up the commission, aimed at creating a fresh and original show that would tour to new audiences across Surrey and Somerset. It was open to everyone, from individual artists, to new collaborators, through to established companies. 220 applications from UK and Europe vied for the award but only one was chosen.
Rock Pool is Inspector Sands’ first show for children. A sort of crustacean version of Waiting for Godot for children that will be touring Somerset Children’s Centres from the 4 to 7 March.
When a big storm whips up the sea, two very different creatures are left stranded in an isolated rock pool, far from the open water. As their little pool starts to drain away, Prawn and Crab don’t have long to find a way of getting on and getting home. Funny, tender, exuberant, partially submerged theatre from award-winning company Inspector Sands. (Contains loud rock music and splashy dancing).
Quotes about Inspector Sands;
"They are brilliant and reckless, precise and inventive, intelligent and frank. They are kaleidoscopic creators. Don't miss them!" New York Theatre Guide
“A young company with big talent” The Times
Gina Westbrook, Early Years Director, Take Art, said; “Take Art is hugely excited about bringing Inspector Sands and Rock Pool into local Somerset Children’s Centres. With the power to inspire and engage young children and bring more creativity into family life, this show is bound to attract and delight new theatre-shy audiences.”
Gavin Stride, director, Farnham Maltings, said of the Sprout commissioning process; “We set out to find a group of artists who would bring something new to the table and we’re delighted that Inspector Sands have taken up this challenge. With over 200 proposals we have been astonished at the level of ambition and appetite within the theatre community to make work for the very young.”
Rock Pool Take Art Tour Dates - Spring 2013
- Monday 4 March Princess Hall, Burnham on Sea, Somerset, 10.30am & 1.30pm
- Tuesday 5 March St John and St Vigor School Hall, Radstock, Somerset, 11.00am & 2.00pm
- Wednesday 6 March Sydenham Children’s Centre, Bridgwater, Somerset, 11.00am & 2.00pm
- Thursday 7 March Minehead First School, Minehead, Somerset, 11.00am & 1.30pm
For more information please visit our What's On Pages.
Find out about Inspector Sands at www.inspectorsands.com
Note for Editor
Press contact: Louise Monk 01460 249450, louise@takeart.org
Take Art launches Word/Play online
Take Art launch the new Word/Play website, twitter and facebook pages, allowing everyone involved in the project to submit work, news and ideas on a variety of platforms.
Date: 30 Jan 2013
Categories:
We want this project to be as much about performing online, as performing on a stage, so this website (along with being a great source of information) will also be a platform to showcase the best of the work from the project.
So visit the new Word/Play website and have a look around... it's pretty lush in a ramshackle and joyous sort of way.
Films, photos and written material will be uploaded to the Stuff We've Written showcase every week, sometimes twice a week... Some of that work will then be displayed via film at the the thing is... performance night on Tuesday March 26th at the Tacchi Morris.
The Word/Play Facebook and Twitter pages can be used by anyone from the groups to upload work and ideas as they happen... that way participants and artists can get instant feedback and find an immediate audience for their creations.
Dynamic European dance project gets the go-ahead
Take Art are delighted to announce an exciting partner project that will link dance hubs, centres, artists and companies in Normandy and Brittany with those in the south and west of England. DanSCe Dialogues2 has been given the go ahead thanks to a significant cash injection from European funding agency Interreg.
Date: 23 Jan 2013
Categories: dance, Get Involved, Press,
DanSCe Dialogues 2 is a fantastic new international project, eight French and English partners (of which Take Art is one) will be working together on a two-year Cross-Channel programme, offering a unique range of opportunities, exchanges, training and performances for dance artists, choreographers and companies in Normandy and Brittany and in Southern England.
The partners are:
L’ODIA Normandie (Rouen and Caen, Normandy); The Point (Eastleigh); South East Dance (Brighton and Hextable); Take Art (Somerset); Spectacle Vivant en Bretagne (Rennes, Bretagne), Le Triangle (Rennes, Bretagne); Le Centre Choregraphique National De Caen (Basse-Normandie); and Le Centre Choregraphique National Du Havre (Haute-Normandie).
At the heart of DanSCe Dialogues 2 is the aim to stimulate artistic innovation and co-operation within the art form of contemporary dance, specifically between the UK and France. With more than £2.9 million (€3.5m) of investment from the Interreg IVA (Channel) France-England programme, DanSCe Dialogues 2 will promote contemporary dance to new audiences.
Over the two years it will feature a host of cross-border initiatives including:
- Research laboratories, providing artists and choreographers from Normandy, Brittany and the south and west of England the opportunity to explore and develop practice
- Cross-border Artists’ residencies, enabling artists and choreographers to share knowledge
- UK touring of work from Normandy and Brittany
- French touring of artists based in the South and West of England
- Conferences across the partnership
- Cross-Channel job shadowing opportunities
- The creation of a unique Early Years’ project specifically designed to work across the European partnership
Cath James, Co-Director of Dance at Take Art, said: “Take Art are very pleased to be a partner in what is a major two-year programme of dance sector development not only aimed at artists, promoters and producers, but to really accomplish mutual learning across borders. To learn about each other's different methods of creation, support, development and touring is an opportunity to increase our understanding and appreciation of the different ways the French and UK work within the arts. We look forward to bringing some exciting and innovative work into Somerset and the wider South East and West of the UK, and sending our extraordinary artists across the channel, as well as developing and celebrating contemporary dance in all its forms.”
You can download the full press release with quotes and information from all partner organisations below.
Look out for events and opportunities marked with the DanSCe Dialogue 2 logo throughout the next two years.
Look inside the new Jan-Jun 2013 Take Art Brochure!
Take Art has released its new Jan-June 2013 programme, featuring over 50 performances, workshops and events across Somerset, along with four exciting new projects. See inside here...
Date: 04 Jan 2013
Categories: rural touring, Press, Take Art, Inspire,
You can find out what’s on and what’s going on by having a look inside our new online programme. Just click the document below and turn the pages or call 01460 249450 to request a printed copy. You can also download the programme directly to your computer by clicking the link at the bottom of the page.
Are you an artist looking for help to manage your career?
Do you want to gain the vital skills to help forge a successful career in the arts? From January 2013 Take Art are running skills development days for both experienced and emerging artists and anyone in need of a bit of direction and professional advice.
Date: 17 Dec 2012
Categories: theatre,
You may be embarking on a career in the arts and would like some tips and pointers. You may have an idea for a fantastic project, but you don't know where to begin or how to approach funders. You may want advice on working with vulnerable groups. Or you may really need to remind yourself why you do what you do.
"Take Art is always working towards a better existence for Somerset artists and a better creative landscape in which we can work and play. To that end we want to help artists working in Somerset create successful, optimistic and viable careers in the arts. Our training programme is designed to help graduates, emerging artists and seasoned professionals looking for direction, networking opportunities and further skills development." Sarah Peterkin, Co-Director of Take Art Theatre
You can sign up to any of the below courses online (click on the links) or call Take Art direct on 01460 249450.
Workshops
Three Pit Stops to Success...
Take Art in association with Reveal partners (Brewhouse Visual Arts, Somerset Film and Somerset Art Works) and Apples & Snakes are running a programme of three workshops for both experienced and emerging artists and anyone else working in the arts who would like some tips and pointers. These workshops can be attended individually or as a course and are being held at the Albermarle Centre, Taunton. The following three workshops are supported by the Somerset County Council creative industries fund.
Stop 1: A Sense of Direction - Saturday 12 January 2013 from 10.30am-4pm
Will help you work out where you are now? Where you want to go? How you are going to get there?
Stop 2: Fuelling Up - Wednesday 30 January 2013 from 10am-5pm
Focuses on funding and how to get the right support for your work.
Stop 3: Tools for the Journey - Tuesday 19 February 2013 from 10am-1pm
Focusing on writing a clear and realistic budget for projects and funding proposals.
Also, we are running a workshop in Exeter - Releasing Your Fundraising Potential
Thursday 31 January 2013 from 10am-5pm. Taking place in Exeter Phoenix Black Box.
Taking place in partnership with Wide Awake Devon, this workshop is for individual artists and companies who have little fundraising experience or feel daunted by the process of seeking financial investment. Led by freelance consultant Joanna Ridout.
Life Circles: Training opportunities to work with dance and older people
In 2013 the Life Circles project offers three more dance with older people training days in Devon, Dorset and Somerset, for dance artists and activity co-ordinators in care homes and day-care centres.
Date: 08 Nov 2012
Categories: dance, Get Involved, Jobs, Press, Take Art,
SHARING OUR DANCE PRACTICE on the LIFE CIRCLES PROJECT
Over the last two years, the Life Circles team have been working with people who are fragile and elderly in eight day care and care home settings across the South West. We have learned a great deal during this project and these training days are an opportunity for us to share our experiences so far, looking at what works best and why.
DEVON DAY: Friday 25th January 2013, 10.30-4.00pm
The Mint Methodist Church in Exeter
With Life Circles Dance practitioners Sue Way and Anna Golding
DORSET DAY: Saturday 23rd March 2013, 10.30-4.00pm
Litton and Thorner’s Community Hall in Dorchester
With Life Circles Dance practitioners Anna Golding and Rachelle Green
SOMERSET DAY: Friday 17th May 2013, 10.30-4.00pm
Abbeyfield Care Home near Taunton
With Life Circles Dance practitioners Rachelle Green and Sue Way
Please bring a packed lunch but we will provide drinks and biscuits. Wear clothes you can move in and bring a folder for handouts and notes.
To book a place email Life Circles Co-ordinator Sue Way sue_way@btopenworld.com or telephone 07817 002665
Read more about the Life Circles project.
Life Circles has been funded by The Baring Foundation, Arts Council England and The Guildford Academic Trust. Our partners in kind are: Dance South West, Activate , Dance in Devon, The Foundation of Community Dance, Age UK, NHS Somerset The Alzheimers Society and Arts and Health South West.
Take Art receives 92k for new project Word/Play
A two-year theatre and spoken word project for Somerset entitled Word/Play, has been given the green light thanks to £75,000 support from the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, one of the largest independent grant making foundations in England, and a further £17,000 from the Lloyds TSB Foundation for England and Wales.
If you would like to find out more about the project and the job opportunities available please click here.
A two-year theatre and spoken word project for Somerset entitled Word/Play, has been given the green light thanks to £75,000 support from the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, one of the largest independent grant making foundations in England, and a further £17,000 from the Lloyds TSB Foundation for England and Wales.
"We are absolutely delighted with this news," says Mark Helyar, Co-Director of Theatre for Take Art. "The support from both the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation and the Lloyds TSB Foundation is particularly significant in a financial climate and county where funding for the arts is at an absolute premium.”
Word/Play will be managed and delivered by Take Art, a pioneering arts charity, serving the towns, villages and rural communities of Somerset. Through Word/Play Take Art aims to improve the mental health and wellbeing of individuals, groups and communities through the powerful mediums of spoken word, forum theatre and community theatre. The project will also provide new training and vital employment opportunities for spoken word and theatre practitioners in the South West.
Mark went onto say, “Issues around mental health and well-being are still met with prejudice and fear in the UK. Over two years Word/Play will give more than 300 participants the skills and confidence to speak out about these issues and create positive change within themselves and their communities.”
Phase one of the three-phase initiative will focus on using spoken word to empower individual voices and build self esteem. Practitioners will work across Somerset with participants with learning disabilities and communication difficulties and people experiencing mental health issues.
Along with Take Art, the two other significant partners in the initiative are Literature Works (formerly Cyprus Well), the literature development charity for South West England and Apples and Snakes, England’s leading organisation for performance poetry and spoken word.
Take Art will also be working with South Somerset Mind, the largest Mental Health charity in South Somerset; OpenStoryTellers, a Somerset-based arts organisation that works with people with learning disabilities and communication difficulties; Somerset Skills & Learning, one of Somerset’s leading training providers; and Chard Intentional Peer Support, a group run by, and for, people with mental health issues.
Cindy Moxham the Director of OpenStoryTellers said, “OpenStoryTellers are proud to work with Take Art and the other partners in this exciting project. Word/Play will help people to be heard and understood in a creative way for a positive future.”
The first phase of Word/Play will start in January 2013. The second and third phases will take place in Autumn 2013 and Summer 2014. The whole two-year project will be available to follow online at www.takeart.org
Opportunities
If you would like to find out more about the project and the job opportunities available please click here.
ENDS
Note for Editors:
Press contact: Louise Monks 01460 249450, louise@takeart.org
To request a CD of images please contact Louise Monks. www.takeart.org
Take Art is a pioneering arts charity, serving the towns, villages and rural communities of Somerset. We do this by providing accessible opportunities for people of all ages to participate, experience and work within the arts.
Sell out shows
Only a handful tickets left for the Osiligi Maasai Warriors performances this week. Don't delay in booking.....
Date: 30 Oct 2012
Categories:
The Osiligi Maasai Warriors trip to Somerset this week to Hinton St George on Weds 31st is very nearly sold out and Thurs 1st Nov at Charlton Horethorne is now completely full up. But don't worry they are bringing back this very special concert for one last time on Thurs 8th Nov to Monksilver (EMN Community Hall), Nr Roadwater in West Somerset where at the moment there are still tickets available. Box Office numbers are given for both Hinton St George and Monksilver on our What's On pages.
Skilling up the regions arts practitioners
Do you want to gain the vital skills to help forge a successful career in the arts? From January 2013 Take Art are running skills development days for both experienced and emerging artists and anyone in need of a bit of direction and professional advice.
You may be embarking on a career in the arts and would like some tips and pointers. You may have an idea for a fantastic project, but you don't know where to begin or how to approach funders. You may want advice on working with vulnerable groups. Or you may really need to remind yourself why you do what you do.
"Take Art is always working towards a better existence for Somerset artists and a better creative landscape in which we can work and play. To that end we want to help artists working in Somerset create successful, optimistic and viable careers in the arts. Our training programme is designed to help graduates, emerging artists and seasoned professionals looking for direction, networking opportunities and further skills development." Sarah Peterkin, Co-Director of Take Art Theatre
You can sign up to any of the below courses online (click on the links) or call Take Art direct on 01460 249450.
Workshops
Three Pit Stops to Success...
Take Art in association with Reveal partners (Brewhouse Visual Arts, Somerset Film and Somerset Art Works) and Apples & Snakes are running a programme of three workshops for both experienced and emerging artists and anyone else working in the arts who would like some tips and pointers. These workshops can be attended individually or as a course and are being held at the Albermarle Centre, Taunton. The following three workshops are supported by the Somerset County Council creative industries fund.
Stop 1: A Sense of Direction - Friday 23 November 2012 from 10am-5pm
Will help you work out where you are now? Where you want to go? How you are going to get there?
Stop 2: Fuelling Up - Wednesday 30 January 2013 from 10am-5pm
Focuses on funding and how to get the right support for your work.
Stop 3: Tools for the Journey - Tuesday 19 February 2013 from 10am-5pm
Focusing on tools and resources and how to manage, market and administrate yourself as a self-employed practitioner.
Also, we are running a workshop in Exeter - Releasing Your Fundraising Potential
Thursday 31 January 2013 from 10am-5pm. Taking place in Exeter Phoenix Black Box.
Taking place in partnership with Wide Awake Devon, this workshop is for individual artists and companies who have little fundraising experience or feel daunted by the process of seeking financial investment. Led by freelance consultant Joanna Ridout.
Take Art’s Mark Helyar talks Jammy Voo and all things commissioning and new…
"One particularly rewarding aspect of my job is to support companies in making new work. Next weekend I shall be going down to Beaford in Devon to work with the rather delightful, and slightly potty, company Jammy Voo. They’ve been creating Birdhouse, a new show inspired by Hitchcock’s infamous film, The Birds...'
'I spent a session with Jammy Voo just before Christmas last year when they were in the early stages of batting ideas around. Since then, the show has been made and performed at Jackson’s Lane Theatre in London where it received great reviews, described as “a stunning interpretative homage to one of the most iconic British horror films.”
The company are planning to send the show out on a rural tour next year. Which is where I come in. They have asked me to see how the show could work in a rural context. This is about considering the expectations of the audience as well as exploring practical issues such as sightlines, lighting, sound and the all-important question: whether to have an interval or not.
There’s something very special about taking a show into a rural community and I’m keen to help ensure that everybody – performers and audiences – get the best possible experience.
We’re very fortunate: the show will be performed in Somerset on 23rd October at the David Hall Arts Centre. Then it will be going back to Devon, supported by Beaford Arts who commissioned it.
The Jammies describe Birdhouse as “a wonderfully surreal comedy horror, featuring sumptuous visuals, wild puppetry and an original live music score, examining fear, vulnerability and the far edge of madness.”
I’m looking forward to working with them next weekend and hope you’re able to join us in South Petherton the following Tuesday."
Best wishes
Mark Helyar, Co-director of Take Art Theatre
To find out more about Jammy Voo and to book tickets for Birdhouse please visit our What's On section.
Family Fun Day at the Octagon Theatre in Yeovil
Wet half term!!! Who cares? Why not defy the stay at home blues on Monday 29 October with a whole day of fun, creativity and participation for the under 5s at the Octagon Theatre in Yeovil - a lot of which is totally free!
Date: 11 Oct 2012
Categories: early years, Press, Take Art,
The morning will include free 'knee high' exhibitions, art workshops and the interactive light and sound installation Lightstream. In the afternoon there will be a baby disco. All families are welcome to attend.
There will also be two ticketed performances of the gorgeous show Kubik by Teatro Paraiso at 10:30am and then again at 11:45am. Tickets are £4 / £3 concs from Octagon Box Office.
At 1:00pm, join Blunderbus Theatre for The Owl Who Was Afraid of the Dark, a show for 3-7 yr olds. Tickets are £8 / £6 concs from Octagon Box Office.
Refreshments and booster seats for children will be available at The Octagon for a small fee.
Book tickets at www.octagon-theatre.co.uk or call 01935 422884
Brand New Seed Fund for 2012/13
Take Art is delighted to announce a 2nd year of Seed Funding for graduate theatre-makers, emerging artists as well as the more established performance artists based in Somerset.
Take Art is pleased to launch the 2nd year of a Seed Fund for Somerset based theatre, dance and performance makers.
Its purpose is to help the performing arts sector in Somerset to grow. The fund, although modest, is still an important way in which we want to support and encourage Somerset practitioners, especially graduates, young and emerging artists. It has been made possible by Somerset County Council's creative industries fund.
