Wasted Summer Schools at mac – book now!

Wasted logo
Women & Theatre are holding two Summer Schools at mac in July and August, which are two fantastic chances to get involved with our exciting new project, Wasted. Wasted will be an interactive, experiential new piece of participatory musical theatre, which explores and gives voice to women’s relationship with alcohol. Wasted is being produced in association with mac, and will be performed in February 2011.

Whether it’s teenage girls binge drinking illicitly, women in their 20s and 30s drinking as part of their busy social lives and careers, or older women drinking more at home, alcohol has become a greater part of women’s lives over the past half century. (Drinkaware)

During each 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 weeks will be led by core Women & Theatre members Janice Connolly and Terina Talbot.

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

Mon 26 – Fri 30 Jul
Mon 23 – Fri 27 Aug
10am-4pm in the lovely new Foyle Studio at mac
Fee: £50 (£40 conc) a week
Please note that this course is for women only. We welcome all ages from 16 plus

To book call mac on 0121 446 3232 or mac’s website

Posted: June 18, 2010 in Announcements, Uncategorized, news
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Flagship new project: Wasted!

Wasted
Women & Theatre launched into Spring with the fantastic news that we have been granted funds from the Arts Council, UK, to develop our exciting new project, Wasted.

Wasted is a multi-stranded project which explores and gives voice to women’s relationship with alcohol. The final product will be a piece of interactive musical theatre, produced in association with mac (Midlands Arts Centre), performed in February 2011. As in all of W&T’s work, the entertaining format will convey a serious message, acting as a stimulus for participants and audiences to examine their own drinking behaviour and make positive changes.

Over the next months we will be carrying out community research, workshops, summer schools, online activity, and recruiting community performers. We’ll also be speaking to health professionals about using aspects of Wasted for health promotion. If you’d like to find out more, please do get in touch with us.

Posted: June 14, 2010 in Announcements, news
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Another W&T comedy night on 3rd October 2010!

Save the date folks, Women & Theatre are holding another of our popular comedy fundraising nights on Sunday 3rd October 2010! This time we’re holding it at the lovely refurbished mac. Tickets will be available a little closer to the time from mac’s website.

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:

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)

Shazia Mirza’s distinctive deadpan observational comedy provides a unique perspective of life as a British Muslim stand up. “Outrageous… Shazia can find humour in anything” (Trends)

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.

Ava Vidal is a cool and composed who has risen quickly through comedy’s ranks, and was the only female finalist in the BBC 3 New Comedy Awards. “a biting, brutal wit… a force to be reckoned with” Chortle.co.uk

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

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Welcome to Sarah-Jane, General Manager (Maternity Cover)!

This week Women & Theatre welcome new staff member, but old friend of the company, Sarah-Jane Watkinson. Sarah-Jane joins us as General Manager, to take care of the company while Jess is away on Maternity Leave. She will be heading up a number of the exciting projects we have in the pipeline for 2010, including Wasted, an interactive musical theatre production which gives voice to the relationship between women and alcohol.

Meanwhile we all wish Jess well with her exciting new “production”, and she will be back with Women & Theatre in February 2011.

Posted: March 5, 2010 in Announcements, news
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Cervical Monologues on tour in Dudley, March 2010

W&T have been commissioned by Dudley PCT to take perennial favourite, The Cervical Monologues to Dudley this Spring.

Regular cervical screening is essential for all women, yet there is a low rate of take-up of screening services in the Black Country. By demystifying the screening process and encouraging women to talk about their feelings, The Cervical Monologues aims to ensure that women are informed about their own health needs and empowered to take up screening appointments.

With the support of Dudley PCT, Women & Theatre’s Janice Connolly and Melisa Harrison have performed additional research with GPs and community groups to explore issues around the take-up of cervical screening services. From the research, Janice will write four new monologues to incorporate into the existing script, and increase the local relevance and impact of the piece. With these new voices that really reflect the local opinions in Dudley, the tour will aim to spark discussions about overcoming real and perceived barriers to accessing cervical screening services for Dudley’s diverse communities.

This is a great example of how W&T’s flexible and in-depth scripts can be used and adapted within local contexts. If you’re interested in a similar project, whether with Cervical Monologues or any of our other plays, please do drop us a line.

Thursday 4th March, 12.45pm @ St Thomas’s Network, Beechwood Road, DY2 7AQ
Friday 5th March, 12.45pm @ Lye Community Centre, Cross Walks Road, DY9 8BH
Wednesday 10th March, 12.45pm @ St James Medical Practice, Malthouse Drive, DY1 2BY
Everyone living in Dudley is welcome, but please book for groups of 5 or more on 0121 440 4203.

Posted: January 21, 2010 in Announcements, Community, Health, news
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The Creative & Media Diploma

Spring term sees W&T develop and deliver a new programme of work with Bishop Challoner Catholic College, forming part of the Level 3 Creative & Media Diploma curriculum.
Fulfilling the ‘Commission’ unit, W&T will set students a creative brief requiring them to develop their own drama-based alcohol awareness programme targeting young people. We will then work with students and share Women & Theatre’s trademark style and approaches to develop and pilot an effective interactive programme that is rooted in research and the stories of real people.

