AMBER JAMES, BLACK APRON ENTERTAINMENT AND ENGLISH TOURING THEATRE ANNOUNCE SHORT FILM SERIES CHILDREN’S CHILDREN

Amber James, Black Apron Entertainment and English Touring Theatre today announce Children’s Children – a series of five short films, curated by Amber James, exploring the interaction of past with the present, and celebrating Black history. The full series, co-produced by ETT and Black Apron Entertainment, is available to watch from Wednesday 24 February 2021 via YouTube (www.youtube.com/user/ETTonYT) and Instagram (www.instagram.com/englishtouringtheatre)

Tristan Fynn-Aiduenu and Rikki Beadle-Blair direct five pieces performed by Gershwyn Eustache Jnr, Amber James, Kayla Meikle, Sule Rimi, and Khai Shaw.

‘Children have never been very good at listening to their elders. But they have never failed to imitate them’ James Baldwin

How much of our history do we carry? From the fields, across the waters and onto the streets; revolts become riots, rallies become tweets. This is the life. This is repeat. Uncovering texts from throughout history and the present day and presenting them for 2021, these films ask how much of the past remains in our present.

The series rediscovers the voices of black activists, poets, artists and real working people, across a period of more than a century. We conclude in the modern day after hearing from Sojourner Truth, Una Marson, Stanley Crooke, Desmond Pierre and Still Shadey.

Amber James said today, “These films were born out of two things really – rage and love. We’ve come together to create a journey of films that honour where we’ve come from, whilst being real about where we’re at. Black History, it’s a living breathing thing. Their stories are our stories, and ours will be our children’s – and that is both beautiful and terrifying.” 

Watch the behind the scenes trailer here: https://youtu.be/k2uaxLCOie4

Images available here: https://we.tl/t-DOub3qfIm3

Producers: Daniel M. Bailey and Ben Quashie; Director of Photography: Gino Green; 1^st AC: Dan Bold Sound Designer: Will Berger for House of Noise; Sound Operator: Alistair Bean

Make Up Artist: Billie Mckenzie; Behind the Scenes Photographer: Morgan Quashie

Amber James is curator. Her recent credits include Snowflake (Kiln Theatre), Vassa (Almeida Theatre), A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre), Troilus And Cressida, Titus Andronicus, Antony And Cleopatra (RSC) and A Streetcar Named Desire (English Touring Theatre). Her television credits include Vera, Ransom and Doc Martin.

Gershwyn Eustache Jnr’stheatre credits include Pass Over (Kiln Theatre) Small Island, Pinocchio, Home, Nut (National Theatre), Anatomy of a Suicide, A Profoundly Affectionate Passionate Devotion to Someone (Royal Court Theatre), The Royale (Bush Theatre) and The Comedy of Errors (Shakespeare’s Globe). For television, his work includes I May Destroy You, Small Axe, Britannia, Fortitude, Legends, Peter and Wendy and Run; and for film, The Yellow Birds, Second Coming and Starred Up.

Kayla Meikle’s theatre credits include Shoe Lady, Ear for Eye, Primetime (Royal Court Theatre), Vassa, Dance Nation (Almeida Theatre), All My Sons (The Old Vic), A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Jack and the Beanstalk (Lyric Hammersmith), Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet (National Theatre), The Taming of the Shrew (Arts Theatre) and All the Lives (Ovalhouse). Her television credits include Will, After Life, The Capture and Small Axe.

Sule Rimi’s theatre credits include Three Sisters (National Theatre), Glass! Kill! Bluebeard! Imp! (Royal Court), Sweat (Donmar Warehouse/West End), Measure for Measure (Donmar Warehouse), All My Sons, The American Clock (Old Vic), Love and Information, Desire Under the Elms (Sheffield), Barber Shop Chronicles (National Theatre, Australia, New Zealand), Mary Stuart, They Drink it in the Congo (Almeida Theatre), The Suicide (National Theatre), The Rolling Stone (Royal Exchange, Manchester/WYP/Orange Tree), TheOdyssey: Missing Presumed Dead (ETT/Liverpool Everyman), Bordergame (National Theatre of Wales), Othello (Fluellen Theatre Company), Muscle (Shock N Awe), and Serious Money (Waking Exploits). His television credits include Manhunt II, Black Earth Rising, Death in Paradise, Birds of a Feather Christmas Special, Strikeback, Unforgotten, Stella, DNN: Definitely Not Newsround, 4 O’Clock Club, Mistresses, Crash, Caerdydd, The Black Lion, Y Pris, Scrum IV. His film credits include Ashens & the Quest for the Game Child, Bad Fucking, The Adventurer: Curse of the Midas Box, The Machine, Elfie Hopkins and the Gammons, Daddy’s Girl, Starter for Ten, and Francis.

Khai Shaw’s theatre credits include Crongton Knights (UK tour), Little Baby Jesus (Orange Tree Theatre), The Suicide (Stratford Arts), Decades (Bridge Theatre Company), The Railway Children (Waterloo Railway Theatre), Daddy Cool (Shaftesbury Theatre), The Lion King (Lyceum Theatre) and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (London Palladium). Screen credits include Bitesize Shakespeare (BBC), Casualty (BBC) and Meet The Adebanjos (MTA).

Rikki Beadle-Blair MBE is a writer, director, composer, choreographer, designer, producer and performer working in the film, theatre, television and radio. Having written and directed 30 plays over the last 20 years along with several feature films, shorts and tv episodes and series, he has won several awards including the Sony Award, the Los Angeles Outfest Screenwriting and Outstanding Achievement awards. Rikki’s passion for encouraging creativity and business sense in other has led him to becoming a committed mentor to a great many writers, actors, composers and directors around the world.

Tristan Fynn-Aiduenu is a British-Ghanaian theatre-maker whose work aims to stretch the imagination of his audiences with his unique brand of storytelling. Tristan has directed at venues including The Young Vic, Albany Deptford, Theatre Royal Stratford East, and National Theatre. He is an Associate Director of Initiative.dkf and Playback Drama. He is an Associate Producer for The Melanin Box Festival and a reader for the Orange Tree Theatre. Fynn-Aiduenu was trained on the Stonecrabs Young Directors Programme and the Young Vic Springboard Programme, and is the winner of the 2019 JMK Directors Award.

