International Radio Playwriting Competition 2018

Belarus Free Theatre's November Newsletter

Belarus Free Theatre have just returned from Rome and Modena where Red Forestwas performed at the VIE and Le Vie Dei Festivals. 

We are looking forward to the premiere of our next production, Time of Women, in Belarus.

We are excited to announce that we are recruiting a 
COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER to join our team! 

Belarus Free Theatre are looking for an experienced Communications Manager to run all press and marketing campaigns within the company, as well as develop marketing strategy and manage online content for the company and control how the company is represented through all possible channels. As Belarus Free Theatre enter their 10th anniversary year the role of Communications Manager has become crucial. Projects the Communications Manager would work on in 2015 include : a UK tour, a 10th anniversary festival and a concert in solidarity with Belarus.

This is a fantastic opportunity to be part of "one of the most powerful underground companies on the planet" (NY Times, 2013). Working from the Young Vic offices, where Belarus Free Theatre is an associate company, you will be part of a small team creating vital political theatre.
If you are interested in applying, or you know anyone who is, please visit our website to download the full job description and application form HERE!  Deadline: 24th November

The Red Forest Campaign stunt is simple. It involves unfurling a 300m red banner – a symbolic red line against dirty and unsafe forms of energy production.  As with all BFT campaigns there is direct link to Belarus at its heart though the issues are universal, in this case we support the work of a small but tireless group of Belarusian campaigners protesting against the building of an unsafe nuclear power station on the borders of the European Union. 

Securing the Millenium Bridge for our first stunt in London has set the bar high, so Via Alessandrina in Rome, chosen by the organisers of the Festival dei Vei where BFT performed Red Forest this week, was perfect, running past some of the most beautiful ancient, iconic sites in Rome.  There were over 100 people involved in the stunt, and the Minister of Culture from the city council and Rai TV crew came to make a short news feature to be broadcast next week.

At 300 m long – the red line banner is far too long for the cast of Red Forest to carry alone. We invite our audience to join us and crucially we also connect with local campaigning organisations with shared concerns, to give it local significance and to encourage their members to participate in the stunt. So in London and Edinburgh, where we did the stunt during the festival, we worked with anti-fracking campaigners and in Rome we linked up with ASUD’s campaign against Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership.

There is probably no other current issue that threatens environmental rights and safeguards more than TTIP. ASUD was delighted to have this additional platform and brought a crowd of their supporters and volunteers to perform the stunt with the BFT actors. Tatyana Novikova, Belarus Anti-nuclear Campaign articulates the threat TTIP represents to international standards:

"TTIP is a signal for the rest of the world and for the European countries, in particular on the Post-Soviet space, that democracy and environmental standards could be revised and subordinated to the interests of business. This is very dangerous trend, the experience of Fukushima and Chernobyl confirmed that". 

The campaign and the show are called Red Forest because, after the disaster at Chernobyl in 1986, the forest turned red. 70% of Belarus was contaminated.  Please sign our petition and prevent another Chernobyl today.

Price of Money

Price of Money premiered in September 2014 at the Albany Theatre and received a fantastic reception from audience and critics alike. This new production explored the central role of money in our lives, from ancient Greece references to the fractured economy of today. 
 

Hard-hitting, fast paced… a work that is not afraid to pin its political colours to the mast 

– The Public Reviews

 Theatre Bubble

 Financial Times

Time of Women

 
Time of Women is Belarus Free Theatre 's latest production that will premiere at various underground locations in Belarus before Christmas. This brand new play presents the story of three women who are currently being held in a KGB jail after a crackdown on democratic forces in Belarus in 2010. It aims to capture the reality of the interrogation techniques that are used in KGB jails to this day.

Directed by Nicolai Khalezin

Devised and performed by Belarus Free Theatre

COMPANY OF WOLVES: Winter Training 2015, APPLY!

ABOUT US

Ewan is an award-winning director, writer and performer specialising in improvisation, physical and devised theatre. He is joint artistic director of Company of Wolves, and was a member of Poland's renowned Song of the Goat Theatre from 2006-2012 with whom he won both a Fringe First and a Herald Archangel in 2012 for 'Songs of Lear'.

