COMMUNITY ARTS COMPANIES

Polka Theatre

• Produce work for young audiences – 0-13yrs. à Working with professional actors to inspire, stimulate and engage children through storytelling and theatre to spark imagination.
• Established in 1979
• 2 separate theatres for older and younger classes. Adventure theatre for storytelling à so that children get a wide range of experiences
• 100,000 children each year
• Young voices panel à to watch rehearsals and give opinions on company

 

Roles:

• Johnathan Lloyd – Artistic Director. à Decides plays and who should work on them. Who the plays are for, target audiences. Also writes and directs.
• Stephen Midlane – Executive Director. à Organisation and Management. Have to organise and get everything that is needed for producing the plays.
• Janna Feldman – Head of Creative Learning. à Plans learning activities for schools, families, young people. Ensure there are creative and fun events for all. Makes sure that performances are accessible for all young people and are inclusive.
• Lucy Simmons – Schools Access Officer à Goes into communities and finds workshops for schools. Sophie Hopson – Community Engagement Manager à Does the same job but in the outdoors

 

Stop Gap

• Dance company that integrates those who have disabilities with those who don’t.
• They create work from speech between the dancers
• “We believe that integrated dance creates exceptional creative oppotunies and we are committed to sharing these via creative learning projects and publications and by touring our original productions nationally and internationally.”

 

Roles:

• Amy Butler – Dancer à Joined in January 2013 and runs an inclusive yoga with the company
• Lucy Bennet – Creative Director à Been with the company for 9 years and is a choreographer. Expands dancers creative input.
• Vicky Balem – Founder of the company

 

Deafinatly Theatre

• Set up in 2002 with Kate Ferbie and Stephen Webb and Paula Garfield
• Run by people who are deaf
• Use BSL in rehearsals and performances
• Integrate people who are deaf and those who aren’t and collide the two worlds in the shows and in the audiences.
• Use media in the shows and subtitles
• Ideally want to work with deaf people
• Use translation exercises in rehearsals – conveying the script without words to integrate the group
• The consider both perspectives and want to build a bridge
• Empower identity and pride

Roles:

• Paula Garfield – Artistic Director à Created the company because she was frustrated by the blocks within the industry for those who are deaf
• Mark Sana – Executive Director à Administrative role, supporting and administrating (all used to work as actors or writers ect)
• Andrew Muir – Litteray Associate à Writes and Directs. Chooses the plays that are to be performed

London Bubble

• Created in 1972
• Theatre Company
• “Provide artistic direction, skills, environment, resources to create inspirational, inclusive, involving theatre which share stories that animate the space of the city and the sprits of its citizens”.
• Funded by donations to develop access and for in school workshops
• B+ à for young people – learn how to lead drama workshops and grow in confidence. Perform to others their age.
• B+à Forum Theatre – presents situations to them and see how they can change
• B+ à Work experience – job profession and get Arts experience and qualification.
• Work for unemployed or people who have a lack of educations
• 16+
• Produce theatre relative to youth – make them think about society
• Won award for innovation and engagement with young people
• Speech Bubble à helps people and children who are less able to communicate as well. – Key Stage 1 – develop skills.

Green Candle

• Create healthier people and integrate communities
• Improve physical and psychological health of audience and company
• Bring old and young together
• Dance explores social issues – ageism, racism, unemployment
• Tour in conventional and unconventional places – seek out people who are not benefitting from dance

Roles:

• Fergus Early – Artistic Director à Formed the company in 1987 for community and educational context for all age groups and abilities.
• Louisa – Financial Book keeper à Accounting for charity. Producing end of year accounts/tax ect.
• Chantelle Bardouile à Teacher, facilitator for dance for all abilities and ages.
• Vicky Bossfield – Community Dance Artist 
• Christiana Argyropou – Dance Movement Therapist à movement sessions in hospitals

 

Candoco Dance Company

• Created in 1991 by Adam Benjimin and Celeste Dandeleer – workshops started by them and then it grew into the company
• Professional dance company – integrate disabled and non-disabled dancers
• Toured and had good feedback from press and industry – 50 countries between 1991 - 2001
• Foundation Course in 2004 for 3 years for disabled dancers and was the first of its kind
• Work with over 12,000 people each year
• Confirmed by Arts Council – get funding – they are recognised for the work they have done of a high quality
• Portable performances – in fields, libraries, theatres ect.

 

Roles:

• Rick Rodgers – Dancer à Competitive wheelchair cheerleader – reinvented the dance. Performed in Paralympics opening ceremony  

Age Exchange

• Theatre company formed in 1983 – context of the emerging value of reminiscent work – care settings for old people
• Reminiscent theatre – theatre created from memories
• Over 25yrs they have developed new models of work – wide range of reminiscences based creative activities and arts products
• Extended nationally and recognised – focusing of those at risks of social exclusion
• Internationally by many providers
• Old people – improve their quality of life by valuing their reminiscence and giving opportunities for a wider appreciation – performances – intergenerational performances
• Productions – Paddling to the Palace – worked with practitioners from Trinity Laban Forslam – dance school – with old people and volunteers to create an inclusive performance

 

Roles:

• Stella Howard + Natasha Lohan à music and movement contribute to support for others.