LAMBERT JACKSON PRODUCTIONS ANNOUNCES FILMED RELEASE OF

BKLYN – THE MUSICAL WITH FULL CAST

AVAILABLE ON STREAM.THEATRE

Lambert Jackson Productions today announce the filmed release of Mark Schoenfeld and Barri McPherson’s BKLYN – The Musical. The production, filmed at the Ugly Duck space,will be available 22 March – 4 April via www.stream.theatre/season/51.

Dean Johnson directs Sejal Keshwala (Faith), Emma Kingston (Brooklyn), Newtion Matthews (Street Singer), Jamie Muscato (Taylor)and Marisha Wallace (Paradice), with musical direction from Leo Munby, production design by Andrew Exeter and video editing by Sam Diaz. 

BKLYN – The Musical is a story within a story. On the outside you have a troupe of incredibly talented street performers who are sharing a story from their lives… Then there is the story they tell – the story of a young girl who comes to the U.S. to find the father she never knew. Together these stories create a show that is both touching and inspiring – a real urban fairytale.

Jamie Lambert and Eliza Jackson today said, “It has been incredibly exciting, and of course extremely challenging, to create theatre and explore new ways to share our work over the last year, and we are incredibly proud of what we have produced. We cannot wait for audiences to see our latest offering, our most ambitious to date, it really is spectacular. We’d like to thank the licensing team, cast, creatives and crew for all their work and bravery in making this production happen. BKLYN is a show for all the dreamers out there, and we felt it was the perfect time to give people that story.”

Sejal Keshwala plays Faith. Her theatre credits include Bend It Like Beckham (Phoenix Theatre), Anita and Me (Birmingham Repertory Theatre), Trident Moon (Finborough Theatre), Bernstein’s Mass (Southbank Centre) and Company (Phoenix Arts Club). Her television credits include Britain’s Got Talent, Michael McIntyre’s Very Christmassy Christmas Show, Let’s Do Lunch with Gino and Mel and Search for a Musical Theatre Performer.

Emma Kingston plays Brooklyn. Her theatre credits include The Last Five Years (Minack Theatre), Zorro (Hope Mill Theatre), Evita (international tour), Fiddler On The Roof (Chichester Festival Theatre), Ann Duck (The National Theatre), Grinning Man (Bristol Old Vic), 21 Chump St (Tristan Bates Theatre), In The Heights (Kings Cross Theatre), Les Miserables (Queen’s Theatre), Priscilla Queen of the Desert and Grease (UK tour). Her film credits include Been So Long, and for television her credits include Magic At The Musicals and Sound of Musicals with Neil Brand.

Newtion Matthews plays Street Singer. He competed as a finalist on both The X Factor as well as The Voice and was signed to Warner Music, touring throughout the UK and Europe. His theatre credits include One Love: The Bob Marley Musical (Birmingham Repertory Theatre), The Frontline (Shakespeare’s Globe), The Harder They Come (US tour) and The Life (International tour). His television credits include Dance For Comic Relief, and for film credits his include Gulliver’s Travels.

Jamie Muscato plays Taylor. His theatre credits include West Side Story (Leicester Curve), Heathers (Theatre Royal Haymarket/The Other Palace), Big Fish (The Other Palace), Lazarus (Kings Cross Theatre), Bend It Like Beckham (Phoenix Theatre), Sweeney Todd (Welsh National Opera), Dogfight (Southwark Playhouse), The Light Princess (National Theatre), Rock Of Ages (Shaftesbury Theatre), Love Story (Chichester Festival Theatre/Duchess Theatre), Les Misérables (International tour), Spring Awakening (Lyric Hammersmith), Lift (Trafalgar Studios). His film credits include The Colour of Spring, The Nun, Les Misérables, The Euphoria of Drowning Feature, Wild Oats. His television credits include Cilla and The Trial of Christine Keeler.

Marisha Wallace plays Paradice. Her theatre credits include The Book of Mormon (US tour), Aladdin (New Amsterdam Theatre), Something Rotten! (St. James Theatre), Dreamgirls (Savoy Theatre), Waitress (Adelphi Theatre) and Hairspray (London Coliseum) and for film, her credits include Aladdin and The View. Wallace’s debut album Tomorrow was released in 2020.

Dean Johnson directs. His previous theatre credits include First Date (Lambert Jackson Productions), Godspell (St Paul’s Covent Garden/Cadogan Hall), Dogfight (Southwark Playhouse), Paperboy (Lyric Theatre Belfast), Spring Awakening, In The Heights (Stockwell Playhouse), Into The Woods and Rent (Belvoir Studio Theatre).

Leo Munby is Musical Director. His previous credits as musical director include: The Last Five Years (Southwark Playhouse/Minack Theatre), Gypsy (Royal Exchange, Manchester), Dogfight (Southwark Playhouse), Becoming Angela (National Theatre). His composer credits include: STOP (Edinburgh Fringe Festival). As a composer and musical director his credits include Annabel Mutale Reed (The Barn Theatre). His musical supervisor credits include An Evening With Jason Robert Brown and Guests (Theatre Royal Haymarket), his musical assistant credits include Company (Gielgud Theatre).

Munby will be joined by Richie Garrison on Saxophone and Georgina Lloyd-Owen on Cello.

Music industry welcomes Government firm commitment to save touring in Europe following Commons evidence session

The largest bodies representing musicians, the Incorporated Society of Musicians and Musicians’ Union, have welcomed the UK Government’s firm commitment solve the critical issues facing touring post Brexit.

Yesterday (16 February) MPs from the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee heard evidence from industry leaders including the Chief Executive of the Incorporated Society of Musicians (ISM), Deborah Annetts. The ISM warned that touring artists faced an “extraordinary crisis” due to costly new barriers to performing in the European Union which include visas and work permits. The ISM called on the UK Government to (1) negotiate a bespoke visa waiver agreement with the EU for the creative sector and (2) enter bilateral discussions with key EU Member States to sort out work permit rules.

The ISM and the MU have welcomed the firm commitment of the Minister for Digital and Culture Caroline Dinenage to work with music organisations to find workable solutions to these critical issues including mobility. We understand that this commitment extends across the whole of Whitehall. The Government has also indicated that it is its ambition to start discussions with key EU Member states in the coming weeks to address issues regarding work permits.

DCMS also confirmed that musicians travelling with portable musical instruments between the UK and the EU will not be subject to costly customs rules in the form of formal declaration or ATA Carnet and that guidance will be available as soon as possible. This important clarification was welcomed by the music sector. The ISM and the MU have outlined their commitment to play an active and constructive role with the UK Government to fix the problems facing touring musicians after Brexit.