Anna is a performer and musician specialising in voice, movement and song. She works in choral, traditional and improvisational sound and composition, and has trained with Kristin Linklater, Jonathan Hart Makwaia (Roy Hart Theatre), Katie Duck and Alfredo Genovesi. She is joint artistic director of Company of Wolves.Jonathan is a classical actor, improviser, deviser and physical theatre performer, and is a founding member of Company of Wolves. He has taught improvisation and spontaneity since 2012 at Guildhall School of Music and Drama and recently completed one year's training by invitation with Philippe Gaulier in Paris.

WINTER TRAINING 2015

An intensive 6-day physical theatre workshop Led by Ewan Downie, Anna Porubcansky and Jonathan Peck 5-10 January 2015 / 11 – 6pm daily Centre for Contemporary Arts 350 Sauchiehall St. Glasgow G2 3JD Winter Training is a chance for professional  performers and students to immerse  themselves in Company of Wolves' unique  body centred approach to performer training and devising. Based on our experiences in contemporary  improvisation, voice and in Polish laboratory  theatre, our work uses movement, song and  word to investigate the art of performance. Over six days of intense physical, vocal and  energetic training we'll:

• search for ways to be more fully awake and  alive in the moment of performance, and  how to give ourselves fully to our work, our partners and the audience; 

• awaken the impulses and imagination of  invitation with Philippe Gaulier in Paris.

TO APPLY

Write to info@companyofwolves.org.uk and outline briefly why you want to attend Winter Training. 

Please include your name, mobile number, date of birth, training, and performance experience. 

Fee: £240 / £210 early bird discount if deposit received by 10 December 2014

If accepted, a £100 non-refundable deposit is required to secure your place. Winter Training 2015 is delivered with thanks to the CCA, Glasgow.

Winter Training 2015 is delivered with thanks to the CCA, Glasgow.

Cultural Boycott in Edinburgh Fringe

"Kate Wilson" katecwilson

http://www.thestage.co.uk/news/production/2014/07/edinburgh-fringe-show-cancelled-protests/?utm_source=feedly&utm_reader=feedly&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=edinburgh-fringe-show-cancelled-protests

The Incubator Theatre company, which is partly funded by the Israeli government, has had its whole run at the Edinburgh Fringe cancelled after protests disrupted the first preview of its show,writes Thom Dibdin. The City, a “hip hop opera”, had been scheduled to run from July 30 to August 25 at the Underbelly Cowbarn venue in the Reid Hall on Bristo Square.

Following a demonstration at the venue during the show on Wednesday, Underbelly met with the company, the University of Edinburgh, which owns the Reid Hall, and Police Scotland. Announcing that the full run of the show would subsequently be cancelled, a statement from Underbelly said: “The logistics of policing and stewarding the protest around The Reid Hall – and the effect of the disturbance on Underbelly and other venues’ other shows – make it untenable for the show to continue in the Cowbarn, Reid Hall.”

Commenting on the cancellation, a spokesperson for Incubator Theatre told The Stage: “Unfortunately, the demonstration that took place alongside the performance was carefully designed to cause maximum disruption to artists and audiences in surrounding venues and to intimidate members of the public.”

Underbelly had previously voiced its support for the show, saying that while it was utterly appalled by the current situation in Gaza, it believes that all artists, from whatever creed or nation, must have the freedom of expression.

An open letter from more than 50 Scottish cultural figures, including the Makar Liz Lochhead, playwright David Greig and theatre directors Ben Harrison, Graham McLaren and Cora Bissett, was sent to Underbelly on July 18, urging the venue to cancel the show because of its funding from the Israeli Ministry of Culture.

According to Underbelly, Incubator Theatre receives about 20% of its income from the Ministry of Culture, but in the autumn of 2014, will stage Salim Salim with a cast of Israeli and Arab actors.

Underbelly and Incubator are currently looking for an alternative venue in which to stage performances of the show.

Performers Without Borders – Applications for 2015 Tours NOW OPEN! United Kingdom

We are now accepting applications for our 2015 tours and feel that your organisation and network of performers and teachers may be interested in the chance to join PWB.  We would very much appreciate it if you could help us to spread the word and advertise this exciting opportunity in your training space, studios, or via email to any potentially interested parties and your network of contacts.

2015 will be our 7th annual year of tours and we will be looking for volunteers to take 3 teams to visit our 3 projects in Sierra Leone, India and Nicaragua.

