theatre made by refugees…
Six original new theatre shows from across the UK, each with a post-show or morning-after opportunity for audience and theatre-makers to discuss:-
Monday 26 March
acta, Bristol
Dream On, Redcliffe Stories (matinee)
Will Miriam’s dream become a reality?
Miriam’s dream is to go to university, but there are many obstacles in her way. Will she be able to overcome these barriers to make her dream a reality?
Local women from Redcliffe bring back the show they first created and performed last summer.
Lost Sheep (evening)
Don’t dig a hole for your neighbour to fall into…you may just fall into it yourself!
Sheep escaping in a small Sudanese village leads to all sorts of problems.
A family friendly show, presented in partnership with Ashley Housing, East Bristol.
Tuesday 27 March
Phosphoros Theatre
Dear Home Office: Still Pending (matinee)
Phosphoros Theatre, London, have been working with young men who came to the UK as unaccompanied minors. Their productions offer a unique perspective on forced migration, and their first show, Dear Home Office, was nominated for the 2016 Amnesty Freedom of Expression Award. This second play, a uniquely holistic Applied Theatre piece with its roots in a NW London Supported Housing project, features the company’s signature style of comedy, raw talent and celebration as it explores coming-of-age in unique and extreme circumstances.
‘It’s the authenticity in every element of the play that makes it so powerful…leaves you far more informed about asylum-seekers than months of news coverage possibly could.’ MORNING STAR
The show will be followed by an interactive workshop for audience members.
Community Arts North West (CAN)
Women of the Revolution (evening)
Theatre-makers from refugee heritages in Greater Manchester, present a series of insightful narratives of reinvention. At a time when young people are again clashing with the regime, and taking to the streets in Iran, CAN are proud to present two emerging Iranian theatre-makers, sharing alternative perspectives on gender, identity, exile and power.
One More Push – A reflection on life in exile and the metamorphosis to a new being. A bitter-sweet journey of displacement, integration, change and resilience.
Dancing the Lash – A poignant depiction of a dancer-turned-refugee whose profession is banned in her native Iran. Trapped between the absurdities of UK bureaucracy and her desire for freedom and self-expression; haunted by the sharp memories of a lost homeland.
Wednesday 28 March
Candy Floss (matinee)
Could Candy Floss fall from the sky in Oldham? An original short performance by Rwandan storyteller and theatre-maker, Emmanuel Bajiiji, presented as part of CAN’s Talent Development Platform. A short, funny and heart-warming piece, charting one man’s struggle to engage with a community and reconcile himself with his own past.
A fun interactive presentation from PAN Intercultural Arts will follow this show.
But where are you really from? (evening)
Citizens Theatre Glasgow celebrates the rich and diverse life stories of asylum seekers and refugees living in Glasgow. The piece will be co created with local Turkish theatre maker and human rights campaigner Pinar Aksu and World Spirit, a local community theatre group which celebrates integration and diversity. The performers will share evocative stories of their lives through spoken word, song and music and will provide a unique opportunity to hear the reflections of those seeking refuge in Glasgow.