ISM Chief Executive Deborah Annetts said:

‘‘I was delighted to speak to MPs yesterday and it was fantastic to see that the Minister and civil servants at DCMS are fully committed to fixing the problems including mobility facing touring musicians after Brexit. We now need the same willingness from the EU so that both sides can come together to find workable solutions to the mountain of costs and red tape.

‘The Creative industries contributed more than £111bn to the UK economy in 2018 but we have already been so badly affected by COVID-19. The ISM is ready to expand our ongoing activities to support the UK Government so that close cultural collaboration can continue after Brexit.’

Horace Trubridge, Musicians’ Union General Secretary, said:

‘Both the the MU and the ISM have amassed a large body of evidence and information that we are happy to share with the Ministers in order to work towards finding positive solutions for the problems that our world leading musicians and the ancillary workers currently face as a result of the breakdown in negotiations for our sector. Let’s move forward together with the various Government departments in a spirit of cooperation to systematically remove the barriers that we have identified.’

Aljaž and Janette announce worldwide streaming event for a brand new dance spectacular

Following the postponement of their live stage tour to spring 2022, Aljaž Škorjanec and Janette Manrara have announced they are to star in a streamed performance of their brand new, never before seen dance spectacular Remembering the Oscars for a limited three-week period from 27 March at 7.30pm to Saturday 17 April 2021. Next year’s tour will now come to Royal & Derngate on Saturday 16 April 2022.

In what is sure to become one of the most popular streamed events of the year, the one-hour TV special will see Aljaž and Janette roll out the red carpet to celebrate the greatest award-winning songs, films and dance routines from the Golden Ages of Hollywood through to Disney family favourites and beyond

Aljaž and Janette will be joined by a cast boasting some of the UK’s best dancers and singers on a specially constructed stage, backed with a huge LED screen featuring brand-new filmed content, as they dance their way through a dazzling array of bespoke and original musical arrangements of over 25 songs from classic films such as Dirty Dancing, Mary Poppins, Flashdance, Cabaret, The Wizard of Oz, American In Paris, The Lion King, La La Land, Toy Story, Singing In The Rain, Frozen, A Chorus Line, Romeo & Juliet, Scent Of A Woman, amongst others, making this a not-to-be-missed show for all the family.

The performance will be intercut with commentaries from Aljaž and Janette, and will also include backstage behind the scenes content, their personal account as to how the show and its routines were created, why they picked certain songs, how they devised each of the show’s sections and the influences behind their performances.

Shot using ten HD cameras, the pay-per-view event premieres on Saturday 27 March, and will be available to watch on demand via Smart TVs, computers, tablets, phones until Saturday 17 April.

All tickets come with a free digital 32-page programme packed with exclusive photos, interviews, Oscar trivia and much more. Options to upgrade include an after show pass to an “In conversation with Aljaž and Janette”, and an exclusive 30 minute Behind-the-Scenes film, featuring additional footage with access to the dressing rooms, rehearsals and backstage of Remembering the Oscars.

Aljaž’s and Janette’s announcement follows the news that their Remembering The Oscars UK tour has been postponed until spring 2022 due to the continuing uncertainty regarding the reopening of venues currently closed across the country as part of the nationwide effort to combat the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19).

Aljaž and Janette said, “We feel awful having to postpone our Remembering the Oscars tour for a second time due to the pandemic, but we are delighted to have been given the opportunity to film some of the highlights from the show. We were devastated that another year would go by without sharing what we truly believe is our best show to date. Hopefully this will give our audience and fans a taster of what is to come next year. We love and miss you, and hope you enjoy the show!”

Details of how to book for the streamed performance can be found on Royal & Derngate’s website, www.royalandderngate.co.uk, where tickets for the rescheduled tour performance, now taking place on Saturday 16 April 2022, are also available to book.

Jessica Draper commences new role as Soho Theatre’s
Head of Creative Engagement

Alessandro Babalola and Lucy Davies
appointed Co-Chairs of new theatre board at the
former Granada/EMD in Walthamstow

Soho Theatre’s re-opening of the former Granada/EMD in Walthamstow takes a stride forward with the appointment of key posts: Jessica Draper in the newly created role of Head of Creative Engagement, and the new Co-Chairs of the board for the revitalised venue, Olivier Award-winning performer and Waltham Forest resident Alessandro Babalola and the Royal Court’s Executive Director Lucy Davies.

Speaking to the new venue’s vision for a ‘local theatre with a national profile’, due to open in late 2022, the newappointments combine the local knowledge from actor and writer and long-time resident Alessandro Babalola, the wide experience and cultural leadership of Lucy Davies, and the creative and participation expertise of Jessica Draper.

The new board for the former Granada/EMD also includes Waltham Forest Council’s Chief Executive Martin Esom, Soho Theatre Board Chair Dame Heather Rabbatts DBE (Chair of Vero Communications and TIME’S UP UK), Vice-Chair Beatrice Hollond (Chair of F&C Investment Trust and Chair of Millbank Financial Services Limited) and Trustees Nicholas Allott OBE (Non-Executive Vice Chairman of Cameron Mackintosh Ltd and former Soho Theatre Chair), David Aukin (one of UK’s most respected drama producers and former Soho Theatre Chair), Hani Farsi (Founder and CEO of the Corniche group), Fawn James (Director of Soho Estates, Founder of Boulevard Theatre) and Shappi Khorsandi (acclaimed Comedian and Writer), alongside Soho Theatre’s Executive Director Mark Godfrey (Co-Founder of Waltham Forest Cinema Trust as part of local campaign to save the former Granada/EMD) and Creative Director David Luff (Co-Producer of NETWORK, National Theatre / Broadway).

Alessandro Babalola and Lucy Davies said: “We are both delighted and privileged to be appointed together as Co-Chairs for this incredible venue. We share a passion for the arts, and for representation, equality and sustainability within a thriving creative sector. We are looking forward to working together alongside our Trustees, the visionary Soho Theatre and Waltham Forest Council teams, and especially the Waltham Forest community as we rebuild, reinvent and reinvigorate this venue together, ensuring this ‘local theatre with a national profile’ has an extraordinary future.”

Jessica Draper said: “I’m thrilled to join Soho Theatre’s trailblazing team. Soho Theatre has an unparalleled knack of producing invigorating stage performances born from its pioneering and rebellious spirit and ethos of nurturing and trusting artists. It’s a huge privilege to be taking on the new role of Head of Creative Engagement. I will continue to champion artists and makers from underrepresented backgrounds and even at this particularly difficult time, I know Waltham Forest is a place of creativity, resilience and collective power. The new venue will be a space to connect, collaborate and create. The most important issues of our time can only be fully explored by bringing new voices to the table. I am really looking forward to working with everyone to create something extraordinary.”

