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Boundless Theatre announce new play by Charlie Josephine, co-produced with Shoreditch Town Hall

5 October 2022

Boundless Theatre and Shoreditch Town Hall present the world premiere of Charlie Josephine’s play Flies, originally planned for October 2020 – an explosive take on the male gaze and how it continues to impact young women. Flies is about girls being looked at by boys. It’s about hitting puberty and being smacked by the male gaze. The power and the shame, the pleasure and the fear that flies around your body when you’re constantly being looked at. It is performed by a cast of female identifying students and alumni from The BRIT School.

Charlie Josephine is an award-winning actor and a writer. They’re passionate about making honest, visceral theatre, particularly stories that centre working class women and queer people. Charlie’s work includes ‘I, Joan’ (Shakespeare’s Globe), ‘Bitch Boxer’ (Soho Theatre), and ‘Massive’  (Audible). Charlie is this year’s resident writer at Headlong Theatre and is also an associate artist at the NSDF. They’re currently under commission at The RSC, Headlong Theatre and NT Connections.

Flies will be directed by Julia Head. Julia is a director of live work from Bristol. She is the Artistic Director of  FullRogue, a theatre company that exists to stress-test new writing and the limits of live performance. She is the Company Director of Young SixSix that collaborates closely with young people to make new work and supports them to realise their creative potential. Julia was a Headlong Origins Director for 2021 and is currently an Associate Artist at Bristol Old Vic, Associate Director of Twisted Theatre and a trustee of MAYK and Headlong. Recent Credits include: ROMEO AND JULIET (Bristol Old Vic), MASSIVE by Charlotte Josephine (Audible Original Productions), WILD SWIMMING by FullRogue (BristolOldVic//59E59, NYC).

Flies was originally commissioned by Boundless Theatre.

 

Boundless Theatre Launches the Boundless Ideas Space & Announces a Dynamic Three-Day Programme of Discovery, Experimentation & Creative Community

Boundless Theatre

7 June 2021
  • The Boundless Ideas Space launches to the public between 24-26th June 2021
  • Location: 62 Southampton Row, London WC1B 4AR

 

Boundless Theatre announces the launch of the Boundless Ideas Space, an immersive, three-day cultural pop-up between 24-26 June 2021 in Holborn, London. The hybrid programme of intimate in-person and digital events curated by the Artistic Director of Boundless Theatre, Rob Drummer showcases a veritable celebration of creativity bound by performance, workshops, talks, music, art, and drop-in career guidance by industry authorities. The Boundless Ideas Space is a platform for young voices to produce culture for positive social change.

Inspired by the themes raised in three upcoming theatrical productions, the three-day programme addresses the urgent issues of the climate emergency, gender identity and mental health. The Boundless Ideas Space is an open invitation to young people to immerse themselves in the imaginative universe of a burgeoning 21st-century theatre company and activism today while being a safe space for discovery, experimentation, and idea generation.

 

As a commitment to nurturing early-career talents, Boundless Theatre has developed a fund package of £1000 and a one-year mentorship programme. Two additional runners-up will receive a six-month mentorship. The fund package will be awarded on the 24th June 2021 to three entrants of I See You Looking At Mean open call to young women to share their personal stories about growing up today in a short, creative film. Submissions to the initiative can be made on Instagram by tagging @boundlessabound and using the hashtag #iseeyoulookingatmeParticipants will be streamed into the Boundless Ideas Space to form an intimate record of the highs and lows of being a young woman today.

 

Rob Drummer, Artistic Director of Boundless Theatre, comments:

 

“Theatre is nothing without people, the freelancers, the early-career artists, the creative community and our audiences who make what we do matter. The Boundless Ideas Space is a welcoming, safe space for discovery. A way for us to bring our community together and share what we’re working on. Over these three days, in this unique space, we want to show what a theatre company looks like, the diversity of thought, of artistic expression and connect with as many young adults as possible who are looking to discover, experiment and be creative. All of this work wouldn’t be possible without the mind-blowing brilliance of Charlie Josephine, Dawn King and Nessah Muthy, theatre artists of the highest calibre whose extraordinary shows all in development right now form the backbone of this programme. As theatre recovers and our cultural industries emerge from a devastating year, we want to play our small part in putting some positivity out there and hope you might drop by and join us.”

 

The Boundless Ideas Space is made possible thanks to the Arts Council England Culture Recovery Fund. The Boundless Ideas Space kicks off ambitious plans to engage with young people in new ways around culture across the UK in a series of projects and spaces.

 

Programme Highlights

 

The diverse programme is centred around uplifting, creative activism drawing on the themes brought up in three upcoming Boundless productions, inviting audiences to peek behind the curtain into the development stages for the first time of

  • Flies by Charlie Josephine
  • How To Save The Planet When You’re A Young Carer And Broke by Nessah Muthy
  • Addictive Beat by Dawn King

 

Throughout The Event:

 

Action Now: Creative Resolutions on The Climate Emergency 

How To Save The Planet? Boundless Theatre has invited an interdisciplinary group of London creatives and thinkers to share their ideas in a creative medium. The exhibition features original artworks by musician and NTS radio host Delilah Holliday, emerging artists Jack Laver & Rosa Burgess, seminal DJ Princess Julia, designer David Koma and photographer David Richardson. Together the pieces form a creative manifesto and an open dialogue on the climate emergency between generation and gender, artist and audience. Ten limited edition fine art prints of each artwork will be available to purchase for £50 on-site with proceeds going towards future activist workshops in partnership with Friends of The Earth.

 

Daily opportunities to get the answers to those questions you’ve just never known who to ask and drop-in career advice on how to break into the industry in Ask Me Anything or play the Tower Block Challenge with 54 conversation starters with theatre industry gatekeepers.

 

Thursday 24th June 2021 focuses on gender identity and growing up under the male gaze driven by award-winning actor and writer Charlie Josephine. 

 

Arts Industry Utopia

Inspiring live arts producer & occasional drag king Beth Sitek & Community Arts Practitioner Zorazelda King launch the activities with a hands on creative workshop for early career artists and practitioners building a re-imagined industry.

 

Tell Your Story

Charlie Josephine hosts an intimate creative writing workshop guiding attendees through the skills and techniques to explore their personal stories through artistic expression.

