E HER T W CE ECT I N A RM T EXP O F PER LEAS YO U S ION T C ODU GIRLS R P S G APU OARIN TRE R HEA A T THE LOW BRELL BEL M AR NU O E R P P O TU N E L UND SI O R UP PIN
ND A L NEWNUE, AVELL HU
Y A D R U 015 T A S AY 2 O.UK T.C M S E D LEF B R M 3 E
2 WW.ASS W
View
t
eo
m ram
rog his p
at nline
Partners:
u.co
issu
t
efes
mbl
sse m/a
IF YOU’VE VISITED NEWLAND AVENUE IN HULL, YOU’LL KNOW THAT IT’S A MULTICULTURAL COMMUNITY INFUSED WITH LOCAL CHARM AND INTERNATIONAL CHARACTER. Already a hub of activity thanks to its large student population, local heritage and welcoming atmosphere, in 2013 we responded to a growing ecology of theatre-makers performing across the city by creating a new opportunity down the avenue. The result was Assemble Fest, launching the following May, which commissions new work to be performed inside working businesses and on the street. Together we invite you to discover something new, broaden your horizons and, most importantly, have some fun. This year's theatre companies are PinUpRound, Bellow Theatre, The Roaring Girls, Silent Uproar, and Open Umbrella in association with Apus Productions. They bring you a programme of very different shows that use familiar spaces in unique ways. We’re very impressed
Pictured l-r: Mungo Arney (Producer) Madeleine O’Reilly (Festival Director) Andrew Carruthers (Community Engagement Officer) Rich Sutherland (Marketing Manager) Matt Lund (Event Stage Manager)
2
with the innovation and devotion each company has shown from the start, and we’re sure you’ll be delighted by their energetic and creative offerings. Part of our mission is to help the companies develop, both now and on a long-term basis. To achieve this, we arrange for industry champions from across the UK to visit Hull, pairing each one with a company that is interested in their specific skill set. This year we’d like to thank Alan Lane of Slung Low, Tom Spencer of Fine Chisel, John Nicholson of Peepolykus, Tamsin Fitzgerald of 2Faced Dance Company, Hannah Kerr of Fuel Theatre, Dick Bonham of LittleMighty and freelance
director Alex Chisholm for dedicating their time as mentors, sharing a wealth of experience and wisdom between them. Assemble Fest wouldn’t be possible without the help of numerous individuals, organisations and businesses. From funders, partners and sponsors to the venues themselves, you can find out just how many people believe in the importance of what we’re doing on pages 14-15, and we’re grateful to each and every one of them. And then of course there’s you. Whether you book to see a single show, take advantage of a day ticket, engage in non-ticketed events or simply help to spread the word, thank you for getting involved. We want Assemble Fest to become as essential to Hull’s cultural calendar as the Freedom Festival and Humber Street Sesh, and you can help us achieve our dream.
Flipping through these pages, you’ll find articles kindly donated by local cultural figures, details of additional activity and our Hub Space (pages 12-13), full information on the shows (pages 16-25), and a festival map to guide you (page 26). If you need anything on the day, please visit The Hub Space inside the Community Church, or look for someone wearing a festival T-shirt and give ‘em a wave. We even have our own Happy Hour! These performance times can be found on the show pages; simply turn up and pay what you feel afterwards, with all money collected donated to Newland Avenue projects. See you down there! The AF2015 Team www.assemblefest.co.uk
PAINTING AND BELONGING ANDREW REID WILDMAN As the 1960s closed, I was born on the edge of this city. When I was six my family moved away, abroad, and thus began my exile, the grit in my oyster that drives my work, a strong sense of not belonging anywhere. I don’t live here. Yet. But Hull is in my bones. My earliest memories are of this city. It belongs to me and, I hope, I to her. I paint Hull because I miss Hull. I try to recapture fleeting memories, days of sun in the garden of Wilberforce House with my mum, or drinking orangeade at Hammonds and Carmichaels, car parks in the sky, reeking of Dettol and chips.
My work is based on my own photography, I have long been drawn to photorealism. My inspiration are the American artists, such as Hopper, who gave his cities such gorgeous brown and red hues. For some reason my work often intrigues children; perhaps in my soul I am still a child, or perhaps it is the simplicity, the blueness of my skies, the use of collage at times, real materials from the fifties and sixties that draws them. I know one day I will return to Hull, and my exile will be over. Till then I will paint Hull because it is the one place I can truly call mine. To find out more about Andrew’s art, photography and travels, please visit www.reidwildman.wordpress.com
@golan22may
4
The Art of Andrew Reid Wildman The Photography of Andrew Reid Wildman
I DON’T LIVE HERE. YET. BUT HULL IS IN MY BONES.