Alessandro Babalola is an actor, writer, musician and director on the rise. Born, raised and still residing in Waltham Forest, in his formative years with no working theatre in the area, Alessandro learned his craft outside of his beloved borough. He first attended Soho Theatre as a teenager in 2007 to see JOE GUY(directed by Femi Elufowoju Jr.), before performing on Soho Theatre’s stage twelve years later in the Olivier Award-winning FLESH & BONE. His performance led to roles in Netflix’s TOP BOY(Season 3) and CURSED. He has recently completed filming on ITV’s THE UNFORGOTTEN, Guy Ritchie’s upcoming WRATH OF MANand the new Netflix film BLACKMAIL. Alessandro has written two plays: INVINCIBILLY(Wandsworth Fringe Festival, 2019) and THE PERFECT COMPANION(Pleasance Theatre, 2019).

Cultural and creative leader Lucy Davies is Executive Director at one of the UK’s flagship theatres, the internationally renowned Royal Court Theatre, also leading on its commercial and international touring transfer of its work. Prior, Lucy was the founding Executive Producer at the National Theatre Wales where she produced the first three year’s of the company’s work. Currently Chair of London Theatre Consortium, Chair of Trustees for Clod Ensemble, and on the Boards of Brighton Dome & Festival and the Society of London Theatre (SOLT), Lucy is also a Creative Climate Leader and Creative Green Champion 2020, leading on net zero practice across the theatre sector and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts.

In an exciting time for Soho Theatre as the company broadens the work it creates and the audiences it connects with, theatre and arts producer Jessica Draper joins the team in its newest full-time position, Head of Creative Engagement. Within Soho Theatre’s wider vision and strategy of public engagement and advocacy across its Dean Street venue and acclaimed festival programme, fast growing digital wing, and UK and international touring, Jessica will lead on creating a pioneering creative engagement programme for Dean Street and the former Granada/EMD.

With over ten years’ experience in leading co-creative collaboration, community participation and artist development, across arts, education, homelessness and criminal justice settings, Jessica has developed projects with the Roundhouse, Young Vic Theatre, Royal Opera House, the V&A Museum and seven local authorities. She has led on expansive theatre and community programmes with charities and organisations including Crisis UK, Synergy Theatre Project and Waltham Forest’s London Borough of Culture.

THE WOW FOUNDATION ANNOUNCES WOW SOUNDS LINE-UP
TO CELEBRATE INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY

• WOW SOUNDS WILL SHOWCASE MUSICAL PERFORMANCES BY WOMEN, GIRLS AND NON-BINARY ARTISTS AS PART OF WOW FESTIVAL UK 2021 THROUGHOUT MARCH
   
• ACTS WILL SPAN COUNTRIES AND GENRES – FROM MALI TO INDONESIA, WITH METAL TO FOLK TO TRADITIONAL INSTRUMENTATION
   
• LINE UP TO INCLUDE UK ARTISTS ANOUSHKA SHANKAR, AYANNA WITTER-JOHNSON, MISS BABY SOL, ANAIIS AND NUBYA GARCIA
   
• GROUNDBREAKING INTERNATIONAL ACTS INCLUDE KIMMORTAL, VOICE OF BACEPROT, DITTY, ALIAH SHEFFIELD, ASMÂA HAMZAOUI & BNAT TIMBOUKTOU AND FATOUMATA DIAWARA

The WOW Foundation has announced its line-up for WOW Sounds, a series of specially filmed musical performances curated for WOW Festival UK 2021 which will stream online from 1st-21st March as part of the WOW – Women of the World Festival’s programme of In Conversations. The programme will shine a light on women, girls and non-binary artists from around the world that use their music as a form of activism,  provoking intersectional conversations around gender inequality and more. The previously announced WOW Live at the Royal Albert Hall, which was due to take place on 8th March, has been postponed due to ongoing COVID-19 restrictions. In response to this, WOW Sounds will bring the fun to your homes by taking over the iconic venue to record performances, using its traditional auditorium, as well as hidden hallways and secret stairwells. Other acts will be showcased from the Akshara Theatre, a concert hall in New Delhi, and artists’ living rooms all across the globe.

The line-up will include UK based artists such as sitarist shredder, composer, producer and six-time Grammy nominee Anoushka Shankar; singer-songwriter and cellist Ayanna Witter-Johnson whose recent release Rise Up, featuring Akala, has become a revolutionary anthem for young Black people; genre defying artist Anaiis whose breakthrough song Nina is a liberation chant and reclamation of freedom; soul singer and all round force of nature Miss Baby Sol who will be performing a heartbreaking track called She Cries; and rising star Nubya Garcia who is changing the landscape of the UK Jazz scene, a genre historically dominated by men. International acts from across the globe will include the non-binary filipinx multi-disciplinary Kimmortal from the unceded unsurrendered traditional territories of the Coastal Salish; Voice of Baceprot a teenage Indonesian metal band rebelling against stereotypes of Islamic girls whilst fighting for equal rights to education; Indian independent artist and urban ecologist Ditty whose music uses field recordings of water women warriors who are fighting for water sanitation in their local communities; American Tik Tok star and singer Aliah Sheffield who wrote Earth is Ghetto, the worldwide anthem for lockdown; international superstar Fatoumata Diawara, a Malian singer, guitarist and social activist campaigning against the trafficking and sale of black migrants in Libyan slave markets; and foremost female ambassador of Gnawa music Asmaa Hamzoui and her band Bnat Timbouktou who will perform their contagious brand of evangelistic desert blues.

Miss Baby Sol, Anaiis, Anoushka Sankar, Nubya Garcia and Ayanna Witter-Johnson’s performances will be recorded at London’s Royal Albert Hall and will feature short interviews about their work with radio presenter and journalist Gemma Cairney.

Included as part of every In Conversation event in the online festival, WOW Sounds will get you head-banging, toe-tapping and dancing with joy in celebration of the resilience of women, girls and non-binary people everywhere.

WOW Sounds will also give audiences a chance to revisit some of their favourite performances from artists that performed at last year’s Global 24 Festival.  These include Tunisian singer-songwriter Emel Mathlouthi, whose protest song “Kelmti Horra” became the anthem during the 2011 Tunisian Revolution and Arab Spring; the Zimbabwean ‘Princess of Mbira’ Hope Masike; Kenyan musical and cultural firebrand Muthoni Drummer Queen and platinum-selling front woman and bassist from Noisettes Shingai.

