2008
photos on cover and this page ŠMark Simmons Photography, Jonathan Hughes and acta Community Theatre
Council of Management
The acta team Neil Beddow Helen Tomlin Alan May Katie Delaney Ingrid Jones Rebecca Allen
Artistic Director Programme Manager Designer Production Manager Senior Drama Worker Marketing and Administration
Stephen Fenton Chair Peter Wild Treasurer Rita Rich Sam Parker Graeme Riley Clare Warren
Contents
Magic Day 2008 ŠMark Simmons
About acta Facts Core values Neighbourhood arts Touring community theatre Upper Horfield (North Bristol) On Board, Kingsweston (North Bristol) Bedminster (acta centre in South Bristol)
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Young people Young carers On Board youth theatres & Rock School Upper Horfield youth theatres
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Learning disabled people The Misfits Theatre Company Wings youth theatre, South Gloucestershire
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The Future Funding
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The No-ones ŠMark Simmons Photography
access
creativity
theatre
arts
About acta acta champions the positive and transformational effects of active creative participation in the arts for individuals and communities. We are committed to providing access to the arts for those most at risk and most in need. Our work opens up new possibilities, creating new original work, involving more people in making and appreciating the arts, and creating the next generation of artists, facilitators and audiences. acta is an educational charity that has been working in and around Bristol since 1985; making theatre part of people’s lives. The Company is based at the acta centre in Bedminster, which provides a base for all our work. It includes a
large hall that offers a well designed rehearsal and performance space, and is available for hire. The Company also offers a technical resource of theatre equipment available for hire.
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“Once again you have proven your immense talents. I really don’t know how you do it, but you always manage to bring me to tears (in the best possible way). I always feel the way you manage to bring so many ages and abilities together and so clearly value every contribution is very humbling to see. The stories are so well told, and the props fantastic. Having seen many of your productions you still manage to surprise me every time. All I can say is well done!” Audience member.
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acta facts Last year acta:
Worked with 1,145 participants.
Delivered over 500 workshops.
Created 16 original theatre shows, with 44 performances.
Attracted a total audience of over 2,700.
Supported 21 young people to gain Youth Arts Awards, including five apprentices securing their gold level awards.
Delivered the highly successful Streets Ahead intercultural arts project, in partnership with BCHF and UHCT.
Secured funding for a three year Magic Day project to develop innovative creative play.
Toured The No-ones show, as part of Advance, our touring community theatre project, which achieved massive new audiences for theatre in neighbourhoods, a successful regional tour, and international acclaim.
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Core values Our 08-11 business plan is based on core values of:
Participation Access Quality Diversity Partnership & collaboration
A full copy of the business plan and policies are available from the acta office on request.
Forgotten 2008 ŠJonathan Hughes
Neighbourhood arts touring community theatre A new focus for acta in recent years is to create theatre that is relevant and attractive to new audiences, in communities that do not traditionally connect with theatre. The programme includes our work with Malcolm X Elders, but primarily focuses on our Advance project, where experienced community performers create new shows on relevant issues and tour them to local communities.
international community arts festival in Rotterdam in March 08. In its tour of Bristol neighbourhoods, The Noones attracted audiences of whom an incredible 54% rarely or never attend the theatre. Advance is currently working on its third show to tour in 2009, in collaboration with the Bristol Old Vic.
The No-ones was the second Advance project show, following For Love Nor Money a couple of years earlier. It toured to communities on the edge of the City in Spring 07; ‘It captured the real spirit of the community - should go national;’ and in the Autumn to the Colston Hall and then regionally, before performing at an photo: The No-ones 2007 ©Mark Simmons Photography
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The Malcolm X Elders’ Forum have now created two theatre shows in partnership with acta, Time of Our Lives and Lost Connections, both of which previewed to massive local audiences at the Malcolm X Centre in St Pauls, before touring to schools and communities across the City.
“It was brilliant and hugely memorable. We laughed, we cried, we cheered, we clapped. Thank you, it was fantastic” Grace @ Black Carers Project, commenting on Time of Our Lives.
photo left, Time of Our Lives 2007 above, Lost Connections 2008 ©Mark Simmons Photography
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Neighbourhood arts Upper Horfield In partnership with the Upper Horfield Community Trust (UHCT), acta has delivered a wide variety of community arts activities across this fast-changing North Bristol neighbourhood. Streets Ahead encompassed youth theatre and dance projects, storytelling, and carnival arts, all leading towards a
hugely successful local arts festival celebration in March 08. UHCT also secured funds from the Heritage Lottery Fund for a further acta project, entitled Sharing Memories, enabling local people to create & produce their own community play in November 08.
2008
photos: Streets Ahead Festival 2008 ŠMark Simmons Photography
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Very slick production… very well put together – a nostalgic feast… great to have all generations working together
Neighbourhood arts On Board The All Young Once community play in December 07 involved 240 people, of whom 66 actually performed. It was watched by 385 people, 95% of whom were non-regular theatre-
goers. “Very slick production... very well put together – a nostalgic feast… great to have all generations working together.”
In 2008, a new three year acta project began in the area, the Magic Day programme for young children and their families. It provides experienced arts facilitators to work alongside playworkers and parent volunteers to explore new approaches to play, and provide training in how to create stimulating
2008
activities using a range of skills in the arts and new technologies. Annual Magic Day festivals take place at Easter, with smaller focus events throughout the year. 13
Forgotten performed by the Reflectors and the Misfits, 2008
Neighbourhood arts Bedminster Based at the acta centre in Bedminster, acta is keen to develop arts projects for the local community. The Reflectors, our open-access citywide community theatre group meets at the acta centre, and involves some local people. The Express group, for adults recovering from mental illness, has also met at the acta centre for the last
photo left: Forgotten 2008 ©Jonathan Hughes above: acta centre photo right:Woven City 2007 ©Jonathan Hughes photo far right: puppets from The Magic Picnic 2008
couple of years, in partnership with Rethink. In Spring 08 they created The Magic Picnic show using their own hand-made puppets and film, to tour to special schools.