 

I See You Looking At Me

Boundless Theatre has invited young women to share their personal stories about growing up in the 21st Century to form an intimate record of the highs and lows of being a young woman today. Participants will be streamed into the Boundless Ideas Space throughout the day and on the @boundlessabound social accounts.

 

 

 

Friday 25th June 2021 invites visitors to engage with the climate emergency in new and imaginative ways hosted by award-winning writer Nessah Muthy and award-winning theatre director Stef O’Driscoll. 

 

How To Save The World Now 

Where does working-class identity and climate change activism intersect? In this creative workshop, Nessah Muthy and Stef O’Driscoll tackle this question and invite guests to develop creative manifestos on how to save the world in five minutes.

 

My World, My Home

A community workshop supporting tomorrow’s activists, this workshop aims to engage and inspire 15-25-year-olds to make positive change happen in their communities and create a safe space for young people to share their concerns for the environment in association with Friends of the Earth and SOS-UK.

 

 

Song for Social Change

Protest songs are integral to social change and in collaboration with attendees, musician explores what it is to create a protest song for today? The workshop will accumulate in a unique mantra for social change, for visitors to take out onto the streets.

 

Saturday 26th June 2021 The final day of activities is dedicated to music and the launch of Boundless Theatre’s first EP, Alive, the title track for Addictive Beat written by Dawn King.

 

Boundless Theatre Artistic Director Rob Drummer discusses the crossover of music and theatre with award-winning writer Dawn King and music producer Dre Hall.

 

To close the Boundless Ideas Space, Anikdote invites his closest friends and collaborators to an afternoon of high-energy celebration and sonic exploration featuring sets by upcoming London DJs. 

 

The full Boundless Ideas Space line-up and times will be released shortly on: boundlesstheatre.org.uk/boundlessideasspace

 

Boundless Ideas Space will open 9.30am – 6pm daily between 24-26th June 2021 at

62 Southampton Row, London WC1B 4AR

 

— ENDS —

  

For press enquires & requests contact:

Reece Prince Watson | reece@reeceprincewatson.com | +44 (0) 7899 043 357

 

Join the Conversation:

@boundlessabound

 

 

Notes To Editors:

 

About Boundless | boundlesstheatre.org.uk

 

Boundless Theatre supports a community of young adults to be creative.  All of their work is exhilarating, shareable and promotes meaningful social experiences around culture.  Boundless is in dialogue with a vibrant and diverse youth culture and believe by investing in and being inspired by early career artists they can promote conversation with a global community of 15-25 year olds. Under the Artistic Direction of Rob Drummer since 2016, the company makes work across the UK and further afield as well as pioneering new ways to connect teenagers to theatre.

 

About How To Save The Planet When You’re A Young Carer And Broke

Written by Nessah Muthy & Directed by Stef O’Driscoll | Opens in November 2021

 

Lavisha Smith is a mixed race, working class fourteen-year-old from the Roundshaw estate, Greater London. Lavisha was raised by her white mother, Faith, (who she absolutely adores) and who has recently been forced back to work despite her disabilities.

 

Lavisha is super smart and her intelligence has landed her in a top local grammar school, but she’s struggling and lonely. Side-lined by her old mates and constantly clashing with more middle class, climate protesting obsessed peers at her new school. It’s not that she doesn’t get climate change…of course she gets it…and it terrifies her, but for Lavisha there are more immediate issues…like making sure Mum doesn’t faint again because her iron levels are so low.

Lavisha is a funny, kind and talented girl and this is her first encounter of real class struggle and existentialism. She also just finds Greta Thunberg kind of hot when she’s angry… in all seriousness though: the planets imploding, but so are so many parts of Lavisha’s own life – can you really be working class and save the planet?

 

Boundless Theatre will produce How To Save The Planet When You’re A Young Carer And Broke this November in a variety of spaces across London.

 

About Addictive Beat

Written by Dawn King & Directed by Rob Drummer | Opens in Summer 2022

 

Alex and Robbi are great friends who want to be great musicians. Alex, a DJ and producer, wants to make people feel good with his beats. Robbi, a singer songwriter, wants to change the world with her lyrics. For years they’ve shared inspiration, support and beer. Their strong platonic love has always come with a side order of friendly teasing and competitive jealousy. It’s not easy to confess that the life that should be brilliant, isn’t, especially when it seems your friend is on the brink of success.

 

As Alex spirals, obsessing over the perfect track, he stumbles on something dangerous, something that will make his career but could just break him in the process.  These two friends, need each other but have either got the strength to survive?

 

Boundless Theatre will open Addictive Beat in Summer 2022, Addictive Beat will be an immersive celebration of music, friendship and creative struggle with original music by Anikdote.

 

About Flies

Written by Charlie Josephine &  Directed by Elayce Ismail | Opens in Autumn 2022

 

FLIES is about girls being looked at by boys. It’s about hitting puberty and being smacked by the male gaze. The power and the shame, the pleasure and the fear that flies around your body when you’re constantly being looked at.

 

FLIES started as a takedown of Lord of the Flies, it ends on a stage filled with young women.

 

Boundless Theatre will be co-producing FLIES with Shoreditch Town Hall in 2022. The production will feature a cast of teenage performers from the BRIT school.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Boundless Theatre Receives £59,460 From Second Round Of The Government’s Culture Recovery Fund

Boundless Theatre

2 April 2021
  • Boundless Theatre to receive £59,460 from second round of the Government’s Culture Recovery Fund
  • Boundless Theatre among more than 2,700 recipients to benefit from the latest round of awards from the £1.57 billion Culture Recovery Fund
  • This grant will ensure that more young adults aged 15-25 can experience cultural, social experiences over the coming months and connect with each other through hybrid in-person and digital artistic development.  By expanding our Advisory Group, commissioning artists to further explore work scheduled for production over the next 12 months and working with freelancers to deliver audience and creative development Boundless is not only here for culture but here for all young adults.

Boundless Theatre in South Bermondsey has received a grant of £59,460 from the Government’s £1.57 billion Culture Recovery Fund to help the organisation recover and reopen.

More than £300 million has been awarded to thousands of cultural organisations across the country including Boundless Theatre in the latest round of support from the Culture Recovery Fund, the Culture Secretary announced today.