5
SOFT AROUND THE EDGES
LEXI YOUNG INVITES US INTO THE SURPRISING WORLD OF YARNBOMBING Picture the scene. On a rainy afternoon, a jogger traces his usual route along the marina in Hull. Something bright up ahead, he slows down to take a look. The statue of the shark he runs past each day is now being covered with brightly covered knitting. “It’s a jumper,” the woman who’s trying to thread a needle in the pouring rain without much success says, “or it will be when it’s finished. Do you have any idea how difficult it is to create fitted armholes for fins?” Yarnbombing, the concept that involves covering everyday items found on the street such as lampposts or benches with knitted or crocheted wool, has been popping up in and around various sites in Hull for the past three years. It’s all down to a weekly craft group, Stitch ‘n’ Bitch, held every Wednesday evening at Vintage Cafe, 209 Chanterlands Avenue. What started off as a few balls of wool, a cuppa and tame yarnbomb projects has now increased to larger, showstopper, custom designs that take months to plan and create. Most notable was a piece designed for the centenary of the First World War, with 1,600 handmade poppies decorating the city’s Cenotaph, and the 10ft jumper on the shark statue at The Deep in conjunction with the city’s Freedom Festival and its brightly coloured theme.
pieces, and hearing positive feedback. In the age of social media, the works are now shared and loved around the world too, not just Hull. The founding members of the group love all of their finished pieces, big and small, from tiny bunting in an alleyway, to a cape for a statue (because Amy Johnson on Prospect Street SHOULD BE honoured with one on International Women’s Day). Each member also has a strange talent of retaining information about Hull street installations, such as the measurement of a white telephone box. Being appointed official yarnbombers for the City of Culture status in 2017 proves that everyone in Hull loves these works as much as their creators. We’re looking forward to the future, knitting needles in hand. Check out our yarnbombed car on the corner of Edgecumbe Street during Assemble Fest!
Most members of the yarnbomb group stay anonymous, as the biggest thrill for them is mingling with the onlookers and admirers of the completed
6
@vintagecafehull
Vintage Cafe Hull
Image: Matthew Boyington, www.anticsroadshowblogspot.wordpress.com
IN THE AGE OF SOCIAL MEDIA, THE WORKS ARE NOW SHARED AND LOVED AROUND THE WORLD TOO, NOT JUST HULL.
7
USING NOTES, NOT WORDS
SOPHIE ROBERTSON TELLS US ABOUT HULL CHAMBER MUSIC AT HULL UNI Unlike an orchestra, chamber music is usually defined as one player per part, proving an inspiring and unique experience that reaches out to the listener. If you like music that’s performed close enough to make out every single sound in detail, if you’re interested in hearing musicians have a conversation using notes and not words, if you want to discover a world of expression that you hadn’t imagined could exist, chamber music is for you.
EMOTIONAL, HILARIOUS AND EXHILARATING More recently, Grammy Award winner Benjamin Grosvenor and trumpet soloist Alison Balsom have played to delighted local audiences. With performers from all over the world offering a range of musical influences, there really is something for everyone. From time to time, Hull Chamber Music “Chamber” music is simply music that could looks for volunteers to help publicise events be played in any room. A lot of it was written and sell programmes at concerts. If you’re for just that kind of performance: friends interested, please get in touch by emailing entertaining themselves and others. It is info@hullchambermusic.org.uk and tell us a now played to large audiences, includes little about yourself. some of the best pieces ever written, and is quite frankly addictive. The next Hull Chamber Music season starts in October 2015 and some concerts include Hull Chamber Music, whose concerts take free introductory talks. Chamber music can place at Hull University, is an independent be emotional, hilarious and exhilarating, so society established in 1947 and run by a we’d love for you to get involved this year! group of enthusiasts from both inside and outside the campus. There are usually six To find out more, please visit concerts a year, ranging from soloists to www.hullchambermusic.org.uk larger groups from across the UK and @HullChamberMus beyond. Famous names from the past include the Amadeus Quartet, Benjamin Hull Chamber Music Britten, Kathleen Ferrier and Peter Pears.
LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION NICK QUANTRILL ON NEWLAND AVENUE
had once housed. Time moves on and other places rise to capture the mood of the city. Newland Avenue hasn’t featured so prominently in my three novels, but it’s increasingly present. I wrote the bulk of my first novel in 2008 and it sees Geraghty frequently drinking in Queens, a pub I always think of as belonging to the street, rather than the slicker drinking holes on Princes Avenue. As a writer of crime novels, I’ve long been convinced about the importance of location. The writers I admire have always looked their city of choice in the eye, seeking to make sense of them. Cities are about change and reflect our own lives and stories. Cities are a microcosm of contemporary society, and if that holds true, maybe a street can be a microcosm of a city. If my trilogy of Joe Geraghty novels has focused on one street in the city, it’s Hessle Road that looms largest. Hessle Road tells us what kind of city Hull used to be. Trawlers would return from Arctic waters, loaded with fish. From there, dockers would unload, sending the catch off to the rest of the country. The trawlermen, Hull’s ‘three-day millionaires’, would enjoy their short leave back home, money in their pockets, before heading back to the fishing grounds, the cycle of life for many in the area. But go there now and it’s a different story. What happens when work is ripped away from people? The fishing community has been dispersed to the estates around the city and what remains is run-down and forgotten, barely an acceptable nod to the industry it
When I look back at the novels and the places Geraghty goes to in the Newland Avenue area, I think about the snooker club just off the main drag of shops and the student housing hidden slightly from view, as well as the growing restaurant and café bar scene. It’s an area of competing perspectives. Geraghty hears foreign voices he doesn’t understand and sees the changes, as boutiques and coffee shops blend in with the traditional butchers and fruit and veg sellers. Maybe my next novel will have a day-long celebration of theatre in the background, Geraghty celebrating the increasing cultural profile of the area as we head towards 2017. That ongoing sense of change, that something is happening if you pay enough attention to an area’s rhythms, suggests to me that it’s Newland Avenue which now captures the story of contemporary Hull. Nick is the writer of the Joe Geraghty crime series of novels. For more information, please visit www.nickquantrill.co.uk @NickQuantrill
9
PRINT IS NOT DEAD Scribes Digital Print at 54 Newland Avenue is well known for its superb customer service. Highly experienced, the team provides top quality, affordable printing across a range of products, making the life of Assemble Fest’s Marketing Manager much easier. In this interview, Rich asks owner Carl Morton a few questions about the world of digital printing. So, Carl, when did Scribes open? It was way back in 1992, so we’re now in our third decade of business. Have you always been located at 54 Newland Avenue? No, I first started out at 8 Newland Avenue and was there for roughly ten years before purchasing our current location. We now have two floors and plenty of space for all of the equipment. How big is your team? It’s me, my son Nick and my fiancée Sally. I pride myself on owning a local, family-run business. What machinery do you have? You probably wouldn’t be able to fit the list into this article! Let’s just say we use dozens of in-house machines and tools to produce all kinds of products. It isn’t just flyers and posters. What other products do you supply? You name it! We can make business cards, office stationery, vinyl banners, pop-up banners, Correx and Foamex boards, calendars, tent cards, presentation folders, orders of service, training manuals, receipt pads, vinyl labels and T-shirts. You can find all of our products on our website. Plus you can bind dissertations? That’s right. I can bind a dissertation in roughly
thirty seconds, therefore a walk-in service is available while you wait. Or it can be ordered online with an average production time of twenty minutes during opening hours, which covers printing and binding. In an average week, how many print jobs do you run? It really is variable but if I were to guess I’d say 500. This includes everything from a 10p photocopy to a large print run in the thousands.
front of an A5 leaflet, but obviously it’s a case of which way you’re holding it. Someone once told us we’d printed their image upside down, but in fact they were holding it upside down. And another customer requested a black and white document be converted into full colour, but photocopiers aren’t quite that advanced yet. We understand these queries though, as printing can seem complicated. That’s why we’re always happy to help when customers are unsure of their options.
I PRIDE MYSELF ON OWNING A LOCAL, FAMILY-RUN BUSINESS. What’s the largest job you’ve ever done? We’ve had quite a few biggies over the years. Some of the largest are training manuals for the NHS and various jobs for local government, as the document sizes and printing quantities are huge. We’ve also shipped as far as Africa, so knowing that we have our products displayed worldwide is a fantastic achievement. I can imagine you’ve been asked a few odd questions in your time. We’ve had a couple or so. One customer asked if we could make sure the front design was on the
How can people place an order? The easiest way is to do it online, although people are very welcome to give us a call or pop in to ask a question first if they prefer. We’re also offering a 10% discount code to Assemble Fest audiences. This can be redeemed by placing your order online between 23 May and 30 June 2015 and entering ASSEMBLE15 at the checkout. This programme is a 28-page A5 booklet printed on high quality silk.