For the first time ever, The WOW Foundation’s flagship UK festival will present events online daily from 1st-21st March. Recognising recent global events, 2021’s WOW UK programme will take a frank look at new obstacles women, girls and non-binary people now face; discussing creative solutions for change whilst celebrating amazing stories of resistance and progress. As in all WOW Festivals, it will be packed with challenging conversations but also moments of joy, spontaneity, laughter and optimism. This year’s opening session will bring together voices from across the globe to highlight the need for us to work together to build a more inclusive and sustainable post pandemic world.

Each WOW Sounds performance will be paired with one of the In Conversation events. WOW UK 2021 will include a series of In Conversations exploring themes such as sex during lockdown, radical childcare and gender equality in the tech industries. There will also be an interactive digital workshop programme including a session on decolonising songwriting with songwriters Emily Wurramara and Aine Tyrell and a mass singalong with WOW Virtual Big Sing, alongside discussion groups for those wanting to participate in conversations around specific subjects such as radical childcare and intersectionality. All events will be BSL interpreted and captioned, with tickets starting from £1 or audiences can buy a pass to watch the whole season from £25. For more information and the full WOW Festival 2021 programme, visit thewowfoundation.com or book on https://wow.ticketco.events/uk/en

The WOW Foundation is proudly supported by its Global Founding Partner Bloomberg, and Global Partner Mastercard.

WOW festivals are presented by arrangement with the Southbank Centre.

LISTINGS
WOW Festival 2021

1 – 21 March

In Conversation pay what you can tickets: £5 standard, £1 concession, £10 (includes a £5 donation to The WOW Foundation), £20 (includes a, £15 donation), £50 (includes £45 donation)

Pass to watch all In Conversations: £25 standard; £100 including donation to The WOW Foundation. In Conversations will be streamed via Ticketco and available to watch for seven days.

Ticket prices for workshops and discussions (which take place on Zoom) vary, starting from £3

1 March 8pm WOW UK 2021 Launch – With performances by Miss Baby Sol and Voice of Baceprot
2 March 8pm Arundhati Roy and V In Conversation – With a performance by Ditty
4 March 8pm Workshop: Money Matters – Reset Your Money Mindset with Selina Flavius
5 March 8pm Good Grief: Catherine Mayer and Anne Mayer Bird In Conversation – With a performance by Anaiis
6 March 10am Workshop: Under 10’s Feminist Corner
6 March 2pm Workshop: WOW’s Big Virtual Sing
6 March 8pm Where Are All The Working Class Writers? – With a performance by Asmâa Hamzaoui & Bnat Timbouktou
7 March 2pm Workshop: Grandmothers
7 March 4pm: Workshop: Radical Childcare
8 March: International Women’s Day – With performances by Anoushka Shankar and Fatoumata Diawara
9 March: Special event to be announced – With a performance by Nubya Garcia
10 March 8pm Women in Greek Myths: Natalie Haynes and Bettany Hughes In Conversation – With a performance by Anaiis
11 March 8pm Sheila Heti and Avni Doshi In Conversation – With a performance by Shingai
2 March 8pm Kimberlé Crenshaw In Conversation – With a performance by Ayanna Witter-Johnson
13 March 10am Workshop: Decolonising Songwriting
13 March 4pm Workshop: Afrofunk Rio
14 March 2pm Workshop: I  Am Perfect As Me
15 March 8pm How to Talk to Robots: A Girls’ Guide To a Future Dominated by AI – With a performance by Muthoni Drummer Queen
16 March 7pm Workshop: Finding Your Personal Power with Sarah Blumenau
17 March 8pm Ruby Wax: And Now for the Good News – With a performance by Kimmortal
18 March 8pm Refusing to be Silenced – With a performance by Emel Mathlouthi
19 March 8pm Sex in Lockdown – With a performance by Hope Masike
20 March 10am Workshop: How To Be An Active Bystander
20 March 2pm Workshop: Female Friendships
21 March 2pm Workshop: Everyone’s An Artist with Bryony Kimmings
21 March 4pm Workshop All Cisterns Go – Plumbing with WOW

Casting Directors honoured at the third CDG Casting Awards 

The UK’s top Casting Directors were honoured tonight, Tuesday 16 February 2021, at the third annual CDG Casting Awards presented by the Casting Directors’ Guild (CDG) in partnership with Spotlight. The Awards took place during an online ceremony, presented by actress Camille Cottin, to recognise and celebrate the artistry of casting across Film, TV, Theatre and Commercials. 

The winners of the 3^rd CDG Casting Awards are:  

• Leanne Flinn for Best Casting in a Commercial for Sport England This Girl Can – Me Again 
• Jessica Ronane for Best Casting in a Regional Theatre production for A Monster Calls (The Old Vic on tour). Casting Associate: Abby Galvin  
• Stuart Burt for Best Casting in Theatre (inside M25) for Cyrano de Bergerac (Playhouse Theatre)  
• Jessica Ronane for Best Casting in Musical Theatre for Girl from the North Country (Gielgud Theatre). Casting Associate: Abby Galvin 
• Louise Kiely and Karen Scully for Best Casting in a TV Drama Series for Normal People  
• Lauren Evans for Best Casting in a TV Comedy Series for Sex Education Series 2  
• Isabella Odoffin for Best Casting in an Independent Film for Blue Story  
• Sarah Crowe for Best Casting in a Film for The Personal History of David Copperfield. Casting Associate: Xanthe Spencer-Davidson   

Victor Jenkins, Chair of the Casting Director’s Guild commented: “It’s so exciting to be able to announce the winners for our 3^rd CDG Casting Awards. Like all walks of life, the entertainment industry is forging on under the most extraordinary circumstances. The nominations here reflect the wonderful work done pre and during the pandemic, and the theatre categories in particular are a salient reminder of the power and wonder of stage. Congratulations to the winners, and all our nominees.”   

Actress Camille Cottin presented these awards during an online ceremony. She said: “I have been so touched by the enthusiasm of the British casting community for Call My Agent and the way they have really made me feel welcome in the British industry. It was a pleasure to be able to host the awards and toast the special work they do.” 

Richard Wilson, CEO of Spotlight added: “We have always believed that the work of casting directors should be celebrated by our industry, which is why Spotlight is so proud to continue partnering with the CDG for their annual Awards. Huge congratulations to all the winners, nominees, and members of the CDG, who have continued to deliver such incredible work through one of the toughest years in memory for our industry.” 