Boundless Theatre supports a community of young adults to be creative.  Through exhilarating, shareable work, the company promotes meaningful social experiences around culture.  By being in dialogue with a vibrant and diverse youth culture and investing in and being inspired by early career artists both live and digital productions, often co-created with teenagers and young adults are building meaningful community across the UK and further afield.

The grant will specifically enable Boundless to:

  • Invest in the creative development of our postponed work and transition to a new producing model which will merge audience and artistic development, taking our audience with us on a longer-term journey of discovery ahead of live productions returning when possible.
  • Programme digital presentations of creative work in development and interactive workshops and Q&As that can be presented in a hybrid in person and digital way for 15-25 year olds
  • Expand our Advisory Group of 15-25 year olds and provide further community building outreach activities
  • Recruit a freelance project manager to prepare our future productions and support their creative development from April to June.
  • Recruit a freelance project manager to create new marketing and audience development strategies for our productions and support their creative development April to June
  • Further develop boundlesstheatre.org.uk to host diverse content, build community and speak directly with audiences to build stronger relationships for future work. Development of digital platforms, data analysis skills and CRM will help us better manage and serve our community and programming strategies, as well as test new ways to earn income from these digital activities in the future.

Here For Culture Boundless Theatre

Over £800 million in grants and loans has already been awarded to support almost 3,800 cinemas, performance venues, museums, heritage sites and other cultural organisations dealing with the immediate challenges of the coronavirus pandemic.

The second round of awards made today will help organisations to look ahead to the spring and summer and plan for reopening and recovery. After months of closures and cancellations to contain the virus and save lives, this funding will be a much-needed helping hand for organisations transitioning back to normal in the months ahead.

Culture Secretary, Oliver Dowden, said:

“Our record breaking Culture Recovery Fund has already helped thousands of culture and heritage organisations across the country survive the biggest crisis they’ve ever faced.

Now we’re staying by their side as they prepare to welcome the public back through their doors – helping our cultural gems plan for reopening and thrive in the better times ahead.”

 Artistic Director & CEO of Boundless Theatre, Rob Drummer said:

“This funding has come at a crucial time as we seek to invigorate and double down on our commitment to our community of 15-25 year olds.  We have ambitious plans to recover from the pandemic that has so devastated theatre over the past year and has deeply impacted the mental health of all young people.

Boundless exists to champion the creativity of young adults, and through this funding we can now go further in creating highly relevant experiences, new creative work and grow our community through hybrid digital and in-person experiences.  To be able to do that whilst also creating new freelance jobs and grow our Advisory Group is something we are incredibly grateful for.”

 Sir Nicholas Serota, Chair, Arts Council England, said:

“Investing in a thriving cultural sector at the heart of communities is a vital part of helping the whole country to recover from the pandemic. These grants will help to re-open theatres, concert halls, and museums and will give artists and companies the opportunity to begin making new work.

We are grateful to the Government for this support and for recognising the paramount importance of culture to our sense of belonging and identity as individuals and as a society.”

The funding awarded today is from a £400 million pot which was held back last year to ensure the Culture Recovery Fund could continue to help organisations in need as the public health picture changed. The funding has been awarded by Arts Council England, as well as Historic England and National Lottery Heritage Fund and the British Film Institute.

Notes to Editors

Arts Council England is the national development agency for creativity and culture. We have set out our strategic vision in Let’s Create that by 2030 we want England to be a country in which the creativity of each of us is valued and given the chance to flourish and where everyone of us has access to a remarkable range of high quality cultural experiences. We invest public money from Government and The National Lottery to help support the sector and to deliver this vision. www.artscouncil.org.uk

Following the Covid-19 crisis, the Arts Council developed a £160 million Emergency Response Package, with nearly 90% coming from the National Lottery, for organisations and individuals needing support. We are also one of the bodies administering the Government’s Culture Recovery Fund. Find out more at www.artscouncil.org.uk/covid19.

At the Budget, the Chancellor announced the £1.57 billion Culture Recovery Fund would be boosted with a further £300 million investment. Details of this third round of funding will be announced soon.

Boundless Theatre

Boundless Theatre creates exhilarating, relevant and shareable theatre with and for teenagers, young adults and curious others, responding to a vibrant and diverse global culture. They promote conversation, collaboration and exchange across the UK, Europe and internationally. The company has continued to push the boundaries of work for this audience since it was established twenty years ago. Under Rob Drummer’s artistic direction, the company relaunched in 2016 and has continued to celebrate the unlimited potential of our young adult audience. Beyond their work on stage they empower and inspire teenagers and young adults through a range of opportunities across the UK. Through the Accelerator programme and artistic development initiatives they invest in future creative talent now, and empower a new generation of artists to be extraordinary.

boundlesstheatre.org.uk

@boundlessabound

For more information, please contact:

Riona Kelly riona@katemorleypr.com

Chloe Heard chloe@katemorleypr.com

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Rosie Allimonos Appointed Chair Of Boundless Theatre Board

Boundless Theatre

9 December 2020

Boundless Theatre today announces the appointment of Rosie Allimonos as Chair of the Board. Allimonos, who is currently Global Director of Digital Content at BBC Studios, succeeds outgoing Chair Charles Glanville. Rosie joins the Board of Trustees; David Beardmore, Claire Dikecoglu, Simon Gomes, Rafia Hussain, Michelle Matherson, Danielle Rodriguez, Spencer Simmons, Alistair Wilkinson, and Sam Zdzieblo.

Rosie Allimonos, today said, “I am delighted to be offered the opportunity to Chair such an innovative, relevant and purpose-led theatre company. I have been deeply impressed by the dedication of the Boundless staff, their Board of Trustees and the Advisory Group of 15-25 year olds, who are united in their mission to empower emerging artists and audiences. This appointment brings with it the opportunity to build rapidly on the excellent work that Boundless have already produced and shared. I look forward to working closely with Rob and the team, my fellow Board members, the Arts Council and diverse groups of young people in order to amplify the Boundless mission“.