The deadline for the first round of applications is Monday 22nd October 2012. Download the criteria and more information about the fund below and then..... just download and fill in the application form, also below.
Good luck. Contact Sarah or Mark at Take Art if you need more help - 01460 249450
Howjidoo… and give us a tenner!
On Saturday 6 October 2012 local music legend Reg Meuross is joining up with Will Kaufman, one of the world’s foremost experts on the life and work of Woody Guthrie, to perform Howjidoo, a unique and inspiring fundraising show for Take Art’s ‘Don’t Take Art Away’ campaign.
Date: 24 Sep 2012
Categories: rural touring, Press, Take Art,
Taking place in the atmospheric, fun and extremely popular Axbridge Town Hall, Howjidoo promises to be an engaging, poignant and humorous experience, as Reg and Will swap selections of Woody and Reg’s songs, using a variety of guitars, fiddles, dulcimer and banjo.
Howjidoo is the second show in the Don't Take Art Away season of fundraising events that will be taking place across Somerset throughout the autumn, aiming to raise £10,000 to ensure the survival, quality and diversity of the beloved Somerset rural touring scheme, now in its 25th year.
Take Art are delighted to have the support of Reg Meuross, described as ‘one of Britain’s finest living songwriters’ and Will Kaufman, a singer, multi-instrumentalist and Professor of American Culture, who is the author of the 2011 biography Woody Guthrie, American Radical.
Along with being an excellent show and a fantastic night of entertainment, everyone who buys a ticket for this event will be supporting the work of Take Art, the rural touring scheme and our wide reaching programme of community and education projects in schools, theatres, children's centres, residential homes and with vulnerable groups.
Howjidoo starts at 7:30pm at Axbridge Town Hall and tickets cost £10 for adults and £8 for under 16s. You can buy your tickets online at www.takeart.org or by calling the Axbridge promoter on 01934 732376.
The Don't Take Art Away fundraising campaign comes in the wake of the devastating 2011 local authority arts cuts.
To find out more about Take Art, the campaign and why you might like to support us please click here.
Note for Editors:
Press contact: Louise Monks 01460 249450, louise@takeart.org
To request a CD of images please contact Louise Monks. www.takeart.org
Other Links
KinderGardens International Early Years Theatre Festival
This Autumn Take Art is working in collaboration with Yeovil Children’s Centres and the Octagon Theatre to bring you the third ever International KinderGardens Festival for the under 5s and their families. Taking place in Children’s Centres, schools and theatres across Somerset from the 29 Oct to 14 Nov 2012, this year’s festival will be jam-packed with high quality events and over 20 live theatre performances.
Date: 20 Sep 2012
Categories: early years, Press, Take Art,
The Festival will be launched at the Octagon Theatre on Monday 29 October with a Family Fun Day, including free exhibitions, stalls, two ticketed shows, the interactive light and sound installation Lightstream and a baby disco.
Co Director of Take Art Start Gina Westbrook said, “The KindgerGardens Festival is about increasing young children’s potential through creativity. Somerset is quickly becoming a pioneer in early years theatre and the quality, diversity and originality of the 2012 festival will be at an all time high. In fact we have been working hard to find you some of the most exciting shows for under 5s currently available in Europe.”
Look out for Spanish company Teatro Paraiso and their beautiful show Kubik for 1-4 yr olds and their families, exploring projected colours and shapes to make exquisitely sensory worlds.
Théâtre de la Guimbarde from Belgium will be performing The Big Jump/Le Grand Saut, which is set on a building site full of constructions and very enjoyable destructions. Perfect for 18 month to 4 yr olds.
From the UK Little Angel Theatre are doing eight performances across Somerset of Handa’s Surprise - for 2-5 yr olds and their families. Based on the much-loved children’s book by Eileen Browne, this show will be brought to life through puppetry, dance and songs.
The whole KinderGardens line up with venue information and booking details is now available on our KinderGardens Project Page
You can find out more about the Family Fun Day at the Octagon Theatre by visiting their website at www.octagon-theatre.co.uk
The Festival has been generously funded by Arts Council England and Guildford Academic Associates.
Note for Editors:
Press contact: Louise Monks 01460 249450, louise@takeart.org. To request a CD of images please contact Louise Monks. www.takeart.org
Take Art is a pioneering arts charity, serving the towns, villages and rural communities of Somerset. We do this by providing accessible opportunities for people of all ages to participate, experience and work within the arts.
Donate to Take Art
Every year we work with over 15,000 people across the county, providing opportunities for all ages and abilities to experience, participate and work within the arts. This year we are aiming to raise £10,000 and we need your help.
Date: 18 Sep 2012
Categories: music, Get Involved, Press, Take Art,
Donate to Take Art
Take Art has been working, singing and doing the splits in Somerset for 25 years, long enough to build real relationships with communities, artists and audiences. We are an arts organisation without physical limitations: lithe, sinewy, adaptable and transmutable, able to shape shift into any venue, village hall, school and community centre.
From our hub in South Petherton we run one of the UK’s most celebrated rural touring schemes and services in dance, theatre, music and early years creativity.
Every year we provide performance and workshop opportunities for thousands of children, young people, adults, older people and vulnerable groups. Through our work we seek to educate, inform national practice, improve self-esteem, empower, build empathy, careers, happiness as well as physical and mental well-being.
We don’t wait for the people to come to us, we go out to where the people live and transform lives and communities through the arts.
Last year the region lost 100% of its County Council arts development funding - the worst arts funding cuts in the UK. To compound the crisis tens of thousands of arts designated pounds were stripped from District Council funds. This loss was pretty devastating to our vital work and we had to cut our rural touring programme in half, going from 120 shows a year to less than 60.
Fortunately thanks to continuing support from Arts Council England as well as South Somerset District Council, Taunton Deane District Council and ArtLife, Take Art is still here, alive, acting and reacting, doing fantastic work in dance, theatre, early years, rural touring and music.
We just need your help to keep on keeping on…
How deep do the arts council cuts go?
Charlotte Higgins chief arts writer for the Guardian came to visit Take Art a few weeks ago to find out how we (and the country) are surviving since the local authority arts cuts. Read the story here.
Only weeks after British culture was shown off to the world, the effects of the arts council cutbacks are beginning to be felt. Charlotte Higgins reports...
...I arrive in a sun-warmed farmyard at the end of a labyrinth of high-hedged lanes: the office of Take Art, an organisation that brings dance, theatre and performance to audiences in rural Somerset. Its neighbours, in the rose-covered outhouses, are an architect and a blacksmith.
But in the office, things are not as idyllic as they look. The workforce has halved since 2010. Against the wall lie banners with the slogan "We value the arts: against 100% arts cuts", left over from 2010's fruitless struggle against Somerset Council. They have lost around £70,000 a year, taking into account cuts from local councils, too. They still have their arts council funding of £159,000 a year (£30,000 less than they asked for). But the result is that they are providing half the shows they used to. They have launched a fundraising scheme, with hopes to raise £10,000 – though chief executive Ralph Lister is unhappy that Take Art was turned down for ACE's Catalyst scheme, which offers support for fundraising and development. And, though he praises Bristol's Old Vic theatre, with whom Take Art is collaborating, he wishes there were more solidarity shown by the big, national companies. "I've heard a lot of talk about the responsibility of the larger organisations to connect with the smaller ones. Why doesn't [National Theatre director] Nick Hytner call up and say, 'Can we work on a proposal for a rural touring show?'"
One of the organisation's most prominent schemes is its Rural Touring programme. It's a way of getting excellent-quality performances to village halls, and serving areas where access to the arts would otherwise be nonexistent: for 30% of their audiences, says Lister, the work that Take Art brings is the only art they get to see. Often this is quite adventurous: experimental theatre company Kneehigh (Brief Encounter, The Red Shoes) was a regular in their earlier days. Lister points out that, in rural areas, getting in the car and driving to Bath or Bristol may not be an option, as fuel prices rise and pressure on household purses increases; meanwhile theatres in the smaller towns, such as the Merlin in Frome, have been hammered by Somerset's cuts and are clinging on to life.
Take Art offers a "menu" of different shows to village halls, and can subsidise the work to make it affordable – theoretically. In some areas, such as Mendip, the loss of council funding means the subsidy is gone, and the villages can no longer take on the risk. Frances Horler, a retired legal adviser from Kilmersdon near Frome, tells me she has been bringing Take Art shows to her village for 15 years – until now. "We built up an audience," she says. "It's all part of the community feeling of the village." For her, it wasn't just about the evenings out, but a way of gathering people together, and making a few quid to keep the village hall going. Max Miller, from Chilcompton in North Mendip, agrees. "It's a way of people getting to know each other, like the church, or the pub, or post office." Sometimes performers would get involved in workshops at the local primary school. "It's been a strong part of what the village is – its identity." Despite the loss of subsidy, Miller plans to book future shows at full price, but he'll be go for the less adventurous stuff. "In the past, we've had musicians from all over the world – Africa, Eastern Europe – and without the subsidy we wouldn't have been able to take the risk."
The arts are not yet at crisis point. There is no apocalypse, but the damage is real. There will be changes, some of them obvious: a local museum reducing its hours and programme; a local theatre having more dark nights, and fewer shows of real imagination. Other changes will be less tangible: a teenager not getting the spark of inspiration that makes her decide to train as an architect, a village community less bound together by shared experience. Arts organisations are, for the most part, putting a brave face on things, working out how to adjust, not wanting to admit there will be any diminution in what they can do; artists like Alexander Kelly will find ways to make art because that is their life's calling. Walking round the busy, impressive museums in Sheffield, it's clear that those who work here are coping as well as they can. It's still a great place to visit.
But I wonder: how long can you chip away at what a museum does before it starts to look down-at-heel? How far can you cut an exhibition programme before the place feels static? How far can you strip away a staff and still expect them to perform a crucial role in the education of a city's young? What is the point at which a museum, at some quiet, unmarked moment, stops being a questioning, contemplative space at the heart of its city's intellectual and imaginative life, and becomes an irrelevance? The fear is, here and everywhere, that this autumn's hardships are just the beginning: there will come a point when no amount of ingenuity, flexibility and cunning can stand in the way of empty coffers.
Click here to read the full article
Related Articles
Don’t miss Take Art’s 4 special fundraising shows
This year we need to raise £10,000 to Keep Take Art in Somerset and one of the ways we are trying to raise funds is through four fantastic fundraising events, starring the likes of Pip Utton, Matt Harvey, Eduardo Niebla, Reg Meuross and Will Kaufman. Read this article to find out more...
Date: 05 Sep 2012
Categories: rural touring, Press, Take Art,
Take Art is a unique, magical, life-changing organisation that doesn’t live in a venue, or studio or a whacking great theatre but in the villages, towns and rural communities of Somerset. Every year we work with over 15,000 people across the county, providing opportunities for all ages and abilities to experience, participate and work within the arts.
You can support us by visiting our new 'Fundraising Page' or by going to see one or more of the below events.
Limited Golden tickets are available from Take Art, entitling you to see all four shows for the price of three at £30. Please contact Take Art on 01460 249450 or email sarah@takeart.org to claim your Golden Ticket.
Show 1: Adolf by Pip Utton
Thursday 13 September @ Tacchi-Morris Art Centre. Buy online here
Adolf is live theatre at its best with a theme and subject that is powerful, challenging and divisive, illustrative and educational. It is utterly provocative and totally necessary. Everyone should experience it...
The Fu?hrer’s bunker, Berlin 1945, the air is thick with betrayal as Hitler awaits the inevitable collapse of Berlin. Pip Utton, looking uncomfortably like the Fuhrer, stands before a huge Nazi banner addressing his party faithful. The 20th Century’s most notorious tyrant is daringly brought to the stage in one of the most successful and powerful solo works ever presented. Written and performed by Pip Utton, directed by Guy Masterson.
“Terrifying, searing, transfixing... It is quite impossible to be anything other than totally absorbed by Utton’s performance. Adolf reaffirms the need and worth of political theatre.” ***** The Scotsman
Show 2: Howjidoo. Reg Meuross & Will Kaufman… meet Woody Guthrie
Saturday 6 October @ Axbridge Town Hall. Buy online here
Reg meets Woody. A unique show featuring Reg Meuross, described as ‘one of Britain’s finest living songwriters’ and Will Kaufman, one of the world’s foremost experts on the life and work of Woody Guthrie. In an engaging, poignant and often humorous show the two beloved musicians swap selections of Woody and Reg’s songs, using a variety of guitars, fiddles, dulcimer and banjo.
Reg Meuross is a celebrated singer-songwriter with seven CD collections under his belt. Will Kaufman is a singer, multi-instrumentalist and Professor of American Culture. He is the author of the 2011 biography Woody Guthrie, American Radical.
Show 3: Eduardo Niebla Guitar Duo:
Thursday 14 November @ Wookey Hole Club. Buy online here
Hailed by The Guardian for his ‘exquisite’ playing, Eduardo is a technically brilliant, fantastically creative player and phenomenal live performer, who has benevolently offered his support for the Don’t Take Art Away campaign. This is a must see fundraising event. Wookey Hole Club will be talking about it for years. (See page 7 for more info).
“Exotic and percussive, Eduardo explores musical avenues that are rarely pursued. For sheer breathtaking artistry it takes some beating.” The Sun
Show 4: Matt Harvey and The Hip Yak Poetry Shack
Friday 30 November @ The Merlin Theatre in Frome. Buy online here
On 30 November Matt Harvey, writer, poet, enemy of all that’s difficult and upsetting, will be joining forces with the hugely popular Hip Yak Poetry Shack.
From Totnes to the Wimbledon Tennis Championships via Radio 4’s Saturday Live, the Edinburgh Festival and the Work section of the Guardian, Matt Harvey is always a sell out favourite on the rural touring scene.
He will be headlining the ramshackle hand-made interactive poetry comedy cabaret in the plush comfort of the Merlin Theatre in Frome and will be joined by national poetry stars Chris Redmond, Jonny Fluffypunk and Liv Torc.
“...not only funny but tender and true” The Guardian
Somerset Youth Dance Company – AUDITION
Somerset Youth Dance Company (SYDC) is auditioning to find new young dancers who show potential, passion and talent in Dance.
Date: 05 Sep 2012
Categories: dance, Get Involved, Press,
SYDC develop young dancers through regular contemporary technique classes, working intensively with professional dancers and choreographers.
The company rehearse at The Octagon Theatre in Yeovil on a Tuesday & East Bridgwater School in Bridgwater on a Thursday and successful applicants only have to attend one session a week. Intensive rehearsals run in the school holidays.
The company has been established for over two years and past SYDC members are now studying at The Laban Centre, Northern School of Contemporary Dance and Dance Universities.
AUDITION DETAILS
This year we are holding two auditions for 14-21 yr olds. You may attend either audition and you do not need to prepare anything. Both auditions will consist of a contemporary technique class, a street dance phrase and work with a choreographer. Please wear comfortable clothes and bring water to drink.
Audition 1 | Tuesday 18 September | 6:00pm-9:00pm | The Octagon Theatre, Yeovil
Audition 2 | Thursday 20 September | 5:30pm-8:30pm | East Bridgwater School
To express an interest in attending an audition please contact katey@takeart.org
Related Articles
Other Links
Take Art Launches its Autumn 2012 Season of Rural Touring
If you love theatre, dance, music, spoken word, great night’s out on your doorstep and the arts in Somerset, then look inside the Take Art’s Autumn programme here!
Date: 05 Sep 2012
Categories: rural touring, Press, Take Art,
Welcome to the new autumn season of events from Take Art, promising to be a delicious, rich and tantalising array of high quality subsidised entertainment, designed to make a real impact on Somerset’s community life.
Sarah Peterkin the Director of Take Art Live said, “The main aim of Take Art Live is to support community life and education by bringing innovative and entertaining shows to people who would otherwise never get the chance to see them. Due to last year’s devastating local authority arts cuts, we have had to reduce our 2012 programme by 50% but this season we are fighting back - with our 'Don't Take Art Away' fundraising campaign and season of special fundraising events.”
So what can we expect this season?
This season you can expect an international festival of early years theatre, an incredible range of high quality and award winning theatre, hip wiggling and heart singing music events, fantastic comedy and delightful kids shows, plus four one-off fundraising events starring the likes of Pip Utton, Matt Harvey, Eduardo Niebla, Reg Meuross and Will Kaufman.
You can find out about this season's shows and buy tickets by linking through to our What's On pages or by clicking on the online brochure below.
Look Inside the new Take Art Brochure Sept - Dec 2012
Other Links
Take Art and Pip Utton bring Hitler to Somerset
On Thursday 13 September international theatre star and Edinburgh Fringe legend Pip Utton brings his 5-star, globe trotting, one man show Adolf to the Tacchi Morris in Taunton, launching Take Art's fundraising season of events in a dramatic and controversial style
Date: 20 Aug 2012
Categories: rural touring, Press, Take Art,
On Thursday 13 September international theatre star and Edinburgh Fringe legend Pip Utton brings his 5-star, globe trotting, one man show Adolf to the Tacchi Morris in Taunton, launching Take Art's fundraising season of events in a dramatic and controversial style.
Adolf, written and starring Pip Utton, directed by Guy Masterson, is political theatre with an international reputation, packing out audiences all over the world, receiving rave reviews and rarely leaving an empty seat in the house. With a theme and subject that is powerful, challenging and divisive, illustrative and educational, Adolf is utterly provocative and totally necessary. Everyone should experience it...
“Terrifying, searing, transfixing... It is quite impossible to be anything other than totally absorbed by Utton’s performance. Adolf reaffirms the need and worth of political theatre.”
***** The Scotsman
The show is set in the Führer’s bunker, Berlin 1945, the air is thick with betrayal as Hitler awaits the inevitable collapse of Berlin. Pip Utton, looking uncomfortably like the Fuhrer, stands before a huge Nazi banner addressing his party faithful. He furnishes his audience with an acute anatomy of fascism; its ideological justifications; its poisoned utopias. They are in the presence of an utterly compelling idealist, and are helplessly drawn in to his warped logic.
The 20th Century’s most notorious tyrant is daringly and divisively brought to the stage in one of the most successful and powerful solo works ever presented, with a sting so powerful, it pushes the audience to question their own prejudices and intolerance.
Pip Utton has kindly offered this rare, one-night-only showing of Adolf in support of Take Art’s Don’t Take Art Away season of fundraising events that will be taking place across Somerset throughout the Autumn.
