Schools Activities Autumn 2017
CREATIVE LEARNING AT THE NEW WOLSEY THEATRE IS FOR YOU
Every season we offer a series of workshops, projects and access to productions, designed to meet the needs of students, teachers and schools – with activity created to support the English, Drama, SMSC, PHSE curriculums. We are always looking to develop our offer with the ever changing landscape, and so as well as the new core workshop offers that we introduced in January, we’d love to hear your feedback on anything else we could be offering. We have partnered with two Suffolk schools to ensure that our schools offer is relevant, rewarding and inspiring for young people.
Thanks to continued support from Suffolk County Council and our sponsors Larking Gowen we’re able to keep charges to a minimum, so read on to find out more about the many ways you can get involved and get in touch.
Rob Salmon Associate Director
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WORKSHOPS, PROJECTS, TOURS, PRODUCTIONS, SKILLS & LEARNING, GAMES, TEACHER TRAINING, AUDITIONS, AND MORE… In these pages you will find a range of ways to get children & young people involved in the arts as either a part of the curriculum, through activity designed to raise their aspirations and develop their confidence about their future pathways, or increase their soft-skills… maybe even as a reward for their progress! We recognise that you may be looking for activity for a group of children according to need, rather than to fulfil a curriculum requirement. This brochure lays out the kind of work we deliver regularly, but there’s a whole range of additional activity we design to meet specific needs all year round. Get in touch with us to discuss any specific requests as we are able to offer bespoke experiences in and out of school.
WE CAN OFFER: A wide variety of school or theatre based workshops tailored to your needs. Backstage tours to explore the theatre and understand how we make a production. Show specific opportunities to meet creative teams, discover rehearsal techniques, explore creative processes and ask questions. Discounted tickets for schools.
THINGS TO NOTE: All our costs are subject to VAT Most of our workshops are designed to be at least an hour in length, but we will be flexible to fit in with your timetabling. All of our workshops are for a class sized group unless otherwise stated.
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WITH THANKS TO OUR PARTNERS In January 2017 we partnered with Rushmere Hall Primary School and East Bergholt High School to ensure that we are offering the most relevant opportunities to educational settings across Suffolk. This partnership has been invaluable so far… you too can get in touch to tell us what you think!
Beth says… We are really pleased to be working closely with the New Wolsey Theatre. Over the past 18 months most of our KS2 children have had a theatre experience, including workshops, performances and backstage tours. We have also had BSL interpreted performances arranged especially for us, allowing all children in Reception, including those in the Hearing Impaired Unit, to enjoy the Christmas children’s show. The theatre has supported the delivery of our literacy, maths and SMSC & British Values curricula. It has offered workshops aimed at specific groups of children, as well as whole year groups. It is very important to us that the theatre is local, as it raises the children’s awareness of the opportunities in our own town, and in turn raises their aspirations. The benefits of using drama in teaching and learning are countless, and we love seeing our children having fun, working together, increasing in confidence, and engaging more with their peers, families and learning.
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Amy says… I am delighted to be a partner with the New Wolsey Theatre. They have been essential in my work as a drama teacher for the past 8 years, and are an indispensable resource offering infinitely flexible professional support. The arts are being pared down by so many secondary schools and we have to fight to keep this as an elements of students’ school experience. We’re currently embarking on a new Raising Aspirations project with a small group of year 10’s, and having begun the process of reflecting on their hopes and fears, identifying potential hurdles and imagining solutions, they are now looking forward to the rest of the workshops.
WE ARE AN
This means that we can support you in taking your young people through their Arts Award Our Arts Award projects can be delivered with reference to the SMSC Requirements and British Values ARTS AWARD DISCOVER: Discover the arts and share your experience with others
ARTS AWARD EXPLORE: Explore, create and present your own work
Visit us for a Storymaker workshop to listen to a story and then create your own
Come to the theatre to see a show and experience a backstage tour
Book a games and theatre making workshop for students to develop their own characters and ideas through imaginative play Share your creations with your fellow students and discuss what you enjoyed All from just £5 per head!