@ScribesDigital
Contact Scribes 01482 341927 www.scribesdigital.co.uk Scribes Digital Print
DON’T STEP ON THE ELEPHANTS
RICH SUTHERLAND REFLECTS ON HULL’S VIVID CULTURAL TAPESTRY People presume that being northern comes with an inherent pride, something along the lines of you drink pints, love rugby, wouldn’t even consider wearing a jacket unless it’s snowing and have a strong distrust of hummus. And yet in the north, even in this geographically secluded unitary authority that is Hull, we’re surrounded by influences from far further afield than Newcastle Brown Ale.
IT TAKES MORE THAN JUST LOCALS TO GIVE A PLACE ITS ESSENCE
Back when I were a lad, I’d stand and stare at the colossal whale skeleton looming above me in the Maritime Museum whilst listening to recordings of its mesmerising song. Years later, having spent the majority of my childhood near East Park and its animal sanctuary, I discovered upon leaving home that being woken each morning by the mating calls of peacocks isn’t that commonplace. Subsequently, as a student, I often walked down Spring Bank, periodically slowing down to study the many engravings of elephants in the paving slabs, each paying tribute to a historical pachyderm taken from the old zoological gardens to bathe in the river. Kings of the ocean, ostentatious Indian birds and an Edwardian ellyflump: not the kind of creatures you’d expect to find in an urban sprawl on the north bank of the Humber. It’s not simply nature that demonstrates Hull’s international diversity, and the premise can in fact be applied to
practically any topic. From all-embracing art beneath roofs and open skies, to countless cultural dining experiences; from new faces in the streets and exotic words floating on the breeze, to the universal poetry present in everyday life: it takes more than just locals to give a place its essence, and a host of ethnicities to give it its flavour. Whilst I agree that the likes of chip spice, Dead Bod and white phone boxes are very important to Hull’s identity, let’s not forget about all of the wonders that are “not from round here”. After all, a city without external contribution is by definition closed to visitors, whereas a city with a sprinkling of the entire world will welcome guests from all four of its corners. Rich is the Marketing Manager of Assemble Fest and works on a range of writing projects. To read more of his work, please visit www.sobananapenguin.com @sobananapenguin
11
NOT JUST THEATRE
Science Buskers
You’ll find buskers dotted all over, using everything from musical instruments to massive bubbles to make you smile. Thanks to the innovative nature of Hull University we’ll also have science buskers, taking experiments out of the labs and onto the streets.
If your tastes are more traditional, local performer Paul Derek offers multiple Punch and Judy shows alongside Larkin’s Bar, which will also be holding its beer festival in the rear garden and marquee area. Members of Something Entirely Different are all set to create live art at the end of Lambert Street, opposite Caffe Gelato, whilst a yarnbombed Smart car on the corner of Edgecumbe Street will be easy to spot from a mile off. Meanwhile, the Tent of Mystery materialises at the Queens Road end of Newland, offering mini magic shows to curious passersby.
12
Rhubarb Theatre
As well as performance where you least expect it, Assemble Fest is about making Newland Avenue as cultural, engaging and downright weird and wonderful as possible. That’s why we’ve organised a variety of additional activity throughout the day.
The Gold Man will be on the corner of Ella Street, entertaining with his living statue antics. Make sure to also visit The Moon on a Stick above Poorboy Boutique, where you’ll find the 365 Little Stitches project, which aims to raise £2,500 for five local charities. And we’re delighted to welcome Lincolnshire’s Rhubarb Theatre as they present a kaleidoscope of visual fantasy on Newland. Wriggling their way in and out of trouble, The Bookworms bring stories to life with a rickety handcart ‘book shop’ and some novel ideas. This takes place in Clothes Factor’s car park, which also hosts ZoHu Entertainment and her face painting stall.
We encourage people to take as many photos and videos of Assemble Fest as possible, and don’t forget to use #assemblefest2015 on your social media!
THE HUB SPACE The Hub Space inside the Community Church on the corner of Cottingham Road presents different ways to access theatre and performing arts. You can meet teams from Roots and Wings, Hull City Arts and Hull Truck Theatre and learn more about their programmes, or pop down and try your hand at acting, clowning, stilt walking or stage combat. If you’re interested in reserving spaces in any of these sessions, please email info@assemblefest.co.uk. You can also pop down on the day, but please note that some sessions may be fully booked beforehand. PLAY SPACE: Learn a new skill in 30 minutes for free 10:30am: Dance workshop for age 12 and under. Come and get your wiggle on by having a dance and learning a fun routine you can teach to all your friends. 11am (ages 6-10) and 12:30pm (ages 12-16): Acting workshop using games and various drama activities to explore cultural differences and the qualities that make us unique from an outside perspective. 11:30am and 1pm: Doolally Theatre Co present a short clowning workshop for all ages. Ally and Pom are here to help you become more in touch with your inner clown. Participants must be silly at all times.