The full list of nominees and winners is as follows:  

Best Casting in a Commercial 

WINNER: Leanne Flinn for Sport England This Girl Can – Me Again 

• Sasha Robertson for Amazon Alexa (Before Alexa)  
• Emma Stafford for Barnardos Believe in Me – Anxiety  
• Kharmel Cochrane and Martin Gibbons for Department of Education Every Lesson Shapes a Life 2 
• Emma Stafford for NHS We Are the Specialists  
• Sasha Robertson for Ovarian Cancer Action 

Leanne Flinn commented: “I am so delighted to have won a CDG award for best casting for the This Girl Can campaign. Even being nominated against other incredible casting directors is such an honour. Casting has only recently started to be recognised in the industry so when you win an award like this one it means so much. This Girl Can is a really rewarding campaign to have worked on. I was trusted to find inspiring and empowering women for the campaign that has encouraged nearly 3 million women to get more active since it began in 2015. I’ve worked on nearly all the campaigns since the start so thrilled to have won the CDG for commercial casting.” 

Best Casting in Regional Theatre (Outside of M25 includes straight Plays and Musicals) 

WINNER: Jessica Ronane for A Monster Calls (The Old Vic, on tour). Casting Associate: Abby Galvin  

• Matthew Dewsbury for King John/A Museum in Baghdad/The Whip (Royal Shakespeare Company)  
• Charlotte Sutton for Sing Yer Heart Out for the Lads (Chichester Festival Theatre, Spiegeltent)  
• Hannah Miller for The Boy in the Dress (Royal Shakespeare Company).Children’s Casting Directors: Hannah Miller and Barbara Roberts  
• Nadine Rennie for The Last King of Scotland (Sheffield Theatres)  

Jessica Ronane commented: “These shows have been career highs for me. Having been fortunate enough to work in-house at The Old Vic for the last six years I know that these productions are only made possible because of creative collaborations allowing for long developmental periods. Girl From The North Country cut to the core of human emotion. The beauty of the music combined with Conor McPherson’s story and characters transported us as only theatre can. Sally Cookson’s A Monster Calls retold Patrick Ness’s hit novel in a new and purely theatrical manner. Witnessing Sally’s imagination soar from auditions through to opening night was an enormous privilege and one I’ll never forget. I lived steps away from The Old Vic when I moved to London over 20 years ago from ballet school. I trained backstage and worked front of house. It is a precious and treasured ‘crown jewel’, loved by so many who now eagerly await the doors opening again.” 

Best Casting in Theatre (inside M25) – sponsored by Hamilton Hodell  

WINNER: Stuart Burt for Cyrano de Bergerac (Playhouse Theatre)  

• Jessica Ronane for A Very Expensive Poison (The Old Vic). Casting Associate: Christopher Worrall  
• Charlotte Sutton for Fairview (Young Vic)  
• Anna Cooper for Teenage Dick (Donmar Warehouse)  
• Isabella Odoffin for Three Sisters (National Theatre)  

Stuart Burt commented: “It’s thrilling for casting to be recognised and rewarded for the crucial and truly creative part it plays in the building of any production. Cyrano was a special project in many ways and I was honoured to play a part in its creation, be lucky enough to watch it as an audience member…so this really is the cherry on top!” 

Best Casting in Musical Theatre (inside M25) 

WINNER: Jessica Ronane for Girl from the North Country (Gielgud Theatre). Casting Associate: Abby Galvin 

• Stuart Burt for & Juliet (Shaftesbury Theatre) 
• Jill Green for Dear Evan Hansen (Noel Coward Theatre). Casting Associate: Amy Beadel, Casting Assistants: Heidi Lawry and Nicholas Hockaday  
• Paul Wooller and Felicity French for Mary Poppins (Prince Edward Theatre)  
• Jim Arnold for The Prince of Egypt (Dominion Theatre). Children’s Casting Director: Verity Naughton  

See quote from Jessica Ronane above (Winner of Best Casting in a Regional Theatre Award).  

Best Casting in a TV Drama Series – sponsored by Independent Talent Group 

WINNER: Louise Kiely and Karen Scully for Normal People (Hulu)  

• Shaheen Baig for Giri/Haji (BBC Two)  
• Kahleen Crawford and Dan Jackson for His Dark Materials (BBC One)  
• Kahleen Crawford for I Hate Suzie (Sky Atlantic)  
• Julie Harkin for I May Destroy You (BBC One). Casting Associate: Nathan Toth  

Louise Kiely and Karen Scully commented: “We are so honoured to win this CDG award. To be recognised by our colleagues who we admire so greatly is just the highest accolade. When we work on a project like NORMAL PEOPLE, we eat, sleep and drink the characters. We enjoy nothing more than imagining who is best to bring those treasured characters to life. When casting is complete, the mechanics of our work becomes beautifully invisible and we adore watching the actors work their magic on screen. We are thrilled and so very grateful.” 

Best Casting in a TV Comedy Series – sponsored by United Agents 

WINNER: Lauren Evans for Sex Education Series 2 (Netflix) 

• Tracey Gillham for Inside No 9 Series 5 (BBC Two)  
• Sarah Crowe for Motherland Series 2 (BBC Two)  
• Theo Park for Ted Lasso (Apple TV). Casting Associate: Olissa Rogers 
• Rachel Freck for Trying (Apple TV). Casting Associate: Cat Dickie, Child Casting Associate: Annelie Powell, Casting Assistant: Amy Jackson  

Lauren Evans commented: “I’m so proud to be involved in a production which champions inclusivity and upcoming talent. Particularly a show which so many take so much from. Casting plays such a major part in telling stories truthfully and authentically and I’m thrilled our place in the industry is finally getting recognised.” 

Best Casting in an Independent Film (under £3 million) – includes straight to TV – sponsored by Independent Talent Group 

WINNER: Isabella Odoffin for Blue Story 

• Shaheen Baig for Calm with Horses  
• Louise Kiely for Dating Amber   
• Kharmel Cochrane for Saint Maud   
• Dixie Chassay for Sulphur and White   

Isabella Odoffin commented: “Being part of something that had garnered so much buzz was and will always be an honour.  I met so many talented people who I might never have had the pleasure of crossing paths with on any other project. To not only see the intricacy of the craft becoming increasingly recognised, to also be able to celebrate with an award is such a warm feeling and very much testament to the magic that can happen when all creatives are operating on the same passion-fuelled vibrancy.” 