 

Rob Drummer, Artistic Director and CEO of Boundless, also commented, “Throughout this pandemic despite the very real challenges, searching for our new chair has been a deeply rewarding and galvanising experience. We were guided by our Advisory Group of 15-25 year olds who joined the recruitment process and met candidates at interview and have in Rosie, found a truly radical, compassionate and inspiring Chair.  For more than eight years Charles has been a huge support to our work and I want to celebrate his commitment, compassion and care. Now Charles with the immense grace I have come to know him for passes the baton to Rosie who, as an ally to all young people, will empower us to do more, go further and deliver with even greater impact.  What lies ahead for theatre and 15-25 year olds is uncertain, but with Rosie’s support and innovative leadership, we shall continue to connect, inspire and make theatre more relevant for a boundless generation.”

Allimonos joins Boundless Theatre following a year where it worked to continue to deliver its creative work and support for 15-25 year olds in a digital capacity. The organisation launched the new five-episode fiction podcast Radio Elusia in April, creating a new way to build a community of young adult audiences. Following the closures of theatres across the UK, Boundless created the telephone theatre production We Will Probably Never Meet, and, as part of Signal Fires, staged October2020 which commissioned seven stories from new writers mentored by Nassim Soleimanpour – this production has been experienced by over 300 audience members across the UK thus far. Recently launched Boundless Happenings a digital experiment in interactive storytelling has already reached over 500 people with three more scheduled over the coming weeks. The organisation has also supported 52 students on digital work experience, and has employed 33 freelancers over the past 6 months.

Rosie Allimonos has been Global Director of Digital Content at BBC Studios since 2019. Prior to this role, Allimonos was Head of Creative Partnerships at Facebook and Instagram, Head of Original Channels and Content Partnerships at YouTube across Europe, Middle East and Africa, Commissioner for BBC Drama, Films & Acquisitions and Creative Producer at All3Media. Allimonos’ has led teams on the launch of YouTube Originals SVOD Service, Facebook Watch and the IGTV vertical video player.

 

NOTES TO EDITORS

BOUNDLESS THEATRE

Boundless Theatre creates exhilarating, relevant and shareable theatre with and for teenagers, young adults and curious others, responding to a vibrant and diverse global culture. They promote conversation, collaboration and exchange across the UK, Europe and internationally. The company has continued to push the boundaries of work for this audience since it was established twenty years ago. Under Rob Drummer’s artistic direction, the company relaunched in 2016 and has continued to celebrate the unlimited potential of our young adult audience. Beyond their work on stage they empower and inspire teenagers and young adults through a range of opportunities across the UK. Through the Accelerator programme and artistic development initiatives they invest in future creative talent now, and empower a new generation of artists to be extraordinary.

 

boundlesstheatre.org.uk

@boundlessabound

 

For more information, please contact

Riona Kelly       riona@katemorleypr.com / 07375660957

Chloe Heard     chloe@katemorleypr.com / 07944539520

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Chairs’ Letter: Please Help The Arts Survive

Boundles Theatre

24 June 2020

The performing arts are battling for survival at a time when theatre matters more than ever. It’s not only the West End, the annual panto, world-class musicals, dance, opera and Shakespeare – it’s the creative and outreach work happening around the country in our diverse communities, outdoors, in pop-up spaces, at festivals and online.

Theatre tackles contemporary issues head-on. With Black Lives Matter stirring our national consciousness, theatre can play a critical role, inside and outside the sector, in challenging, educating and informing.

Theatre is a national success story, vital to Britain’s economic prosperity. Theatre attracted 34 million visitors last year, employs 300,000, promotes tourism; and generates huge tax revenues, including VAT of £130m in London alone.

Our industry depends on the £1.3 billion of annual ticket sales which has now disappeared, with disastrous effects on companies, employees and freelancers. Even with a 1 metre social distancing rule we could only fill around 25% of our seats – not a financially viable option.

Without immediate and substantial support, theatres and performing arts companies will inevitably close and tens of thousands of artistic careers will be cut short.

We urge readers to lobby Government and parliamentarians and join our fight for the survival of UK theatre.

Dame Margaret Hodge, Chair, Theatre Royal Stratford East
Glenn Earle, Chair, Young Vic
Robert Delamere, Chair, ETT
Ben Monks, Chair, Deafinitely Theatre
Geraldine Brodie, Chair, Actors Touring Company
Dame Joan Ruddock, Chair, The Albany Deptford
Luke Johnson, Chair, Almeida Theatre
Amanda Parker, Chair, artsdepot
Chris Lawrence, Chair, Blue Elephant Theatre
Charles Glanville, Chair, Boundless Theatre
Simon Millson, Chair, British Youth Music Theatre
Simon Johnson, Chair, Bush Theatre
Kate McGrath and Isobel Colchester, Co-Chairs, Camden People’s Theatre
Prue Skene, Chair, Cardboard Citizens
Richard Philipps, Chair, Cheek By Jowl
David Micklem, Chair, Chris Goode and Company
Kim Evans, Chair, Clean Break
Lucy Davies, Chair, Clod Ensemble
Vicki Busfield, Chair, CoDa Dance Company
Benjamin Yeoh, Chair, Coney
Catherine Rowan, Chair, Culture & Libraries Committee, Vision Redbridge Culture & Leisure
Lord Browne of Madingley, Chair, Donmar
Áine Duffy, Chair, Duckie
Dana Kohava Segal, Chair, Emergency Exit Arts
Dr Harry Brunjes, Chair, English National Opera & London Coliseum
Mark Beddy, Chair, English Touring Opera
Mark Hawes, Chair, Frantic Assembly
Sean Egan, Chair, Fuel
Sarah Howard, Chair, Graeae Theatre Company
Kevin Walton, Chair, Green Shoes Arts
Delphine Brand, Chair, Hackney Empire
Dawn Harrison-Wallace, Chair, Half Moon Theatre
David Tyler, Chair, Hampstead Theatre
Donna Munday, Chair, Headlong
Melissa Butcher, Chair, Immediate Theatre
Natasha Freedman, Chair, Improbable Theatre
Dawn Austwick, Chair, Kiln
Bernard Donoghue, Chair, LIFT
Joseph Seelig OBE, Chair, London International Mime Festival
Lisa Burger, Chair, Lyric Hammersmith
Jodi Myers, Chair, Musical Theatre Network
Sir Damon Buffini, Chair, National Theatre
Charlotte Mooney, Ockham’s Razor
Lisa Mead, Chair, Oily Cart
Nick Clarry, Chair, The Old Vic
Charlie Thompson, Chair, Out of Joint
Kim Grant, Chair, Paines Plough
Sarah King, Chair, Polka Theatre for Children
James Freedman, Chair, Punchdrunk
Simon Turner, Chair, The Roundhouse
Anthony Burton CBE, Chair, The Royal Court Theatre
Lady Heywood, acting Chair, Royal Opera House
Nigel Higgins, Chair, Sadler’s Wells
Dr Margaret Casely-Hayford CBE, Chair, Shakespeare’s Globe
Heather Rabbatts, Chair, Soho Theatre
Michelle Smith, Chair, Spare Tyre
Robin Saphra, Chair, Stagetext
Georgina Philippou, Chair, Stratford Arts Trust
Karen West-Whylie, Chair, Studio 3 Arts
Deepa Patel, Chair, Tamasha Theatre Company
Sunita Pandya, Chair, Tara Arts
Gareth Hughes, Chair, Theatre Centre
Sioban Whitney Low, Chair, Theatre Peckham
Elizabeth Lynch MBE, Chair, Theatre-Rites
Sophie Scott, Chair, Told by an Idiot
John Langley, Chair, Unicorn Theatre
Jonathan Meth, Chair, Vital Xposure
Nick Starr CBE, Chair, Yard Theatre, Hackney Wick
Wai Mun Yoon, Chair, Yellow Earth Theatre Company

