Join us on Wednesday 29 June, 12.30pm – 2.00pm for the latest in our series of online interactive seminars. For this one, we will be exploring dramaturgy in the context of community theatre – how to take a story devised by a group, and turn it into a script with a clear narrative that ensures everyone’s voices are heard.
Book your place for From Story to Script here
what will I gain?
• Understand the benefits of this work both for participants and for your organisations
• Explore how to successfully centre participants
• Learn from the different approaches that our speakers take when writing
• Opportunity for you to discuss, and learn from peers, as to the successes and challenges of this type of work
who is this seminar for?
acta seminars are free and open to everyone.
However, this may be specifically relevant to you if you work in any of these fields:
• Theatre
• Artists and companies across all arts disciplines
• Students, academics and universities focussed on the theatre, creative writing, and engagement
• Writing enthusiasts and professionals
• Those interested in the power of community and theatre
Book your place for From Story to Script here
guest speakers
Adam Peck
Adam is a Bristol-based playwright, dramaturg and theatre-maker. He is an Associate Artist at Bristol Old Vic, and in 2019 his devised adaptation of A Monster Calls won an Olivier Award.
Between 2007-2011 he ran Bristol-based theatre company, Fairground, and since 2011 he has worked primarily in collaborative theatre-making contexts with theatre director, Sally Cookson.
He has a Masters degree in Theatre & Playwriting from Royal Holloway University and a BA(Hons) in Theatre Studies from University of Warwick. Over the past ten years he has taught at various institutions including Bath Spa University, Bristol Old Vic, Theatre Royal Bath, Travelling Light Theatre and the JMK Trust. He has also written and worked as dramaturg on a number of shows with Bristol Old Vic Young Company, including Robin Hood, Limelight, Joan of Arc and Gilgamesh.
His recent theatre work includes A Monster Calls (Old Vic & UK/USA Tour), The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe (UK Tour, Elliot Harper Productions, The Bridge Theatre and Leeds Playhouse), and the OFFIE-winning and Olivier Award-nominated Cinderella: A Fairytale (Travelling Light Theatre & Tobacco Factory Theatres; The Other Palace; Unicorn Theatre; MAC).
Dance work includes Tom and Varmints (Sadler’s Wells), Fagin’s Twist (Avant Garde Dance & The Place) and the My First Ballet series (2014-2017) for English National Ballet.
Michelle Smith
Michelle Smith trained as a teacher at UCL (Institute of Education) and worked formally in education for 20 years before setting up Theatre for Life CIC.
Through her teaching role she recognised the lack of accessible opportunities to the arts for marginalised communities and for her students who lived in deprived areas in Southampton.
Theatre for Life was established to bridge the gap for young people aged 14-25 years who faced financial difficulties and who were struggling with mental health and long term health conditions. Theatre for Life uses restorative and creative practices within the arts to empower young people and to support health and wellbeing. Theatre for Life works with aspiring and emerging young theatre makers to create life changing theatre projects which support the immediate community and beyond. They advocate Youth Social Action – empowering young people and using their stories to inspire the devising process and final performances.
Theatre for Life also works in partnership with leading mental health charity, Solent Mind and the NHS to deliver creative health programmes for young people.
Michelle was at the forefront of a social prescribing programme called Regeneration with Southampton Children’s Hospital, creating opportunities across the arts, culture, sports and outdoor activities to support long term health and social isolation.
Ingrid Jones
Ingrid Jones, Associate Director of acta Community Theatre, originally worked for the company as a freelancer in 1993, whilst also working as a youth worker and teacher. She has directed numerous community plays over the years, along with developing and directing acta youth theatres.
Ingrid’s work originally was youth focussed, but her scope has now broadened to encompass all ages and people from all backgrounds. One consistent source of pride for Ingrid has been continuing to work with Young Carers all that time. With this deserving but often forgotten ever-evolving group, Ingrid has directed countless ‘Play-in-3-days’ including some performed over Zoom. Many of the young carers Ingrid worked with have grown up and remain involved with Ingrid’s work at acta.
Highlights of her acta shows include Lost, Not Forgotten, created for the 2014 centenary of WWI in collaboration with Arnos Vale Cemetery. In this site-specific piece, young adults from acta’s Phoenix Theatre presented remarkable and poignant stories from WWI amongst the graves at the cemetery.
Ingrid also treasures the work she has done with Somali women, citing Yusuf Can’t Talk, created in partnership with Autism Independence. Somali mums with autistic children created this show to share their experiences with others and toured it to London, Cardiff – and even Rotterdam.
Book your place for From Story to Script here
important details
Date: Wednesday 29th June
Time: 12.30pm – 2pm with a break
Networking: There will be opportunities to chat amongst attendees in breakout rooms.
Prior to the event, you will be sent the Zoom link via email, and information regarding joining the meeting. This seminar programme is part of acta’s Cornerstone project, funded by Paul Hamlyn Foundation.
Accessibility
This event will be live on Zoom, and we will enable closed captions.
If you have any specific access needs that you would like to discuss with us, please contact Rosa Martyn at rosa@acta-bristol.com and we will work to support your requirements as best we can.