You can find more details below and please feel free to email meem@performerswithoutborders.org.uk for any further information or if you have any questions, and if you could let me know that you are happy – or not- to advertise this post through your network, that would also be a great help.

Many Thanks, I look forward to hearing from you

Kind Regards, 

Emily Ball

Call for volunteers

Overseas Performing Arts Practitioner

Location: India, Nicaragua or Sierra Leone

Duration: 2 – 4.5 months months (India 4.5 months, Nicaragua 3 months, Sierra Leone 2 months)

Dates: All start 3rd January 2015, exact dates TBC

Job Description

We are looking for experienced and adventurous volunteers who can perform and teach a range of skills to travel to either India, Nicaragua or Sierra Leone on a PWB tour. Volunteers will be spending up to a month at a time with various groups of disadvantaged children in one of these countries, teaching the children and performing in the local area for various organisations.

To Apply

All candidates must fill out an online application form for this role.

Apply here

About The Organisation

Performers Without Borders (PWB) is a volunteer run charity that believes in the transforming power of learning and performing the arts. We have been running tours of India annually since 2007, and ran our first tour of Nicaragua in 2013.  For more information about PWB.

A PWB Tour

We give volunteers from around the world the opportunity to come together and work with groups of deprived young people in developing countries. We give these young people the chance to learn performance skills, and through this develop their own show to be performed at the end of the month visit.

We aim to build long lasting relationships with the organisations we work with and in the communities we work. We do this through regular visits and on-going work in these groups

A PWB tour consists of:

• a 1-2 week training camp in country to allow you to get acclimatised, put together a show, and finalise the curriculum you will be teaching.

• 1, 2 or 3 projects (depending on tour) with one of our key partners.  These will last approximately one month for each project. These are organisations that work with vulnerable children and young people in the countries we work.

• Regular out-reach projects. These are performances and workshops that last just one or two days.

The tour of Sierra Leone is slightly different as you will be working closely with a group of local performers from our organisation PeWiBo (find our more about PeWiBo).

About The Opportunity

A single tour lasts months, but your commitment to PWB begins once you have been selected. We ask volunteers to be actively involved in fundraising and promoting PWB's work before and after the tour. As a volunteer you will be responsible for fundraising the cost of your tour, putting together a show with the rest of the volunteers and planning a teaching curriculum around your unique skills.

As a group you will also have further responsibilities whilst on tour. These include :

• Finding external groups and organising shows/workshops

• Documenting and reporting back on the tour thorough newsletters and videos

• Managing Budgets

• Buying and cooking your own food

• Managing transport logistics

• Supporting the development of your team mates

• Organising 'rest' days and activities

• E
nsuring the health and well-being of other team members

• Reviewing your daily / monthly activities

All accommodation on your tour will be organised centrally by PWB. Costs for meals, accommodation and transport will be covered by your initial contribution to PWB, but it will be up to you as a team to manage these budgets whilst on-tour, following the PWB guidelines.

The contribution you will required to make will be:

• India 2015: £600
• Nicaragua 2015: £800
• Sierra Leone 2015: £450

This contribution is non refundable.

Selection Process

You must complete an application form which requires you to link to a supporting video.  If we think you might have what it takes to tour with PWB we will invite you to a video call interview and contact your personal reference.  We will then assess you against the other applicants and may invite you to join a tour.  We aim to have the selection process completed by the middle of September.

Tour Dates

Tours begin on the 3rd January 2015, and last from early March until the middle of May (depending on tour).

About You

PWB candidates should demonstrate the following;

Essential

• A mid to high level of skill in one or more circus skill or performance art

• Experience teaching to mixed groups of children and young people

• Experience of creating and performing shows

Desirable

• Experience living/volunteering overseas

• Experience of working in a team/touring

• Experience of coordinating travel logistics

• Experience of creating/editing short videos

• Experience writing blogs/social media

• Mid to high level skills in 3 or more circus / performance arts.

• Experience in working with multiple partner organisations.

To Apply

All candidates must fill out an online application form for this role.

Apply here

British Council: Arts USA Bulletin

June 2014 

Upcoming British Council Events

Showcasing Art Form Innovation

Rapid Pulse International Performance Art Festival

June 5-8 and 12-15:  Defibrillator Gallery, Chicago

We are pleased to support three highly influential British artists who will represent the UK in the Rapid Pulse International Performance Art Festival: Alistair McLennon, Kira O'Reilly (last seen in NYC in The Life and Death of Marina Abramović) and Manuel Vason.

