Outreach & Community Involvement
Over the last 14 years there has been an increasing leaning towards Community empowerment in the Arts and both through the Lottery and Local Authority it is a prerequisite in most funding applications. Having been approached by a Theatre whose main core funding was for Community Involvement, to produce a professional pantomime for them, we looked at many structures on how this could work. We are now seven years on and have not only proved this to be very successful with regard to box office takings but also formed a few permanent Youth Companies in various towns. The knowledge and structures that we now have in place mean that we can offer your venue this as an added benefit to booking a professional pantomime. Over the last few years we have had 104 children involved in Dorset, 86 in Dewsbury, 65 in Worksop and 168 children in Blackburn with plans already in place next year for another two community companies (Blackburn & Lytham St. Annes). All the community companies that we have been involved in setting up have received funding. If you want to discuss the possibility of Community Involvement for your venue please Contact Us.
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Tivoli's cash award to help young performers
Aspiring young actors and dancers will join professionals on the stage at the Tivoli Theatre in Wimborne at this season's pantomime with the added help of a major cash injection. Tivoli manager Charlie North Lewis and the arts development officer for East Dorset District Council, Tracy Cooper, have secured a £5000 Lottery funded Awards-For-All grant for the theatre. David Durley, spokesman for culture for East Dorset District Council said: "This is a great example of the Council working in partnership with a local organisation to get national funding which will directly benefit youth theatre in the area."
The grant has been awarded to enable local people to audition and work with the Stagewick Thetare School and Pendle Productions in the forthcoming pantomime, Dick Whittington. Mr North Lewis said: "With this money the Tivoli Theatre will be able to put local actors and dancers in the professional spotlight. It is exactly the sort of encouragement we want
to be able to offer." The successful performers will be given the oppurtunity to rehearse with the cast and be taught dance and movement by professional choreographers and actors. Then they will appear alongside their professional counterparts in the final production.
Be a star of the stage
Talented young local performers are to have the chance to star alongside a professional cast for this year's panto at Wimborne's Tivoli Theatre. Pendle Productions are to satge Dick Whittington and his Cat and the auditions are to be held on 27th and 28th September.
Children aged 6 - 9 will have the chance to display their talent at 10.00 a.m., and 10-13 year olds from 1:00 - 4:00 p.m. on the 27th, whilst those aged 14 - 25 will be seen from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. on the 28th.
Rehearsals will be held weekly at the Tivoli, with an intensive workshop and rehearsal week during the October half term.
All rehearsals will be conducted by professional choreographers and directors who have an international standing within the performance world
No cat napping for panto hopefuls
by Marilyn Ayres (Wimborne Community Magazine)
Turn again Dick Whittington - there are 200 young people who want to audition to be in your pantomime!
An as Wimborne Minster bells rang out the hours all day long on Saturday and the again on Sunday afternoon the youngsters danced and sang their way across the Tivoli Theatre stage. All had one ambition - to be chosen for a part in this years Tivoli panto. It was made clear there was no room for budding Britneys or boy band hopefuls. Instead what the producers of the play were looking for were keen youngsters who were eager to get involved in a community project which will help them develop as individuals and as members of a team
Pendle Productions is joining with Stagewise School for Performing Arts and the Tivoli to provide great family entertainment this
Christmas. Formed in 1985 by Artistic Director Timothy James Lince, Pendle Productions, which is based in Lancashire, has built up an international reputation for the quality of its work, especially with children.
The company is already well known at the Tivoli for the popular productions for children , which have attracted audiences over the years. Now youngsters aged six to twenty five will have the chance to join in the fun on the stage in the Pantomime Dick Whittington and his Cat which has been written by Tim, who will also direct it. Tim joined with Ally Cox and Caroline Barrett from Stagewise to take the children through their paces on the stage. While they all sang and danced, one of the most important things they had to show was that they would be committed to the pantomime and enjoy getting involved.
Tim told The Community Magazine: "We're looking for around 30 children with charisma, character and most of all commitment to this community project. They will get plenty out of the experience as they will be working with professional actors and choreographers and producers".
Auditions were held on Saturday and Sunday and by Monday, Tim had had to rethink his ideas about the number of children he would choose. The range of talent and enthusiasm shown meant that it was very difficult to choose just 30 and there were plans for 50 places with children working in two teams. Rehearsals start during half term and thos lucky enough to be chosen should hear this week.