Book a 6 week drama club project for students to explore theatre as an artform, and give them the creative language to develop new stories, characters and ideas Invite friends and family along for the final performance All from just £15 per head!
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INDUSTRY DAYS £250 full day £120 half day At the Theatre KS3-5 Bring your students to the theatre to find out first hand how a professional theatre operates. Choose from either a half day, which involves a backstage tour and the opportunity to meet some staff and find out what they do and how they got to where they are now, or a full day which includes a two hour theatre making workshop in addition. A brilliant way to explore career pathways in the arts with your students!
The year 10s have been talking about yesterday with great enthusiasm and it has identified a post-16 path for several! Thank you
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EMPLOYABILITY & FUTURES £80 / At school/college / KS4-5 For young people who are about to leave school or college and may be thinking about further education or employment options. This practical workshop will use theatrical games and exercises to develop participants’ employability and presentational skills, preparing them for interviews and exploring the skills they will need in the work place. A fantastic boost in confidence and presentation skills for any students who may be feeling unsure about their futures!
I’ve always wanted to run my own business, and now I know I can
This made me think more positively about my future
BACKSTAGE TOUR £2.50 per head At the Theatre KS1-5 Have you ever wondered what happens behind the scenes in a busy producing theatre? Come and find out! Our extensive tour will take you from stage door to fly floor, backstage, substage and everywhere in between.
A must for curious minds of all ages
DRAMA CLUB £350 for 6 workshops At School KS1-4
The children are more confident using words in class, in both formal learning and every day situations
A six week project for a class sized group to explore theatre as an artform. This introductory series develops students’ theatrical awareness and skills, and gives them the creative language to develop new stories, characters and ideas. Importantly, students will take ownership and authorship over the stories that they create, encouraging investment and commitment in the process. We encourage the development of vocabulary, speaking & listening, soft and presentation skills, all through self expression and imaginative play. The project culminates in a sharing of ideas or a short performance at school for friends and family.
He has gained confidence in all areas of his homework and his attitude has improved
I’m not so scared about standing up in front of people
Your practitioners have a real aura of positive energy and enthusiasm which is infectious and good to be around
Drama Club can be offered as an ongoing after school club for your students. 7
STAGING SHAKESPEARE’S STORIES £80 At school KS2-3 A lively workshop designed to engage young audiences with Shakespeare’s stories. Students will explore what makes Shakespeare’s plays so exciting and still relevant to today, and we will break down some of the barriers around the language, which so many young people find alienating. Using their own creativity, students will explore narrative and characterisation to bring one of Shakespeare’s plays to life.
Shakespeare is awesome! You’ve made Shakespeare accessible and exciting for our students
The stories are intriguing and exciting!
PLAY IN A DAY £10 per head At school or theatre KS1-5 A fantastic opportunity for students to immerse themselves in the creative process and spend an entire day responding to a classic text or devising a brand new piece of theatre. Guided by our expert practitioners, students will work together to realise their ideas, developing their theatrical awareness and discovering new ways of making theatre. We will facilitate the culmination of their work into a whole performance, which can be presented to an invited audience of fellow students, friends and family at the end of the day! We can also offer discounted tickets to stay on and see a production that evening, subject to availability.
“ I am so impressed with how it all came together… Brilliant that it was all their own ideas The teachers and students have all learned new ways to approach making plays, thank you
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STORYMAKER £80 At school KS1 Do your students love stories? This workshop is perfect for younger children with big imaginations who enjoy both listening to and making their own stories. Students will be read a story as a whole group before creating their very own tales through imaginative play. They will be encouraged to create characters and will be guided through basic storytelling structure to bring their ideas to life. The workshop will end with a sharing of their own stories, promoting presentation, speaking, listening and negotiation skills, as well as a fantastic confidence boost! Speak to us about incorporating stories or ideas that your students are currently studying.
SPECIALIST CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT £40 per hour At school KS1-5 We can offer an expert view on your creative projects for students and teachers alike, by starting from scratch on a fresh idea, or working with an existing script to further develop students’ performance skills. We will provide you with a professional theatre maker who will come in and give guidance for in-school productions, exam pieces, CPD opportunities or anything else which will enhance theatre making and creative practice within the school environment.