1:30pm: Basic stage combat for age 12 and over. A beginner’s workshop, focusing on the element of movement and how to make violence look realistic or stylised depending on the desired outcome. 2pm: Wearable sculpture workshop for age 6 and over. Working with Hull Carnival Arts, you can try on amazing costumes and wearable sculptures, learning how to move and groove like a carnival diva. 3pm: Stilt acrobatics and processional dance for age 16 and over. Working with Hull Carnival Arts, you’ll learn how to walk up high, or move as if in a carnival procession.
12noon: Ballroom and Latin workshop for all ages. You could be the next Strictly Come Dancing professional by coming along and learning basic ballroom and Latin steps. It’s not as hard as you WORK SPACE: think and great fun! Discover what’s happening in Hull 11am-1pm: Meet members of Hull City Arts and find out more about events and activities in the city. 1:30pm-3:30pm: In 2014, Hull Truck Theatre launched their artist development programme, Grow. One year on, this is a chance for you to hear
some of their ideas about where they want to go next, and an opportunity for you to suggest what else could be done for artist development in the city. 4pm-6pm: A session run by the Roots and Wings team, a 10-year programme supported by Creative People and Places.
13
OUR SUPPORTERS Assemble Fest is made possible thanks to the support of numerous organisations and businesses. Through financial funding and in-kind donations, they help us to commission new work, collaborate with Newland traders, provide employment opportunities, bring music and art to the street, develop a brand and share our ethos with the public. We would like to thank these organisations for their essential support, without which there would be no Assemble Fest 2015.
FUNDERS
www.artscouncil.org.uk
www.hullcc.gov.uk
www.cdf.org.uk
www.kc.co.uk
PARTNERS
www.hull.ac.uk
www.hulltruck.co.uk
SOCIAL MEDIA SPONSOR
HEALTH AND SAFETY SPONSOR
www.hulltrains.co.uk
www.arco.co.uk
WITH SUPPORT FROM
www.justact.org.uk
14
www.hull2017.co.uk
www.wheeliebins.co.uk
/ConceptCarpets
SPECIAL THANKS Dave, Josh and the team at Level for hosting our many meetings. Henrietta Duckworth of the City of Culture team. Mark Babych, Tom Bellerby and Ruth Puckering at Hull Truck Theatre. Kate Denby at Northern Stage. Michael Barnes-Wynters of Roots and Wings. Louise Yates at Hull City Arts. Caroline Thom at Hull Trains. Gerard Gibbons and Pat Coe at Arco. Joanna Baines, Helen Thackeray and Jacqui Gay at Hull City Council. Dan Wheeler at VHEY. Laura O’Donnell of Really Hull. Lucy-Anna Howson at Browse Magazine. Lexi Young and the Stitch ‘n’ Bitch group. Carl, Sally and Nick at Scribes. Alan Lane of Slung Low. Nick Clarke of Walk the Plank. Tom Spencer of Fine Chisel. John Nicholson of Peepolykus. Tamsin Fitzgerald of 2Faced Dance Company. Hannah Kerr of Fuel Theatre. Dick Bonham of LittleMighty. Freelance director Alex Chisholm. Newland Action Group. Newland Traders Association. Ella Street Residents Association. Community Enterprise Centre. Wyke Area team. Booze4U. Hull College. Ninehundred Communications. The Smile Foundation. Kardomah94. HPSS. Richard and Joe Oldroyd at The Promotion Company. The team at Thieving Harry’s. Mike Hillerby. Susan Stride. Sophie McCormick for letting us yarnbomb her Smart car. Beth Robertson. Sadie Wild. Alice Brannen. Sarah Louise Penney. Hull Carnival Arts. Phil Bell-Young of Hull University. Tribfest. Pie2. The English Muse. Poorboy Boutique. Sarah Coupland at David Lloyd. Hull Daily Mail. Radio Humberside. Anne Danerolle. Dan at Larkin’s. James Mackenzie. Jon Horsfield. Ben Underwood. Will Ramsey. Steve Redgrave. A huge thanks also goes to our many venue managers and volunteers for the day. BRANDING & PROGRAMME DESIGN Emma Platt ejplatt@icloud.com EVENT PHOTOGRAPHY Facet Photography www.facetphotography.co.uk
PROGRAMME PHOTOGRAPHY & EVENT FILMING Shoot J Moore www.shootjmoore.co.uk
REHEARSAL PHOTOGRAPHY Jerome Whittingham @photomoments
PAINTING OF NEWLAND AVENUE Andrew Reid Wildman www.reidwildman.wordpress.com
VENUES We are extremely grateful to the following traders and organisations for allowing us to use their spaces for shows and additional activity. Level – Café, Bar and Grill 160 Newland Avenue www.levelhull.co.uk
Rosebery Community Garden Next to 196 Newland Avenue /NewlandActionGroupNag
Clothes Factor 30-34 Newland Avenue www.clothesfactor.co.uk