The campaign comes in the wake of the devastating 2011 local authority arts cuts and aims to raise enough money to ensure the survival, quality and diversity of Take Art’s work in Somerset, including the beloved rural touring scheme, now in its 25th year!
So help us raise £10,000 to keep art in Somerset and take a seat in the audience on 13th September to witness this once in a life time theatre opportunity.
The show starts at 7.30pm and tickets cost £10 for adults, £8 concessions and £6 for students.
Call The Tacchi Morris Box Office on 01823 414141 or book online at www.tacchi-morris.com
Ralph Lister Blog: The Importance of sport and the arts.
What a time. The country has been enveloped in an Olympics bubble that has captured the imagination of the country. Millions have been engaged in a spectacle in the midst of the most serious depression since the 1930’s. Does London 2012 represent a welcome distraction from the serious issues faced by the country, or does it teach us deeper truths about what it means to be human?
Polls have indicated that the majority of the public think that the anticipated £9 billion expenditure was worth it. At a time when every penny of public money is being scrutinised what is the narrative that emerges post Olympics?
Of course numerous agendas, political or otherwise, are appropriating the Olympics and spinning a view that suits – multiculturalism is a success, Britain is not broken, state intervention has a role in society, kids need to be involved in competitive sport at school, graft, self sacrifice, deferred gratification and hard work by athletes offers a counterpoint to an instant celebrity obsessed culture. All of these possess a resonance but I believe there is a deeper message that is in danger of being lost within the prevailing culture. It is that sports matter and I mean really matter. By extension and thanks to a wonderfully rich and unexpected opening ceremony, I also include the arts. The arts matter and I mean really matter.
Tony Blair once spoke about the place of sports within cabinet discussion within his government – usually at the end of meetings as part of any other business. Commentators of all persuasions are bemoaning the role of football, rugby or hockey lessons as part of a wintry games period and positing the view that sports simply don’t work for everyone. Cameron believes Indian dancing is a poor substitute for proper aerobic activity. Such negative, uninformed and most of all such unimaginative perspectives are completely at odds with what most people have witnessed and expressed. The Olympics have captured the imagination of the country and the political and media narrative really need to embrace this one off opportunity to lift themselves into a new narrative space.
To take one example: to hear David Cameron, almost begrudgingly (it’s a lot of money he said) confirm £50m a year to support athletes in preparation for Rio is enough to make one despair. Government department overspends run into hundreds of millions of pounds and government department savings run into billions. There is a deeper psychological flaw at play here. I wonder if most politicians and members of the chattering classes had a miserable sports experience at school.
For the sports people that took part in the Olympics (and have yet to do so in the Paralympics to come) London 2012 was not a party, it was a pinnacle of achievement to which they aspired. For all, it was an opportunity to showcase the effort of years of training in all weathers, sustaining and recovering from injury, resisting competition for their place in the team; all of which require immense reserves of dedication, belief, sacrifice and the support of families and colleagues. They stand in stark contrast to the stories littering the press of failed business CEO’s taking outsize bonuses as companies fail and prominent members of our society failing to exercise proper responsibility and accountability. We owe these sportspeople a debt in showing us the best in ourselves, doubly so when they reveal themselves to be honest and ordinary folk. It is humbling to listen to an athlete, disappointed by their performance on the biggest stage, talking about learning and building on their experience. Such resilience and positivity are characteristics that we should be imbuing in all our young people. So lets not trivialise the impact of London2012.
In which case how might we create a meaningful legacy?
We need to re-remember that our society is not just built and sustained around a jobs, houses, health and education agenda. We are more than these things, crucial as they are. Sports (and the arts) are as important and not simply an adjunct to an already healthy society. There must be a physical and creative activity out there that suits every one of us – we know that physical and creative activity aids well-being as well as reducing the pressure on the health service. Their ability to raise our spirits and to underpin a sense of common purpose, locally as well as nationally, is too important to fund as a desirable add on. They help society to be healthy.
It raises questions about current funding value systems and received wisdom about the resourcing of sports, both at elite and community level. When the public expressed the view that the £9 billion bill for the Olympics was reasonable, politicians needed to listen. Now is the time to invest in grass roots sporting activity and the continuation of the elite sports programme. Politicians need to take advice from the experts and to invest in a sporting infrastructure that moves on from the old school diet of football, rugby and hockey. Why not handball, volleyball, judo, rhythmic gymnastics, water polo and even Indian dancing? Why not invoke some of the positivity from our sports folk and think anew what we can do and achieve, not fall back on old ways of thinking. If the politicians can’t be bothered then support the institutions that can be.
What can be done nationally can be done locally! There are countless examples by which sporting and cultural events are organised and delivered locally by volunteers. All of them have the ability to inculcate a sense of belonging and purpose. It might be the local cricket or rugby club. It might be the local village hall putting on an arts events. London2012 was enormous in its reach and yet smaller examples of the spirit it conjured up happen all the time. The value and role of civic society which reaches beyond sporting and cultural activity requires recognition and a bit of TLC – I mean the modest resources that helps them to keep going and not just kind words.
The role the state has to play – Will Hutton and Philip Hammond have interesting things to say on this front.
The training regimes in some sports, cycling for example, have lessons to teach all of us. The term ‘aggregate marginal gains’ whereby each individual component of a training programme is broken down, analysed and reconstructed to optimise the benefit from each section; it speaks volumes for the way the cycling team approached the Olympics.
I work in the arts and I swim to keep fit (I love it). I was lucky to get tickets for the rowing at Eton Dorney, which I loved and will never forget. I may be on a fool’s errand but much of what I have written applies just as much to the arts as to sports. The opening ceremony beguiled and entranced the nation and delivered what is a fundamental purpose of the arts – to hold a mirror up to our society and to reflect back who and what we are. It managed to encapsulate in one moment that which politicians have struggled for years to articulate. It showed rather than described and it had a resonance for the majority who saw what our country is in a much richer canvass than that of beefeaters and bowler hats. For that reason and the fact that the arts also allow for the individual to strive for success or to work as a team allowing for self expression and inclusivity. There are, of course, important differences. As Ken Robinson has said ‘you don’t leave the National Ballet asking who won?’
Looming large over this moment in time is the clear and uplifting, and yes inspiring, message – we’re better than we thought; not in a competitive sense but in what we are capable of achieving. We have a rare opportunity to capture the zeitgeist and realise a better future.
RL 15.8.2012
Announcing the first in a series of Life Circles Training Days
Open to dance artists interested in working with the fragile elderly, as part of our Life Circles project running in 8 Care Settings in Somerset, Dorset and Devon.
The Life Circles dance project is offering a series of 4 Training Days to Dance Artists and Activity workers in Care homes in the South West.
We are now opening bookings for the first of these sessions, being held on Friday 5 October 2012 at Abbeyfield Care Home, Heron Drive, Bishop’s Hull Nr. Taunton TA15HA
Training Day 1
Time 10.15 am -4.30pm
An introduction to Older People Dancing with Diane Amans
Diane is a community dance practitioner with a strong background training staff in health and social care; she teaches this module on the national Dance leaders training course set up by the Foundation for Community Dance and her new book ‘An introduction to Older People Dancing’ has grown from her extensive experience in this field of work.
Diane will share this in a training workshop that covers all the fundamentals of effective practice when dancing with people who are frail and elderly.
Fee £25 made payable to Take Art Ltd (includes lunch and refreshments). Wear clothes you can move in and bring a folder for handouts and notes.
To book a place email Life Circles Co-ordinator Sue Way
sue_way@btopenworld.com or telephone 07817002665
The other 3 Training days will take place in Devon/Exeter, Somerset/Taunton and Dorset /Bridport area in 2013. Please register your interest early by contacting Sue Way –details above.
Life Circles has been funded by The Baring Foundation, Arts Council England and The Guildford Academic Associates.
Our partners in kind are: Dance South West, Activate , Dance in Devon, The Foundation of Community Dance, Age UK, NHS Somerset The Alzheimers Society and Arts and Health South West.
Remember, you’re never too old to put on your dancing shoes!
Micro Movies - Apprenticeship Opportunities
Take Art is pleased to announce an opportunity for two apprenticeships for individuals wanting to gain experience in digital arts and early years.
Date: 17 Jul 2012
Categories: early years, Jobs,
These are short term apprenticeships one day per week over a 10 week period and we are looking for individuals who want to progress their career in working creatively with Somerset's under 5's in opportunity groups and early years settings.
You could be a digital artist wanting to gain further experience in working with early years OR an early years practitioner wanting to explore digital arts.
For further information please see the attached document.
The deadline for applications is 3rd August 2012.
If you have any questions or wish to discuss this opportunity further please contact caroline@takeart.org
Interview and Mini Documentary on Luna: A ground-breaking show about transgender teenagers
This is the third film in the series from Transition Vision featuring artists on Take Art's rural touring Live scheme. This film features an interview with Louise Barrett of 'Pretty Good Girl Dance Theatre' Company and footage from her brave and beautiful show Luna - raising awareness and support for transgender issues among teenagers.
Date: 11 Jul 2012
Categories: rural touring, Press,
Director Louise Barrett says, “According to official data Somerset has the largest number of transsexual individuals living in the South West. This is a real area of diversity and one that artists, schools and venues are keen to explore and understand. Luna is not just about gender, it is about acceptance, tolerance and understanding the wonderfully diverse world we now inhabit.”
John Holman shot this video at a Take Art show at Sexey's School in Bruton, Somerset.
The film features Louise Barrett and her "Pretty Good Girl" Dance Theatre Company and the male dancer is Andy Burnett. As Louise mentions, this piece is based on the book, Luna, by Julie Anne Peters.
Please check out further films made by John Holman from Transition Vision, who documented many of the artists and shows on last season's rural touring programme.
The Hip Yak Poetry Shack with Tim Clare @ The Frome Festival
On July 11 the Hip Yak Poetry Shack will be appearing at the Frome Festival, starring award winning author and Channel 4 presenter Tim Clare and nationally renowned stand-up poets Jonny Fluffypunk, Chris Redmond and Liv Torc.
The Hip Yak Poetry Shack is a hugely entertaining, hand-made, poetry, comedy cabaret, starring the finest talent from the UK performance and stand-up poetry scene.
On July 11th, the Hip Yak team will be joined by the award-winning author, Edinburgh Fringe star, Channel 4 presenter, stand-up poet, musician and broadcaster Tim Clare. Tim has appeared on BBC 2, Radio 1, 2, 4 and 6, and is one of the UK's leading spoken word names.
Along with an amazing array of stand-up poetry, there will be a mini Yakety Yak Poetry Slam for local poets, music, comedy and a special slam winning slot from local Frome poet Robbie Vane.
We are also delighted to announce a guest appearance from Jo Bell, the prize-winning poet behind National Poetry Day.
“The entire evening really was a cabaret of words and laughter in a very laid back environment – if you’re a fan of introspective poetry, the ‘woe is me type’ then this isn’t for you – but if you like the sound of this fantastic new venture, buy your tickets early, it will sell out and it’s not to be missed.” - Rosie Finnegan, The Somerset Standard
This is a HIGHLY RECOMMENDED event, with limited seating.
Tickets £8/£6 conc on the door...
For more info, to reserve tickets or to sign up for the slam please contact Liv Torc at info@hipyakpoetryshack.co.uk
You can buy tickets at the Frome Festival site www.fromefestival.co.uk/search/?Search=hip+yak
The Hip Yak Poetry Shack is supported by national performance poetry organisation Apples and Snakes and pioneering Somerset arts charity Take Art.
Big Dance Urban Jam - full timetable released!!!
On Sunday 15 July the Octagon Theatre and Take Art, in association with Big Dance, are running the Big Dance Urban Jam, starring a triple bill performance by Flawless, Boadicea and Rannel with ‘Flhip Flhop. The full day timetable is now available for download here!
On Sunday 15 July the Octagon Theatre and Take Art, in association with Big Dance, are running the Big Dance Urban Jam, starring a triple bill performance by ‘Flawless’ (as seen dancing with Kylie at the Queen’s jubilee and runners up in ITV 1’s ‘Britain’s Got Talent’); ‘Boadicea’ (finalists in this years Sky 1’s ‘Got To Dance’) and Rannel (Hip Hop Dance Theatre company) with ‘Flhip Flhop’. The full timetable is now available for download here!
Taking place inside and outside at the Octagon Theatre throughout the day, this incredible event will combine workshops, showcases, master classes, DJs, a Big Dance cinema and graffiti artists, culminating in a triple bill of professional dance from ‘Flawless’, ‘Boadicea’ and ‘Flhip Flhop’.
To read about the full event go to our What's On section
You can buy tickets by calling the Box Office on (01935) 422884 or by visiting www.octagon-theatre.co.uk
Download the final timetable below!!!
Call Out: Design the logo for the European project DanSCe Dialogues 2?
Can you design a logo for a new international dance project? The partners of the European project DanSCe Dialogues 2 are calling for entries for the creation of their new logo and offering a €500 prize for the winning design.
This call is open to independent artists (visual artists, photographers, designers, illustrators, typographers), a group of artists, students of schools of Fine Arts.
The winning entry will be used as the basis for all branding for the two-year project and will be displayed on all media and communications for the DanSCe Dialogues 2 programme of events and activities.
DanSCe Dialogues 2
DanSCe Dialogues 2 is an international dance project that aims to foster sustainable conditions to support Franco/British contemporary dance professionals across the dance sector.
The project will take place between October 1, 2012 and October 31, 2014.
Regional agencies for artistic development, production venues, touring venues and one university will work to stimulate artistic innovation and cooperation specifically between France and the UK and enable the creation of development schemes on both sides of the channel.
The winning entry will be selected by a jury consisting of members of the partner organisations.
The nine project partners are:
• L’ODIA Normandie (Rouen et Caen, Normandie)
• The Point (Eastleigh, Hampshire)
• South East Dance (Brighton, Sussex)
• Take Art (South Petherton, Somerset)
• ICIA / University of Bath (Bath, Somerset)
• Spectacle Vivant en Bretagne (Rennes, Bretagne)
• Le Triangle, cité de la danse (Rennes, Bretagne)
• Le Centre chorégraphique national de Caen / Basse-Normandie,
• Le Phare, Centre chorégraphique national du Havre / Haute-Normandie.
The Closing date for submission is 15 September 2012.
Please download the full project brief and logo guidelines below.
To find out more about DanSCe Dialogues 2 by visiting L’Odia website www.odianormandie.com
Downloads
Related Articles
Join the Dance and Theatre Somerset website!
DanceAndTheatreSomerset.net is a community driven website and an interactive resource which belongs to the dance and theatre community of Somerset.
Take Art, who administer the site, are trying to encourage more networking and creative interaction within Somerset.
"It can be really isolating for creative practitioners working within rural areas", says Sarah Peterkin Director of Take Art Theatre and Rural Touring. "Dance and Theatre Somerset is an online network that can help artists promote their events and share opportunities. If used well it could really make a difference to individual careers and the creative landscape of the county."
The website is part of the Albow family of sites which includes the hugely successful Theatre Bristol, Dance & Theatre Wilts, Theatre Glos, Theatre Devon, Activate Dorset and Dance & Theatre Cornwall.
This means that DanceAndTheatreSomerset.net is linked to a wider resource, which shares opportunities from across the UK.
To become part of the community you just need to visit the website and create a simple profile. That way you can add events and be kept in touch with all the latest news and jobs. You can now add dance classes to the site, to help keep your students up-to-date and encourage potential new participants to sign up.
Click here to visit the site!
Related Articles
The KinderGardens Festival 2012 gets its G4A Funding.
Take Art is delighted to announce that Yeovil Children's Centre Cluster has been successful in its application to the Arts Council England and has received a grant towards the 2012 KinderGardens Festival of Early Years Performance that will take place this autumn.
Date: 30 May 2012
Categories: early years, Press,
Now in its third incarnation, this year's KinderGardens Festival will be a collaboration between the Yeovil Children's Centres, The Octagon Theatre and Take Art and will feature a countywide tour of Early Years theatre shows, from four local, regional and international companies - all of whom specialise in making theatre experiences for the under 5s.
The 2012 Festival will also feature a family activity day at the Octagon Theatre in Yeovil, with performance and workshops; continuing professional development training for artists and Early Years practitioners; and opportunities for Somerset companies to showcase new Early Years work
Gina Westbrook Co-Director of Take Art Start said, "We are incredibly happy that Yeovil Children's Centre Cluster has been awarded this crucial grant from the Arts Council. The money will not only enable the continuation of the hugely successful Kindergardens Festival but also provide vital support for Early Years creativity within Somerset. This grant will make a real difference to the artists and organisations who work with the Early Years and the Children Centres who are focused on making creativity part off their culture."
For more information on the KinderGardens Festival 2012 please keep checking www.takeart.org over the next couple of months.
Related Articles
Related Artists
Other Links
A Somerset Journey begins!!!
On Monday 21st May the long heralded 35-day traveling performance piece 'A Somerset Journey' took its first tentative steps from Taunton town centre and Somerset Square (outside The Brewhouse Theatre) on its month long mission to rediscover the sounds and stories of Somerset, visiting plenty of Early Years settings along its way. Linking with the Olympic celebrations the journey was aptly ignited by the Olympic Torch Ceremony that fizzed and sizzled through Taunton at the same time the journey began.
Date: 22 May 2012
Categories: early years, Press,
A Somerset Journey: Sounding Out Somerset
Monday 21 May to Sunday 24 June
“We are the wind gatherers, sound crunchers and story munchers. We love noise!”
In a special year for celebrations, A Somerset Journey gathers the sounds, stories and songs of Somerset. A troupe of artists and performers known as the Somerset Wind Gatherers will travel the county in a specially made vehicle, collecting stories and sounds with the Ark Hive, as well as creating and sharing some of their own.
The ensemble includes performer and vehicle maker Tarn Aitken, storyteller Michael Loader, artist Francesca Dunford, musician Tim Hill and trainee performer, Hayley Barker.
A Somerset Journey will visit village greens, museums, pubs, schools, children's centres, community centres, fairs and gatherings. The journey begins at the Olympic Torch event in Taunton on Monday 21 May and ends at the Battle For The Winds in Weymouth on Saturday 28 July.