Brilliant for our GCSE students to refresh their approach to their practical exam and discover fresh theatre making methods
The children have responded so well to your input for our school play, it’s been wonderful to see some of the shyest students create some brilliant new stories to sit within it
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COMING SOON IN AUTUMN 2017‌ Who to Follow is our brand new secondary schools touring show, which will explore risk taking in connection to drug misuse Meet the Creatives of The Ladykillers and take part in a masterclass fusing text and stage combat! Find out about our opportunities for CPDs in your school, to embed drama across the curriculum
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CURRICULUM LINKS: GCSE / A Level Drama & Theatre Studies
MEET THE CREATIVES Throughout the academic year there’ll be opportunities for your students to meet leading industry creatives who are connected to our productions. This really is not to be missed! FUSING STAGE COMBAT & TEXT
The New Wolsey Theatre, Salisbury Playhouse and Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch by arrangement with Fiery Angel Limited, London presents
£120 plus VAT A class sized group KS3-5
THE LADYKILLERS
Meet director Peter Rowe and fight director Bret Yount to explore through discussion and practical exercises their roles in creating The Ladykillers. Using scenes from the show your students will learn elements of stage combat and explore how to embed these into the text, giving them the opportunity to perform an excerpt from the show… with their own twist!
The classic Ealing comedy on a new regional tour. Graham Linehan’s (Father Ted, The IT Crowd) adaptation mixes comedy and criminal capers to hilarious effect.
We have a limited number of workshops to offer schools on this day, so book soon to avoid disappointment! Peter is the Artistic Director of the New Wolsey Theatre. He has written nine record-breaking rock ‘n’ roll pantomimes which are produced annually at the New Wolsey Theatre, Theatr Clwyd, Stafford Gatehouse Theatre, and Leeds City Varieties. His many productions for The New Wolsey Theatre include The Last Five Years, Sweet Charity and Feed the Beast. Bret has worked as a fight director for theatre, film and TV. Recent theatre credits include: The Who’s Tommy, (New Wolsey Theatre/ Ramps On The Moon); Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (Pinter Theatre); An American in Paris (Dominion Theatre); The Miser (Theatre Royal Bath/Garrick Theatre).
Performances: Thu 7 to Sat 30 September Schools tickets: £10 Ages: 12+ CREATIVE LEARNING 11
CURRICULUM LINKS: KS4 and above Drama, Theatre Studies, English, SMSC, PHSE Graeae Theatre Company in association with the Belgrade Theatre Coventry presents
REASONS TO BE CHEERFUL Celebrating the infectious music of Ian Dury and the Blockheads, Reasons to be Cheerful is a punk rock musical and gritty coming of age tale, which always leaves audiences shouting for more.
There are some great opportunities for you students to interact with this show! In 1981 Britain was changing – we were on the edge of massive political shift, music was continuing to present the changing landscape, and D/deaf and disabled people were rising up. 36 years later, the UK and the world are undergoing massive change, with new shifts in power and a new generation rising up to be seen and heard. Song continues to be a way we channel anger, maintain solidarity and demand change. How can we make sure our voices are not shut away? How do we make ourselves seen and heard?
Three Steps to a Revolution: THE REASONS Book an Introductory Reasons to be Cheerful workshop to set you on your way. You can also request our Creative Starter Pack, full of professional song-writing tips and ideas of how to make songs accessible.
THE RHYME
School performance: Wed 4 October at 2.30pm Schools tickets: £10 Ages: 14+
Make an original protest song. Send it to us. We’ll be choosing songs to take on tour; firing up audiences around the country! We welcome songs in any format accessible for you, including signed song, lyric videos and audio recordings.
THE REVOLUTION Come see the show at theNew Wolsey Theatre and join the revolution!
Contact us to find out more
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WE CAN RUN A CPD IN YOUR SCHOOL! We are now offering a range of CPD opportunities in school settings. We can come to you during one of your regular staff meetings to run a fun and practical CPD to give you the tools to both create theatre and embed creative practice into teaching pedagogy, all of which can make a huge difference to the development of your students’ soft skills.
