A narrative 2004 – 2009
In October 2003 Sarah Thornton got a little R&D money from Arts Council England to find out what the key issues were in north Liverpool and if there was an interest in theatre for social change (TFSC). As a theatre maker and academic specialising in political theatre, Sarah had identified a dearth of arts provision in north Liverpool and recognised that it was extremely disadvantaged area, ranking in the top ten nationwide in the indices of multiple deprivation. She thought TFSC could make a difference, and fortunately many of the 40 key community figures she interviewed felt the same. She discovered that the main issue was the regeneration of the area and the negative impacts it was having on local people. People felt totally disempowered, as if they were being acted upon and not consulted. There was a strong feeling that they’d tried everything else, so why not give theatre a chance as a way of having their voices heard. Consequently Sarah set up Collective Encounters, initially to support a one-off project. Living Place Project was conceived: a two year initiative which involved two professional productions, two community productions, creative research with over 500 local people, a research report and an international conference. The project ended in September 2005. The artistic vision was, and is, to make new work for new audiences in new spaces. To experiment with theatrical form in order to find styles of live performance that speak to a 21st century audience; to reinvent traditional forms of political theatre and engage the audience directly with the action. To fuse the highest quality art with pressing, important subject matter.
Living Place Project had clearly demonstrated a strong local interest in arts activity, and a continuing lack of provision. Collective Encounters had employed over 60 arts workers and realised there was a need to continue beyond the planned Practice as Research initiative.
As a holding project, we secured funding for (dis)connected. This grew directly out of the Living Place Project research. We’d been told repeatedly about the problems with the breakdown of communities, the separation between generations, the disaffection and disenfranchisement of many north Liverpool residents. (dis)connected responded to this. While this short term project was being delivered, we fundraised for a longer, multifaceted project: State of the Nation.
State of the Nation began in 2007 with Intersection, and again grew directly from the Living Place Project research. It set out to look at disenfranchisement; it offered long-term, weekly activity for young people (the Youth Theatre); it offered arts initiatives for older people (Third Age Theatre); it gave people the chance to have their voices heard both on local and national levels. It looked outside the area enabling participants and audiences to explore inclusion, offering exchange initiatives and integrating young refugees and asylum seekers with north Liverpool locals. It included scratch and large scale professional productions enabling us to articulate the research and issues thrown up through the participatory programme and enabling us to continue to explore theatrical form.
State of the Nation finishes during 2009 and we are currently fundraising to continue our work in the future. In 2008 we were made the only new RFO in Liverpool and one of only 4 new ones in the north West. This core funding has helped, but we are still dependent on securing project funding to survive. Watch this space!
In October 2003 Sarah Thornton got a little R&D money from Arts Council England to find out what the key issues were in north Liverpool and if there was an interest in theatre for social change (TFSC). As a theatre maker and academic specialising in political theatre, Sarah had identified a dearth of arts provision in north Liverpool and recognised that it was extremely disadvantaged area, ranking in the top ten nationwide in the indices of multiple deprivation. She thought TFSC could make a difference, and fortunately many of the 40 key community figures she interviewed felt the same. She discovered that the main issue was the regeneration of the area and the negative impacts it was having on local people. People felt totally disempowered, as if they were being acted upon and not consulted. There was a strong feeling that they’d tried everything else, so why not give theatre a chance as a way of having their voices heard. Consequently Sarah set up Collective Encounters, initially to support a one-off project. Living Place Project was conceived: a two year initiative which involved two professional productions, two community productions, creative research with over 500 local people, a research report and an international conference. The project ended in September 2005. The artistic vision was, and is, to make new work for new audiences in new spaces. To experiment with theatrical form in order to find styles of live performance that speak to a 21st century audience; to reinvent traditional forms of political theatre and engage the audience directly with the action. To fuse the highest quality art with pressing, important subject matter.
Living Place Project had clearly demonstrated a strong local interest in arts activity, and a continuing lack of provision. Collective Encounters had employed over 60 arts workers and realised there was a need to continue beyond the planned Practice as Research initiative.
As a holding project, we secured funding for (dis)connected. This grew directly out of the Living Place Project research. We’d been told repeatedly about the problems with the breakdown of communities, the separation between generations, the disaffection and disenfranchisement of many north Liverpool residents. (dis)connected responded to this. While this short term project was being delivered, we fundraised for a longer, multifaceted project: State of the Nation.
State of the Nation began in 2007 with Intersection, and again grew directly from the Living Place Project research. It set out to look at disenfranchisement; it offered long-term, weekly activity for young people (the Youth Theatre); it offered arts initiatives for older people (Third Age Theatre); it gave people the chance to have their voices heard both on local and national levels. It looked outside the area enabling participants and audiences to explore inclusion, offering exchange initiatives and integrating young refugees and asylum seekers with north Liverpool locals. It included scratch and large scale professional productions enabling us to articulate the research and issues thrown up through the participatory programme and enabling us to continue to explore theatrical form.
State of the Nation finishes during 2009 and we are currently fundraising to continue our work in the future. In 2008 we were made the only new RFO in Liverpool and one of only 4 new ones in the north West. This core funding has helped, but we are still dependent on securing project funding to survive. Watch this space!
© Pete Carr
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