21 May – 27 May: Taunton, Watchet and Minehead.
28 May – 3 June: Watchet, Wellington and Ilminster.
4 June – 10 June: Ilminster to Highbridge.
11 June – 17 June: Highbridge to Langport.
18 June – 24 June: Langport to Yeovil.
28 July: Weymouth Battle For The Winds.
An entry fee may apply for some events. Please visit the Somerset Wind Gatherers blog for more information: www.soundingoutsomerset.blogspot.co.uk or follow them on Twitter @somersetjourney.
Highlights of the journey include:
Monday 21 May – Taunton Town Centre, The Brewhouse and the Olympic Torch Evening Celebration at Somerset County Cricket Ground.
11am – 10pm
Sunday 27 May - Ashbrittle Village Green
2pm – 4.30pm
Saturday 2 June - Stories of water and of the wind, Langport River Festival
2pm – 6pm
Friday 8 June – The Brewhouse, Taunton
8pm -10pm
Sunday 10 June – Abbot’s Kitchen Glastonbury Abbey
11am – 4pm
Thursday 14 June – Wild is the wind, Friends Meeting House, Taunton
8pm
Sunday 17 June – Somerset Green Scythe Fayre, Muchelney
11am – 11pm
28 July – Weymouth Battle for the Winds
Our journey concludes when our Somerset Wind Gatherers arrive with the Ark Hive in Weymouth where they will battle Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Wiltshire, West of England and Gloucestershire in the Battle For The Winds.
School Visits: (not open to the public)
23 May – Oaklands Community Primary, Yeovil
11am – 2.30pm
24 May – Little Horseshoes Nursery, Williton
10am – 11am
24 May – Little Vikings Children's Centre, Watchet.
1.30 – 2.30pm
25 May – Alcombe Children's Centre, Minehead
10 – 11am
6 June – Hamp Children's Centre, Victoria Park CC and Nether Stowey CC .
9.30am – 3pm
15 June – North Cadbury Primary
10am – 3pm
Mark Bruce - The Interview
The Mark Bruce Company premiere Made in Heaven this Friday night at the Tobacco Factory in Bristol. We asked Mark to respond to some quickfire questions in his (scarce) spare time…
Quick Fire Questions
What did your parents give you?
Life.
When did you know you wanted to choreograph?
As soon as I decided to dance at the age of 17.
Dance has taken me …. ?
Into a beautiful, painful and savage world.
What impact did having a family have on you and your creativity?
Confirmed how I already approach the process.
Where do you live and why?
In a cellar in Somerset. I come out when I’ve got a new idea for a piece.
What do you think are the two most important qualities to have?
Compassion and a sense of humour. Getting up when you’ve been knocked down is pretty important too.
What do you think everyone is looking for? Is everyone looking for anything?
How would I know what everyone is looking for? I think if we could we’d probably want to understand death. We all have that in common.
Who is someone you admire?
I admire loads of people for different reasons, it’s difficult to pick out just one. Anyone who works hard for little or no acknowledgement. I see teachers doing that.
And Leonard Cohen…as an artist - and as a teacher.
Your dream?
Keep making the work and watch my children grow up.
Who is your creative adviser/mentor/collaborator?
Everyone I work creatively with.
What’s your ambition… either personally or professionally?
Make some movies, cut a blues album, write more books, go to America, get better at DIY – which is never going to happen.
Mark Bruce Company is performing Made in Heaven at the Tobacco Factory in Bristol from the 18th to the 20th May. Then on tour. For full details visit www.markbrucecompany.com
Life Circles - See Early Film Footage
Life Circles is a new project and a new partnership between Take Art Dance and Core Dance, with a focus on engaging the frail elderly in movement, dance and imaginative play. It started last autumn and will run for two years, with the ambition of supporting the lifelong creativity of older people in eight residential settings in Somerset, Devon and Dorset.
These clips were taken at two of the residential homes involved in the project.
Life Circles has been funded by The Baring Foundation, Arts Council England and The Guildford Academic Associates.
Our partners in kind are: Dance South West, Activate , Dance in Devon, The Foundation of Community Dance, Age UK, NHS Somerset The Alzheimers Society and Arts and Health South West.
Remember, you’re never too old to put on your dancing shoes!
You’re Not Like the Other Girls, Chrissie - Caroline Horton Interview and Mini Documentary
This is the second in the series from Transition Vision featuring the visiting artists to Somerset, thanks to Take Art's rural touring Live scheme.
Date: 17 Apr 2012
Categories: rural touring, Press,
This Febuary Take Art was delighted to host the wonderful Caroline Horton and her show You're Not Like the Other Girls, Chrissie, which took place in four village hall venues across Somerset.
Please check out the wonderful film about Caroline Horton, made by John Holman from Transition Vision, who documented many of the artists and shows on last season's rural touring programme.
A bit about the artist: Caroline Horton is an actor who likes to write and perform her own material. The production she was touring Somerset with was You're Not Like Other Girls, Chrissie, a story of a love that survived World War II. It is a beautifully balanced piece and will have you chuckling and choking back tears by turns. Here Caroline talks about her career to date and the show, whilst she waits to take the stage at Ashbrittle Village Hall. She is too modest to mention that her acting in "Chrissie" won her "The Stage's" best solo performer at the Edinburgh Festival in 2010.
Note from Transition Vision: "Take Art continues to bring top quality performance to Somerset in spite of the adverse funding situation now that Somerset County Council has decided that the arts have no value to the people of the county but need all the support it will be able to muster to carry on their work. This was shot and edited by John Holman. Performance material by kind permission of Caroline Horton."
Somerset Under 5s are invited to enter the Lightstream
This May, as part of the Somerset Light Waves project, Take Art and three leading Somerset theatre venues are inviting the youngest audiences in Somerset to enter the Lightstream and take part in an interactive and colorful light-inspired performance and installation.
Date: 10 Apr 2012
Categories: early years, Press, Take Art,
May 10: The Octagon Theatre, Yeovil, May 14: The Tacchi Morris Arts Centre, Taunton, May 21: The Brewhouse Theatre and Arts Centre, Taunton
Lightstream has been designed and directed for 2-5 year olds by Early Years visual art expert Richard Tomlinson and National Early Years Director Jo Belloli. It will feature brilliant Early Years actor Frank Wurz, with specially composed and live music by leading Somerset artist Tim Hill.
Richard Tomlinson said, “Lightstream is a fun and imaginative adventure through light and space. There will be big lights and tiny lights, lights that glow and lights that move. Even some noisy lights! The performances will last 45 minutes and will be followed by a snack. All young children are welcome, along with a grown up of their choice.”
The show will be launched at The Octagon on Thursday 10 May at 10am, with a repeat performance at 1pm. On Monday 14 May, Lightstream will be taking over the Tacchi-Morris Arts Centre in Taunton, with two shows at 10am and 1pm. Tickets will cost £4 and can be purchased from the venues.
Then on Monday 21 May, to celebrate the arrival of the Olympic Torch in Somerset, you can take part in a FREE drop-in Lightstream workshop at the Brewhouse Theatre & Arts Centre in Taunton. This workshop is open to Under 5s and their families and will run from 2pm to 3:30pm. The Brewhouse will also be exhibiting an exciting Lightstream installation, incorporating glimpses of film, colour and light, which will be on view throughout the afternoon until late.
Box Office Numbers
- The Octagon Theatre: 01935 422 884
- The Tacchi Morris Arts Centre: 01823 414 141
- The Brewhouse Theatre and Arts Centre: 01823 283 244
Lightstream has been produced by Somerset RFO, as part of the Arts Council England funded Light Waves project, a collaborative arts project bringing together visual arts, early years and out door celebration with the Cultural Olympiad theme of light, the Jubilee theme of lighting beacons and local traditions including wassail, solstice and carnival.
For more information please contact Gina Westbrook at Take Art on 01460 249450 or email gina@takeart.org
ENDS
Note for Editors:
Press contact: Louise Bennett 01460 249450, louise@takeart.org
To request a CD of images please contact Louise Monks. www.takeart.org
Take Art is a pioneering arts charity, serving the towns, villages and rural communities of Somerset. We do this by providing accessible opportunities for people of all ages to participate, experience and work within the arts.
Box Office Numbers
The Octagon Theatre: 01935 422 884
The Tacchi Morris Arts Centre: 01823 414 141
The Brewhouse Theatre and Arts Centre: 01823 283 244
Lightstream has been produced by Somerset RFO, as part of the Arts Council England funded Light Waves project.
For more information please contact Gina Westbrook at Take Art on 01460 249450 or email gina@takeart.org
ENDS
Note for Editors:
Press contact: Louise Bennett 01460 249450, louise@takeart.org
To request a CD of images please contact Louise Monks. www.takeart.org
Take Art is a pioneering arts charity, serving the towns, villages and rural communities of Somerset. We do this by providing accessible opportunities for people of all ages to participate, experience and work within the arts.
Related Artists
Other Links
Ralph Lister Opinion Piece: “The Arts in Somerset and Sustainability 2012 Onwards”
Somerset is a predominantly rural county, which means most of us rely on cars to get to work and to go to arts events. The county also has higher than average fuel prices (information courtesy of Fuelcourt Fuels), with the inevitable prospect of further fuel hikes on the horizon. Factors that don't bode well for those putting on shows or arts events in rural areas.
In fact many people are having to think carefully before getting into their cars - getting to and from work is the number one priority. Social and recreational car journeys are being sacrificed and those on limited disposable incomes are travelling less. The AA noted that car journeys were down by 20% in January of this year compared to the same period in 2011.
The Arts are being driven still further out of villages and smaller communities in Somerset by drastic cuts to local authority arts funding, which currently works out at 50p per head (less than a Mars Bar). Also out of the £475,000 investment the Somerset local authorities have made to the arts this year, £450,000 is going to the two theatres in Taunton and Yeovil, towns with a combined population of 150,000 people. That means the remaining £25,000 local authority arts spend is being allocated to the rest of the county, approximately 350,000 people - so 95% of the money for arts is going to only 30% of the Somerset population.
It is understandable that the two main theatres should receive considerable support from the local authorities and that along with being a wonderful resource for residents, they also attract patrons from outside the towns. However, as local authority funding gets tighter and arts budgets are reduced further a one dimensional consolidation of funds into two building based organisations is too clunky a solution. It means that the majority of council tax payers are excluded from access to a cultural offer.
In short as fuel prices go up, arts access goes down.
Ralph Lister
Executive Director of Take Art
Sedgemoor and Taunton Deane deliver a hammer blow to the arts
Sedgemoor District Council has joined the trend in Somerset for arts budget slashing, cutting their provision to Take Art's rural touring scheme by an uncompromising 100% - a decision that will result in a drastic reduction in the amount of shows Take Art can offer Sedgemoor villages and communities.
Date: 29 Mar 2012
Categories: rural touring, Press,
Taunton Deane District Council has also made the decision to reduce their arts provision to Take Art by 24%, a cut that will also lead to a significant reduction in shows for local people.
Both of these announcements follow hot on the heels of Somerset County Council and Mendip District Council’s incredibly unpopular 2011 budget decisions to cut 100% of their arts funding.
Sarah Peterkin the Director of Take Art Live said, “The knock on effect to rural touring in Somerset due to all the arts cuts has been devastating and last year we were unable to programme any shows in Mendip at all. In fact the whole of the rural touring scheme was cut by over 35% in just 12 months.”
Take Art Live Rural Touring has now been running for 25 years and was one of the first schemes of its kind in the country. Its popularity and courage to programme cutting edge work in theatre, music, dance and children’s shows has meant that every year thousands of Somerset people are given access to high quality arts experiences on their doorstep.
Sarah Peterkin went onto say, "We used to do 15 shows in Taunton Deane and next year we will only be able to do 11, leaving four more villages without the opportunity to benefit from the joys of live entertainment in their village. Unless alternative funding is raised, Sedgemoor will not have any subsided shows at all in 2012/2013.”
Take Art are currently investigating new ways to raise funds for Somerset rural touring and will be doing everything possible to make sure this vital service to Somerset communities isn't lost altogether.
If you would like to support us, offer a donation or join our mailing list please contact Louise Monks or Sarah Peterkin at Take Art. For more information or to request an interview please call 01460 249450.
The dance stars of tomorrow spring forward
On the 26 & 27 March 2012 at The Tacchi Morris Art Centre in Taunton, over 500 young dancers from Somerset and beyond will be coming together to take part in Take Art’s annual dance platform Spring Forward.
Now in its eight year, Spring Forward is a 3-day performance platform (the third day takes place on 17 May at The Octagon Theatre in Yeovil) designed to give young people aged 11-21 the chance to perform on a professional stage in front of hundreds of people.
30 groups will star in the Taunton event from a range of schools and youth dance groups, appearing over two days and showcasing a range of highly inventive, fun, invigorating and truly inspired new dance pieces.
Take Art Youth Dance Director Katey Leader said, “Dance is a great way to get young people engaged in the arts and their communities, it positively impacts on their health and builds self esteem and confidence.”
Take Art, who are the county dance agency, are constantly looking for ways to support and provide opportunities for young people within the region and Spring Forward is their flagship event, growing in size and popularity every year, as more and more young people are experiencing the joy that dance can bring to their lives.
Please support this fantastic event by coming along in March to the Tacchi Morris. To book your tickets please visit www.tacchi-morris.com
ENDS
Note for Editors:
Press contact: Louise Monks 01460 249450, louise@takeart.org
To request a CD of images please contact Louise Monks. www.takeart.org
Take Art is a pioneering arts charity, serving the towns, villages and rural communities of Somerset. We do this by providing accessible opportunities for people of all ages to participate, experience and work within the arts.
Small Talk Film - See Antonia Grove Interiew
Take Art has been working with local filmmakers Transition Vision to create a series of interviews and clips from this season’s Live Scheme.
Date: 12 Mar 2012
Categories: rural touring, Press,
This 11 minute film features Antonia Grove from Probe Dance and her solo show ‘Small Talk’.
‘Small Talk’ was filmed at St. George's Hall, Hinton St. George and was shot and edited by John Holman for Transition Vision's Art and Entertainment Channel.
To find out more please visit the Transition Vision website
Take Art and Ben Osborne present a multi media masterpiece
This March Take Art are delighted to be touring Ben Osborne’s ground breaking Jurassic Journey to eight Somerset venues, a multi-media showcase that tells the story of the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site, inspired by its geology, wildlife, culture, its people and its landscapes.
Date: 01 Mar 2012
Categories: rural touring, Press,
This March Take Art are delighted to be touring Ben Osborne’s ground breaking Jurassic Journey to eight Somerset venues, a multi-media showcase that tells the story of the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site, inspired by its geology, wildlife, culture, its people and its landscapes.
Since 2009 award-winning photographer Ben Osborne has been recording a visual and audio diary of his experiences as he travels the Jurassic Coast. The show Jurassic Journey is a culmination of this work and an exciting fusion of photography, digital imagery, music, poetry and sculpture made from flotsam and jetsam, love and genius.
Along with Ben’s photography, film and hugely entertaining presenting skills, the show will also feature specially commissioned music by Dorset composer Sammy Hurden, poetry by inventive Devon-based poet Matt Harvey and some engaging puppet art by artist/sculptor Lal Hitchcock.
Commentary, audio-visual sequences, sound-scapes and humour will create a richly entertaining evening for anyone interested in what happens when four artists take a close (and occasionally sideways) look at the Jurassic Coast.
Jurassic Journey will be touring round Somerset from the March 14 to March 24, stopping off at Holford & District Village Hall, Stoke St Mary, Clapton & Wayford, West Camel, Wellington Arts Centre, Ashbrittle, North Cadbury and Kingsdon Village Hall.
Sarah Peterkin Diretor of Take Art Live said, “Ben is well-known in Somerset for his wonderful shows, Life in the Freezer and Common Source. We are delighted that he has created a new show about the beautiful Dorset coastline, a favourite walking spot for so many Somerset folk. Jurassic Journey promises to be a real highlight of the season.”
To find out when Jurassic Journey will be visiting near you and to book tickets please visit our What's On.
www.takeart.org
ENDS
Note for Editors:
Press contact: Louise Monks 01460 249450, louise@takeart.org
To request a CD of images please contact Louise Monks. www.takeart.org
Take Art changing the lives of the frail elderly
Just because you are passed the age of partying, it doesn’t mean your body has given up on joy, or your brain has stopped seeking creative expression…
Life Circles is a new two year project and a new partnership between Take Art Dance and Core Dance, with a focus on engaging the frail elderly in movement, dance and imaginative play.
The project started in January in eight residential settings throughout Somerset, Devon and Dorset, with six groups of fragile elderly and two groups of active elderly.
The workshops are being delivered by Take Art Dance and Core Dance, who are providing weekly dance sessions with three experienced dance practitioners, finding ways for the elderly participants to express themselves through dance.
The artists are also working alongside a filmmaker, who is producing a dance training film, documenting how movement can help older people value their experiences, remain playful and continue to be creative and imaginative.
Life Circles has been funded by The Baring Foundation, Arts Council England and The Guildford Academic Trust.
Our partners in kind are: Dance South West, Activate , Dance in Devon, The Foundation of Community Dance, Age UK, NHS Somerset The Alzheimers Society and Arts and Health South West.
Remember, you’re never too old to put on your dancing shoes!??
Take Art tours ground-breaking show about transgender teenagers
On Thursday 1 March, Take Art and ‘Pretty Good Girl Dance Theatre’ are bringing the brave and beautiful show Luna to Sexeys School in Bruton, with the aim of raising awareness and support for transgender issues among teenagers.
Date: 28 Feb 2012
Categories: rural touring, Press,
Director Louise Barrett says, “According to official data Somerset has the largest number of transsexual individuals living in the South West. This is a real area of diversity and one that artists, schools and venues are keen to explore and understand. Luna is not just about gender, it is about acceptance, tolerance and understanding the wonderfully diverse world we now inhabit.”
Based on the award winning novel by critically acclaimed author Julie Anne Peters, Luna takes the audience on a delicate theatrical and dance evoked journey with Liam/Luna and his sister Regan, as they come to understand Liam’s true identity. Somerset based company ‘Pretty Good Girl Dance Theatre’ use their unique blend of storytelling, dance, film and physical theatre to take the story from page to stage and make it accessible and relevant to audiences on this side of the Atlantic.
Deb Holmes from Sexeys School said 'The subject matter of 'Luna' is one that is rarely covered by mainstream culture and media, and this show will allow audiences to consider the trans-gender issue in a way that is not exploitative or sensationalist.'
Take Art are among nine other UK wide organisations championing the show; offering audiences a vital insight into the world of a transgendered teen. Please visit www.prettygoodgirl.com to find out about the whole tour schedule, which runs from February to May 2012.