CHOOSE FROM: Games and Making Theatre Exercises for with Young Every Classroom People (KS1 & 2) Discover games and theatre exercises that can be delivered in a classroom space, and which develop core presentation, literacy and soft skills, as well as focus on mathematical shapes, historical events and characters or the creative delivery of the SMSC requirements.
Find out how to make theatre with primary aged students, from the initial idea to the building blocks of performance all the way through to the finished product, while always giving them the ownership of the work. This can be connected to any element of the curriculum.
Theatre Directing with Young People (KS3-5) Delve into directing and discover fresh techniques and approaches for making theatre with young people. You will be given some practical devices to use when directing from a text, ways to collaborate with your students, and inspiration and ideas to take you from first rehearsal to opening night.
Book for just ÂŁ80 plus VAT
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CURRICULUM LINKS: PSHE, GCSE Drama, SMSC Requirements & British Values The New Wolsey Theatre presents…
WHO TO FOLLOW Who to Follow will present four independent stories, each relating to a young person’s experience of risk, but from distinctly different perspectives. Students will choose their own journey between the four stories, which will either challenge or confirm their assumptions about what they believe.
The experience will culminate in an opportunity to decide on the fate of an unseen character at the centre of each story. This multi–agency project is a serious discourse with young people about their relationship to risk, and will give them the space to ask adult questions and reflect on their own decisions. As with all our schools productions Who to Follow will challenge young people’s perceptions, make them ask questions and allow them space to reflect on their own lives. There will be a supporting workshop available for class sized groups to further explore the themes of the production.
Get in touch to book your show now! Part funded by
Touring Secondary Schools Mon 18 September – Fri 6 October
Pitched at the perfect level
In 30 years of teaching, this is the best show I have ever seen
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SCHOOLS TOURING PROGRAMME
CURRICULUM LINKS: Expressive Arts, SMSC Requirements & British Values The New Wolsey Theatre presents…
BASED ON A TRUE STORY Directed by Rob Salmon
Our Cinderella would have gone to the ball if only there weren’t so many steps, the 3 Blind Mice are capable of much more than chasing farmers wives, and our Beast really isn’t beastly at all when you get to know him! Nothing is quite what it seems, and everything you thought you knew is about to change!
Announcing our BRAND NEW primary schools touring production for spring 2018 Based on a True Story is an adventure through some big ideas about difference, acceptance, and helping each other out, for children in school years 3 and 4. Performed by a cast of disabled performers this production will send everyone home knowing that just because things happened in a particular way once upon a time, doesn’t mean they still have to be that way today. The team behind Alfie Strange, When I Grow Up, and Every Day An Adventure take 5 classic fairy tales and turn them on their heads! A teachers pack will be available. A supporting workshop to further explore the themes of the performance will be available at a cost of £60 plus VAT.
Part funded by
Touring Primary Schools: Mon 19 February – Fri 16 March 2018 Each year we produce two schools touring productions, one for primaries and one for secondaries. These are part funded by Suffolk County Council and include engagement opportunities such as post show discussions and workshops.
Book for just £220 plus VAT CREATIVE LEARNING 15
CURRICULUM LINKS: GCSE Drama, Theatre Studies, PSHE
RAMPS ON THE MOON: Workshop Series ÂŁ80 plus VAT per workshop In school KS4-5 A class sized group Ramps on the Moon is a ground breaking touring project that sets out to put more D/deaf and disabled people on our stages, in our audiences and in our workforce. As part of this project we are offering workshops to explore contemporary theatre making practice using inclusivity and accessibility as a central focus. These workshops will be led by a disabled theatre practitioner, and suitable for disabled and non disabled students.
Students will explore: Creating theatre that reflects contemporary ideals of inclusivity in both content and form Embedded accessibility in devised performance, using audio description and captioning
Discounts available for block bookings rampsonthemoon.co.uk ď‚™ RampsOTM 16 CREATIVE LEARNING
Making theatre that reflects their world, values, experiences and beliefs Workshops can be booked as single or multiple sessions, and could support and inspire content for devised performance units at GCSE or A Level.
