The Little Mermaid, 2017 Photo: Nick Spratling
The Egg Theatre & Theatre Royal Bath Creative Learning 2018 - 2021
‘If you want to find the good quality work coming out of England, you just have to go to the egg’ Tony Reekie, Imaginate, Edinburgh. Josephine, 2016 Photo: Nick Spratling
CONTENTS 5
MISSION STATEMENT
7
CORE BELIEFS
9
OVERVIEW
11
STRUCTURE
13
CREATIVE OBJECTIVES
22
THE EGG AND TRB CREATIVE LEARNING AUDIENCE
24
PROMOTING RESILIENCE
26
MARKETING
27
DIVERSITY
Moominland, 2013 Photo: Nick Spratling
MISSION STATEMENT The egg theatre’s mission is to produce and present high quality theatrical experiences for children and young people.
Getting There, 2017 Photo: Jack Offord
CORE BELIEFS 1.
The egg believes that theatre for children is just as important and varied as theatre for adults.
2.
We adopt an uncompromising attitude to quality and seek out exceptional theatre.
3.
We recognise the creative potential of all people, young and old, and encourage it to thrive.
4.
We embrace the differences and similarities between watching theatre and doing drama so that they manifest as symbiotically related to one another.
5.
We deliver a diverse programme and make our building accessible to all.
6.
The egg has both a local and national remit in supporting and developing children’s arts.
Robin Hood, 2016 Photo: Nick Spratling
OVERVIEW The egg theatre has established itself at the very forefront of professional theatre for children and young people in the UK. Artists wishing to make the best new theatre for children come to the egg, venues wanting to know what they should be programming for children and families look to the egg, and tens of thousands of young people every year enjoy visiting the egg theatre and participating in our arts activities. The egg produces, presents and tours outstanding work for children and young people. An uncompromising attitude to quality and artistic process are core in our approach to all activity. Through our Incubator we give talented artists the time, space and expert support needed to develop exceptional new ideas, and through our national showcase we present these ideas to the World, giving them the platform to take flight. The egg’s work in education includes pioneering approaches to teaching such as School Without Walls. We maintain close relationships with many local primary and secondary schools. We have a formal partnership with Bath Spa University that includes offering teaching, placements and co-designing programmes of learning. In 2017 the egg also commenced direct delivery of a Level 3 Performing Arts course in partnership with Bath College. The egg encourages young people to explore jobs in the arts through apprenticeships and work placements, and provides opportunities to hundreds of young people each year. It remains a challenging time for the arts and a time when children's arts in particular is vulnerable to being overlooked and de-prioritised. The egg is committed to expending every ounce of energy and resource to prevent this happening, and to ensuring that children and young people are as fairly served with high quality arts opportunities as everyone else.
The Hound of the Baskervilles 2016 Photo: Camilla Adams
STRUCTURE The egg theatre consists of several departments. They are: Creative Learning
Work with early years, schools, colleges and community outreach partners.
TheatreSchool
Youth theatre sessions and productions.
Incubator
Theatre for Young Audiences Artist Development Strand.
Engage
Adult Creative Learning opportunities and University links.
The egg
The core programme of productions and customer services.
Egg Productions
Plays created and produced at the egg and in the egg or on tour.
Egg CafĂŠ
A family friendly cafĂŠ on the ground floor of the egg theatre.
The egg theatre also benefits from the support and expertise of staff and volunteers across Theatre Royal Bath. This includes Development, Finance, Marketing, and Building Maintenance.
‘Bea Roberts’ highly original and deliciously quirky take on The Little Mermaid at the Egg in Bath knocks both Hans Christian Andersen and Disney out of the ocean’ Lyn Gardner, The Guardian, 2017.