Community Church 130 Newland Avenue www.hullcommunitychurch.com
Café One 11 111 Newland Avenue /biggabreakfast1
Larkin’s Bar 48 Newland Avenue www.larkinsbar.co.uk
Ella Street Social 17-19 Newland Avenue 01482 446200
Zoo Café 80 Newland Avenue 01482 494352
The Moon on a Stick 107 Newland Avenue /MoonOnStickHull
Trinity Methodist Church 247 Newland Avenue www.hullwest.org.uk
Tessies 75 Newland Avenue www.tessies.myshopify.com
15
PROTEST WILL ENSUE Open Umbrella and Apus Productions
WHO WE ARE
OUR SHOW
Open Umbrella Theatre was founded in Hull by James Brigden and Rachel Harris, graduates of the East 15 Acting School at the University of Essex. We believe that theatre is for everyone, driven by stories from the communities around us. We aim to give a voice to people that society often overlooks. Currently we are touring Blanchard’s Balloon, funded by Arts Council England and Hull City Arts. The tour continues as part of our arts programme for 2015, bringing work to new audiences nationwide.
A tongue-in-cheek celebration of what it’s really like to be so HU5 it hurts. Full of bureaucracy, poetry and imitation, vegan beluga caviar from Ikea, Protest Will Ensue is an ironic, satirical look at protesting in 2015. Through a thirty-minute piece of immersive theatre that’s part promenade, part invisible, we plan to ask the following questions:
For Assemble Fest 2015, we’re working in association with Apus Productions, an internationally acclaimed theatrical company based in Hull that specialises in street theatre and bespoke performance art. They created C.S.I. (Crap Scene Investigation) as part of last year’s Assemble Fest, which saw Clothes Factor’s car park undergo comical forensic examination.
WHAT WE DO Open Umbrella’s main focus is on creating new work for the community, which will not shy away from “difficult issues”. Between us we have created projects with people in sheltered accommodation and homeless shelters, and young adults with mental health issues. With a strong community presence fused with high artistic quality, we are very much looking forward to 2017.
• Do protests achieve anything? • Do we actually care what we are protesting about? • When one protest finishes, where do we look for the next? • How far do we compromise our beliefs to follow other ideologies? HU5 (a place that numerous company members live in) is often the hub where committees form and protests develop. This piece will engage the audience in an ambiguous protest full of fun, gags and serious questions. We feel that in postelection HU5 this theme will be already simmering in people’s minds, and welcome you with open arms to meet the disgruntled middle class heading our flawed committee, Newland Avenue Family and Friends (N.A.F.F), whose aim is to “Nourish and polarise the community.” So, if you’re dissatisfied with the way things are done but don’t know why or what you would do better, or if you feel this postcode discrimination has gone on for far too long, come and join our rally, pin on a N.A.F.F. badge, read The N.A.F.F. News and be proud to be middle-of-the-road and so HU5.
CAST & CREW
LOCATION & TIMES
WRITTEN BY James Brigden Charles Huckvale
Trinity Methodist Church, 247 Newland Avenue
DIRECTED BY Rachel Harris DESIGNED BY Liz Dees
@open_umbrella_ @apusfun
Show 1: 2pm* Show 2: 3:30pm Show 3: 5pm
Show 4: 6:30pm Show 5: 8pm
All shows are 30 minutes long and wheelchair accessible. *Happy Hour.
Open Umbrella Theatre Apus Productions
17
THE CAUTIONARY TALE OF HORRID HAM CARVER Bellow Theatre
WHO WE ARE
OUR SHOW
Bellow Theatre formed in April 2014 and currently stages work in both Hull and Bristol. As a company we are fascinated by stories.
‘My mum always said there’s a story in a pie. There’s a story in every pie you make.’
We enjoy taking a fresh twist on old tales or creating completely new narratives of our own. We often like to stage work in unusual places, including a pop-up restaurant, under an oak tree, in a club and a café, as well as a few traditional venues along the way.
WHAT WE DO We try to tell stories that are touching, funny and above all, relevant. We always try to uncover the hidden voices in a tale, the voices of those who may have been forgotten, excluded or silenced. We strive to create shows that amuse and move people in equal measure, and that invite them to explore their own lives through new and fascinating lenses. Our show Billy Through the Window will debut at the Edinburgh Festival this summer.