CURRICULUM LINKS: Drama, Theatre Studies, PSHE Are you looking to find contemporary theatre for your GCSE Drama or A Level Theatre Studies students? Our annual PULSE Festival is a ten day festival of contemporary theatre running from Thu 1 - Sat 10 June 2017 and Thu 31 May - Sat 9 June 2018 Our PULSE Presents programme is an extension of the PULSE Festival, which offers a bright and inspiring snapshot of contemporary theatre with one off performances throughout the Autumn Season.
TUE 19 SEP 7.45PM
TUE 26 SEP 7.45PM
THU 28 SEP 7.45PM
TANGRAM THEATRE
RHUM AND CLAY
KNAIVE THEATRE
TEAM VIKING
TESTOSTERONE
BIN LADEN
Five years ago, James’s best friend was diagnosed with heart cancer and told he had three months to live. His last wish was to be given a full viking burial. This is the remarkable, hilarious and heart-lifting story of how James actually gave his best mate the send-off he wanted. Combining storytelling, comedy and live music, Team Viking won the Vaults Festival Origins Award and was a runaway hit at the 2016 Edinburgh Festival.
With an adoption of a gender comes a history. What’s adolescence like at 33? After his first shot of Testosterone transgender man Kit enters a male gym changing room for the first time. Critically acclaimed Rhum and Clay collaborate with Kit Redstone in this comical coming-of-age quest for masculine identity.
The world’s most notorious terrorist tells his remarkable, provocative, multi-awardwinning story. Rooted in detailed research and achieving a genuine representation of the events which constituted his life, the critically acclaimed Bin Laden: The One Man Show tells the story of Osama Bin Laden from his student days up until 9/11. Bin Laden questions its audience. It sensitively asks them to re-examine their thoughts and feelings on the Bin Laden myth and so look again at the causes and possible solutions to the Middle Eastern conflict.
PulseIpswich @PulseIpswich #pulsepresents #pulse17
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TELL US WHAT YOU THINK! Have your students visited us for an industry day, taken part in one of our many workshops or made a play in a day with us? Have your teachers experienced our Creative Learning Lounges or CPD workshops? Is there anything on your curriculum that could be delivered through creative activity that you’d like help with? In a changing educational climate, we aim to keep our schools offer as relevant as possible and so we are really keen to hear your feedback and suggestions about how we can maintain the most relevant and accessible opportunities for schools. Just get in touch using the details at the back of this brochure!
PLAY DONATION
Give us your texts!
We are constantly in search of old and new plays for our young people to delve into and be inspired by, and potentially make into a full scale production. It’s all hands on deck to make this happen – so can you help us grow our library? If you’ve got any plays that are gathering dust we’d be happy to receive them, no matter what the genre or quantity!
If you think you can help, please drop in your plays to the Box Office any time we are open.
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RAISING ASPIRATIONS £350 for 6 workshops At School KS2-5 A six week project for 6-12 students to develop their confidence and self-belief, and empower them to be motivated & confident in school and in their futures. We will create a safe environment in which students will be encouraged to be themselves, taking time away from the curriculum to explore their concerns, while still at school. Workshops will include both discussion and practical games and theatre exercises that are designed to motivate, challenge and inspire, and allow students to be honest and open about their lives. We will take participants through activities which will encourage them to take small risks in putting themselves forward and, week by week, each small risk taken will result in an increase in confidence.
This has made me more confident when putting my hand up in class Our students have found their voices
LISTENED TO £80 At school KS4-5 A series of workshops which provide a safe space within the formal learning environment for young people who may be struggling with attainment or behavioural issues. Sessions involve discussion around decision making, perceptions and futures, with students having the opportunity to speak openly and in their own vernacular about their school experience, and vent their frustrations in the knowledge that their voices are being heard. At the end of the project a film is made which communicates participants’ points of view, using their own language. An actor from the New Wolsey Theatre Young Company performs a verbatim monologue, directed by participants in the school setting, to be shown to teachers at school.
