See Me, Hear Me with Priestley Smith School

See me, Hear Me is an exciting new project which will bring together the students of Priestley Smith School for the Visually Impaired with members of their neighbouring communities. Priestly Smith and W&T have built a strong partnership through our previous project, Tuned In, and we are very happy to be working with them once again. See Me Hear Me responds to Priestly Smith School’s desire to make genuine connections with the local community, as the majority of the school’s pupils and staff live out of the area. The project has been designed so that staff, pupils, and community members work together around a shared community interest, to build empathy and create sustainable relationships.

Students will work with W&T to create an original theatre script, developed through creative research, using online resources, local archives, and interviews with members of the local community to uncover the story of the school. The final play will be performed at Perry Beeches Junior School for the local community, pupils of other schools, staff and parents. There will also be a creative exhibition of word and image to accompany the theatre performances.

By encouraging interaction and sharing between the school community and the wider community, See Me, Hear Me is a wonderful opportunity to strengthen community relations and arts participation, bring sighted and visually impaired people together and develop creative skills, as well as create an original piece of high quality theatre.

Posted: December 17, 2010 in Announcements, Theatre, news
Tags: Announcements, disability, Education, news
Comments: 0 comments

Gay Birmingham Back to Back – New project for 2011

W&T are working in partnership with Birmingham LGBT Community Trust to create Gay Birmingham Back to Back, an exciting new LGBT history project, about the lives of four real life historical people from Birmingham. The project will research the lives of four LGBT people from Birmingham’s past. Researching as far back as the 1850s up until the 1970s the project will look at the social, political and personal circumstances of LGBT people in these time periods. W&T will then develop this research into theatrical performances which will take place at the Back to Back Houses on Hurst Street as part of the 2011 SHOUT Festival.

Birmingham LGBT Community Trust are currently seeking volunteers to help gather the research, and if you are interested in volunteering please contact hiddenlives@blgbt.org.

Supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund.

Posted: in Announcements, news
Tags: Announcements, Birmingham, Community, History, LGBT, New Commissions, news, Partnerships
Comments: 0 comments

Stanhope Community Comedy Evening

Local men from Highgate perform their own stand-up comedy
Hosted by Mrs Barbara Nice

Wednesday 8th December 2010 at 7.30pm
Stanhope Hall Community Centre, Ketley Croft, Highgate, B12 0XG

Free for all ages, curry and refreshments included!

After the success of the Stanhope Women’s Comedy Night and the Stanhope Young People’s Comedy Night, the men are at it too!

This special comedy evening features stand-up from a group of Highgate men who have been taking part in a comedy course with Barbara Nice (of Coronation Street and Phoenix Nights fame).

Come and join us for a night of laughter and fun – Featuring new local acts and the hilarious Steve Day to round it all off!

‘A great night-well worth it!’
‘This was a good, fun packed evening. It should happen again. The food was good too!’

Please find a map below; Stanhope Hall is on the corner of Emily Street and Ketley Croft:

View Larger Map

This project has been funded through the Heart of Birmingham Teaching Primary Care Trust’s Mental Health Grants Programme 2009-10 and supported by the Digbeth Trust.

Posted: December 3, 2010 in Announcements, Community, Projects, Uncategorized, news
Tags: Announcements, Barbara Nice, Comedy, Community, highgate, news, Stanhope
Comments: 1 comment

See Me, Hear Me – Local Research

Following the success of Tuned In, Women and Theatre are currently working in collaboration with visually-impaired children from Priestley Smith School on Beeches Road, Perry Barr. Our aim is to bring together the students with members of the neighbouring communities to build strong links and relationships where there have previously been none. The students will then work with us to create an original piece of theatre titled See Me, Hear Me to be performed at the school in March 2011 (dates TBC). There will also be a creative exhibition of word, sound and image on show at the school to accompany the performances.

The project offers local residents the opportunity to visit Priestley Smith School and find out more about what happens there. It will also benefit wider community audiences by enabling them to see a high quality theatre performance about a subject matter they can relate to.

All of our plays and programmes are rooted in the experiences of real people, and so every project begins with a period of research, at the heart of which is talking to people about their experiences.

This is where we need your help!

We are looking for local residents to share with us their stories, memories and tales of the people and history involving Perry Barr – Particularly the Perry Beeches/Priestley Smith School site, Beeches Road, and the surrounding local area. This is a genuine opportunity for sharing and strengthening local community relationships, and our findings will form part of the creative exhibition at the school.

To be part of this valuable research, please contact Pippa/Bianca/Terina by phone, e-mail or post.

