From Salford 2021

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FEATURES

OUR PHILANTHROPIC IMPACT SALFORD ALUMNI HELP TO FUND HIT THEATRE PROJECT Due to the generosity of our alumni and donors, we were able to support a first-of-its-kind all night theatre production that transported audiences into the hopes and dreams of students living through lockdown, and gained a 4-star review from The Guardian in the process. Commissioned and part-funded by the HOME Response Fund in collaboration with New Adelphi Theatre, the University’s on-campus theatre, Let’s Spend the Night Together was a truly homegrown production. The live-streamed 10-hour performance was streamed as part of the Homemakers series, a new series of commissions inviting artists to create new works at home, for an audience who are also at home. The production was not only created by Salford alumnus James Monaghan as well as featuring Salford students in the cast and crew, it was also part-funded by donations to the University’s Campus Initiatives fund. Our Campus Initiatives fund is entirely funded by alumni, donors and friends of the University, and seeks to provide grants of up to £5,000 to student-centric projects that not only benefit the student experience, but also provide the participants with graduate skills that will enrich their CV and career prospects after graduation. The show provided valuable experience for Salford students, many of whom performed in the show or worked behind the scenes.

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From Saturday night through to Sunday morning, audience members were taken into the homes of a number of students and young people, who confessed their hopes and dreams through the screen in a fusion of improvised and rehearsed pieces. At a time when all attention and energy was focused on the crisis, the performers imagined their futures – from personal ambitions to what the climate and society of tomorrow might look like. Creator James Monaghan spoke about his inspiration for the show: “I think many of us were so occupied with how to deal with the present moment, as everything was uncertain. At the time I received an email from a student saying they wanted advice about entering the industry. Given the current situation, I had no clue what to say. A week later the concept of students imagining the rest of their lives in this period of uncertainty excited me.” James worked alongside the New Adelphi Theatre to offer the opportunity to students to perform in the production. He provided the performers with performative tools and rules to explore in online workshops leading up to the live stream. On the night they used what they had learned in the workshops


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