This project has made me calmer
I don’t feel like I’m being judged
I won’t give up
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STAGE COMBAT £150 At the theatre KS2-5 An energetic and physical workshop designed to uncover the mystery of stage combat, perfect for use in schools plays, GCSE or A Level exam pieces. Learn the techniques of stage fighting from trained professionals who will safely show you the tricks of the trade. Students will have the opportunity to choreograph a short unarmed fight sequence in connection to a piece of text.
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BLOOD, GUTS & GORE £120 At school KS3-5 A brilliantly bloody, fantastically frightful workshop in the art of gory theatrical effects. Students will learn the secret of creating realistic looking wounds, bruises and scars, explore what stage blood tastes like… and get the recipe to make their own! Expect black eyes, bloody noses, terrified passers-by, suspicious looks and loads of fun!
YOUTH THEATRE AND YOUNG COMPANY If you’re under 25 and want to work in the Performing Arts industry, there are all sorts of ways to develop as an actor, director, writer or technician at the New Wolsey Theatre. Every year we hold workshop auditions for children and young people and select up to 200 participants to take part in weekly skills and development sessions, as well as present a number of productions at the New Wolsey Studio and beyond all year round.
Read on to discover the many exciting participation opportunities for young theatre makers at the New Wolsey Theatre!
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YOUTH THEATRE If you want to make new friends and learn all about theatre by playing games and telling stories, our weekly workshops are a great place to start. You’ll even get to perform on the New Wolsey stage as part of the annual Youth Perform! festival.
Our Junior Youth Theatre meets at the weekend to play games and develop their theatre making skills through imaginative play. The Senior Youth Theatre meets during the week to develop their skills and understanding as young theatre makers. For young people with additional or special educational needs, there’s Youth Theatre², where participants can explore theatre making and develop their own creativity. JUNIOR YOUTH THEATRE Ages 7-11 Sat morning workshops 1 annual production
SENIOR YOUTH THEATRE Ages 11-16 Tues or Wed evening workshops 1 annual production YOUTH THEATRE² Ages 11-20 Mon evening workshops 1 annual presentation
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AUDITIONS 2018 JUNIOR YOUTH THEATRE: Sat 6 Jan 2018 SENIOR YOUTH THEATRE: Sat 6 & Sun 7 Jan 2018 YOUNG COMPANY: Sun 7 Jan 2018 YOUTH THEATRE²: Meet the Practitioners: Fri 5 Jan 2018 RELAXED AUDITION: Fri 5 Jan 2018 RELAXED AUDITIONS For anyone interested in joining any of our groups, who may benefit from a calmer environment. Our relaxed audition is the same as the other auditions, but with a lot less people in the room!
YOUNG COMPANY If you’re serious about a career as a professional theatre maker, the acclaimed New Wolsey Young Company is an ideal stepping stone on to the top drama schools, university or even as a direct route into employment in the performing arts. YOUNG COMPANY Ages 16-22 Wed evening workshops 3 annual productions AUDITION: Sun 7 Jan 2018 SHORT COURSES Ages 16-25 We run short courses in Technical/ Stage Management and Writing throughout the year. Places are free but limited, so get in touch to register your interest. YOUNG TECHNICIANS INTENSIVE PROJECT Work with participants on our Big Ideas project to develop technical elements and operate the show. Advanced – you’ll need some experience of technical theatre, and should be ready to be challenged! 27, 28, 29 July
YOUNG WRITERS Are you interested in playwriting for the stage? Learn how to develop narrative, characters and theatrical structure and write your own short play. Intermediate - if you have an active interest in playwriting it will really help! Weekly Sessions: Thu 6.30pm - 9pm 5, 12, 19 Oct / 2, 9, 16 Nov
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If you would like to book or find out more about any of the activities listed here, give us a call or email us using the details below: Sara Jackson
Creative Learning Producer (Maternity Cover) Email: sjackson@wolseytheatre.co.uk Telephone: 01473 295930
NewWolseyTheatre
Marcus Neal
Creative Learning Manager Email: mneal@wolseytheatre.co.uk Telephone: 01473 295930
@NewWolsey #nwtlearning