Women & Theatre
The Friends Institute, 220 Moseley Road, Highgate,
Birmingham B12 0DG

Tel: 0121 440 4203
Fax: 0121 446 4280
Email: biancaprentice@womenandtheatre.co.uk

Posted: November 19, 2010 in Announcements, Community, Education, Projects, Theatre, Uncategorized, news
Tags: Announcements, news, perry barr, priestley smith school, see me hear me, tuned in
Comments: 0 comments

Become part of our Community Cast for The Palace of Wasted Dreams! Development weekend 6th & 7th November

Community Cast – now recruiting!

The Palace of Wasted Dreams is the culmination of a two-year project called Wasted, a new participatory musical theatre project exploring and giving voice to women’s relationship with alcohol. Non-drinkers very welcome! The Palace of Wasted Dreams will take place at the Mac in spring 2011.

How can you get involved?
We are recruiting volunteer performers who will learn and perform new songs, be part of scenes, and work alongside professional actors to make up the cast of The Palace of Wasted Dreams. That means if you like singing or acting or both this would be a great project for you – everyone is welcome (16+) no experience necessary!

We’d also like help in other aspects – costume, set building, spreading the word and helping coordinate. So if you don’t fancy being on stage – but you do want to get involved in other aspects do get in touch.

Dates for the Diary

Development Weekend – Saturday 6th November and Sunday 7th November 2010, @ mac, Cannon Hill Park, Birmingham, 11am – 4pm
To find out if this is for you come along and learn more about the project. During the weekend we’ll be sharing scenes already developed, learning some of the songs and finding out more about the project. By the end of the weekend we’ll be looking for people to sign up to be part of the cast. Please dress in comfortable clothing.
THIS IS NOT AN AUDITION – there’s no criteria to be part of the project.

Rehearsals:
If you do want to be part of the project then it’s important you’re able to commit to the rehearsal and performance dates below.

Week One
Wednesday 19th January – 7.00pm – 9.30pm
Thursday 20th January – 7.00pm – 9.30pm

Week Two
Wednesday 26th January – 7.00pm – 9.30pm
Thursday 27th January – 7.00pm – 9.30pm
Saturday 29th January – 11.00am – 4.00pm
Sunday 30th January – 11.00am – 4.00pm

Week Three
Tuesday 1st February – 6.30pm onwards for tech rehearsals
Wednesday 2nd February – 6.30pm onwards for dress rehearsal

Performances Dates:
3rd, 4th, 5th February and 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th February

What Next?
Let us know you’re coming to the Development Weekend – and we’ll look forward to meeting you properly then and sharing The Palace of Wasted Dreams with you! Please contact Bianca Prentice on 0121 440 4203 or email biancaprentice@womenandtheatre.co.uk with queries or to let us know you’re coming on the Development Weekend.

Posted: November 1, 2010 in Uncategorized
Tags: Alcohol, Announcements, Community, news, Performance opportunity, Wasted, young people
Comments: 0 comments

Highgate Community Comedy Evening on Thursday 28th October

Local Young People from Highgate performing their own stand-up comedy
Hosted by Mrs Barbara Nice
Thursday 28th October at 6.30pm
At Stanhope Hall Community Centre, Ketley Croft, Highgate, B12 0XG

Free, for all ages, curry and refreshments included

Have a laugh at this great local night out! This special comedy evening features stand-up from a group of Highgate young people who have been taking part in a comedy course with Mrs Barbara Nice (of Coronation Street and Phoenix Nights fame. Come and support them as they share their newfound skills alongside host Barbara Nice and headline act Joe Lycett, winner of Chortle’s Best Newcomer Award 2010.

Just check out some of the feedback for our last comedy evening:
“Very wicked! Loved it and would like to see more of it!”
“I had a ball- tonight was brilliant!”

Please find a map below; Stanhope Hall is on the corner of Emily Street and Ketley Croft:

View Larger Map

This project has been funded through the Heart of Birmingham Teaching Primary Care Trust’s Mental Health Grants Programme 2009-10 and supported by the Digbeth Trust.

Posted: October 26, 2010 in Announcements, news
Tags: Announcements, Barbara Nice, Comedy, Community, news, young people
Comments: 0 comments

Barbara Nice & Gals at mac on 3rd October – SOLD OUT!

Barbara Nice & Gals
Sunday 3rd October at 7pm
at mac, Cannon Hill Park, Birmingham

Women & Theatre invite you to join us for a comic feast hosted by everyone’s favourite Kings Heath housewife and mother of five, Mrs Barbara Nice. She presents a friendly and hilarious night of laughter from a high quality pick and mix of the nation’s funniest women. All proceeds go to support our new project, Wasted.