Sexeys School in association with Take Art will be hosting the show on Thursday 1 March and tickets are available through www.takeart.org.
Press are also invited to attend, with interview and photography opportunities available on request.
ENDS
Note for Editors:
Press contact: Louise Monks 01460 249450, louise@takeart.org
To request a CD of images please contact Louise Monks. www.takeart.org
Take Art is a pioneering arts charity, serving the towns, villages and rural communities of Somerset. We do this by providing accessible opportunities for people of all ages to participate, experience and work within the arts.
Taunton Deane threatens a further 40% cuts to arts budget
After drastically cutting the small arts grant fund last year from £35,000 to £20,000, Taunton Deane District Council are proposing to get the shears out again, reducing the budget by a further 40% (£8,000) in 2012/13.
Date: 20 Feb 2012
Categories: rural touring, Get Involved, Press, Take Art,
These cuts amount to 66% over two years, leaving only a mere £12,000 for all the local arts organisations to use for their social/community arts projects in the Taunton Deane area – one of which being Take Art’s hugely successful rural touring scheme which has been running for 25 years and is widely considered to be one of the most diverse, artistically strong and influential in the UK.
This year alone Take Art has worked with 10 communities in Taunton Deane to put on high quality shows in local venues. These include Appley, Ashbrittle, Bishops Lydeard, Churchinford, Hatch Beauchamp, Neroche & Bickenhall, Stoke St Gregory, Stoke St Mary, Wellington and Wiveliscombe. The money we receive from the District Council’s small arts grant is vital to making this happen.
Last year due to 100% arts cuts in County Council and Mendip District funding, Take Art had to reduce its rural touring scheme by 50% across the whole county, with no shows in Mendip at all. With further cuts from the District Councils these numbers will only shrink and rural touring in the county will be under threat of survival.
With local authority support we will be holding a youth dance platform at the Tacchi Morris Art Centre in Monkton Heathfield, involving over 300 young people. We are working in the Acorns and Hollies children’s centres in the Taunton area with under 5’s and their families and carers; and we are delivering a dance project involving frail elderly participants in Wellington and Taunton, which was also made possible with a £29,000 grant from the Baring Foundation.
Ralph Lister, the Chief Executive of Take Art said, “Cutting the arts budget by another 40% next year would be short-sighted and would further destabilise Take Art and other arts organisations. We passionately believe in a cultural entitlement for all, whether people live in Taunton or outlying villages. We believe that entitlement should also extend to the frail elderly, the under 5’s in disadvantaged parts of Taunton and children and young people. We hope that the full council decides to reinstate the proposed cut in the budget.”
The proposal to cut the small arts grant in Taunton Deane will be made next Tuesday 21st February at a public meeting at Taunton Deane Borough Council offices at 6.30pm
ENDS
Note for Editors:
Press contact: Louise Monks 01460 249450, louise@takeart.org
To request a CD of images please contact Louise Monks. www.takeart.org
When I Say Jump awarded £10,000 by Ideas Tap
Jac Husebo, Artistic Director of theatre company When I Say Jump says "The money's fantastic we really didn't expect to win." They can now take their latest production to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.
Date: 16 Feb 2012
Categories: theatre,
Jac went on to say "We didn't expect to win, but it justified us a taking a chance on an idea; we really only applied because we felt it was too good an opportunity not to take a punt on and fortunately it came off. We are really excited about the idea of 'A Modern Town'. We're hoping it's a story that will resonate with all different types of people and it is something they can identify with, but also be enjoyed as entertainment. All we have to do now is start the long, hard winding road to Edinburgh 2012! "
Jac and his artistic team applied to Ideas Tap last year and along with six other hopeful companies heard the nerve-racking news that they had been shortlisted to make a pitch to the Ideas Team in Lond. On 1st Feb they duly made their pitch to the panel from Ideas Tap and lo and behold they got through! Many congratulations to the company on this exciting news. They have been awarded £10,000 to take their new show 'A Modern Town' to Edinburgh Fringe Festival this summer. Great news for Jac, who comes from Minehead and was part of the very successful 'Homecoming' that showcased at the Regal last year. 'A Modern Town' tells the story of a former bustling holiday resort for the British public, it is now a lost community desperate to matter in the modern world. A story of last chances, forgotten dreams and 3 mysterious businessmen who offer a way out.
Take Art are delighted to have been able to support the writing of this piece through some modest seed funding, via the Somerset County Council creative industries fund.
Workshops for Theatre & Dance practitioners
In the early months of 2012, Take Art are running a number of skills development workshops....watch this space for news on these sessions.
Date: 15 Feb 2012
Categories: theatre, Get Involved, Press,
Three professional development opportunities are taking place between Jan-March 2012. On 25 January, 21 practitioners from Somerset and Devon attended Releasing your Fundraising Potential training day in Taunton. Led by Joanna Ridout this one-day course outlined some very useful tips on successful fundraising. Participants left feeling inspired and more confident of their own needs and abilities. "A great day, feel I really learnt a lot in a short space of time. Joanna managed the session very well, keeping us on track with a varied and fun approach back up by plenty of hands on experience and common sense" said a participant.
On Sunday 4th March artists are invited to join Tangle Theatre at Ridgway Hall in Langport for Word of Mouth - a one-day workshop that will use drama, music and impro techniques, multi-lingualism and a range of classical and contemporary texts to unpack and explore the 'language' of theatre-making. Book and get more information here.
Our third event is On the Road. Taking place on Friday 9 March this is a day training, knowledge and skill share workshop for dance and theatre companies who want to know more about rural touring. This session will be held at Williams Hall, Stoke St Gregory, Nr Taunton. Details of how to book and full information here.
£30,000 Early Years Theatre Commission up for grabs
Take Art in association with Farnham Maltings and Arts Partnership Surrey are delighted to announce SPROUT, a new £30,000 commission to create a touring play designed for the under 5s.
Date: 06 Feb 2012
Categories: early years, Jobs, Press, Take Art,
The commission is open to everyone and we are interested to hear from individual artists, new collaborators, established companies and those new to making work for this age group.
Our ambition is for the finished work to be toured in autumn 2012 or spring 2013, possibly through the Children’s Centre network, with the opportunity to present the work at the KinderGardens Early Year’s Festival in 2013.
Gina Westbrook, Co-Director of Early Years at Take Art said, “Take Art passionately supports the right of very small children to have great work made for them. This partnership is a fabulous opportunity for both theatre makers and Somerset audiences. We hope that the chosen commission will appear in the KinderGardens Festival and our rural touring programme in Somerset.”
Gavin Stride from Farnham Maltings said, “Here is an opportunity to make something happen. We are excited about the commissioning model as a way of better connecting the ambitions of artists with programmers and are pleased that the first of these is for young people.”
Katie Potter from Tandridge Leisure said, “This was an easy partnership to work with. We all want the same thing -to invest in and support a company of artists to make something delightful for our audiences. That’s exciting.”
The SPROUT commission will cover all the associated costs of development, producing and the initial three week ‘tour’ of Surrey and Somerset. Our hope is that the company will then tour the piece regionally or nationally. In addition to the commission we will offer, where possible, contacts, advice, specialist intelligence, equipment, producing expertise, rehearsal space, etc. Applications of interest are requested by the 24 Feb 2012, with full proposals due in 23 March 2012.
You can download the application information below.
Look inside the 2012 Jan-Jun Take Art Programme
Packed with events, shows, workshops and features the new Take Art Programme is just one click away.
Date: 04 Jan 2012
Categories: rural touring, Press, Take Art,
Look Inside the new Take Art Brochure Jan-Jun 2012
Congratulations to Somerset Youth Dance Company
Huge congratulations to Somerset Youth Dance Company, who have been selected to attend Dance South West's regional platform U.Dance South West 2012, held at Pavilion Dance, Bournemouth on 17 and 18 March 2012.
Date: 21 Dec 2011
Categories: dance,
U.Dance is a national programme run by Youth Dance England, the UK wide organisation that champions dance for all children and young people.
The Somerset Youth Dance Company is an exciting initiative being run by Take Art, aimed at bringing together Somerset’s 'Gifted and Talented' young dancers to work together as a company with opportunities to work with professional choreographers, venues and performers. The U Dance platform is such an opportunity, where the group will be able to perform alongside the best young dancers in the South West.
The other groups that have been accepted for U.Dance South West 2012 include:
- Attik Youth Dance Company and Devon Youth Dance Company from SE Cornwall/Devon
- Tapistory, Portrait Youth Dance Company and Shake from Dorset
- East Bridgewater Community School also from Somerset
- Jigsaw: Salisbury Youth Dance Company, Swindon Youth Dance and Westbury P.O.P from Wiltshire
- Kinesis and Rise Youth Dance Company from Bristol
- GD:Inc and GD:Youth from Gloucestershire
To find out more about Somerset Youth Dance Company please visit the Youth Dance section of our website.
To find out more about U.Dance please click here.
Don’t Take Art Away
After 25 years protecting and celebrating the Arts in Somerset, Take Art is facing its biggest funding crisis ever. A crisis that is threatening the heart of our hugely successful rural touring scheme and extraordinary work with dance, theatre and early years.
Date: 20 Dec 2011
Categories: Get Involved, Take Art,
Despite what local government might say, we believe that the Arts in Somerset are worth fighting for...and we think you do too!
We want to stay in touch with you during 2012 to keep you up-to-date with all our latest hair-brained fundraising ideas and forthcoming shows. To do this we need your email address.
You can join our email list by:
- Texting your email to 07730 309354
- Visiting our emailing signup page
- Emailing art@takeart.org
...and help us Keep Art in Somerset
Related Articles
Spring Forward 2012…
Take Art announces dates for their youth dance performance platform, in association with U.Dance. Get your applications in now!
After a very successful event in 2011, next year's Somerset's county youth dance performance platform will be taking place on Monday 26 & Tuesday 27 March 2012 at The Tacchi-Morris Arts Centre in Taunton and Thursday 17 May 2012 at The Octagon Theatre in Yeovil.
This will be the eighth year that Take Art has brought together various schools and youth dance groups from across the county. They are inviting any dance group with dancers aged 11-21 years old to apply. This is a great opportunity for young dancers to perform in professional Theatres, to watch their peers perform and to get a true idea of the diversity and breadth of work that is being produced in Somerset.
You can apply to perform at both events, and the deadline for applications is Monday 16 January 2012.
To find out more about Spring Forward or to request and application form, please go to our Project Section or contact katey@takeart.org
Photo credit: Beata 'Borys' Kosc Photography
Take Art Early Years Development Bursary
For Artists and Creative People
Date: 19 Nov 2011
Categories: early years, Jobs, Press,
As part of Little Big Bang, Take Art has introduced a Bursary Scheme aimed at providing training and professional development for artists and creative people seeking to develop and apply their skills to the Early Years sector in Education. See www.takeart.org for more about Little Big Bang.
Artists and creative individuals often possess a range of transferable skills and many of these skills go unnoticed. These can be used through increased opportunities for working with staff and children within Early Years and working in new creative ways. The Early Years sector can offer a free and open-ended approach to learning, a strategy which mirrors approaches to development often used by artists.
This can lead to a mutually beneficial and supportive relationship with the Early Years sector, where settings can receive help in delivering the Early Years Foundation Stage framework and Artists can develop their practice and opportunities in new ways and with new partners.
The Bursary offers five Somerset based creatives (from all art forms) the opportunity to receive mentoring from experienced Early Years artists and to gain experience in taking part and delivering workshops in Early Years settings.
It comprises:
- a free professional development day designed around the particular skills the creative can offer, led by two of the Little Big Bang artists
- the opportunity to run three workshops in approved Early Years settings, one of which will be mentored
- a final free session of response and reflection with the other bursary holders and the mentors
- £150 bursary to cover expenses
- possible inclusion in the Kindling database of artists trained for work within Early Years
- membership of a network of supportive artists experienced in delivering high quality activities.
Applications
By email to kim@takeart.org by 5pm on 25th November with 'Take Art Early Years Bursary' in the subject line.
In your application please and include:
- An outline in fewer than 250 words of why you are interested in this opportunity, including a one sentence indication of the sort of work you'd offer in an Early Years workshop
- Up to four examples of your previous work (if relevant) in jpeg format and less than 1MB in size
- An up-to-date CV
Previous experience is not essential as we are looking for inexperienced artists and creative people as well as those with some experience. These are welcomed from people offering any or a combination of art forms - performance, visual, digital.
Focus on the South West: Take Art Urban Dance Project
Take Art's new Urban Dance Project has been featured in Youth Dance England's national news letter.
Youth Dance England has highlighted Take Art's forthcoming Urban Dance Project as one of the top dance initiatives happening in the South West over the next six months.
The project will focus on creating Urban Dance events within communities, giving young dancers a chance to build their professional experience and providing skills training for dance teachers.
Young people from Somerset will help manage the direction of the projects and will be crucial in setting up the Urban Dance events, which could include Street Dance and Break Dancing Workshops, DJ, Beat Boxing and Graffiti workshops and demonstrations by local groups.
The first Urban Dance event (for young people aged 13-19) will be taking place on Thursday 24th November at Milford Community Centre, Yeovil 6pm-9pm.
If you’re from the South West get involved!
Contact Katey Leader at Take Art for all the info: katey@takeart.org
Opportunity: Trainee dancers wanted!
LIFE CIRCLES a dance project working with older people in residential settings in Dorset, Exeter and Somerset is offering 4 dance trainee opportunities.
Fee £800 per trainee plus some assistance with travel costs. £25 per session, 32 sessions in total.
Timeline January 2012-July 2013
These positions would suit recent graduates or dance teachers who have little or no experience in this field and would like to develop their skills in integrated community dance practice. It would also suit an employee, care worker or volunteer working with elderly people who would like to develop their dance leadership skills.
To apply please send a letter detailing your interest and experience to Life Circles Project Coordinator Sue Way email sue_way@btopenworld.com or to Sue Way c/o Take Art The Mill Flaxdrayton Farm Somerset TA13 5LR
For more information please download the attached brief.
For any further queries please contact project co-ordinator Sue Way on 07817 002665
Deadline for applications 21 November 2011.
Interviews will take place with artists during early December to be arranged with you.
Opportunity: Filmmaker / Digital / New Media artist
We are now looking to recruit a freelance filmmaker/digital/new media artist to work on the Life Circles dance project.
Take Art and Core Dance are working in partnership to deliver Life Circles, an innovative dance project working with older people in residential settings in Dorset, Devon and Somerset. We are now looking to recruit a freelance filmmaker/digital/new media artist to work on the project.
Fee £6,000 to include VAT, travel and DVD master for reproduction.
Project Time line Janaury 2012 - July 2013
The deadline for applications is 25 November.
Interviews will be on 4 December at the Take Art offices in South Petherton.
Please send your tender with examples/show reel of relevant work to Sue Way, Life Circles Co-ordinator, c/o Take Art, The Mill, Flaxdrayton Farm, Somerset TA13 5LR.
The successful individual or company individuals will either have current CRB checks or be willing to undergo a CRB check. They will need to be willing to work at weekend and evenings if necessary and to have access to their own means of transport.
To see the full brief, please download one of the attached documents.
For more information about this tender please contact either Sue Way at sue_way@btopenworld.com and on 07817002665 or Ralph Lister at ralph@takeart.org and on 01460 249450.
How can live performance flourish? The Notes
On Friday 7 October as part of the Made in Somerset Festival 2011, an Open Space event was held at the Brewhouse Theatre & Arts Centre to discuss how live performance can flourish. Here's what we found out...
Attended by 44 people and facilitated by Seth Honnor, there were some lively provocations followed by two and half hours of fruitful discussion - the notes are now available in a draft document. The emerging themes and findings will be drawn together by Mark & Sarah from Take Art and put into a final document by the end of November.
To read what's inside just click the image and start turning the pages.
Any comments on this draft document are welcome - email sarah@takeart.org - by 11th November.
The Arts are Fighting Back in Somerset
Expectations were exceeded, as over 500 people participated in this year’s hugely successful Made in Somerset Festival of Dance and Theatre, that took place in venues big and small across Somerset from 4 to 11 October.
The Festival showcased 18-full-length performances from the best of Somerset theatre, dance and spoken word, hinged around two days of Open Space debate, workshops and showcases, specifically designed to support practitioners and generate stimulating debate within the Somerset Arts community.
Co Director of Theatre at Take Art, Mark Helyar, said, "We took a risk by completely re-inventing Made in Somerset this year. It paid off - the festival has been amazing, full of positive energy, great ideas and a vast range of live performances, workshops and inspiring debate. Our challenge now is to capitalise on the success of the festival to enable artists and companies to make work and flourish."
Highlights of the Festival included the Open Space debate at The Brewhouse Theatre (Friday 7 Oct) and the Practitioners Day in Langport (Saturday 8 October).
Festival organiser and Co-Director of Take Art Theatre Sarah Peterkin said,
“The Open Space debate attracted nearly 50 arts professionals and it was great to be in a room surrounded by such a wealth of experience. The provocations were provocative, the Open Space sessions were vibrant and stimulating and the cheese and crackers were delicious. On Sat 8 October we welcomed 68 theatre and dance practitioners, as well as a number of students and graduates to venues around Langport for a jam-packed day of workshops and presentations, culminating in a performance of light on the River Parrett.”
Another huge success was Take Art’s co-commissioned work CountryBoy’s Struggle, a solo show by the extremely talented hip hop artist and performer Maxwell Golden. CountryBoy’s Struggle toured four venues during the Festival and received an incredible response from audiences and venues.
Sarah went onto say, “I have many, many highlights, a few of which are standing on the riverbank at sunset listening to beautiful music from the Tim Hill ensemble, sipping cider whilst watching half a dozen beautifully decorated little boats travelling down the river Parrett. A perfect Somerset ending to a great Festival.”
For press information, or to arrange an interview please call Louise Monks on 01460 249450 or email louise@takeart.org
Have you got the Light Touch
Come and see the early year's Light Touch Exhibition at the Brewhouse Theatre in Taunton, showcasing some beautiful work created by local children and families.
Date: 05 Oct 2011
Categories: early years, Press,
Running from Friday 30 September - Friday 28 October
This exhibition is the result of public workshops held at the Brewhouse Theatre during Somerset Art Weeks.
The Light Touch abacus, which is located in the foyer, was created as part of these workshops, which experimented with dark and light, responding to shapes and shadows and making colours that sing.