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We’re Supporting Beth Sitek To Join The Freelance Task Force

Boundless Theatre

12 June 2020

Last month we announced that we were joining over 100 theatre companies in supporting a freelancer to join the Freelance Task Force for three months, to ensure all voices are heard in ongoing plans to sustain the theatre sector.

You can read more about the Freelance Task Force here:

We’re Supporting the Creation of a #FreelanceTaskForce

Today we are proud to announce that Beth Sitek will be supported by Boundless Theatre to join the Freelance Task Force, working independently for three months from today.

Meet Beth Sitek

Beth is a freelance multi-arts producer and stage manager with particular interest in making intersectional queer and feminist work across theatre and cabaret. She is a Roundhouse Future Producer 2020 and is the producer of interdisciplinary arts collective and New Diorama Emerging Company, Frisky Arts. With Frisky, she produces shows (Girl World; Camden People’s Theatre, Rose Theatre Kingston, Platform Southwark) as well as regular cabaret events at The Albany Deptford. Other producing credits include: Len Blanco: Firing Blancs, VAULT Festival and After Dark Award Nominee 2019, Pollyanna Cabaret, Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2018 and Make Advena Great Again!, Camden People’s Theatre 2017.

During the Covid-19 lockdown and in response to arts industries being shut down, Beth founded an online quarantine community and skillshare called the Sunflower Skills Club. It is an online, creative community for womxn and non-binary people which fundrasies for The Sunflower Foundation and Cancer Research UK. The aim of the skills club is to bring people together and learn new skills which is done via video shares and online events; some of which have included an online poetry event and workshops with independent artists and companies. This has been a fantastic avenue in learning more about producing online content and thinking of ways to keep some sort of positive hold on arts communities and folk.

@bethsitek

Our recruitment process

As a commitment to transparency to all freelancers, we have agreed to publish the process we went through to appoint Beth.  Each organisation followed their own recruitment process with a shared commitment to a broad and inclusive Freelance Task Force.

We acknowledge that there might be questions and will answer everything we can openly.  This is an attempt to do something quickly that gives freelancers a seat at the table and is intended in the spirit of support.  Once the Freelance Task Force starts to meet there may be many recommendations or requests that we can engage with and we look forward to playing our part in this work.

Shortly after deciding to join the Freelance Task Force, Boundless Artistic Director Rob Drummer spoke to the team, advisory group of 15-25 year olds and the Boundless board.  The email below explained our reasons for joining and plan to recruit someone to the Task Force.

You can read that email here:

Boundless Theatre is proud to be a signatory of this open letter to theatre and performance makers, alongside many other theatre, performance companies and venues across the UK

After a discussion with the team, we decided to support a freelancer not currently in our networks, in our 15-25 year old bracket and at the recommendation of our newest trustees who are all 18-25.  Rob emailed Rafia, Alistair and Daniella with criteria for this search.

You can read that email here:

Freelance Task Force Email

The trustees then recommended suitable candidates.  One of these suggestions, Beth Sitek fitted the criteria perfectly and Rob and Beth spoke about the Task Force and its purpose.  Beth accepted the offer and will now be supported by the Boundless team over the next three months.

We’re excited for Beth to join the Task Force and will make sure we share any updates on our social channels.  If you’d like to discuss any part of our process or to discuss the Task Force, you can email Rob directly rob@boundlesstheatre.org.uk

#freelancetaskforce

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Black Lives Matter by Tim Pierce from Berlin, MA, USA is licensed under CC BY 2.0

We’re Here To Listen

Boundless Theatre

4 June 2020

We believe in the Boundless potential of all young people to be creative and are driven by their passion, disruptive spirit and innovation. Boundless means no limits and today we are asserting that we stand with you against racism.  This means that we will do everything in our power to continue to create safe spaces for young people to be supported, ensure we are listening without judgement and acting thoughtfully upon the recommendations and requests we receive.

It is absolutely clear that a huge amount still needs to be done to secure the future we believe all young people deserve.  This is even more important now for all the people in our extended family, our creative networks and our community who experience the impact of systemic, structural and individual racism.

We will continue to engage, share resources and amplify the voices of young people to foster connection and support those who are struggling by being present and building platforms that give you space.

Right now as well as continuing to work as a team, we want to have the biggest impact on our industry and need to hear from as many of you as possible about what we can do together to fight against racism. If you have something to share now or in the future, email us directly rob@boundlesstheatre.org.uk

We’ll keep sharing, we’ll not be quiet when we need to be loud and we’ll keep you up to date with the actions we’re planning in the coming weeks.

For now, we’re going to listen. At Boundless we know we can improve ourselves and know that together we can all do better.