For Rosemary and Parsley, pie making and storytelling go hand in hand. The sisters own a pie shop on Newland Avenue, and are as legendary for their tall tales as their crusty pastry. Today they’re celebrating. They’re baking a pie of enormous proportions and they’re about to embark on their favourite story, the tale of ‘Captain Murderer’. Captain Murderer weds, beds, and beheads women before eating them in a meat pie. Finally he meets his match in two sisters, who also end up on his dinner plate, but first ensure that this meal will be his last. It’s a story the sisters have told again and again but, as they embark on the tale this time, it becomes clear something’s not quite right. As the narrative goes on we start to be unsure of whether we should be afraid for them, or of them. Are they destined to follow the grisly fate of the sisters in the story, or can they talk themselves into a different tale? And what, exactly, are they baking in that pie? Using music, nursery rhymes and good old-fashioned storytelling, Bellow Theatre put a contemporary twist on this gruesome classic.
CAST & CREW
LOCATION & TIMES
WRITTEN BY Maureen Lennon Tabitha Mortiboy
Rosebery Community Garden, next to 196 Newland Avenue
PERFORMERS Charlie Sellers Maureen Lennon MUSICIAN Ellie Gaynard
@bellowtheatre
Show 1: 1:15pm* Show 2: 2:45pm Show 3: 4:15pm
Show 4: 5:45pm Show 5: 7:15pm
All shows are 30 minutes long and wheelchair accessible. Suitable for age 12+ *Happy Hour.
Bellow Theatre
19
FROCKS, FAKE LOCKS AND TWO SMOKIN’ LASSES PinUpRound
WHO WE ARE
OUR SHOW
We are pretty small, in fact there’s just the two of us, “us” being Rachel Bower and Sophie Thompson. We both have a strong background in movement, from cheerleading to kickboxing, and met during our Drama degree at Hull Uni, where we soon fell in love with physical theatre. We joined forces in our final year of university and, after a few years of experiencing other types of theatre work, we are now looking forward to reuniting and creating a style of theatre we love in a city we love.
Our project explores the way in which the female form has been depicted and developed over time, specifically looking at the transition from the 1950s through to the present. We target ongoing industries that, we believe, have an effect on the perception of women, such as fashion, advertising and the media. As two female performers, we draw material from ourselves, particularly our body shapes, to encourage a critical response from our audience. This is then supported through photographs and films of ourselves in a variety of roles that question gender and stereotypes.
WHAT WE DO PinUpRound aims to engage a wide range of audience members through physical theatre. We strive to do this by approaching current themes and subject matters that are relatable, often using personal experiences, social media, photographs and not forgetting good old-fashioned comedy. Sexuality and gender is our main focus as a company; we look at the discussions surrounding these subjects from a historical point of view, up to present day and potential directions for the future. We are extremely passionate about the integration of all elements of a theatre production, ensuring a creative response from the start of a project with a range of skilled colleagues.
Our context is being explored in conjunction with our Musical Director and Costume Designer, working fluidly with each other to create a response to the research. We’re using specific physical theatre techniques to create movements that reflect our responses to numerous questions: • Have the changes empowered women? • Is that a reflection of the progress of feminism? • Do we bow to the demands of what men want from women? • Is the pressure actually coming from women themselves? This method of working will distinguish a style in-between dance and theatre that is accessible to our target audience, and hopefully get them to question empowerment, stereotypes and gender themselves.
CAST & CREW
LOCATION & TIMES
MOVEMENT DIRECTOR / PERFORMER Rachel Bower Sophie Thompson
Level, 160 Newland Avenue
MUSICAL DIRECTOR James Frewer COSTUME DESIGNER Kasenya Dudley
@PinUpRound1
Show 1: 10am Show 2: 12noon Show 3: 1:30pm*
Show 4: 3pm Show 5: 4:30pm
All shows are 30 minutes long. Only the 10am show is wheelchair accessible. Suitable for age 16+ *Happy Hour.
PinUpRound
21
HANSEL
Silent Uproar
WHO WE ARE
OUR SHOW
Silent Uproar formed in 2012 and our shows have been performed predominantly in Hull as well as in a variety of venues across the UK. We also work with young people, helping them to understand and access the arts whilst building their confidence and teaching transferable skills.