Somerset based artist, Richard Tomlinson worked with the children to explore shadow and shape and make these truly vibrant sun pictures.
Richard said "Children and adults have experimented with the theme of light, using papers, fabrics and a bucket full of buttons from the Scrap Store. We are all delighted with the work produced and grateful to The Brewhouse for creating the opportunity for this child friendly exhibition."
Light Touch is part of 'Light Waves', a collaborative project exploring creativity and light led by the Somerset RFO Arts Team.
Related Artists
Other Links
A CountryBoy Struggles in Somerset
The Made in Somerset 2011 Festival of Dance and Theatre is showcasing four performances of their co-commissioned work CountryBoy’s Struggle, a solo show by the extremely talented hip-hop artist and performance poet Maxwell Golden.
4th, 6th, 7th & 8th October 2011
Taking place in Wellington, Frome, Burnham on Sea and Curry Mallet, CountryBoy’s Struggle is a fast, funny and honest story of one man’s search for a sense of belonging. In the show Maxwell Golden is able to jump seamlessly into a huge range of over 40 characters, from local boys in Bude, to Hackney rappers and London pigeons; mixing Hip Hop, spoken word and physical theatre.
Mark Helyar, Co-Director of Theatre at Take Art said, “We are delighted to have been involved in the co-commissioning of this exciting new show, which deals with the very real issues of rural isolation and city migration in an original and edgy hip-hop style. We are confident it will go down a storm with Made in Somerset Festival audiences.”
Maxwell Golden is an experienced writer and performer, currently part of the Writer’s Hub at Soho Theatre and previously an Associate Artist at The Albany in Deptford and an Emerging Artist in Residence at the Southbank Centre. CountryBoy’s Struggle, directed by Baba Israel, Artistic Director of Contact Manchester, is suitable for ages 12+.
Show Dates
- Tues 4 Oct, 7pm, Court Fields Community School, Wellington, £4, 01823 664201
- Thurs 6 Oct, 7.45pm Merlin Theatre, Frome, £10 / £7, 01373 465949
- Fri 7 oct, 7.30pm, Princess Theatre and Arts Centre, Burnham on Sea, £7 / £5, 01278 784464
- Sat 8 Oct, 7.30pm, Curry Mallet & Beercrocombe Village Hally, £5, 01823 480303
To find out about all the events taking place at Made in Somerset, along with dates, prices and the latest news - go to www.takeart.org
For press passes to the festival, photographs, more information, or to arrange an interview please call Louise Monks on 01460 249450 or email louise@takeart.org
Shepton Digi Fest 2011
Richard Tomlinson will be at Shepton Digi Fest on October 6th, running an exciting digital visual arts workshop based on his ground breaking work with the Little Big Bang early years project.
Date: 22 Sep 2011
Categories: early years, Press, Take Art,
Digital Visual Arts - Working with Children Centres by Richard Tomlinson & the Little Big Bang Project
Richard Tomlinson who is running this exciting workshop at Shepton Digi Fest 2011 is Lead Creative Practitioner for Take Art's Little Big Bang project.
Little Big Bang and Richard’s work provides new creative opportunities for children and families specifically within Children's Centres. Richard uses his experience with film and photography to give a general visual arts focus to his work with children and their families from the Centres.
For Shepton Digi Fest 2011, Richard has produced five short films with mothers and children from Hillmead Children’s Centre. With extracts from the Hillmead mums' short films, Richard will talk through the challenges, overarching benefits and unexpected moments this project has produced.
For booking, please go to the Shepton Digi Fest booking form.
Hot off the Press: Somerset gets ready to shine
Made in Somerset 2011 will showcase the best of Somerset theatre, dance and spoken word, taking place in venues big and small across Somerset and featuring some of the county’s most exciting home grown talent.
Running from Tues 4 to Tues 11 Oct, the Made in Somerset Festival will be an exciting mix of edgy debate, professional workshops and live shows, including 18 full-length performances.
“We are really excited about this year’s Made in Somerset Festival, because despite the devastating arts funding cuts in Somerset, we want to show that there is still hope, still talent and still cause to celebrate. This year’s festival is all about showcasing the best work being made in Somerset, while providing support, advice and skill sharing for Somerset practitioners working under really tough financial conditions.” Sarah Peterkin, Festival Coordinator
For the Somerset Arts Community
At the heart of this year’s Made in Somerset on Friday 7 Oct at 1.30pm, there will be a free afternoon of Open Space discussion at the Brewhouse Theatre and Arts Centre in Taunton. The Open Space will offer practitioners the chance to have their say about the funding crisis and find new positive ways to work in spite of the challenges.
This will be followed on Saturday 8 Oct by a whole day of professional workshops, showcases and activity for Somerset practitioners, taking place in numerous venues across Langport. There will be a choice of four inspiring workshops, including contemporary dance with Yolande Yorke Edgell and physical theatre from Lecoq trained George Mann from the multi award-winning ‘Theatre Ad Infinitum’.
Public Performances
To kick start off the Festival, local legend Tim Hill will be bringing the contemporary music theatre show Worlds Unknown to The Brewhouse in Taunton on Wednesday 5 Oct, while on Monday 10 Oct and Tuesday 11 Oct, the extraordinary theatre collective ‘Cartoon de Salvo’ will be showcasing their quirky new satire Pub Rock at the Rose and Crown in Langport.
For theatre and live literature enthusiasts, Take Art have programmed four performances of their co-commissioned work CountryBoy’s Struggle, a solo show by the extremely talented hip hop artist and performer Maxwell Golden.
For those of you looking for quality dance and movement, then don’t you dare miss Small Talk by ‘Probe Dance’ a short solo piece by Antonia Grove, choreographed by Wendy Houstoun. This takes place at 6.30pm at the Brewhouse on Friday 7 Oct just after the Open Space.
‘Probe Dance’ will be followed by the multi media otherworldly game show For Our Sins, a poetic, passionate and visually ecstatic journey through the 7 deadliest of modern emotions, by ‘The Women of Wondermentalist’, Liv Torc and Beryl the Feral.
The Festival will also showcase performances by Jane Flood, Actiontrack, Fire River Poets, Michael Loader and The Brewhouse Theatre on tour with their latest production of The Summer Set.
To book tickets and find out about all the events taking place at Made in Somerset, along with dates, prices and the latest news - go to www.takeart.org
NOTES TO EDITORS
For press passes to the festival, photographs, more information, or to arrange an interview please call Louise Monks on 01460 249450 or email louise@takeart.org
The Made in Somerset 2011 Programme has arrived!
Your chance to look inside the all new Festival programme online... just make that click.
To read what's inside just click on the image and start turning the pages.
You can find out more and book tickets in our What's On Section.
Forum Theatre
On Saturday 17 September we partnered with Equity to support a highly enjoyable training session
Date: 20 Sep 2011
Categories: theatre,
This turned out to be a hugely enjoyable, practical day with 12 people from Somerset and the SW region taking part at the Tacchi-Morris Arts Centre. Run by Sandy Akerman, Artistic Director of Headbangers Theatre, and her son Dan. Sandy is an Applied Drama Specialist and works as a facilitator, director and drama consultant on issue-based research projects. She trained in Forum Theatre with Augusto Boal in the 1990s and has specialised in interactive theatre work ever since. We explored the structure of the theatre form, how to find our stories and then convert them to Forum. Working on our own short piece, we explored some of the techniques and rules of Forum Theatre - a highly enjoyable day for all taking part. Look out for news of our next training session with Equity.
Other Links
Don’t let your graduation slow you down…
Join Take Art and the Tacchi-Morris Arts Centre in a practical theatre workshop designed for graduates eager to explore future theatre opportunities in Somerset.
6:30pm – 9:00pm, Wednesday 21 September 2011, The Tacchi-Morris
This practical workshop will use theatre games and techniques to explore ideas and opportunities for theatre-making and producing in Somerset
Led by Take Art’s Theatre Director Mark Helyar, this workshop will allow you to explore your creative potential and help you raise the curtain on your own career.
Open to college and university graduates or leavers, gap year students, and anyone aged 17+ interested in finding out more...
This workshop is FREE but places can be reserved online at www.tacchi-morris.com or by calling the Box Office on: 01823 414141. Don't miss this fantastic opportunity to get involved and find out more.
The SPACE, The Tacchi-Morris Arts Centre, School Road, Taunton, TA2 8PD
ENDS
Note for Editors:
Press contact: Louise Monks 01460 249450, louise@takeart.org
To request a CD of images please contact Louise Monks. www.takeart.org
Take Art is a pioneering arts charity, serving the towns, villages and rural communities of Somerset. We do this by providing accessible opportunities for people of all ages to participate, experience and work within the arts.
Take Art works in the following areas:
take art: live High quality entertainment in village halls
take art: create Long term participatory arts projects
take art: theatre Creating new opportunities for Somerset writers, performers and theatre makers
take art: start Bringing the arts to the early years, young people, their families and carers.
take art: dance Providing high quality experiences and opportunities for those interested in dance.
One of our Autumn shows has sold out already!
Budpest Cafe Orchestra at Tintinhull Village Hall will be packed to the rafters in December
Date: 02 Sep 2011
Categories: rural touring, Press,
Volunteer village promoter, Richard Gowring of Tintinhull Village Hall, said "we are thrilled to already be fully booked for our Budapest Cafe night out on 2nd Dec". Tickets were selling well locally in the village, through word of mouth, and then when the Take Art programme arrived on people's doorsteps, the rest flew out of the door. The Sold Out sign has gone up with 13 weeks before the show goes up!
Tickets are now on sale for Made in Somerset 2011: Festival of Dance and Theatre
18 performances, one day of professional development and the hottest Open Space discussion of the year. All happening in Somerset from 4-11 October
Made in Somerset 2011
Festival of Theatre and Dance
4-11 October 2011
The Made in Somerset 2011 Festival is only weeks away and will showcase the best of Somerset theatre and dance, taking place in venues big and small across Somerset and featuring some of the county’s most exciting home grown talent.
Made in Somerset is all about supporting, nurturing and inspiring emerging talent within the county; stirring up debate and provoking innovation and big ideas from those already working in theatre and dance.
The Festival does this by showcasing new and specially commissioned theatre, dance and spoken word performances. Providing a platform for Somerset youth theatres to learn about the business and perform extracts of their work and by getting key people together in a room to bash our ideas and think big about theatre and dance in the county.
Finding the festival
Events take place all over Somerset, including Halsway Manor, The Merlin Theatre and The Brewhouse amongst others. There will also be a strong link to performances on the Live rural touring scheme, which means more shows in village halls.
This year's festival
For more information about Made in Somerset 2011 or to read the line up please click Made in Somerset.
What's On?
To see what's on and book tickets please click What's On.
Who to contact
If you want to be involved in this year’s festival please contact Sarah Peterkin at sarah@takeart.org or call Take Art on 01460 249450 or visit Dance & Theatre Somerset website.
Related Articles
Other Links
The new Take Art programme has landed!
Take Art has a new programme featuring all the latest news, events and activities taking place in Somerset this Autumn. You don't even need a printed version to enjoy the magazine experience, just have a look inside from the comfort of your computer screen.
Date: 30 Aug 2011
Categories: Take Art,
Look Inside the new Take Art Brochure
Take Art news from Edinburgh Fringe Festival
Three members of staff are catching the latest shows at Edinburgh Fringe Festival Aug 2011
Date: 22 Aug 2011
Categories: theatre, rural touring,
Louise, our marketing director, has just returned from a whistlestop 48-hr visit to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. She still managed to catch some excellent work, such as Hannah Silva's latest spoken word show Opposition and Tomboy Blues, amongst others. Chief Executive, Ralph, is also zooming up to catch a few shows and to give a talk on the delights and mysteries of rural touring in Somerset. Sarah, who runs the rural touring scheme here in Somerset, is making a more leisurely 5 day visit where she hopes to take in a staggering and record-breaking 25 shows. For the first time, Sarah will be accompanied by 4 volunteer village promoters, who will also be packing in the shows. A full update will follow on their return.
Opinion Piece: Ralph Lister talks to NCA News
Welcome to the Brave New World! A world in which Somerset County Council as well as one of the district councils have cut their entire arts budget. The message appears to be – the arts happen but don’t expect the local authority to get involved.
Take Art is an arts development agency with a countywide remit and as a non building based organisation all of the activities that we are involved with take place in other people’s spaces. We were in the forefront of a campaign to ‘Save Somerset Arts’ and with over 7,000 petition signatures triggered a debate at a full County Council meeting. Despite this the arts budget was still cut. While this was happening arts organisations were making their bids to become National Portfolio Organisations as the Arts Council of England (ACE) undertook a fundamental review of their portfolio. Ultimately we were successful and we entered the new financial year with Arts Council of England NPO status while shedding nearly £60,000 of regular local authority funding. This represents a loss of over a quarter of our core funding so not all the news has been great, although it could have been a lot worse. Inevitably we have had to streamline our operations and have had to make staff redundancies.
ACE have made it clear that their funds cannot be used to replace lost local authority funds and this means severe cuts in our rural touring programme. On the one hand Take Art is cited by Andrew Davey, Chief Executive of ACE, as operating a successful rural touring programme while on the other we are having to reduce the number of shows this year from 120 to 60. We are exploring new ways of working with areas like Mendip but this is tricky. If local village volunteers explore GfA bids as a way of accessing funds, they might find their efforts blocked if ACE think this is an attempt to replace lost local authority funds; potentially a triple whammy for those rural communities.
On a positive note we firmly believe in partnership and have just had a visit from Rikteatern Varmland in Sweden. We are local but not pariochial. As a non building based organisation working through theatre, dance, early years and rural touring everything we do is in partnership.
We are aiming to co-commission a dance piece suitable for rural and small scale touring and are discussing this with Dance South West, the National Rural Touring Forum and partners in Normandy, France. We are working with returning dance graduates looking to find ways for them to carve a path of progression in Somerset. Youth Dance is soaring and we want to build on its success. In the autumn we will be holding our biennial Made in Somerset festival and critical debate event, featuring dance and theatre work and showcasing work made in collaboration with Contact Theatre, Manchester and Beaford Arts, Devon. We complete an extensive 2 year early years project in Somerset Children’s Centres with funding from the Paul Hamlyn Foundation and are planning how we might follow up this often neglected area of work.
There is much to do and flexibility, adaptability as well as partnership are the name of the game.
Ralph Lister, Executive Director, Take Art
To read this article in print, please pick up a copy of the Summer 2011 edition of nca news.
Under 5’s in Taunton put on Knee High Exhibition
Tuesday 19 July, 12.30 - 1.15pm in the Activities Room at Hillside Children’s Centre
Date: 30 Jun 2011
Categories: early years, Press,
On Tuesday 19 July the Hillside Children’s Centre in Taunton is cutting the ribbon on a brand new art exhibition designed by children for children.
Artists as young as three years old have been getting really creative making artworks for the Knee High Gallery, which has been hung at child height (knee and navel to us), standing at only 60cm from the floor. The idea is to create a fantastic visual and tactile experience for really small children.
The Knee High Gallery is part of Take Art’s two year Little Big Bang project, which aims to improve young children’s quality of life and learning through regular creative activity.
The work from this exhibition has been put together by children and families at Hillside Children’s Centre and Brook Green Nursery, who have been working closely with visual and multi media artist Richard Tomlinson.
Richard said, “Participants have experimented with all sorts of materials, from beach pebbles to buttons. What they create is colourful, textured, shiny and always beautiful!”
The Knee High Gallery is open to children and families and will be of particular interest for 2-5 year olds, with lots of opportunities to explore their own creativity.
Press are invited to attend the opening on Tuesday 19 at 12.30pm and photo and interview opportunities will be available on request.To arrange a press visit please contact Take Art press officer Louise Monks on 01460 249450 or email louise@takeart.org
To find out more about Take Art’s Little Big Bang project for early years visit the Little Big Bang project.
ENDS
Note for Editors:
Press contact: Louise Monks 01460 249450, louise@takeart.org
Take Art is a pioneering arts charity, serving the towns, villages and rural communities of Somerset. We do this by providing accessible opportunities for people of all ages to participate, experience and work within the arts.
Save the Date of the Made In Somerset Debate
2pm, Friday 7 October.... Don’t miss the most relevant and original debate on the arts, taking place in the most financially ravished cultural area of the UK.
Date: 29 Jun 2011
Categories: theatre,
Made in Somerset 2011 presents three hours of edgy and informed open space debate, discussion and provocations about dance and theatre making in Somerset. Tackling the big questions of funding, diversity and survival and offering the chance to learn from the people who are swimming above the crisis.
Bookings open 31 July 2011
To find out who’s speaking, ticket prices or for more information on the Made in Somerset Festival go to THE MADE IN SOMERSET DEBATE
Opinion: What future for small-scale dance touring
On 16th May the National Dance Network organised a day called 'What future for small-scale dance touring' at the Jerwood Dance House in Ipswich. I attended and can say it was an interesting if somewhat confounding day.
For many of us working in the rural touring sector, there is a tremendous overlap between 'small scale' and 'rural' touring. And yet rural touring struggled to get onto the debate, as we were told time and again that there was no small scale network for rural touring. Rural touring works with over 1,500 village venues and is worth £1.5 million in terms of artistic expenditure. It was good, nevertheless, to hear Amanda Rigali, Director of Combined Arts and Touring at the Arts Council of England (ACE), talking about a desire to see the arts taking places in unusual places - shopping centres, parks, beaches.....and village halls. Lets hope we can bring both these worlds together.
While it was interesting to hear about how the sector can support emerging artists there was little talk about the funding plight of arts centres up and down the country. It is my understanding that no arts centre in the South East of England will receive core funding from ACE from April 2012 (I think that is the case). This means that if arts centres have less funding and if they are reliant on local authority funding it is likely that this will impact on their decisions on what kind of dance they will book. It would be as well for the dance sector to be responsive to this emerging picture - dance which appeals to and is relevant to a broader audience will probably be more popular. The challenge is not to dumb down the sector but to rise to the occasion and a two way conversation between producers and presenters is key.
Ralph Lister
Thank you to Rose Swift
A poetic tribute to Rose Swift administrator of Take Art Live, who left Take Art today (Thursday 26 May) to go on maternity leave. We want to thank her for all her incredible work supporting the rural touring scheme and wish her all the best, as she embarks on her third voyage into motherhood.