Susan Calman has proved herself a force to be reckoned with from her first gig in Glasgow in 2005 to rave reviews in Edinburgh. “A wee lassie with a big future” (The List)
Francesca Martinez, one of The Observer’s 50 funniest acts in British comedy, “may be wobbly, but never the jokes” (The Stage)
Isma Almas is a promising newcomer with incisive, “fantastic material. She left everyone in her slipstream” (Chortle).
All-female sketch group Lady Garden are “One of the funniest, clever and sexy new sketch groups around” (Time Out) with their rapier-sharp wit.
Barbara Nice, described as “a hybrid between Mrs Merton and Victoria Wood” (The Times), Barbara Nice “doesn’t just blur the gap between audience and performer, she obliterates it” (Edinburgh Evening News)

All proceeds go to Women & Theatre (B’ham) Ltd. Registered in England & Wales No. 1998448; Registered Charity No. 518580.

Tickets are £12 (£9 concession), available from mac on 0121 446 3232 or online at www.macarts.co.uk

Posted: September 21, 2010 in Announcements, news
Tags: Alcohol, Announcements, Barbara Nice, Comedy, mac, news, Wasted
Comments: 1 comment

Wasted: Second Summer School starting on Monday 23rd August

The second of our two Wasted summer schools is fast approaching, so book now! The first was a great success, just check out some of the lovely feedback:

An excellent course, that I will never forget.

This course has really enabled me to be myself and voice my opinions to a group of wonderful adults, but still feel like an equal and as though I am respected for being me.

Our exciting new project, Wasted will be an interactive, experiential new piece of participatory musical theatre, which explores and gives voice to women’s changing and complex relationship with alcohol.

During the week long inter-generational summer school, we will work with community participants, creating material that will inform the final performance. The group will respond to some of our research material about women & alcohol, contribute ideas, explore their own stories and devise drama scenes and characters. Together, we will create scenes, informal theatre moments and short films to present in and around mac. There will also be opportunities to stay involved with Wasted and perhaps contribute to the final production!

The workshop week will be led by core Women & Theatre member Janice Connolly.

Book now to reserve your place. Non drinkers very welcome!

Mon 23 – Fri 27 Aug
10am-4pm in the lovely new Foyle Studio at mac
Fee: £50 (£40 conc)
Please note that this course is for women only, age 16 plus

To book call mac on 0121 446 3232 or visit

Posted: August 13, 2010 in Uncategorized
Tags: Alcohol, Announcements, Courses, news, Participation, Wasted
Comments: 0 comments

Waitrose and Twitter: what we’re up to at the moment!

Shop at Waitrose in Hall Green this month and support Women & Theatre!
Women & Theatre has been chosen for Waitrose’s ‘Community Matters’ initiative in August! The scheme allocates £1,000 a month to each of Waitrose’s 190 branches to distribute amongst three local community projects. Shoppers then get to help decide how the sum is divided amongst the three selected organisations. They will be given a token at the checkout, which they can place in one of three boxes at the store exit, each allocated to a different cause. The amount a cause receives is directly proportional to the number of tokens they receive from customers.

So here’s an excuse to shop at Waitrose over the summer – you’ll be helping us out!

Women & Theatre on Twitter
Yes, we have given in. We’ve joined the world of Twitter, and will be posting tweets from now on. Follow us to hear what we’re up to, especially on our exciting new project, Wasted, in nice bite-size bits of 140 characters!

Posted: August 5, 2010 in Announcements, news
Tags: Announcements, Funding, news, Twitter, Waitrose
Comments: 0 comments

Stanhope Community Comedy Club – Wednesday 7th July 2010, 6.30pm

Hosted by Mrs Barbara Nice
Wednesday 7th July at 6.30pm
At Stanhope Hall Community Centre
Curry and refreshments served
Free, for Age 16+

Have a laugh at this great local night out! This special comedy evening features stand-up from a group of Highgate women who have been taking part in a comedy course with Mrs Barbara Nice. Come and support them as they share their newfound skills along with professional comedians!

Annette Fagon is a loud comedy newcomer, making fast progress on the UK comedy circuit by talking about everything from hoodies and mobile phone habits to Beyonce’s mental state.
Best Newcomer at the 2006 BECA Awards and Midlands Stand Up Runner up 2007.
”With this sort of retro observational comedy, she’s just like Peter Kay would be – well, if he were female, black and from Leicester” Chortle

Barbara Nice: is everyone’s favourite Kings Heath housewife and mother of five, with a comedy style described as a hybrid between Mrs Merton and Victoria Wood. She is the comedy creation of Women & Theatre’s Artistic Director Janice Connolly. Janice has also been seen on TV in Peter Kay’s Phoenix Nights, Max & Paddy, Thin Ice and Coronation Street.
“As hilarious as it is possible to get” The Scotsman, ***** The Independent

This project has been funded through the Heart of Birmingham Teaching Primary Care Trust’s Mental Health Grants Programme 2009-10 and suported by the Digbeth Trust.

View Larger Map“>Map to Stanhope Hall

Posted: July 2, 2010 in Announcements, news
Tags: announements, Barbara Nice, Comedy, Community, news
Comments: 1 comment