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Plans are currently underway to develop an arts programme for older people, as well as intergenerational projects for local families, in partnership with the new local Children’s Centre.
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Young people Young Carers In July 07, Who Cares? Youth Theatre, our youth theatre for young carers, took part in a live interpretation project, The Voice, animating the English Heritage site of Cleeve Abbey. The project focused on a residential week on site, with a performance day that attracted an audience of 135 people. The group worked together Who Cares? has recently developed a second group for younger young carers, and youth theatre members have moved on to work towards their next level youth arts award. photo: (clockwise from top left), ‘If it looks like a duck’ ESP singing project 2008, Cleeve Abbey 2007, ‘The World on Our Doorstep’, Easton Heritage Project 2007, Forgotten 2008, Rhythm Street 2008, Magic Day workshops 2008, Cleeve Abbey 2007
with young people from acta’s Ace Youth Theatre from Lawrence Weston. Many of these youth theatre members went on to complete their youth arts awards in March 08.
Young people On Board acta’s commitment to young people in Lawrence Weston is amongst its most longstanding. For well over a decade, Ace Youth Theatre and the younger L-Dubbers group have ensured there is high quality youth theatre on offer for local young people in and around Lawrence Weston. More recently, acta has also delivered youth theatre groups in Avonmouth and in Shirehampton. We will continue to
prioritise our youth theatre provision in the Kingsweston area.
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Our recent youth arts provision locally has also included the L-Dub Rock School project, funded by Youth Music, and a schools’ singing project involving 10 local schools, in partnership with the Extended Schools’ Partnership.
Young people Upper Horfield An acta youth theatre group began again at Monks Park School in 2007, following a break of a couple of years, as part of our neighbourhood arts programme in Upper Horfield. Monks Park Youth Theatre created a show for the Streets Ahead Festival,
performing alongside acta groups from both Upper Horfield Primary and Filton Avenue Junior schools, as well as two dance groups. The youth theatre moves on to take part in the Sharing Memories community play in November 08. 17
Learning disabled people The Misfits Theatre Company acta’s company in residence, The Misfits, are the main focus of our work with learning disabled people. Over the last couple of years we have worked together on the innovative The Little Picture House on the Scary show, as well as the ambitious Forgotten project, a year-long research and performance project, based on stories from peoples’ experiences of long-stay hospitals. The Misfits worked with the acta community group, The Reflectors, to deliver the play at the Victoria Rooms in August 08. Forgotten attracted an audience of well over 500 people, and was very well received by them all. “Very moving; brought tears to my eyes.” The Misfits worked closely with the musician, Sarah Moody, to create live music for the show, which was
particularly successful. The project also produced a dvd of the stories and the show, and a cd of the music created.
Photo above: Forgotten 2008 ©Jonathan Hughes
An exciting partnership between acta and Bristol City Adult Community Care, The Misfits have developed as an independent theatre company, securing a range of partners & funding opportunities. In addition to the work
of the main Theatre Company, their programme also includes the People Rhythms youth theatre, the Rhythm of the Night night-club project, and a provider of unique training solutions in both the public and private sectors.
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Learning disabled people Wings youth theatre Wings offers a youth theatre to older young people (16-25 yrs.) from across the South Gloucestershire area. It has been going for two years, based at Warmley Park Special School. The project works towards a Summer term annual production. In June 08, the project produced two new shows for local community audiences, Dance School Fall Out and A Twisted Tale. The project starts again in November 08. 19
The Future acta will continue to prioritise its touring community theatre programme, aimed at developing new audiences for theatre across the City and beyond. The Company has a high international profile in community theatre due to our links with Rotterdams Wijktheater and our presence at international festivals. We are committed to developing these links, by hosting a series of visits by international companies and practitioners. This will also prepare for our proposed Bristol-based International Festival of Community Theatre, for which there is gathering interest from local and international colleagues.
Forgotten 2008 ŠJonathan Hughes
In 2009 & 10, the focus for our neighbourhood arts programme will be the Filton Aviation 100 celebrations, including a community play to be created in partnership with local people and the Bristol Old Vic.
We will further develop our partnership with The Misfits Theatre Company, to include new touring community theatre, exploring use of music and film as part of live performance.
With young people, our aim remains to develop a sustainable youth theatre network and youth arts projects across the City, which provide opportunities for joint working and developing accreditation through Youth Arts Awards and Creative Apprenticeships. Our projects with young people have shown that even the most vulnerable and disenfranchised individuals can achieve remarkable success when supported by acta’s caring and professional workers.
At a time of immense financial uncertainty, we continue to secure funding for a range of exciting and groundbreaking initiatives, with a positive impact on individuals and communities alike.
2008
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Dawn Primarolo MP and Doug Naysmith MP present acta youth arts awards
Funding
Income/Expenditure 07/08 2008
Arts Council England, SW Big Lottery Fund Bristol City Council Connexions English Heritage Heritage Lottery Fund Llankelly Chase Quartet Foundation S Gloucestershire Council Youth Music Other project income Hires & bank interest
Salaries Freelance fees Production costs Vehicle hire Insurance Venue hire Travel expenses Heating, lighting & water Printing & photographic documentation Postage, stationery & office equipu. Other expenses
The full audited accounts for year ending 31 March 08 are available from the acta office.
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acta Centre, Gladstone Street, Bedminster, Bristol, BS3 3AY 0117 9532448 / info@acta-bristol.com charity no. 800174 company no. 2157661
www.acta-bristol.com