The Merlin Theatre in Frome, Somerset has an outstanding reputation for presenting the very best in performing arts and presents an extensive community and education. It is a 240 seat professional venue based on the campus of Frome Community College.
In the past 12 months it held…
o 93 performances
o 22 screenings
o 291 workshops for adults and young people
o 74 days of rehearsal time and support given to professional artists.
o 20,840 participants attended events
The Merlin has a national reputation for its work with theatre companies and performers giving valuable rehearsal and production input. This includes the 15 artists who make up the Merlin Creative Team. Claudia Berry, Mayuri Boonham, Mark Bruce, Guy Dartnell, Alex Green, Sarah Godsill, Kathy Hinde, Joanna Harvey, Neil Light, Annabelle Macfadyen, Niki McCretton, Crysse Morrison, Subathra Subramaniam, Marina Sossi, Pip Utton.
Work featured in this exhibition includes…
· The 2006 community pantomime, Sleeping Beauty, which won four awards and 17 nominations at the recent Somerset Fellowship of Drama Cinderella awards including runner up for Best Production in the County.
· Mark Bruce’s production, Sea of Bones, which was produced and premiered at the Merlin in September. It is currently on a national tour performing to sold out audiences and to national press acclaim.
The Merlin Youth Theatre - just one of six weekly workshops that 91 children and young people take part in each week.
The Merlin has been supporting Louise Barrett from Pretty Good Girl to hold regular dance workshops at Frome Youth Centre.
In March the Black Swan Arts and Merlin worked an ambitious project funded by the Arts and Kids Foundation. 450 children from four local schools, Berkley First School, Bishop Henderson Primary School, Christ Church First School, and Mells First School attended the Merlin to see a performance by Theatre Rites and worked with visual artists Celia Smith and Karen Willis to create artwork inspired by the show which was exhibited in the Round Tower.
If you would like to know further information about supporting the Merlin Theatre contact Paula Hammond: 01373 461360, info@merlintheatre.co.uk
www.merlintheatre.co.uk
Wednesday, June 6, 2007
Monday, June 4, 2007
Story Festival
The Merlin Theatre and Unlimited Company Storytelling Festival was a fantastic sucess over half term. The festival included 5 events ranging from children's workshops to outdoor theatre on ECOS, storytelling and outdoor story trails.
The Unlimited Company are the only professional organisation of storytellers with learning disabilities in Britain. Last year they were selected as finalists in the Southwest regional awards for projects funded by the Big Lottery. They have been training as storytellers for three years, and now perform regularly at conferences and festivals.
Over 75 people came to embark upon on an adventure in the wildwood on Friday 1st of June. This was a site specific animated Story Trail performed by the Unlimited Company, a treasure hunt style quest around Frome Community College campus. Starting at the Theatre, children and brave adults made their way around the trail where they encounted characters telling traditional tales as they went (see images below). The stories told included Jack the Giant Killer, The Princess and the Frog, Rapunzel and The Five Little Foxes and the Tiger. At the end of the quest children created their own stories and pictures with assistance from a local artist using materials collected on the trail, they enjoyed it so much they we couldn't get rid of them!
It was a great day and the rain held off!!!
The final event of the festival was the Unlimited Company Inclusive Story Circle on Saturday 2 June. This was a free event for adults and was particularly designed to include people who have learning disabilities, families and carers. This event was part of the ArtsXchange initiative in Somerset which offers experiences in different art forms to people with learning disabilities. It was also Trudy's (a member of the Unlimited Company) birthday, what better way to celebrate! See images below...
The Unlimited Company are the only professional organisation of storytellers with learning disabilities in Britain. Last year they were selected as finalists in the Southwest regional awards for projects funded by the Big Lottery. They have been training as storytellers for three years, and now perform regularly at conferences and festivals.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
