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A Community Play brings together a small
professional theatre team who work inclusively with large numbers
of people, for no less than eighteen months, to create a total theatre
experience that both celebrates and challenges. Through those months
leading up to the production an abundance of activities, committees,
workshops and rehearsals develop friendships and support between
people that represents the major rewards of the work. The process,
carefully prepared with local consultation, aims to respond to the
specific needs and expectations of the particular community. The
process, like the plays themselves, are unique to the town they
serve. The result, properly executed, is a thrilling climax of achievement.
A testament to the creativeness and co-operation of people is that
the work is always of a high artistic standard; communities are
never less than surprised by what they achieve.
Starting Up
It all starts with a short pilot project that includes a feasibility
study. This process establishes contacts in the area, researches
potential venues, help in kind, funding, themes for the play and
the general support. It seeks opinions and expectations from as
wide a section of the population as possible and it runs a series
of creative workshops to demonstrate the value of community arts.
From this reports of the findings together with recommendations
are presented to a public meeting for a vote. Communities who don't
want a play are forced.
Costs & Services
The cost of the project is determined by the feasibility study.
First thing is assessing what monies are available, when and from
where. Most money usually comes from outside the community through
Trusts, Regional Arts Boards, Business Sponsorship, and Lottery
etc. The help in kind is determined along with the size of the venue
and the box office potential. Only when a true idea of the scale
of the project is understood can anything be planned. Projects can
cost anything between £45,000 and £120,000 depending
on potential sponsorship and ambition. Box Office normally accounts
for 15%, Arts Council Regional Arts Boards and Trusts 50% Business
Sponsorship and help in Kind 20%, Marketing and Local Fund Raising
15%, as well as offering services of Directors, Designers, and Writers
etc. Claque supplies lighting and sound equipment, workshop and
Design Studio tools, Desk Top Publishing, Audio Visual Aids (Camera,
Video) Display Material, a Transit Van along with Insurance and
Public Liability. These services together with experience can dramatically
cut costs, saves time and improves the quality of the work.
Community Ownership
Once a play is decided a Steering committees is formed. Whilst taking
advice from the Claque they are usually fully in control of the
project. Other teams are formed, responsible for the varied aspects
of the specially designed programme, these have, in the past, included
research, fund raising, publicity, events etc. Professionals can
give guidance throughout but the aim is to give ownership where
it belongs - with the community. We want to empower people to organise
and manage their own project so that the skills are left behind
to enable future work once the play is over. Claque has a manual
and short cut draft administration and policy documents to help
each team with the process. It is essential, however, that the community
take this opportunity to learn the ropes of managing the project
so that skills are developed that can benefit the community after
the play is over.
A Parallel Community Arts Programme
An arts programme accompanies the lead in to a community play that
can take anything up to a year to complete. A Community Arts programme
is especially designed to suit the needs and the pockets of the
host community. At the same time the play is researched and developed
as collaboration between local people and the writer through meetings,
workshops or chance encounters. We run Soundings and Drama Searches
using techniques to discover and debate possible ideas and examine
their contemporary relevance. Fund raising activities and events
raise awareness to the play and process, constantly inviting more
and more people to participate. Finally, with the money raised,
the play written and read publicly to the town, inclusive casting
takes place - an event to which all are invited and no one is turned
away.
The Production Period
Usually around ten to twelve weeks before the established performance
date a professional theatre team becomes resident in the town. The
size of the team and the length of time they are resident depends
on budget and needs. The teams more usually consist of a Director,
Play Co-ordinator, Designer, Design Assistant, Production Manager
and a Musical Director. Rehearsals begin and the design studio and
play office open to the public. People are invited to help build
sets, props, make costumes with the guidance of theatre designers
and production manager. Workshops are taken into schools and other
establishments. The whole town can become come involved with a new
creativity. The writer often attends rehearsals to oversee and get
feed back on the script. The goal is a work of art that touches
the centre of important issues within the community becoming both
a challenge and a celebration.
The Play
The plays themselves are often presented in the dynamic and visual
promenade theatre style with large carried images The space, be
it school, barn, church, castle, warehouse or tent is transformed
with a series of stages around the circumference. The action of
the play often with casts of over a hundred and twenty swirls all
around and through the standing audience.
Afterwards
The professional practitioners may be asked to stay in contact with
communities to support them in the setting up of teams for future
ventures. What we hope, and know from past experience, can happen
is that the previous experiences of doing a large-scale community
play leads to further activities. The enthusiasm if harnessed can
create extraordinary post play happenings. Communities have in the
past done other community plays, created arts centres, started festivals,
built up choirs, bands, drama societies, politicised and organised
themselves in stopping unwanted housing developments. This is made
all the more possible when the original concept is one of owners.
The Community Play belongs to the people and is at its best when
it embraces the idea of being inclusive
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