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Boundless Theatre Announces ‘We Will Probably Never Meet’ The First Of Its Plans For Delivering Differently; A Revised 2020 Programme Suported By Bloomberg.

Boundless Theatre

28 May 2020

Today, Boundless Theatre announces We Will Probably Never Meet. With support from Bloomberg, We Will Probably Never Meet is the first project within the Delivering Differently programme, which ensures that young adults can continue to access invaluable cultural and creative experiences. Alongside this, Boundless renews its commitment to freelancers and emerging artists by supporting the Freelance Task Force and launches a fundraising drive to match fund support for a vital programme investing in young adults and artists.

Boundless Theatre, like many organisations in the theatre sector has had to radically overhaul budgets, ways of working and projects. Our autumn production of Flies by Charlotte Josephine has been postponed and our European project Extended Universe, co funded by the Creative Europe Programme of the European Union will be extended to 2021.

 

Since March the lives of teenagers and young adults have changed dramatically following the closure of educational institutions, cultural and social spaces. This moment in time would normally be filled with rites-of-passage for many young people, and these are now being missed by a whole generation. With internships and work-experience falling through, missing out on vital early work experience has set this generation back enormously. Across the country, young people have been feeling lost, having been largely forgotten in this economic crisis. Previous periods of recession have shown that young people are the hardest hit over a longer period of time.

 

Taking the decision to continue our work and not furlough any member of the team as well as cutting overheads and diverting more resources in to creating additional activity for young people and support for freelancers has allowed us to start looking to the future. Over the summer we will launch our new project for 15-25 year olds in Bermondsey, Spalding, Peterborough and Oldham We Will Probably Never Meet, a new piece of telephone theatre created by artists Ryan Gilmartin and James Monaghan. This will be followed by a series of projects in which young people take control and deliver their own cultural projects as makers, leaders and innovators supported through crowd funding for our Future Now Fund.

 

Artistic Director of Boundless, Rob Drummer said today: ‘The theatre industry in the UK is threatened with total collapse and young and emerging artists and freelancers have seen existing and future job prospects disappear.  Guided by our Advisory Group of 15-25 year olds we are maintaining what feels like a radical optimism and keeping our focus on delivering differently through these unprecedented times.  As an organisation we are facing huge challenges but today I am proud of the entire team, our board and all of those in our extended family for their vision, resilience and passion to see more young people supported through access to culture and creativity. We aim to do more and are committed to seeing our work evolve and gain new relevance over the coming months as well as learning new ways to engage meaningfully with more young adults.’

 

We Will Probably Never Meet

Ryan Gilmartin & James Monaghan and Boundless Theatre

in association with Eastern Angles and Peshkar

Originally conceived through the Boundless Accelerator bursary programme in 2019, We Will Probably Never Meet is the second phase of this project’s development. It will see teenagers from Bermondsey, South London (home to Boundless Theatre) and Spalding, Lincolnshire (Ryan’s hometown) as well as teenagers in Peterborough and Oldham experiment together through a series of online workshops to explore how they can push the boundaries of what telephone theatre can be.

Over the summer, 20 young people will have a chance to get to know their peers in very different parts of the country as they work with Ryan and James to explore different ways of connecting with strangers through phone calls. This will lead to the trial of a new piece that takes strangers on a journey through an automated telephone system operated by young people.

The aim of the project is to create a template for an experience that can be replicated in different communities, with each performance being bespoke depending on the audience and artists’ interactions.

Artist Ryan Gilmartin today said: Coming from a rural, working class area my goal is to shine a spotlight on forgotten people & places. After our first phase one of the young people from Spalding reached out to me and said “that gave me the feeling that I had truly helped the person I spoke to & showed me the power I had as an individual to make change.”  Me & my collaborator James are two rural working class kids, growing up you haven’t got a National Theatre or a Royal Exchange on your doorstep, you’ve gotta drive two hours to see a gig. So I’ve been grateful from the start of working together that Boundless have really got that & they know how much this opportunity means to young people in Spalding & Bermondsey.’

 

Freelance Task Force

 

Boundless Theatre is one of over seventy arts organisations across the UK to support the creation of a Freelance Task Force that will see freelancers paid to meet for three months and feed directly in to various industry lobby’s aiming to sustain the sector.  Working one day a week for three months from June the freelancer will be paid for their time working by Boundless Theatre and will be supported as required by the Boundless Team.

 

We work with a great number of freelancers and self-employed workers at Boundless, not just artists and performance makers but producers, graphic designers, video editors and even our Finance Manager.  Some of these workers are just starting out and others have been working for a number of years. All are newly vulnerable as Covid-19 and the ensuring economic crisis ravages our industry.

 

For further information on the freelance task force, visit www.boundlesstheatre.org.uk

or follow #freelancetaskforce

 

Notes to Editors:

 

Future Now Fund

A crowd-funding campaign to match fund a grant from Bloomberg Corporate Philanthropy.

https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/boundlessfuturenow

 

Ryan Gilmartin

Ryan Gilmartin is an actor, theatre maker & video dj. He’s made work for the likes of the National Theatre, the Royal Exchange & Sheffield Crucible.

 

James Monaghan

James Monaghan makes live art & contemporary theatre, often straying into areas of digital misuse. His work draws upon and subverts the traditional craft, tools and structure of dramaturgy, experimenting with form and radical DIY methods as a way of framing authenticity and shared experiences. It’s live, risky and often humorous. James has performed & facilitated projects all over the UK, Europe, India and Canada; and collaborated with artists/companies including Quarantine, Common Wealth Theatre & Sonia Hughes.

 

Eastern Angles

Eastern Angles are a new writing rural touring company, our stories and themes are derived from our sense of place, specifically East Anglia and the East of England.

 

Peshkar

Peshkar is a multi-platform participatory arts organisation based in Oldham, Greater Manchester. An Arts Council NPO, and with regular support form Oldham Council, they specialise in working with seldom heard and marginalised young people to provide better access to culture, arts interventions and support to enhance their life chances on a personal and professional level.

