Life Lines, Southmead Community Play 1994
Starting from an enquiry from local community worker Polly Byas back in 1992, acta worked with a large group of local people to set up, fundraise for, create, devise and perform ‘Life Lines’ – a play about the history of Southmead…
Breaking the Chains 1988/1989
Breaking the Chains was an early youth theatre project (1988/89ish) bringing together young people from several of our youth theatre groups from all over Bristol, including Kids Theatre and our Easton Youth Theatre.
We Face the Dawn, Kingswood Community Play 1993
This mammoth undertaking had its beginnings when people from Kingswood and Avon County Community Leisure saw ‘Our Batch’ in Radstock in 1989. acta was already working in Kingswood, having established the Kingswood Youth Theatre in 1986 to 93, creating eight original shows with young people from all over the area…
The South Side Sisters 1995
The South Side Sisters South Bath Community Play, 1995 Following the success of Our Batch, acta was asked to create community plays in different parts of the area, including Southmead, Kingswood, and in South Bath, the subject of this post
acta newsletter 1991
An old newsletter from 1991 reminds Helen, acta’s Executive Director, of when she started as a volunteer for the Company, as part of the Council of Management. Easton Kids’ Theatre, Knowle West Drama Club and Kingswood Youth Theatre produced the first acta shows that she saw.
Our Batch 1989
Community plays have always been an important part of acta’s programme, and central to our thinking. So it wasn’t surprising that soon after acta began, we were working on our first community play project, working in the Somerset towns of Midsomer Norton and Radstock, and the many villages around the area, on a vast epic of a play called Our Batch.
Wake Up and Dream Summer 1987
A play in two weeks, starting from scratch, in the most unlikely venue yet – the disused outdoor swimming pool in Eastville Park! The project had a massive team of acta workers, freelancers and student volunteers…ten youth theatres from across Avon – including Easton, Kingswood, Knowle West, Eastville, Central Bristol, Yate, Bournville (Weston Super Mare), Lockleaze.
#acta30 Cabaret des Amis 1985
To commemorate our 30th birthday this year, we’re trawling through our archives and finding some images which tell the acta story. So here goes with number one! Kids’ Theatre performing songs from ‘Handle with Care’ at a cabaret benefit event for Kez in 1985, to buy her a new wheelchair! acta had just started, and this was one of the first shows.