January started with big plans of our Heroes and Villains dance show, Addams family, summer schools and lots of fundraising. Our dancers were working their hardest to create a new show to showcase at the Tryst Festival in May 2020. We kicked off our new classes in our new studio which started in February, drop in drama and PT tots. Sadly, these classes only ran for a few weeks before we had to put them on hold as the world had a different plan. In March when the world went into lockdown we had to think on our feet and move quickly. We took to zoom to help us keep preparing for Our shows. We had to quickly cancel our PT Dance show which was devastating but looking back it was needed. We went ahead with The Addams family until it also had to be postponed. When we were Pushed off our usual yearly path we had to think out of the box and that’s exactly what the team and young people have done. We have taken to screen like never before. This was something new for us as an organisation but the young people have pushed us to keep going and keep changing as our times have changed. Our team have learned new skills and developed existing skills to still give our young people the change to perform to their potential in what was and continues to be a challenging time. PT Dance braved the elements and took a few of their dance sessions outside to Zetland Park and the kids enjoyed being back together even though it was a very different surrounding. When restrictions allowed,
we managed to run a block of classes back in our studio. We focused on a Panto project for our Youth Theatre and some dance projects for PT Dance. All of these projects had a filmed element which mean we could continue to showcase our work to the community even though our theatres are not accessible. Sadly, at the end of December these classes were moved back online when things sadly had to shut again but we are continuing to find new and unique ways to keep our young people engaged over this difficult time. We had some fundraising attempts this year with dare challenges which saw parents taking part in dance sessions, songs being sung, marshmallows being eaten and other ideas. This brought some much-needed funds to the organisation We hosted an online bingo in June which again was a night full of fun and we raised some much-needed funds. This year has been full of ups and downs and I am really thankful for This time to change our thinking and challenge how we do things. Thank you to our trustees, our team of volunteers, our parents and most importantly our young creatives. Without everyone’s hard work and passion this year we would have found it really difficult. This year has been a challenge and something we want to move on from but I know this has given us the drive to make Project Theatre bigger and better in the future. I have loved seeing the ideas people have come up with and the support and feedback we have had. Thanks to everyone for very little part you have played in helping Us help our young people perform to their potential in what has been a whirlwind year.
In 2020 we adapted in ways we never have before and we did it quicky, safely, creatively and on the whole successfully. As a whole organisation and through our different projects, we actually not only survived but we thrived and innovated in many ways from filming dance outdoors and in boxes to rehearsing, performing and recording singing on zoom to even doing things we’ve never attempted before with an audience never mind without one. We have all been creative both as learners and as teachers, as young people and adults and most importantly we continued to come together to do what we all love and care about. I would like to thank the Board of Trustees very much for all their work and support over the year particularly Zoe for her support, for getting stuck in and hands on as always and in many ways even more from helping to get the Studio ready at the start of the year and then get us Covid-Secure after the Summer. A big thank you of course to the creative and production team for all their ideas, positivity and creativity in adapting ways of working to make sure our young people have felt safe and comfortable but also kept active and challenged. Thankyou to the dedicated volunteer team including our Administrator Anne for all their work behind the scenes in terms of administration, publicity and fundraising to keep things going as much as possible and to keep us organised when it was very difficult to plan in advance often with quickly changing circumstances. There has been a lot of work but a lot of opportunities for me personally to engage and socialise with volunteers more outside of rehearsals and meet parents more particularly at the start of the year in the new studio which I have been grateful for considering now the limitations on social interaction.
There were quite a few understandable disappointments when lockdown came into force but there were many achievements. Some of those achievements were planned for 2020 already and some of which came along as part of the evolving situation. • • • • • • • • • •
Launching Saturday classes with Tots being particularly successful The rebrand of Inov8 Dance to Project Theatre Dance Casting and Rehearsing online for Addams family Launched PT Digital with the @Home hub and Monologues Live Performing at the Tryst online festival via dance videos. Summer Puppet school which we secured funding for and were able to work with external freelance tutors and new participants. We also were featured on BBC Radio Scotland as part of a feature on organisations working creatively during the first wave of the pandemic. The filming of dance and singing videos in homes, across locations and in studio and presented as public performances The panto project where we not only took on a new area and style of performance with a newly written script but a new form of presentation with the green screen technology. The Christmas music and dance collaboration at the same time
Holding our awards on zoom at the end of the year was a great celebration of everyone’s achievements as well. Thank you again for everyone’s hard work and commitment to our organisation which kept us going and growing. I look forward to a likely varied, creative, possibly challenging at times but exciting and productive 2021 with you all!