Vocamotive Choir- "And Death Shall Have No Dominion" 

June 21: New York City

As part of River to River Festival and Make Music New York, British composerPete Wyer creates a synchronized (via mobile app), join-in choral convergence in the streets of Lower Manhattan based on the Dylan Thomas poem, "And Death Shall Have No Dominion." Hear more about it Friday May 30thon WNYC's Soundcheck with John Schaefer.  Learn More

 Arts and Global Issues

Two theater productions featured in the 2013 British Council Edinburgh Showcase make their US premiere: 

GROUNDED  

June 10-29: at Studio Theatre in Washington DC

When a top F16 fighter pilot becomes pregnant, she is re-assigned as a remote control drone operator in a trailer outside of Las Vegas. "The beauty of (George) Brant's slippery script and Christopher Haydon's uncompromising production is the way they confront the audience: we are both witness and spying eye; we cannot escape being implicated in the debate about moral responsibility.. a searing piece of writing, and (it) gets the blistering performance it deserves from Lucy Ellinson." -Lyn Gardner of The Guardian. Produced by London's Gate Theatre.

The program includes 3 panel discussions to address remote warfare and mental health, drone policy, and the artists' experience creating this play. 

THE EVENTS

June 24-28, Oct 1-20

• Arts & Ideas Festival, New Haven, CT June 24-28 with panel event on June 27 
• Wexner Art Center, Columbus, OH Oct 1-5 (program forthcoming)
• Annenberg Center, Philadelphia, PA Oct 6-20(program forthcoming)

A community choir has tragically been the target of a mass shooting, and in the aftermath their priest explores how far forgiveness will stretch in the face of atrocity through a test of the limits of empathy and a journey that takes her to the edge of reason, science, politics and faith. Featuring a different local community choir in each performance that is integrated in the production. Playwright David Greig, commissioned by actors Touring Company.

We will be working with our partners to create bespoke public programs to expand the discourse on these issues as they are relevant to each community including panel events exploring issues of reconciliation, xenophobia, mental health and violence, vulnerability and security. Learn More

Opportunities for Presenters

Just Like a Woman

photo courtesy of George Chakravarthi,

Attention performance presenters interested in representations of gender!  Just Like a Woman is a program of lectures, shows, readings, installations, screenings, workshops and debates looking at 

the performance of identity –  the ways femininity can be 'performed' and representations of gender can be queered through performance.  

Just Like A Woman features an exciting array of established and emergent UK based artists-women performing women, women performing men, men performing women and artists who go beyond ideas of gender altogether. Participating artists are Lois Weaver, George Chakravarthi, The Girls, Dickie Beau, Nando Messias, Laura Bridgeman & Serge Nicholson, Lucy Hutson and David Hoyle.  

Relaxed Performances (see Stuff.. below)

Stuff We're Chuffed* About

Partnership with Abron's Arts Center-

Lingering ideas from Beauty and the Beast and Access All Areas:

Matt Fraser's brilliant improvised manifesto  took us all by surprise and got us thinking in new radical ways about "Disability Arts" and art and disability.

One of the highlights was learning about Relaxed Performances, which accommodate audiences with autism or learning or sensory disabilities. See how theNational Theatre and the RSC have adopted this policy, and if you are a US performance presenter looking to expand audience access in this way, please register your interest for inclusion in a US initiative.

British Council Art Exhibition

Did you know that the British Council manages a public art collection of over 8,000 works? 

 A multi-media selection of those works – ranging from a Mark Titchner light
-box to a Tracey Emin t-shirt and a Damien Hirst series- are on exhibition at the British Consulate, home of the British Council office in New York City. A free publicationshows the works and gives further information on each of the represented artists.

 *"chuffed" = British for "pleased as punch"

About Us 

Our US arts office, based in New York City, connects British and American arts professionals by offering information, providing resources and promoting opportunities for Americans to experience new British work. The British Council receives a small amount of its budget as a UK government grant, with the majority of our funding coming from partnerships. We are not a traditional granting organization that accepts unsolicited applications, but instead we encourage cooperation between British and American arts professionals through strategic partnerships which we support and/or facilitate. Learn more.