Date: 26 May 2011
Categories: rural touring,
To Rose Swift (as she buggers off to have another baby)
Rose Swift
There are some people you just like
People whose convictions
Are stronger than their doubt
People who despite considerable challenge…will out.
People who sell truth
From the shop front of their face
And carry fire in a jar round their neck
Twisting the lid at unexpected moments
To show sparks escaping.
And you can only marvel
At the straightness of the road
From their mind to their lips
How they drive resiliently, brilliantly
Over the potholes and dips
To carve out a path
Over loose shoulder chips
To the unfathomable beauty of the horizon
These people,
Teach me about hope and humility
And the quirks of fertility
Carrying their children
Tightly and with amusement
As if they were colourful hydrogen balloons
Guarding them fiercely from pins
But allowing their feet to be lifted
As they rise like bubbles into the sky
People who have spent a long time deciding,
That despite some obvious annoyances
A few serious political infractions
And some very bad decisions
Made by very some stupid people
And occasionally themselves…
That life really does have potential,
Is not inconsequential
And most importantly
Beyond any doubt
Life is worth making
And giving
And sharing about…
By Liv Torc (c)
In memory of Mrs Kathleen Joyce Paull
Take Art would like to pay tribute to the wonderful support given to their rural touring scheme by Mrs Kathleen Joyce Paull from Taunton Deane, who was a great supporter and frequenter of Take Art events in village halls.
Date: 24 May 2011
Categories: rural touring,
Mrs Paull sadly died in early spring but because of her great love for the work of Take Art Live, she asked friends and family to make a donation to the rural touring scheme in her memory.
£338 was raised in memoriam of Kathleen, which Take Art will use to help support next season's touring programme.
We would like to thank everyone who donated money and hope they all continue to enjoy and take part in creative entertainment within their communities.
With thanks
Sarah Peterkin
Director of Take Art Live
Early years artists get major exhibition
Take Art and the Brewhouse are working together to exhibit the creative talents of some of Somerset’s youngest artists.
Date: 18 May 2011
Categories: early years, Press,
As part of Take Art’s Little Big Bang early years project, the Brewhouse in Taunton are currently hosting an exhibition entitled Cubes, featuring artwork made by children as young as three years old.
The children involved have created individual cubes featuring pictures from the Little Big Bang project and incorporating creativity with clay, shadow play, light scribbles or fantastic photography.
Cubes, which will run until August 2011, is part of Little Big Bang, a 2 ½ year project set up by Take Art to increase creative and cultural opportunities for early years children and their families.
The young artists involved come from Acorns Children’s Centre & Circles Nursery, Hillside Children’s Centre & Brook Green Nursery, the Levels Children’s Centre and Shepton Mallet Children’s Centre.
Cubes was brought into being by Creative Practitioner Richard Tomlinson, as part of his work on Little Big Bang.
For more information about Little Big Bang visit the project page here.
ENDS
Note for Editors:
Press contact: Louise Monks 01460 249450, louise@takeart.org
To request a CD of images please contact Louise Monks. www.takeart.org
Spring Forward 2011 on May 24 in Yeovil
The final day of Spring Forward 2011 in association with U.Dance will be happening on 24 May at the Octagon Theatre in Yeovil.
This will be the 7th year Take Art has bought together various schools and youth groups from across the county to provide a great opportunity for young dancers to perform in professional theatres, to watch their peers perform and to get a true idea of the diversity and breath of work that is being produced across Somerset.
To purchase tickets for the final day of Spring Forward 2011, please contact the Octagon Theatre box office on 01935 422844.
Ticket prices are £6.50 Full Price, £5.00 Concessions and £4.50 Students
For more information on Youth Dance activity in Somerset, please contact Katey Leader on 01460 249450 or email katey@takeart.org
Opinion: Forthcoming local elections
Ralph Lister, Executive Director at Take Art asks how local elections might affect Somerset's arts organisations?
Local elections at district council level nationally (and in Somerset) take place on Thursday 5 May. As I understand it, the conservatives have overall control in West Somerset, Sedgemoor and Mendip; the conservatives working with the independents have overall control in Taunton Deane while the liberal democrats are in overall control in South Somerset.
The impact of the coalition nationally is likely to have some bearing on the outcome of the local elections though in Somerset its hard to say how this might translate locally - historically it has mainly been a two horse race between the liberal democrats and the conservatives with a sprinkling of labour and independents thrown in...
With the recent 100% cut in the arts budget made by the conservative run Somerset County Council and conservative run Mendip District Council, it will be interesting if that in any way influences how people choose to vote. Of particular note is the desperate and unthinkable situation in Mendip where local authorities at county and district level now no longer grant aid any arts bodies. For anyone browsing the county council website and who happens to click on the leisure grants link (under which the arts used to fall) there is a statement that this is a service provided by the district councils - though not in Mendip's case!
The other four district councils are continuing to support the arts, with South Somerset District Council, West Somerset and Taunton Deane retaining funding at tenable levels; Sedgemoor will be making their final decisions about arts grants for the current year at the end of May.
The big question is....if the political persuasion of any of the districts changes will that be good news or bad news for the arts? I've not had a chance to read the manifestos of the main parties but its definitely worth asking local politicians the question.
Ralph Lister
Executive Director, Take Art
Take Art Dance at Glastonbury Festival 2011
Take Art are pleased to support Yorke Dance Project who are performing at this year’s Glastonbury Festival on the new Spirit of ’71 stage to celebrate 40 years of Glastonbury Festival.
Date: 27 Apr 2011
Categories: dance,
The company are being presented by the festival in partnership with Take Art. Choreographer and Artistic Director Yolande Yorke-Edgell is currently creating a new work that will celebrate the music and atmosphere of the ’71 festival, with the usual Yorke Dance Project attention to high production values and fantastic dancing. If you haven’t already got your tickets you’ll have to wait for the youtube! ?The performances are currently scheduled to take place on the Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
Confirmation of exact times to come.
Take Art - Hit By the Cuts
Take Art announces how the funding cuts in Somerset have hit the organisation and the difficult decisions that we are making in order to adapt to the changing climate.
Date: 26 Apr 2011
Categories:
Following the announcements of local authority cuts to funding in Autumn 2010, Take Art has made significant reductions to overheads as well as frontline delivery. Two members of staff have been made redundant and other members of staff have had their working hours reduced. Office and backroom services have been streamlined and stringent office cost savings, such as reductions to travel expenses, have been put in place. Our Board Members are all unpaid and the organisation continues to run on the goodwill of many dedicated volunteers.
The office is now only open 4 days a week from Tuesday-Fridays.
The decision to make cuts to our service delivery was the last resort for Take Art and we sincerely wish that this had not been necessary.
For more information on the future plans of Take Art please email ralph@takeart.org
Bigger Bang Sends Out Waves
Saturday 9 April was a major marker for the Little Big Bang project. With only six months to go, it was a chance to reflect and re-imagine...
Date: 13 Apr 2011
Categories: early years, Press,
The Bigger Bang Symposium held at the Octagon Theatre in Yeovil attracted 70 delegates from across Somerset and beyond, made up of Early Years practitioners, policy makers, artists and arts organisations.
In the Morning
The delegates were joined in the morning by a lively audience of 150 children and families, mostly travelling from partner Children’s Centres, coming to the Octagon to see an enchanting performance of The Little Elephant.
The morning also included a series of vibrant and inspiring workshops for early years practitioners and artists in physical theatre, dance, movement, music, clay and visual arts. Workshop leaders included the Little Big Bang practitioners as well as international and Somerset early years artists.
Jo Belloli of Small Size UK/Polka Theatre held a discussion, feeding back on the Visioni del Futuro conference in Bologna which had just taken place in March. She was joined by Somerset theatre practitioner, Annabelle MacFadyen, who had attended the festival, partly supported by Little Big Bang.
In the Afternoon
The afternoon was launched by key note speaker Bernadette Duffy, Head (or was it Head Mischief?) of London’s Thomas Coram Children’s Centre, who inspired everyone with her vision of the importance of creativity in the early years. She is well placed to comment as she was on the advisory panel for the just published Tickell review of the Early Years Foundation Stage. She emphasised that creativity underpins all of the new ‘prime areas’ and her speech chimed with all that Little Big Bang has been learning. ‘If you’re going to embed creativity, you must get the managers on board and you need to have the artists as part of the everyday’ she said, when asked by one of the participants how to make this work count.
Here’s a copy of her presentation
Dr Susan Young of The University of Exeter is the project researcher and she gave a presentation of the interim findings, with the key aspects illustrated by the three Lead Creative practitioners, Hannah, Richard and Rod.
See the interim report in full.
There was also a chance for participants to explore a new play space, made by Somerset artist Katy Bull and commissioned by Little Big Bang for the day – an intimate and portable structure that transforms environments.
Throughout the day, delegates were able to view a grand exhibition in several parts, created by the Lead Creative Practitioners and the nine Somerset Children’s Centres involved in Little Big Bang. The exhibition continues to run at The Octagon until the end of April and will then tour Somerset.
Performance poet, Liv Torc summed up the day in style.
Images available here soon.
Watch this space for video casts of the main presentations on the day and a short film by 4 reel films
Related Artists
Other Links
Bernadette Duffy OBE to speak at Little Big Bang!
Take Art are delighted to announce that Bernadette Duffy OBE will be the Key Note speaker at their Early Years Symposium on Saturday.
Date: 07 Apr 2011
Categories: early years, Press,
Bernadette Duffy OBE is head of the Thomas Coram Centre, a leading exponent of creativity for the under 5s, she was on the panel for the Government’s newly published Tickell review on the Early Years Foundation Stage.
Bernadette wll be speaking at Little Big Bang on Saturday, one of the first times in the country that the impact of the review on creativity will be discussed in a public forum.
Be part of it!
Workshops * performance * discussion * debate
Last minute enquiries to michelle@takeart.org
See Little Big Bang pages for the full programme
Watch this space for videocasts and pictures of the day.
Bernadette Duffy OBE Biography
Originally teacher trained, Bernadette has worked in a range of settings over the last 30 years. She is Head of the Thomas Coram Centre in Camden, one of the first schools to be designated as a Children’s Centre. The author of Supporting Creativity and Imagination in the Early Years and co editor of Contemporary Issues in the Early Years, Bernadette is a speaker on a wide range of early years issues in this country and abroad. Bernadette was part of the devising of the Curriculum Guidance for the Foundation Stage, Birth to Three Matters and the EYFS Framework and is currently on the panel reviewing the EYFS Framework.
Bernadette has also been a member of a number of advisory committees, including the Department for Children, Schools and Families, the Qualification, Curriculum and Assessment Authority and the Cambridge University Primary Review. Bernadette is Vice President of the British Association for Early Childhood Education and trustee of the Incorporated Froebel Institute and an external examiner for the Open University.
Alan Davey shows his support for Take Art
Last Thursday, just a day after the cuts, the Guardian published a live Q&A with Arts Council England chief executive Alan Davey. In his interview Alan talked about the Art’s Council’s focus on rural touring and sited Take Art as a positive example of this renewed support.
Date: 06 Apr 2011
Categories: rural touring,
Please read his quote below or visit http://www.guardian.co.uk/culture/culture-cuts-blog/2011/mar/31/arts-council-funding-questions for the full article.
Arts Council England chief executive Alan Davey, “Funding for rural touring has actually been strengthened. We support a large number of rural touring circuits such as Rural Arts North Yorkshire, Take Art in Somerset and Live and Local in Warwickshire. The National Rural Touring Forum has had a big increase in funding to support rural touring across the country. So while we were unable to offer funding to some organisations, these examples – and there are many more – show that we have a strengthened commitment to touring in rural areas.”
Take Art receives 84% of its Arts Council funding
The Arts Council has confirmed that Take Art will receive 84% of its requested core funding for the next four years, ensuring most of the organisations vital work within theatre, dance and early years creative education in Somerset.
Date: 30 Mar 2011
Categories: Press,
This morning’s decision ensured that Take Art would receive the following funding: £159,500 for 2012/13, £165,169 for 2013/14 and £167,411 for 2014/15. This figure represents Take Art’s combined core and project funding.
The Arts Council had already previously confirmed that Take Art would receive £130,000 core funding for the upcoming year 2011/12, funds that could be used to help the organisation through the transition period.
Within a difficult national picture the Arts Council wish Take Art to see this as a vote of confidence in the organisation’s particularly strong portfolio across rural touring, theatre, dance and early years.
Take Art Director Ralph Lister said, “We feel generally positive about today’s Arts Council funding decision, however we will now need to revise our strategy for the next four years, taking into consideration the £30,000 annual reduction.’
Despite the 16% cut in funding, today’s decision does mean that Take Art will be able to carry out most of their planned programme of work for the next four years, providing opportunities for people and communities within Somerset to experience, participate and work within the arts.”
ENDS
For more information please contact Ralph Lister or Louise Monks
on 01460 249450, or email ralph@takeart.org or louise@takeart.org
Notes to Editors
The Impact of the Local Authority Cuts
The Somerset based arts charity Take Art has been serving the communities of Somerset for over 25 years, delivering a popular programme of rural touring, along with services in dance, theatre, music and early years creativity.
The recent decision by Somerset County Council and Mendip District Council to cut 100% of their arts development funding has meant a £60,000 (30%) reduction in Take Art’s core funding. Money that traditionally went into funding Take Art’s rural touring scheme.
The Arts Council has made it clear that their funding cannot be used to substitute any loss of local authority money and can only support projects and work in line with Arts Council objectives.
Therefore Take Art’s hugely successful rural touring programme, which was largely funded by this local authority money, has had to reduce its service by around 50% as a result of the cuts. Plus without any funding from Somerset County Council or its District Council, Mendip has been taken out of the rural touring circuit completely.
Famed Storyteller Jane Flood Chimes the Chimes for Somerset
In the first week of April nationally renowned storyteller Jane Flood will bring her enchanting new show Chime Child to Batcombe Jubilee Hall (Sat 2 April) and Stogumber Village Hall (Sat 9 April) in Somerset.
Date: 28 Mar 2011
Categories: rural touring, Press, Take Art,
Chime Child is a show that takes its inspiration from the Somerset landscape and uses a delicious mix of music, legend, folklore and song to create a truly magical storytelling experience for the whole family. The term ‘chime child’ is peculiar to Somerset and was said to represent a child born between midnight on a Friday and cockcrow on a Saturday, who was thought to be a seer and healer and guardian of the lore of the land.
In the show Jane Flood collaborates with musicians Fiona Barrow on fiddle and Martin Solomon on harp, weaving together the story of lovers, traditional songs and curious fragments of Somerset folklore to create a shared journey – in our time, bygone times and the place where there is no time.
Director of Take Art Live Sarah Peterkin said, “Jane presented this show at our Made in Somerset 09 event where it went down a storm, so we are really looking forward to taking it to Bishop Lydeard.”
“This masterful storyteller created a living landscape of words and music that connected on a heart level. The show ended with the audience encircling the church at sunset, before untapping a keg of finest local scrumpy while the fiddler played a jig. Magical stuff out in the sticks.” ****?Venue magazine
Show Times
- Saturday 2 Apr 2011, Batcombe Jubilee Hall, 7.30pm. £10/£5 Family, £25 includes 2 course supper. To book tickets please call 01749 850311.
- Saturday 9 Apr 2011, Stogumber Village Hall, 7.30pm, £7/£4. To book tickets please call 01984 656462.
Note for Editors:
Press contact: Louise Monks on 01460 249450, louise@takeart.org
To request a CD of images please contact Louise Monks. www.takeart.org
John Kirkpatrick’s tour of Somerset is selling out fast
Highly acclaimed folk musician John Kirkpatrick is already sold out in East Woodlands on Saturday 19 March and is going down a storm across Somerset this month and next. So get your tickets now, so you don't miss out!
Date: 16 Mar 2011
Categories: rural touring, Press,
John Kirkpatrick's songs are a lighthearted look at the stories, myths and customs of the farming year. A Victorian Farmers Year looks at the songs, stories, myths and legends of the changing seasons through a farmer’s year, a very popular theme with our rural audiences. From sowing the seeds to harvesting the crop, John takes the audiences through the profound lessons of the bleak winter and the joyful celebrations under the blazing summer sun.
Sarah Peterkin Director of Take Art Live said, “We feel really privileged to have such a veteran folk legend making up the backbone of our spring season. John’s long and varied career has involved him in some of the most significant developments in the modern folk revival and we know he is going to go down a storm with Somerset audiences.”
Throughout March and April you can see John at the following venues across the county but be quick as they are selling fast.
- Thur 17-Mar, 7.30pm, Goathurst, £7 / £6 / £5, to book call 01278 662382.
- Fri 18-Mar, 7.30pm, Langport, £8 / £4, to book call 01458 250094.
- Sat 19-Mar, 7.30pm, East Woodlands, £12 includes dinner, to book call 01373 466136. SOLD OUT
- Sun 20-Mar, 7.30pm, Hornblotton, £8 / £6, to book call 01963 240282.
- Fri 25-Mar, 7.30pm, Regil, £12.50 / £7 includes supper, to book call 01275 472369.
- Sat 26-Mar, 7.30pm, Kilve, £7 / £3.50, to book call 01278 741157 or buy online.
- Fri 1-Apr, 7.30pm, Ashbrittle, £7 / £5, to book call 01823 672131 or buy online.
- Sat 2-Apr, 8pm, Chilcompton, to book call 01761 233936 or buy online.
- Sun 3-Apr, 7.30pm, Wellington, £8 / £6, 01823 667774 or buy online.
Where stated you can also buy tickets online at www.takeart.org or purchase tickets directly from the promoters.
ENDS
Note for Editors:
Press contact: Louise Bennett 01460 249450, louise@takeart.org
To request a CD of images please contact Louise Bennett. www.takeart.org
Take Art is a pioneering arts charity, serving the towns, villages and rural communities of Somerset. We do this by providing accessible opportunities for people of all ages to participate, experience and work within the arts.
Take Art and John Kirkpatrick team up for a 12-show tour
Throughout the spring legendary folk artist and storyteller John Kirkpatrick is bringing his popular traditional show A Victorian Farmers Year in Song to 12 Somerset village halls.
Date: 09 Mar 2011
Categories: rural touring, Press, Take Art,
A Victorian Farmers Year looks at the songs, stories, myths and legends of the changing seasons through a farmer’s year, a very popular theme with our rural audiences. From sowing the seeds to harvesting the crop, John takes the audiences through the profound lessons of the bleak winter and the joyful celebrations under the blazing summer sun.