Best Casting in a Film (over £3 million) – includes straight to TV – sponsored by Eon Productions Limited 

WINNER: Sarah Crowe for The Personal History of David Copperfield. Casting Associate: Xanthe Spencer-Davidson   

• Jessica Ronane for Emma. Casting Associate: Christopher Worrall  
• Des Hamilton for Jojo Rabbit  
• Fiona Weir and Alice Searby for Judy. Casting Assistant: Sarah Wilson  
• Kharmel Cochrane for The Lighthouse  

Sarah Crowe commented: “I’m so honoured to be receiving this award for The Personal History of David Copperfield, it was quite literally my dream job. A favourite novel adapted with such style and wit by Armando Iannucci and with a brief that has quite possibly helped redefine the status quo in British film in terms of colour inclusive casting.  

The CDG have worked tirelessly to bring about change in our industry with the recognition of our work. I believe these awards not only shine a spotlight on what we do but will hopefully inspire a new generation to choose casting as a career.” 

The CDG Casting Awards are presented in partnership with Spotlight. The Awards are sponsored by Eon Productions, Hamilton Hodell, Independent Talent Group and United Agents. 

Chronic Insanity announce three shows in three months 

A trio of digital productions include an interactive show told over social media, an internet-wide treasure hunt and a real-life retelling of lockdown hit game Among Us

@CITheatre | chronicinsanity.wixsite.com/12in12

“Poetic, tense and gripping” «««« A Younger Theatre (on Myles Away)

Chronic Insanity is to host an ambitious digital programme with three new productions to be launched over the next three months. The digital-focused shows announced for February to May will showcase Chronic Insanity’s characteristically playful style as part of their 12 shows in 12 months project for 2021. Drawing on the unnerving and the unusual, the Nottingham-based company’s digital work plays with a host of different online platforms to tell stories about the digital worlds that are becoming increasingly important in our lives.

Kicking off the new digital season is Douglas Deans’ 24, 23, 22(available February 26^th), a gig-theatre production about what happens when you’re in the wrong place at the wrong time. Told through a variety of social media platforms, 24, 23, 22 is played out by two performers, with the audience put in charge of choosing who will perform.

From March 29^th, Flavour Textis an internet-wide narrative treasure hunt. Encouraging participants to actively piece together the story, Flavour Text takes audiences down a rabbit hole of lies as the story unfolds in reviews and comment sections across a variety of websites.

With a rise in online games over lockdown, including the hugely popular Among Us which divides friendship groups into crewmates and imposters, Joe Strickland’s There’s Something Among Us asks what happens when our video game actions have real-life repercussions. There’s Something Among Us tells a story through multiple video feeds to uncover the opening of old wounds and the revelation of unspoken truths against a backdrop of a seemingly harmless online game.   

Artistic Director Joe Strickland said, “In the same way that local theatres should tell local stories, I think digital theatre should focus on telling digital stories. This opens up so many untold stories to tell, audiences to reach, and opportunities for both creatives and audiences to make or experience theatre in innovative ways. This season for us is not only about telling those digital stories, but doing so on online platforms that make sense for those stories, all while exploring how many ways we can give audiences different options to experience the productions as possible. What happens if an audience can choose the cast of the show for themselves, experience stories over the timescale they want, or decide how much of the world of a story they want to dive into? We’re very excited to find out!”.

Led by Nat Henderson and Joe Strickland, Chronic Insanity use sustainable theatre making practices, record all performances in multiple digital formats, create new opportunities for other creatives to get their work on, and document the whole process for others to learn from. Joe Strickland combines experience as a theatre maker, magician, psychologist, and creative technologist to make original audiences experiences for traditional, found, and digital spaces.

Listings information

24, 23, 22 (Friday 26^th Feb until Fri 31^st Dec 2021)                                                       £10 (Concs £8)

A gig-theatre production about the impact people have on each other and what happens when you’re in the wrong place at the wrong time, told through a variety of social media platforms.One character moves forwards, through a seemingly normal day that takes a sudden twist, while another moves backwards, away from a life changing incident. Each character is played by two performers, with the audience being able to choose which performers perform the story for them, similar to the character selection function in some video games. This show contains strong language and references to mortality and sexual misconduct. This show will be available with captions and audio description.

Flavour Text (Monday 29^th March until Fri 31^st Dec 2021)                                                   £10 (Concs £8)

Flavour Text is the term used to describe the environmental storytelling that gives an audience extra insight into a fictional world. The written equivalent of a found footage film, Flavour Text is an internet wide, narrative treasure hunt. You find yourself looking for the number for your favourite takeaway online, when you realise that the restaurant has closed down suddenly. While looking for the reason, the audience falls into a rabbit hole of lies and deceit that they discover through review and comment sections across a variety of websites. Duration and content warnings TBC. The show will be available with audio description.

There’s Something Among Us (Monday 26^th April until Fri 31^st Dec 2021)                            £10 (Concs £8)

Games have the ability to bring us together, but also to push us apart. For every fun evening over a game of Jenga there’s a family torn apart by Monopoly. With a rise in online games over lockdown, like the popular game Among Us, a friendship group being broken apart by a game can now happen remotely. In Among Us, a player(s) is assigned the role of The Imposter and has to try and secretly murder the other players without being caught. But what if, when each avatar in the game is killed off, either by the imposter or the other players, something more immediate and serious happens to that player in real life, something the other players aren’t made aware of until it’s too late. There’s Something Among Us tells a story through multiple video feeds of the opening of old wounds, the revelation of spoken truths, and little colourful dudes killing each other on a space station. Duration and content warnings TBC. The show will be presented with captions and audio description.

These performances are supported using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England.

Online from The Phoenix Arts Club

Friday’s at 7:30pm from 26^th February

The legendary Phoenix Arts Club are delighted to announce, ‘ONLINE from The Phoenix Arts Club’, a series of performances broadcast live in HD from the heart of London’s west end. Filmed from multiple angles using state-of-the-art technology and conducted under strict COVID guidelines, the shows will take place weekly on Fridays at 7.30pm from 26^th February 2021, featuring many cabaret, theatre and comedy favourites including Sarah-Louise Young, Dusty Limits, Ivy Paige, Ada Campe, and Stand Up 4 Comedy’s International Women’s’ Day fundraiser.