Little Mermaid, 2017 Photo: Nick Spratling
CREATIVE OBJECTIVES 1. To enable original and profound work to be made for young audiences. 2. To ensure all children, young people and adults are offered a curated opportunity to watch plays, take part in the arts and be artists. 3. To make the arts happen in the formal and informal education sector. 4. To demonstrate the possibility of a career in the arts and ensure the egg theatre plays an active role in providing industry focus in higher education.
The egg aspires to create high quality art and asks ‘who gets to make the best art?’
Muckers, 2017 Photo: Nick Spratling
OBJECTIVE 1 To enable original and profound work to be made for young audiences. The egg will nurture creativity by placing artists in extraordinary settings with extraordinary people from a range of art forms, away from the pressures of everyday life. This will foster creative thought, philosophical thinking, innovation, aspiration, and diverse focus. The egg will create communities of adult/young adult, professional/non-professional creative learners through year round programmes of activity. The egg will drive the Incubator Showcase’s reputation as a meeting place of quality-aspiring professionals, defining the egg as a home for quality art and new ideas. The egg will place itself at the cutting edge of the best quality work being made in England, and in so doing, continue to produce and tour a portfolio of productions.
The egg will seek ways to broaden the Theatre School’s demographic and diversify the artistic conversation. The egg will document its work and build up a body of evidence which disrupts perceived wisdoms of how to make great art. The egg will explore the potential to host PhD research and create research partnerships.
The egg will support a community of artists through our Associate Artist programme. The egg will attach two egg staff to the boards of local arts or community organisations to share and gain knowledge about our respective fields of interest. The egg will garner media coverage to grow the conversation and gain a national profile.
Underlying Imperatives: To make the egg a place where you have experiences you could not have anywhere else. To define theatre for a young audience, to invent it and reinvent it. To keep up with our ever-changing audience. To share this beyond Bath.
‘Great art’ can be participatory or non-participatory. Legend of Sleepy Hollow, 2017 Photo: Jack Offord
OBJECTIVE 2 To ensure all children, young people and adults are offered a curated opportunity to watch plays, take part in the arts and be artists. The egg will present a diverse year-round programme of high quality productions, including, home-grown egg productions, according to the egg’s Programming Policy.
The egg will continue to run high quality and bespoke arts programmes for the families associated with Charlton Farm Hospice and seek to ensure sustainability.
The egg will present a year-round programme of participatory, instructive and professional experiences not available elsewhere for adults and young people.
The egg will run the Theatre School at capacity to include sessions and productions across all three auditoria.
The egg will support the creative development of Curious Things and Curious Tales, an early years’ creative programme, and present regularly throughout the year.
The egg will run summer schools and one-off skills sessions for new members, hard to reach people and outreach groups such as young carers, BFESG, Mentoring Plus, NEETS, Action on Hearing Loss, Age UK, Julian House and St John’s Hospice. (Funding Dependent)
The egg will provide regular opportunities for children to perform in the egg including, but not exclusively, the Nativity Project, National Connections, Heritage Lottery Funded school plays, ‘on demand’ and hires. Underlying imperative: Consistent audience base. Sustainable business model. Delivery of core business.
The egg and TRB Creative Learning can use their unique and privileged position at the heart of Theatre Royal Bath and the City of Bath to become thoughtleaders for the sector and catalysts for change.
Start Hospices Project, 2017 Photo: Jack Offord
OBJECTIVE 3 To make the arts happen in the formal and informal education sector. The Egg will deliver a Level 3 Performing and Production Arts Extended Diploma (UAL) in partnership with Bath College and achieve 80%+ pass rate. The egg will make well-being the focus of its work with schools, offering activities that support the physical, mental, social and creative well-being of young people. The egg will continue to host School Without Walls by identifying impact, disseminating, and continuing to explore the role of the egg in school life. The egg will stage strategic meetings that include the Cultural Learning Alliance and Ofsted, investigating a positive intersection between schools and the egg. The egg will make contact with local Multi Academy Trusts and identify allies. It will cultivate relationships with 3 new secondary heads, and 5 new primary heads. The egg will access School Improvement Plans and codevise actions that demonstrate how the egg can support schools to achieve strategic outcomes.