John’s extensive knowledge of English traditional music has earned him fans and acclaim around the world. In 2010 his masterly squeezebox playing and wonderful singing won him the BBC Radio 2 Folk Award for ‘Musician of the Year’. Over the past thirty years John Kirkpatrick has regularly toured and recorded with Richard Thompson, and played with both the Albion Band and Steeleye Span.
Sarah Peterkin Director of Take Art Live said, “We feel really privileged to have such a veteran folk legend making up the backbone of our spring season. John’s long and varied career has involved him in some of the most significant developments in the modern folk revival and we know he is going to go down a storm with Somerset audiences.”
This March, John will be performing in six Somerset villages, including Goathurst (17 Mar), Langport (18 Mar), East Woodlands (19 Mar), Hornblotton (20 Mar), Regil (25 Mar) and Kilve (26 Mar).
John Kirkpatrick Shows
- Thur 17-Mar, 7.30pm, Goathurst, £7 / £6 / £5, to book call 01278 662382.
- Fri 18-Mar, 7.30pm, Langport, £8 / £4, to book call 01458 253390.
- Sat 19-Mar, 7.30pm, East Woodlands, £12 includes dinner, to book call 01373 466136.
- Sun 20-Mar, 7.30pm, Hornblotton, £8 / £6, to book call 01963 240282.
- Fri 25-Mar, 7.30pm, Regil, £12.50 / £7 includes supper, to book call 01275 472369.
- Sat 26-Mar, 7.30pm, Kilve, £7 / £3.50, to book call 01278 741157 or buy online.
Where stated you can also buy tickets online at www.takeart.org or purchase tickets directly from the promoters.
You can find out about all the shows in the new season by picking up a brochure from your nearest promoter or arts venue or by going online to www.takeart.org.
ENDS
Note for Editors:
Press contact: Louise Bennett 01460 249450, louise@takeart.org
To request a CD of images please contact Louise Bennett. www.takeart.org
Take Art is a pioneering arts charity, serving the towns, villages and rural communities of Somerset. We do this by providing accessible opportunities for people of all ages to participate, experience and work within the arts.
Deliciously dark comedy comes to five Somerset villages
After their brilliant success at Edinburgh Fringe Festival, award winning theatre company Fat Content are bringing their edgy comedic sensation The Man I Cure to Dulverton Town Hall on Saturday 19 March.
Date: 09 Mar 2011
Categories: rural touring, Press, Take Art,
The Man I Cure is a site sympathetic theatrical experience, which tells the story of two suppressed nurses who become dependent upon their male captive. Based on the Russian folk tale, The Soldier and Death, this dark comedic love story brings its audience into the strange institution of ‘Whitesands Sanatorium’, where the medicine is full fat milk and the music of Glen Miller echoes hauntingly down the corridors.
Dulverton Town Hall will be temporarily transformed into Whitesands, using the sounds, tastes and smells of a wartime hospital.
This unusual and anticipated show dabbles courageously into the realms of experimental theatre, with surreal comedy that will particularly entertain fans of TV shows like the Mighty Boosh and League of Gentleman.
“Always captivating…superb performances… a frightening and amusing rollercoaster of a tale”. Edinburgh Evening News
The show will take place on Saturday 19 March at Dulverton Town Hall. Tickets will be priced at £7 for adults and £3.50 for children. To book call 01398 323818 or buy online.
Where stated you can also buy tickets online at www.takeart.org or purchase tickets directly from the promoters.
You can find out about all the shows in the new season by picking up a brochure from your nearest promoter or arts venue or by going online to www.takeart.org.
ENDS
Note for Editors:
Press contact: Louise Bennett 01460 249450, louise@takeart.org
To request a CD of images please contact Louise Bennett. www.takeart.org
Take Art is a pioneering arts charity, serving the towns, villages and rural communities of Somerset. We do this by providing accessible opportunities for people of all ages to participate, experience and work within the arts.
Somerset villages to experience world-class rhythmic wizardry
From Wednesday 24 March to Saturday 27 March, the outstanding Brazilian master percussionist Adriano Adewale will be performing his solo music, dance and storytelling show in four very luck Somerset villages.
Date: 09 Mar 2011
Categories: rural touring, Press, Take Art,
Starting at the Wookey Hole Club on Wednesday 24 March, Adriano will be playing an astounding array of drums and percussion instruments in extraordinary and surprising ways. Leading the audience on a sonic journey around the globe, entwining his unique musical ability with charming traditional storytelling.
The show entitled Sound Journey will also be visiting Roadwater Village Hall on Thursday 24 March, The Davis Hall West Camel on Friday 25 March and finishing with a flourish at the St George’s Hall, Hinton St George on Saturday 27 March.
Take Art Live Director Sarah Peterkin said, “I caught this show last summer and was enthralled. Adewale evokes the enormity of traditional landscapes and communities from Africa to South America - a magical and mesmerising performance to awaken the senses.”
“A whole percussion orchestra by himself” British Theatre Guide.
Sound Journeys Shows
- Wed 23 March at the Wookey Hole Club. Show starts at 8pm and tickets cost £8 adults, £6 conc. Call 01761 241753 for tickets or buy online at www.takeart.org
- Thur 24 March at Roadwater Village Hall. Show starts at 8pm and tickets cost £6 adults, £4 conc. Call 01984 640976 for tickets.
- Fri 25 March at The Davis Hall, West Camel. Show starts at 7pm and tickets cost £8 adults, £4 conc. Call 01935 851214 or buy online at www.takeart.org
- Sat 26 March at St George’s Hall, Hinton St George. Show starts at 8pm and tickets cost £8 adults, £4 conc. Call 01460 75266 for tickets.
You can find out about all the shows in the new season by picking up a brochure from your nearest promoter or arts venue or by going online to www.takeart.org.
ENDS
Note for Editors:
Press contact: Louise Bennett 01460 249450, louise@takeart.org
To request a CD of images please contact Louise Bennett. www.takeart.org
Take Art is a pioneering arts charity, serving the towns, villages and rural communities of Somerset. We do this by providing accessible opportunities for people of all ages to participate, experience and work within the arts.
He’s big, he’s bad and he’s here to entertain your kids
On Saturday 26 March one of the most famous baddies in fairytale history is coming to Ansford in Somerset courtesy of national theatre company Pickled Image and Take Art rural touring.
Date: 09 Mar 2011
Categories: rural touring, Press, Take Art,
The show entitled Wolf Tales takes one of fairy tales most maligned characters and gives him chance to set the record straight. It turns out that Little Red Riding Hood is not the innocent she pretends to be and as for those 3 little pigs…
Lasting an attention grabbing 50 minutes, Wolf Tales is perfect for families and children who want a bite sized chunk of imaginative entertainment. ??Director of Take Art Rural Touring, Sarah Peterkin said ‘I absolutely love Pickled Image and their spectacularly inventive shows. They create an amazing set and puppets, some life-sized, using songs and recipes to create a really enjoyable and funny experience for the whole family.”
“The Wolf is a bit of a star, who does everything with a theatrical flourish.” Lyn Gardner, The Guardian.??Wolf Tales will take place at 3pm on Saturday 26 March in Caryford Hall, Ansford. Tickets cost £7 for adults, £5 for children and £20 for the family and can be purchased by calling the promoter on 01963 350160 or by buying online.
Where stated you can buy tickets online at www.takeart.org or purchase tickets directly from the promoters.
You can find out about all the shows in the new season by picking up a brochure from your nearest promoter or arts venue or by going online to www.takeart.org.
ENDS
Note for Editors
Press contact: Louise Bennett 01460 249450, louise@takeart.org
To request a CD of images please contact Louise Bennett. www.takeart.org
Take Art is a pioneering arts charity, serving the towns, villages and rural communities of Somerset. We do this by providing accessible opportunities for people of all ages to participate, experience and work within the arts.
Local folk legend Reg Meuross sings about Tom, Dick and Harry
On Saturday 5 March, the talented and charismatic 21st Century troubadour Reg Meuross will be completing his Somerset tour with a roof raising final show in Chaffcombe Village Hall near Chard.
Date: 23 Feb 2011
Categories: rural touring, Press,
For one evening only Reg will be taking the audience on an incredible musical journey throughout history, accompanied by the fabulous Bethany Porter on Cello.
The show entitled ‘Songs about Tom, Dick and Harry’ looks at some of the events that have influenced the lives of inspirational men and women from the past and features original songs about luminaries such as TOM (the poet Thomas Chatterton), DICK (Turpin) and HARRY (Farr, the 1st World War soldier). Reg and Bethany also play musical tribute to many others notable figures including Elvis and Reg’s dad.
Take Art Live Director Sarah Peterkin said, “I think Chaffcombe is really going to love Reg’s new show, which positively sparkles with originality and fun. A truly great musical experience!”
“One of the finest songwriters this country has produced.” Mike Harding – Radio 2
The show will take place at 8pm on Saturday 5 Mar 2011 in Chaffcombe Village Hall. Tickets are priced at a very reasonable £7.50 and can be purchased from the promoter by calling 01460 239121.
You can find out about all the shows in the new season by picking up a brochure from your nearest promoter or arts venue or by going online to www.takeart.org.
ENDS
Note for Editors:
Press contact: Louise Bennett 01460 249450, louise@takeart.org
To request a CD of images please contact Louise Bennett. www.takeart.org
Take Art is a pioneering arts charity, serving the towns, villages and rural communities of Somerset. We do this by providing accessible opportunities for people of all ages to participate, experience and work within the arts.
A quest, a quest… with Theatre Ad Infinitum and Take Art
Join the wonderfully talented Theatre Ad Infinitum, as he arrives in Somerset this March, for a three-stop tour of Crewkerne (Thurs 3 March), Bruton (Fri 4 March) and Ashbrittle (Sat 5 March).
Date: 17 Feb 2011
Categories: rural touring, Press,
Theatre Ad Infinitum is just one man, one man with extraordinary storytelling skill and amazing physical dexterity. He is one man, reinventing Homer’s timeless Greek myth Odyssey, following the Greek warrior Odysseus in his relentless attempts to get home to see his wife and son again before he dies. Facing off the God Poseidon and his hurricanes; negotiating his way through nymphs that sexually enslave him; and fighting back ferocious one-eyed monsters; whatever hardship he endures, Odysseus’ tough heart won’t give in. But after twenty years away from home, will everything be as he left it…?
Take Art Live Director Sarah Peterkin said, “Passionate, highly physical and poignant storytelling that brings this breathtaking adventure to life. A journey that will ignite the imagination and heat up the fires of your heart.”
“A love of storytelling, great physical movement and the power to hold an audience in the palm of his hand” ****The Scotsman
The exhilarating Two Gents will be bringing their new adaptation of Hamlet to four Somerset venues during February half term, including Ditcheat (Wed 23 Feb), Holford (Thurs 24 Feb), Wellington (Fri 25 Feb) and Neroche (Sat 26 Feb).
Please see below for information about venues and tickets.
Two Gents Shows
• Thurs 3 Mar 6pm, Crewkerne, £7.50 / £6.50. For tickets call 01460 270123.
• Fri 4 Mar, 7.30pm, Bruton, £7 / £5 / Family £22. For tickets call 01749 813694.
• Sat 5-Mar 7.30pm, Ashbrittle, £7 / £5. For tickets call 01823 672131 or buy online.
Where stated you can buy tickets online at www.takeart.org or purchase tickets directly from the promoters.
You can find out about all the shows in the new season by picking up a brochure from your nearest promoter or arts venue or by going online to www.takeart.org.
ENDS
Note for Editors:
Press contact: Louise Bennett 01460 249450, louise@takeart.org
To request a CD of images please contact Louise Bennett. www.takeart.org
100% Arts Cuts Confirmed in Somerset
Despite a 7,322 named petition and overwhelming public and media pressure, the Save Somerset Arts campaign failed to convince either Somerset County Council or Mendip District Council to reinstate a fair proportion of their arts development budget.
Date: 17 Feb 2011
Categories:
The news on both decisions was announced yesterday (Wednesday 16 February), after consecutive meetings with Somerset County Council and Mendip District Council - the only two councils in the country, other than the London Borough of Barnet, to cut 100% of their arts development budget. Thus, proving that Somerset is not only out of step with local public opinion but also with almost all of their local authority colleagues.
Somerset Arts organisations are not heartened by the £159,000 Creative Industries budget that Somerset County Council is claiming to be a potential alternative to the arts development budget, as it is open to all the creative industries, including advertising, the media and marketing. It is also tied to economic priorities and not available for the socially driven non-profit making projects that currently take place in schools, children’s centres, retirement homes, health services and within hard to reach communities.
One petition signee wrote, “What will this say about how Somerset values its cultural life, promotes creativity and brings quality arts to a rural area of England. If this is the Big Society, I think people will reject it as having no soul”.
Executive Director of Take Art Ralph Lister said, “We are devestated by the decisions made yesterday by both Somerset County and Mendip District councils, especially after so many Somerset residents gave their support to the campaign. Sadly as a result of these funding decisions it is inevitable that Take Art will have to cut its village professional arts programme in Mendip next year. This is just one example of how the cuts will effect arts organisations throughout the region.”
As a result of these funding decisions, Somerset’s Arts organisations will now have to make some hard decisions about their future and the future of the Arts in Somerset.
For further information about the campaign please visit www.takeart.org or contact Ralph Lister on 01460 249450.
ENDS
Press contact: Louise Bennett 01460 249450, louise@takeart.org
To request a CD of images please contact Louise Bennett. www.takeart.org
Free tickets for young carers
If you are a young carer in Somerset then you and your family could attend a show in a village hall for free...
Date: 16 Feb 2011
Categories:
We are working with the team at Somerset Young Carers and the Promise Mentor Scheme by offering a limited number of free tickets to every Take Art Live show from Feb-April 2011. Check out our What's On pages, and if you spot a show that appeals and would like to apply for a ticket, then contact Sarah@takeart.org or tel. 01460 249450 to check availability.
Stand up kids… it’s James Campbell
What better treat for a wintery February half term than taking yourself and your kids to see James Campbell, a stand up comedian who specialises in making children and their parents laugh?
Date: 10 Feb 2011
Categories: rural touring, Press,
Over the last 15 years, James has been bringing his unique form of comedy, for all ages, to theatres all over the world. This February he will be coming to four Somerset venues courtesy of Take Art, appearing in East Quantoxhead and Churchinford on Thursday 24 Feb and Montacute and Milborne Port on Friday 25 Feb.
Take Art Live Director Sarah Petekin said, “I had the pleasure of going to James’s show this August at the Edinburgh Festival. Dozens of children and their parents were treated to an hour of nonstop giggling and silliness. James talks about everything that is relevant to kids and anyone who has ever been a kid – from parents to Playstations, why we have hair and what he had for breakfast. His show is aimed at children aged six and over; their parents; and anyone who enjoys top quality comedy without the swearing.
“Campbell’s stand-up for kids has acquired almost holy status. Don’t miss.” Sunday Times
“My seven-year-old was howling with laughter and so was I.” Daily Mail.
The four shows take place over two days. Please see the information below for information and tickets.
James Campbell Shows
- Thur 24 Feb, 3pm, East Quantoxhead, £6 / £3, to book tickets call 01278 741419.
- Thur 24 Feb, 7.30pm, Churchinford, £6 / £4 / Family £17.50, to book tickets call 01823 601422 or buy online.
- Fri 25 Feb, 2.30pm, Montacute, £8 / £5, to book tickets call 01935 829050 or buy online.
- Fri 25 Feb, 6pm, Milborne Port, £8 / £5, to book tickets call 01963 250063 or buy online.
Where stated you can buy tickets online at www.takeart.org or purchase tickets directly from the promoters.
You can find out about all the shows in the new season by picking up a brochure from your nearest promoter or arts venue or by going online to www.takeart.org
ENDS
Note for Editors:
Press contact: Louise Bennett 01460 249450, louise@takeart.org
To request a CD of images please contact Louise Bennett. www.takeart.org
Take Art is a pioneering arts charity, serving the towns, villages and rural communities of Somerset. We do this by providing accessible opportunities for people of all ages to participate, experience and work within the arts.
Two men, one Shakespearean masterpiece, a whole heap of genius
After a hugely successful first outing to Somerset last season with their critically acclaimed version of The Two Gentlemen of Verona, the stupidly talented Two Gents Productions will be performing in four Somerset venues this February, with their wonderful and highly unusual adaptation of Hamlet.
Date: 10 Feb 2011
Categories: rural touring, Press,
Perhaps the most famous of Shakespeare’s tragedies, Hamlet is a complex tale of revelation and revenge, with an extensive cast and elaborate set. Yet when put in the hands of the Zimbabwean company Two Gents Productions, the cast are whittled down to just two actors (playing all the roles between them) and the extensive set and prop list come straight out of a box.
Take Art Live Director Sarah Peterkin said, “This show is like no other Hamlet you’ve seen before, it’s half the traditional length, with the actors performing in the imaginative Zimbabwean ‘township’ style, bringing their own unique irreverence and energy to this classic Shakespearian play. I know this is going to be a really entertaining performance that will draw you in from the very start.”
The delightfully watchable Two Gents will be bringing their new adaptation of Hamlet to four Somerset venues during February half term, including Ditcheat (Wed 23 Feb), Holford (Thurs 24 Feb), Wellington (Fri 25 Feb) and Neroche (Sat 26 Feb).
Please see below for information about venues and tickets.
Two Gents Shows
- Wed 23 Feb, 7.30pm, Ditcheat, £10 (early bird £8)/£6/£4, book by calling 01749 860352 or buy online
- Thur 24 Feb, 7.30pm Holford, £7 / £4, book by calling 01278 741184.
- Fri 25 Feb, 7.30pm, Wellington, £8 / £6, book by calling 01823 667774 or buy online.
- Sat 26 Feb, 8pm, Neroche, £8, book by calling 01460 234410 or buy online.
Where stated you can buy tickets online at www.takeart.org or purchase tickets directly from the promoters.
You can find out about all the shows in the new season by picking up a brochure from your nearest promoter or arts venue or by going online to www.takeart.org
ENDS
Note for Editors:
Press contact: Louise Bennett 01460 249450, louise@takeart.org
To request a CD of images please contact Louise Bennett. www.takeart.org
Take Art is a pioneering arts charity, serving the towns, villages and rural communities of Somerset. We do this by providing accessible opportunities for people of all ages to participate, experience and work within the arts.