‘Online from The Phoenix Arts Club’ sees the organisation reach a landmark point, completing a year’s worth of digital and live activities since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, including the Lovie Award Nominated ‘Saturday Supershow’ weekly live show and the Christmas pantomime Alice in Streamingland. ‘Online from The Phoenix Arts Club’ will run weekly as the venue sets its sights on the road to reopening live performance venues, meeting a much-needed desire for high quality digital cabaret, theatre and comedy, and keeping its audiences connected.

Celebrating thirty years of entertaining entertainers, The Phoenix Arts Club is the west end’s multi-award-winning, independently owned and operated entertainment club. Secreted away down the same little side street used in the opening sequence of Harry Potter and tucked beneath The Phoenix Theatre lies The Phoenix Arts Club, the charming escape from the London norm. The lively and nostalgic Theatre Bar & Restaurant is located in the original dressing and rehearsal rooms of The Phoenix Theatre where Laurence Olivier made his debut on stage in the 1930s in “Private Lives” with Noel Coward and Gertrude Lawrence.

Colin Savage, Financial Director says:

“Well, theatres probably wouldn’t have dreamed of putting a show “online” a year ago, but look how we have changed since March last year.  It’s been an incredibly exciting time for the Phoenix Arts Club too – leading the way with live-streamed cabaret from artists’ homes once a week for the whole of the first lockdown; to the weekly multicamera streamed shows going out this March.  With the help of the Arts Council providing essential camera equipment, and with our growth in knowledge for doing this for last year, we can’t wait to bring our brilliant, diverse and talented artists to you once again, moving from streamed shows to live shows in the venue in, say, April. But, do you think live streaming will fade away? We don’t think so, so we will be providing ALL our weekly shows live and online from the middle of the year onwards!”

Online Season Information:

26^th February 7.30pm: Dusty Limits & Michael Roulston: 2020 Hindsight

2020 was obviously the worst year ever, but could we have seen it coming? It turns out, Dusty Limits and Michael Roulston did, they just didn’t realise it at the time. With a selection of songs from their back-catalogue, a mix of beauty, pathos and vicious satire, they will amuse, move and possibly startle you with their Cassandra-like powers.

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5^th March 7.30pm: Stand Up 4 Women with Sikisa & Special Guests

STAND UP 4 WOMEN IS BACK FOR INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY 2021 AND STILL MAKING AN IMPACT. An evening of stand up comedy showcasing some funny women and helping to create awareness about domestic abuse, raising funds for Solace Women’s Aid. The show features some of the best female talent on the comedy circuit all hosted by Sikisa. Featuring: Alison Spittle, Leila Navabi, Kemah Bob, Janine Hauroni, Njambi McGrath, Chloe Petts, Jadye Adams and Sikisa (host).

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12^th March 7.30pm: Ada Campe: Unexpectedly Cheerful

 Tall tales! Super songs! Mischievous magic! Join award-winning variety artiste Ada Campe for a live stream spectacular that will bring some much-needed cheer to your 2021. Ada is delighted to be joined for this show by pianist extraordinaire Sarah Bodalbhai and a very special virtual guest, comedian and ventriloquist Max Fulham.

Ada Campe is a real one-off, a one-woman celebration of a bygone golden era of decorous razzmatazz, yet still hugely relevant today. Winner of the New Act of the Year at the NATYS, the Leicester Square Theatre Old Comedian of the Year, and The Stand Comedy Club’s Good Egg Award. Best Variety Act Nominee at the Chortle Awards!

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19^th March 7.30pm: Sarah-Louise Young: Cabaret Whore

Brilliant musical character comedy packed with sparkling original songs, bitingly funny stories and lighting quick-changes. From tortured French chanteuse La Poule Plombée to washed-up lounge crooner Bernie St Clair, these fantastic character creations have delighted audiences around the globe from Edinburgh to London, New York to Berlin and at the prestigious Adelaide Cabaret Festival. Written and performed by Sarah-Louise Young with music by Michael Roulston.

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“Save A Seat” raises over £15,000 for Birmingham Repertory Theatre and Birmingham Royal Ballet 

This past festive season, audiences were asked to Save A Seat as part of a new fundraising campaign by Birmingham Repertory Theatre and Birmingham Royal Ballet. Today, both Birmingham cultural institutions are pleased to announce that over £15,000 in donations were raised thanks to the generosity of audiences and the incredible support of match-funders, global law firm DLA Piper in Birmingham.  

The fundraising initiative aimed to help cover the lost income from some of the seats left empty during the run of The Nutcracker at The REP after performances in front of socially-distanced live audiences were cancelled due to local tier restrictions. All proceeds will be split equally between The REP and Birmingham Royal Ballet. 

Audiences now have the opportunity to watch another extraordinary cast of Birmingham Royal Ballet dancers in The Nutcracker at The REP streaming online until 21 February. Tickets cost just £10 per household and can be purchased at brb.org.uk. 

Trevor Ivory, Birmingham Managing Partner at DLA Piper said; “Birmingham Repertory Theatre and Birmingham Royal Ballet are two of the city’s cultural crown jewels and we are extremely proud to have supported their Save A Seat campaign during a particularly difficult time for the arts. We encourage everyone to maintain their support for these ever-important institutions when possible and look forward to a time in the not-too-distant future when the curtain can rise once again.” 

Sean Foley, Artistic Director at The REP added; “2020 proved to be an unprecedented and extremely difficult year for theatres across the country, including here at The REP. However, in these challenging times, we have been overwhelmed by the incredible support of audiences and partners – including the fantastic response from supporters to our Save A Seat campaign and the generous match-funding from DLA Piper LLP. We very much look forward to a time in the not-too-distant future when we can welcome all of those who have helped us over the course of the year back to The REP.” 

Carlos Acosta, Director at Birmingham Royal Ballet added; “Birmingham Royal Ballet are so grateful for the incredible support from The Nutcracker at the REP audiences and to DLA Piper LLP for match funding the Save a Seat campaign. 2020 was a difficult year for Birmingham Royal Ballet and the arts industry, but the unwavering support from audiences has been a constant source of encouragement for the Company and we cannot wait to return to the stage as soon as we can!” 

The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in many arts organisations being unable to open and perform in front of audiences for over seven months. Since March, over 80% of The REP’s income has come to an abrupt and unexpected halt, however, the theatre’s talented workforce has committed to finding inventive new ways of engaging a diverse spectrum of people and communities.   

The impact of the pandemic has also had a huge impact on Birmingham Royal Ballet. With so much uncertainty, it has proven difficult for the company to confirm plans and performances or to deliver its outstanding and life changing education work to the thousands of young people across Birmingham who would ordinarily benefit from this.