 

About Bloomberg Philanthropies

Through innovative partnerships and bold approaches, the Bloomberg Philanthropies arts program works to increase access to culture and strengthen arts organizations. Through a wide range of dynamic partnerships with visual, performing and literary arts organisations, Bloomberg Philanthropies is committed to supporting the arts. The philanthropy works in 120 countries and focuses on creating lasting change in five key areas: the Arts, Public Health, Environment, Education and Government Innovation. For more information, please visit bloomberg.org or follow on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter @BloombergDotOrg.

 

 

Boundless Theatre

Boundless Theatre creates exhilarating, relevant and shareable theatre with and for teenagers, young adults and curious others, responding to a vibrant and diverse global culture. They promote conversation, collaboration and exchange across the UK, Europe and internationally. The company has continued to push the boundaries of work for this audience since it was established fifteen years ago. Under Rob Drummer’s artistic direction, the company has a bold new brand that celebrates the unlimited potential of our young adult audience. Beyond their work on stage they empower and inspire teenagers and young adults through a range of opportunities across the UK. Through the Associates programme and artistic development initiatives they invest in future artists now, and empower a new generation of artists to be extraordinary.

boundlesstheatre.org.uk

@boundlessabound

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Credit and copyright: Helen Murray

We’re Supporting the Creation of a #FreelanceTaskForce

Boundless Theatre

21 May 2020

On 21st May 2020 Boundless Theatre has joined producing companies and theatres across the sector to support freelancers and self employed workers form a Freelance Task Force to ensure the representation of all through the Covid-19 crisis.

70% of our industry is made up of freelancers and the self employed.  This majority cannot be sidelined or left behind as conversations around future support happen.  To ensure that the views of the many are heard we are paying a freelancer or self employed 15-25 year old to join the industry wide task force for 3 months starting in June.

We have co-signed a letter with many other organisations, you can read the full letter below.

Follow developments #freelancetaskforce

An open letter to theatre and performance makers

 

This is a letter to self-employed and freelance theatre and performance makers in the UK. To the actors, playwrights, directors, choreographers, stage managers, designers, stage crews and set-builders to name just a few.

 

We really miss being with you during this period of lockdown. Making theatre and performance is a collaborative endeavour, so we are particularly affected by having to be apart from one another right now. We’re not able to come together, in the same space, to share the experience of a live performance. We’re not able to practise and enjoy our artform in its most basic form.

 

It’s now looking increasingly likely that won’t be possible for months to come, and we recognise that many freelancers face real uncertainty about if and how they will be able to continue to work in theatre. 70% of people who work in theatre and performance in the UK are freelance or self-employed, and it’s for this workforce, in all its diversity and complexity, that the impact of the current situation is most acute.

 

During these past weeks we have had conversations with many of you to understand your needs and the ways you have been affected. We are writing to express our support for you, and to lay out some practical steps we are taking to improve the situation based on these conversations.

 

As well as exploring ways of producing work with freelancers during lockdown, and using this time to develop new projects with freelancers for the future, we are also are working together to coordinate our response to the government, to articulate clearly what we can offer and what we need.

 

Most urgently, we are calling for the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme to be extended in line with furloughing, for all self-employed workers, and in the specific case of theatre and performance workers, until theatres are able to safely reopen. We also want to see criteria removed from the scheme which are stopping legitimate and much-needed claims.

 

Some of you are already involved in these conversations. We welcome your voices and need to hear from more of you in the conversations to come. Your unique networks, skillsets, perspectives, and ideas are vital to the entire sector, and we need to work with you in our response to this crisis.

 

Each of the organisations who’ve signed this letter are committed to reaching out to their family of self-employed and freelance theatre makers; listening to how this is affecting your work and lives, and to your needs and ideas for the future.

 

More than that, we want to facilitate the establishment of a national task force of self-employed theatre and performance makers. The purpose of the task force is to strengthen the influence of the self-employed theatre and performance community. It would create ongoing points of connection between freelancers and organisations, and amplify the voice of the self-employed in the conversations to come. To help establish the task force, each of the organisations signing this letter will support a freelancer to join the group, ensuring they are paid for their time.

 

We want to offer a message of hope and solidarity. Our well-practised ability to work together, to form connections, and build relationships will help us through this. One day, hopefully soon, we will all be able to meet together, as people have done for centuries, in a shared space, for a shared experience. In the meantime, we remain committed to working for you and with you towards a sustainable future for theatre and performance.

 

Signed,

 

Access All Areas

Action for Children’s Arts

The Almeida Theatre

ArtsAdmin

The Actors Touring Company

Battersea Arts Centre

Birmingham Repertory Theatre

Boundless Theatre

Brighton Festival

Bristol Old Vic

Brixton House

The Bush Theatre

Chichester Festival Theatre

China Plate

Contact

Dance Umbrella

Derby Theatre

Eden Court Highlands

English Touring Theatre

Fio

Fuel

Gate Theatre

Graeae

HOME

Improbable

Kiln Theatre

Leeds Playhouse

Leicester Curve

The National Theatre

National Theatre of Scotland

National Theatre Wales

National Youth Theatre of Great Britain

The New Wolsey Theatre

Northern Stage

Nottingham Playhouse

One Dance UK

Paines Plough

Rose Theatre Kingston

Royal & Derngate

The Royal Court Theatre

The Royal Shakespeare Company

Sadler’s Wells

Sheffield Theatres

Spare Tyre

Talawa

Tangled Feet

The Yard

Theatre Peckham

Theatre Royal Plymouth

Tiata Fahodzi

Yellow Earth

1927

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Important Update on Autumn Production of Flies at Shoreditch Town Hall

Boundless Theatre

4 May 2020

We’re sorry to announce that due to ongoing uncertainty around COVID-19, we are not able to stage FLIES by Charlotte Josephine at Shoreditch Town Hall in September 2020 as planned.

While this is disappointing news, we are committed to this brilliant show and the artists involved, and we will be working hard to find new opportunities for FLIES once it is safe and sensible to do so.

Thank you to everyone who has supported the show and bought tickets. Shoreditch Town Hall will be in touch with bookers directly.

For now, stay safe & take care of each other.

Boundless Theatre & Shoreditch Town Hall

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Coronavirus (COVID-19): Our Response

Rob Drummer

17 March 2020

A message from Boundless Theatre Artistic Director, Rob Drummer:

These are extraordinary times and we have been following closely the Government guidance on how to best protect society from Coronavirus.  We have been working closely with our team, artists and listening to our friends and colleagues across the arts and culture sector.

