2020 Vision Opportunities
The GAP is just embarking on an ambitious and exciting year of story and theatre at our home in Balsall Heath, courtesy of Arts Council England project funding. Our 2020 VISION project seeks to put the stories and experiences of the local community right at the very heart of our work and creates a wide range of high-quality creative opportunities for young people, writers and theatre makers to be involved.
The 2020 VISION Project includes a multitude of elements, each of them celebrating and sharing community experience. From a new youth theatre, a young theatre writers’ scheme, and an exciting ensemble of young theatre makers, to social justice drama workshops, international theatre performances and a community theatre collaboration with the RSC - just to name a few!
See below how you can be involved in our Ensemble Theatre group, Young Writers Scheme, maybe even join our marketing team and get expert training from Dyson Media. Have a scroll down and see what you think.
Young Theatre Writers Scheme
The 2020 Young Theatre Writers Scheme will see up to six young Birmingham playwrights mentored and supported by established playwright Chris Cooper, who will work with you both as a group and individually. The scheme is a central element of the 2020 VISION project as a whole, with the twin aims of developing local young artists and generating new writing of relevance to Balsall Heath.
Collaborations
The programme will focus on structure and storytelling. In particular, you will explore the features and potential of the monodrama form (not to be confused with the monologue). You will learn how to develop new work using first-hand experiences and local stories as a stimulus, working from a range of source material gathered from the local community via The GAP’s 2020 VISION oral history element.
As well as also working practically on dramatic texts and attending theatre performances, the scheme also offers new playwrights the opportunity to collaborate with The GAP’s Basement Theatre Ensemble, a collective of emerging actors, designers and theatre makers, to test out your writing in practice at The GAP’s Theatre MIX scratch nights.
Commissions
Each of the writers completing the scheme will be commissioned to write a short exploratory dramatic text, for which you will receive one-to-one mentoring and support from Chris Cooper. There is, in addition, potential for these pieces to be developed in production for public performance.
Details
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Young Birmingham-based writers, 18-30 yrs
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An interest in developing writing for community theatre
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Ideally with links to, knowledge of or interest in the Balsall Heath area and community.
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Scheme starts late April and runs to December 2020
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Involves 6-10 days commitment plus self-guided writing time
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Commissions: £500 available for each writer completing the scheme
To apply
Please email ceri@thegapartsproject.co.uk with 2020 YOUNG THEATRE WRITERS in the subject heading, stating your age and postcode, outlining a bit about yourself and your interest in the scheme and attaching a short piece of dramatic writing (ideally) or a piece of creative writing. Deadline: applications will be accepted up until 31 March.
NB: The GAP positively welcomes applicants from all communities and backgrounds, including those with English as a second language.
Marketing Campaign Team
Young Journalists/Marketers Wanted
There is SO much to shout about that we’re looking for up to six aspiring journalists and/or marketers, aged 18-30, to join our Marketing Campaign Team.
You will be trained for a full day by leading PR Consultant and former Birmingham Mail Editor, Steve Dyson of Dyson Media, on Wednesday 13 May. Steve will guide you through the honing of your writing for media skills, lead you to new understanding about audience and marketplace, explore a variety of platforms (eg. blogs, website, social media, etc), and then help you fine tune your writing of new copy. In return, you will volunteer your skills to the 2020 VISION Marketing Campaign to make a big noise about this exciting year.
The Marketing Campaign Team is a key element of the 2020 VISION project as a whole, with the twin aims of developing local young people and generating meaningful engagement among the Balsall Heath community. If you’d like your pen to be mightier than any sword, and you’d like to use it to campaign for meaningful cultural engagement in the community - AND get seriously top quality media writing training in exchange – please get in touch asap!
To apply please email Arron Gill on arron@thegapartsproject.co.uk by 17 April 2020, outlining why you’re interested in this opportunity and what you can offer our campaign.
NB: All skills levels will be catered for.
Lunch and expenses will be provided.
The Basement Theatre Ensemble
Young, Local Artists and Theatre Makers Wanted
The GAP is seeking local actors, performers, directors, designers and theatre makers aged 18 - 30 to form The Basement Theatre Ensemble. This small community of theatre makers will meet once a month to hone creative practice and methodology, and to create new theatre relevant to our communities today.
Sessions are to be devised and led from within the collective and will include skill sharing workshops, play reading, theatre visits and more, as well as benefiting from occasional training sessions from local and international professional practitioners.
As part of The GAP's 2020 VISION year of theatre and story, the Ensemble will also collaborate with artists on the Young Writers Scheme, and there will be regular opportunities to perform new and exploratory work at the monthly Theatre Mix scratch and review nights.
Are you interested in taking part? Want to know more?
Email admin@thegapartsproject.co.uk for more information.