The egg will draft proposals to Nursery, Primary and Secondary Schools to become Egg Associate Schools, enabling school-children to engage through regular theatre trips and performance projects. The egg will support 3 schools to obtain Artsmark. The egg will be a partner in the Bath Cultural Education Partnership and the Bath Cultural Education Trust. The egg will designate Key Stage leads across the Creative Learning Department with specialisms in: 1) Foundation and KS1 2) KS2 and 3 3) KS4 and 5. The egg will deliver CPDL for teachers and schools including an annual masterclass programme led by industry known/leading practitioners and companies. The egg will maintain the relationship with Bath Spa University providing learning, jointly-funded project work and career advancement opportunities.
Underlying Imperatives: Understanding our audience so that we can programme effectively, become thought leaders and experts in our field, maintain credibility and build trust and loyalty, navigating our way between what we think is right for the children and what we think is right for ‘schools’.
‘Against a backdrop of uncertainty, economic turmoil and unprecedented change, a new picture is emerging of the skills and traits for success in the modern era. At the heart of this essential skillset for the future lies creativity’ Dr Mark Batey Junior Apprentice Project, 2016 Photo: Nick Spratling
OBJECTIVE 4 To demonstrate the possibility of a career in the arts and ensure the egg plays an active role in providing industry focus in higher education. The egg will continue to run Junior Apprentices (work experience) for 1 week each year and will ensure that those attending continue to engage with the egg.
The egg will run a year-round programme of curriculum-linked placements for University students across different disciplines of theatre production.
The egg will deliver Arts Award across all areas of the egg’s work, TheatreSchool, Bath Academy, Summer Schools.
The egg will run an annual industry day.
The egg will maintain training, lecturing, industry and research links with Bath Spa University, on the BAs in Acting, Drama, Theatre Production, Creative Producing and associated programmes; the PGCEs in Primary and Secondary Art and Drama, and the MA in TYA.
The egg will share its specialist industry knowledge to aid careers development: offer audition opportunities, access to mentoring, TRB personnel and theatre resources for children and adults. The egg will grow its volunteer programme to broaden engagement opportunities for local adults.
The egg will develop BA TYA module on a new BA in Applied Theatre Practice at Coventry University.
Underlying Imperatives: easy-to-understand, value-added packages that will attract audiences across all our programmes.
AYESHA SAM ALICE JIM LAUREN MS PATEL TOM
Ayesha is 5 years old and she loves to perform: she also loves mermaids and Disney. She has joined the TheatreSchool because she kept pestering her parents to let her and she comes to see lots of shows.
Sam is a millennial. She has two children aged 18 months and 7. She likes to get them out of the house as much as she can and to provide meaningful experiences for them. Alice is a graduate in performing arts who is forging a career in the theatre industry. She is interested in making work for a young audience.
Jim is a local guitar teacher who likes to take part in drama and participatory activities in his spare time. He visits the theatre, liking anything from musicals to cutting edge contemporary new writing. He likes to get his teeth into some meaty text himself and tread the boards. Lauren is a 16 year old student. She has been advised by her English teacher to see as much ‘text in performance’ as she can. She can see four plays at the egg for the price of one at other venues. Ms Patel is Head Teacher of a local primary. The school has very little money, but she allots a portion of Pupil Premium funding to take each year group to see a play at the egg.
Tom is a programmer at a rural Arts Centre (NPO). He's been told by the Arts Council that he has to prioritise Young People. He has no idea how to do this so he borrows ideas from venues who do it well. He might only come to the egg once a year, but he's on the mailing list and reads the programme religiously.
Promoting Resilience The egg will seek mutually supportive, financially and creatively beneficial collaborations with artists, arts organisations and external companies.
The egg will remount and tour existing productions to bring in income, e.g. Snow Mouse, One Item Only, and Little Mermaid.