For details of this project or other ways that W&T can support the delivery of the Creative & Media Diploma, please contact us

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Tuned In: Young People’s project for Spring 2010

Tuned In is an exciting new radio drama project, made possible with funding from Birmigham City Council’s Creative Futures. We will be working with young people from two schools in Birmingham – a group of year 9 students from St Alban’s school (in Highgate) and the whole of Priestley Smith school for the visually impaired (in Perry Barr).

The idea is to create a collection of 6 short radio plays – three from each school – which will be written and rehearsed by the young people from their own thoughts and ideas under the guidance of experienced writer Steph Dale, radio director Jenny Stephens and W&T’s associate director Terina Talbot. Once the play scripts have been written they will be ‘swapped’ with the other school and rehearsed in readiness for recorded performance at the BBC studios in The Mailbox. The young people will have opportunities to meet and work together and the project will culminate in a celebratory event which will include a recorded performance of each of the plays. We have already had an ‘ inspiration day’ with all staff, students and artists involved in the project – this was held at the Botanical Gardens and was a wonderful day!

We look forward to beginning work with students and getting the script work going …. watch this space … and stay ‘tuned in’ for more!!

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Upcoming sharings of Woman First on 16th November

It you get it right for disabled women
You’ll get it right for all women

We are holding two special sharings of Woman First, a collection of monologues which explore disabled women’s experiences of pregnancy and birth and take a wider look at disability rights. You might find Women First interesting if you are a professional in midwifery services, social care, disability support and advocacy, or if you yourself or someone you know are affected by the issues.

Monday 16th November 2009 at 12pm & 5pm
The Friends Institute, 220 Mosley Road, Birmingham, B12 0DG

If you join us for the lunchtime performance why not join us for a bite to eat and an informal discussion at the Matchbox Cafe – great food at reasonable prices!

Commissioned by the Royal College of Nursing Midwifery for the International Congress of Midwives in Glasgow 2008, the monologues were researched with a range of women and health professionals across the UK.

Woman First was recently performed at Birmingham REP during Birmingham’s Artsfest. The packed audience loved the piece – they were moved, amused and outraged by the stories we told. The strength of their reactions convinced us that the monologues need to have a wider audience and that they are of great value to the community at large as well as the professionals it was originally written for.

We would love to share the piece with you, to discuss your thoughts and reactions to it with the rest of our audience in a post-showing discussion and have your help in identifying possible future audiences so we can maximise the potential of this piece.

If you can’t make this date please let us know if you would like to be kept up to date with the progress of this wonderful project .

Please RSVP to Pippa Frith – pippafrith@womenandtheatre.co.uk or call 0121 440 4203

Posted: November 3, 2009 in Announcements, news
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Barbara Nice & Gals in Comedy Fundraising Night – 16th September!

Comedy fundraiser flyer

Our last Comedy Fundraiser event was such a swinging success that we’ve decided to hold another one! We  invite you to join us for a comic feast to raise funds for a new Company van!

Women & Theatre presents

Barbara Nice & Gals
Comedy Fundraiser

Barbara Nice “As hilarious as it is possible to get” The Scotsman.
***** The Independent
***** Chortle

Wednesday 16th September 2009
The Glee Club Birmingham, The Arcadian Centre
Doors 7.30pm / Audience in by 8pm / Show 8.30pm
Admission £15
Allocated seating / club menu available
Box Office: 0871 472 0400/ www.glee.co.uk

Following last year’s sell-out Comedy Night, Women & Theatre are back at The Glee Club to bring you another warm, friendly and hilarious night of laughter on Wednesday 16th September from 7.30pm.

Comedy legend Barbara Nice has been driving Women & Theatre’s iconic purple van, the length and breadth of the UK, gathering a high quality line up of the Nation’s funniest women including Jo Enright, Annette Fagon and Kerry Godliman.

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.)

Barbara Nice is the comedy creation of Women & Theatre’s Artistic Director and founder member Janice Connolly. Janice has also been seen in Peter Kay’s award winning Phoenix Nights. Other TV credits include Max and Paddy, Thin Ice BBC, Dead Man Weds ITV and Coronation Street.

Everyone welcome!

Women & Theatre is a Birmingham-based company with 25 years experience of creating illuminating and accessible new theatre about things that matter.  Women & Theatre is an award-winning company and has been pioneering new ways of addressing contemporary issues through performance since 1983. The company creates engaging drama, which promotes the spiritual, social, physical and mental well being of the whole community. We aim to reflect the language and lives of ordinary people, giving voices to those not usually heard.

Throughout the years, Women & Theatre has held the belief that laughter is food for the soul. Within all our work there is always a healthy dollop of humour that we bring to audiences across Birmingham, the West Midlands and the UK. Securing a new van for the company will keep us reaching diverse communities and professional audiences for many years to come!

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

Posted: August 5, 2009 in Uncategorized
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Touch Wood – Touring for Breast Awareness Month in October 2009

Women & Theatre favourite and Healthy Alliance Award for Cancer Prevention winner Touch Wood is on the road again for Breast Awareness Month in October 2009.  Touch Wood tells the touching and funny story of Sheila, who receives her first invitation to Breast Screening.  Touch Wood was developed to increase the uptake of breast screening amongst over 50s women, and the play takes a friendly approach to promoting the importance of screening and dispelling myths.  Performances of Touch Wood are available for booking in October 2009 for community venues and schools, for more information or to register interest, please get in touch.

Posted: July 15, 2009 in Announcements, news
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