We’re bringing a promenade adaptation of the Brothers Grimm classic Hansel and Gretel to Newland Avenue, giving it a fresh, modern twist. The story follows a young homeless lad, Hansel, on an exuberant journey as he shares the tale of how he and his sister, Gretel, found themselves on the streets. Together we discover how one day their lives changed forever due to the misfortune of meeting a malicious character, whose only wish was to use and exploit the young duo.
Our work centres on three main aims: • Create high-visual storytelling • Encourage a platform for discussion about social issues • Produce work that is fun, imaginative and informal
WHAT WE DO We believe that theatre should be used as a springboard for ideas to enable beneficial change. We also believe that we can achieve this by creating a bit of magic, communicating in a clear and firm voice, and having some fun in the process. Our projects have seen our team conduct interviews with public sector workers and community focus groups, allowing us to gain an insight into modern society’s main issues and develop work that can be understood, appreciated and enjoyed by everyone.
The performances use silent disco headsets, a travelling sound designer, live and recorded music and a pop-up set to transport you into Hansel and Gretel’s world. It’s a fairy tale, but delivered in a way that transforms familiar surroundings into something far more sinister and exciting. We invite you to join us as we make our way along the avenue on a typical Saturday. You’ll see all the usual sights and hear all the usual sounds, from families shopping to students enjoying a coffee. Cars will drive by, people will flag down buses, mums and dads will push babies in buggies and there’s bound to be a pigeon or two, all as per normal. However, we guarantee that once the story ends, you’ll never look at Newland Avenue quite the same way ever again.
LOCATION & TIMES
CAST & CREW WRITTEN BY Alex Oates
TECHNICAL Jon Calvert
Promenade performance, starting outside The Piper Club
DIRECTED BY Alex Mitchell
CREATIVES James Townsend Adam Foley Alice Beaumont
Show 1: 10:45am Show 2: 12:15pm Show 3: 1:45pm*
DESIGN Alex Brook
@SilentUproarPro
Show 4: 3:30pm Show 5: 5pm
All shows are 30 minutes long and wheelchair accessible. *Happy Hour.
Silent Uproar Productions
23
BROKEN LITTLE ROBOTS The Roaring Girls
WHO WE ARE
OUR SHOW
We are improper and indecent, we chew with our mouths open, we drink too much gin, we sing out of tune. We bicker, we make up. We dance. We play. We tell stories.
Part rant, part confession, and part disco party. This is Broken Little Robots.
Everyone has found themselves feeling broken at some point. Anxiety, depression, fear: we all have that one button that We’re feminists, and humanists, and we wish shouldn’t be touched. This is a positive everyone would just get along. We walk that show. We’re dealing with big problems, but we want you to leave energised, not line between laughter and tears, and we scared. There will be sad moments, but you want you to join us. won’t be sad for long. We’re looking into our pasts, but we’re also looking forward Our work explores big issues and little to tomorrow. It ends in a dance party. Just idiosyncrasies. It’s somewhere in-between warning you now. There may be a confetti theatre and a conversation: interactive, cannon but only when you least expect it. improvised, intimate. It is tactile theatre for those glued to screens. We use personal stories in the show; they may be other people’s, but often they are Our work is fun and rebellious. It’s honest. our own. As part of our research we talked And somewhat charming. to people about these issues; therapists, academics, sufferers, survivors: we wanted We are The Roaring Girls. to get a rounded view of how we deal with mental health personally and socially. We work collaboratively, so there may be points where we do individual work, but we always bring it back to the group to discuss and make decisions together.
WHAT WE DO
We use personal narratives, often our own, to create our work. We want to talk about things we can relate to, that our audience can relate to.
We want to talk about mental health in a way you haven’t seen before. We want to talk about living with the problems in our lives, living with depression and anxiety.
We’re very informal, we don’t want our audiences to sit in the dark and watch us. We create work for active audiences; we want to share our stories in the hope that you will share yours.
It’s about living and surviving, not imploding.
LOCATION & TIMES
CAST & CREW PERFORMERS Rachael Abbey Jess Morley Jonny Neaves DIRECTOR Lizi Perry
STAGE MANAGER Shaunagh McClean ASSISTANT STAGE MANAGER Ben Cain
DESIGNER Alex Brook
@TheRoaringGirls
Ella Street Social, 17-19 Newland Avenue Show 1: 1:15pm* Show 2: 2:45pm Show 3: 4:15pm
Show 4: 5:45pm Show 5: 7:15pm
All shows are 30 minutes long and wheelchair accessible. Suitable for age 12+ *Happy Hour.
The Roaring Girls
25
26
FESTIVAL MAP
THE SMASH HIT MUSICAL
AS LIGHT AND BOUNCY AS A BUBBLE OF GUM!’ +++++
‘
The Observer
What’s On Stage