The egg will review pricing strategies to strike the appropriate balance of income generation and value for money.
The egg will explore new activity models including using the TheatreSchool to deliver productions for family audiences.
The egg will continue with its hires policy where possible. The egg will develop a Volunteer Policy, database and appoint a Volunteer Coordinator.
The egg will explore the possibility of launching the Egg Consultancy – offering mentoring, artistic, dramaturgical, marketing and creative learning advice.
Can You See Me, 2016 Photo: Nick Spratling
Potential Trust/ Fund Income
Service Level Agreements
Maintain relationship with Paul Hamlyn
The egg will continue its relationship with Bath Academy
Return to Andrew Lloyd Webber Foundation
The egg will continue its partnership with Bath Spa University
Legacy of Margot Boyd – secure longevity of Engage
The egg will seek to deliver mission-related work with other
Esmee Fairbairn – consider next application Leverhulme Trust – consider next Incubator application Start – Princes Trust Investigate Creative and Cultural Skills Council. Investigate Babylab/Wellcome Trust/Research Investigate Children in Need and Comic Relief
Potential Public Grants
institutions, including Coventry University - 2021
The egg will continue to deliver projects with local charities including Mentoring Plus, Young Carers.
The egg will continue to sub-contract the running of the Cafe
Sponsorships/Individual Giving The egg theatre will seek to generate income through sponsorship agreements with companies. Products that may be sponsored include:
Grants for the Arts
Egg Productions
Seasons of work
British Council/European Funding
Schools activity
TheatreSchool
Real Ideas Organisation
Curious Things (Early Years/ Pre-school activity)
NPO status for BCEP Heritage Lottery Fund Bath & North East Somerset commissioning activity
The egg theatre will seek thoughtful and proportionate voluntary support from its audiences.
The egg will explore new fundraising techniques, such as crowdfunding, to raise money for projects where appropriate.
Marketing Theatre school to run an annual Open Evening. Theatre School to run an Awards ceremony. Maintain and develop schools database and effective distribution to schools.
Maintain egg presence in BANES schools newsletters. Continue with brochure drop.
Exploit the relaunch of the egg café as an opportunity to gain new audiences
Add industry-related events to egg performances as value added for secondary schools.
Continue to get the egg profiled nationally, via egg Productions and relationship with new PR Consultant
Become acquainted with the new ticketing system and draw down key data about our audiences
Communicate the strength of our intergenerational offer Simplify our language and branding. Develop the FOH experience Enact regular audience consultations using questionnaires and surveys, as well as less formal, quantitative consultations and focus groups.
Diversity
When contracting freelancers all staff will challenge the choices they are making and seek to diversify their workforce.
The egg will hold regular CPD for freelancers and staff, with a view to diversifying the workforce.
When we contract freelance directors, we will make it a condition of employment that they must address diversity across all their creative team and casting choices.
We will identify and embrace schemes such as RTYDS so that we can develop the workforce, locally and for a national remit.
Our public-facing operations will welcome a more diverse audience by: a) employing a representative cohort of front of house staff, receptionists, workshop assistants; b) training all frontline staff in enough BSL to welcome d/deaf customers; c) ensure website and brochure material is representative of the inclusive society we wish to live in.
The egg will diversify artists, products and audiences across all programmes of activity, not just single events.
There will be at least two relaxed performances each season.
We will create a volunteer scheme, which, whilst promoting access also breaks down barriers between social groupings, as they occur in relation to protected characteristics.
We will develop links with the Job centre, Career Connect and other to explore how the egg/Engage can serve NEETS.
With thanks to:
the egg theatre Theatre Royal Bath Sawclose Bath BA1 1ET Tel: 01225 823409 Box Office: 01225 448844 Email: egg.reception@theatreroyal.org.uk www.theatreroyal.org.uk/the-egg Twitter: @theeggbath A company limited by guarantee registered in England and Wales (number 1416448) and a registered charity (number 277723)