As of today, Tuesday 17th March, the Boundless office will be closed and the team will continue to work remotely, from home until further notice.  Although we are well prepared to work away from the office, there may be some slight delays or drop in productivity as the team adjusts. Thank you for your support whilst we make this transition.

We are working with our Extended Universe European partners Teater Grob, Sala Beckett and Theatre Entropia who are all on lockdown in Denmark, Spain and Greece respectively and are responding to their own governments guidance.  For now we are anticipating their productions as part of Extended Universe will be delayed beyond May 2020. We will be releasing Radio Elusia by Nina Segal, our 5 episode fiction podcast as planned later in April.

Our commitments to all freelancers and artists remain and we intend to honour contracts and provide support where we can. This includes those workers who rely upon us such as our cleaning team. We are a small organisation but take our role in providing assistance seriously and will set to lead by example over the coming weeks and months.

If you work within the arts and culture sector, the latest Arts Council England guidance is particularly helpful and their plans are welcome in supporting artists and organisations to the best of their ability:

Read the Latest Arts Council England Guidance here

Should anything change, we will post updates to our website and on our social channels.

From all of us at Boundless, we will get through this. Stay safe.

Rob

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Boundless Theatre presents the full cast for Nina Segal’s bold debut fiction podcast: Radio Elusia

Boundless Theatre

27 February 2020

Boundless Theatre presents the full cast for Nina Segal’s bold debut fiction podcast: Radio Elusia. The new five-episode drama, directed by Boundless’ Artistic Director Rob Drummer, will launch in April 2020. Robert Awosusi joins Drummer as Associate Director in directing Joseph Adelakun, Valerie Vansovica, Chantelle Amon, Megan Jarvie, Pip Williams, and Joe Matty. The podcast will feature music and sound design by FATHER.

Our time will come and all the people will come out into the streets with their fists clenched, their arms and voices raised. You have to be listening. And you have to be ready.”

From the seventeenth floor, Raphael watches the city for signs of a revolution, his voice echoing through a homemade radio transmitter to the streets below. He watches.  He waits.  One day, he disappears.  Now it’s down to Lia and Suz to continue where he left off.  But will a revolution ever come if we just wait for it?

Set in the sprawling fictional city of Elusia, Radio Elusia is a new weekly podcast from Boundless Theatre about transmission and revolution.

“These are the messages. This is the meaning. Be ready. Be listening. And do not be afraid.”  

Radio Elusia was commissioned and developed as part of Extended Universe by Boundless Theatre in partnership with Teater Grob, Entropia and Sala Beckett. The project is co-funded by the Creative Europe programme of the European Union. Extended Universe is a transmedia storytelling and audience development project led by Boundless Theatre in London alongside partners in Copenhagen, Barcelona and Athens. Four stories in one extended universe. The project creates new ways for 15-25 year olds to access theatre.

Nina Segal is a playwright and screenwriter. Her play In The Night Time (Before The Sun Rises) was produced at the Gate Theatre to critical acclaim. Nina is currently under commission to Boundless, Soho Theatre, and the RSC. Her play Assembly will be staged at the Donmar Warehouse in July 2020 in response to Steve Water’s The Contingency Plan.

For TV, she was in the writers’ room and wrote an episode of the second season of Hanna for Amazon/NBC. She is developing projects with ITV Studios and Expectation Entertainment.

Rob Drummer joined Boundless Theatre in July 2016 as Artistic Director. For Boundless Rob directed Natives by Glenn Waldron and Confidence by Judy Upton. Before that he was Associate Dramaturg at the Bush Theatre. Prior to joining the Bush, Rob was the first Literary Manager for HighTide Festival Theatre where he supported the expansion of the festival, doubling the number of productions and before leaving the company directed Luke Barnes’ Eisteddfod (Latitude), Endless Poem (London 2012 Festival) and Perish (HighTide & Public Theater, New York).

As a Dramaturg and Director Rob has worked with playwrights at theatres including the National Theatre, Hampstead Theatre, Bristol Old Vic, Contact, York Theatre Royal and Theatre503. Rob was one of the first recipients of an Artists’ International Development Fund from the Arts Council and British Council and spent time working in South Africa with playwrights and theatre makers at the Baxter and Market Theatres.

Associate Director Robert Awosusi is on the Advisory Board for Boundless Theatre.  He is a director and theatre maker trained through the Young Vic’s director’s programme and was the Trainee Assistant Director on The Trial (Young Vic). Robert was artistic associate on METIS’ participatory installation We Know Not What We May Be (Barbican). He was assistant director on “Daddy” – A Melodrama (Almeida Theatre), Fairview (Young Vic) and Let Kilburn Shake (Kiln Theatre).

FATHER is a music composition and sound-design studio which works on the principle that sound and image should work in tandem. Founded by Joe Farley and Freddie Webb, FATHER uses a variety of approaches that bridge musicality and sound design for rich, provocative and emotive sonic landscapes.

FATHER previously collaborated with Boundless Theatre on Confidence by Judy Upton and Natives by Glenn Waldron.

Launching on all major podcast platforms including Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Google Podcasts in April 2020. Each of the five episodes will be 20 minutes in length.
Read more about Radio Elusia here: http://bit.ly/RadioElusia 

Radio Elusia by Nina Segal. Commissioned and developed as part of Extended Universe by Boundless Theatre in partnership with Teater Grob, Entropia and Sala Beckett. Co-funded by the Creative Europe programme of the European Union. 

#RadioElusia

#welcometoelusia

@boundlessabound

boundlesstheatre.org.uk

 

Notes to Editors

CAST BIOGRAPHIES

Headshots available here: http://bit.ly/RadioElusiaCast 

Joseph Adelakun | Raphael

Joseph is a graduate of Rose Bruford College.

Theatre credits include: The Winter’s Tale, Comedy Of Errors (National Theatre), Julius Caesar, Antony and Cleopatra, Titus Andronicus (RSC), Richard II (Arcola Theatre), What The Thunder Said (Theatre Centre), Boi Boi Is Dead (West Yorkshire Playhouse, Watford Palace Theatre), Back To The Future (Secret Cinema), In the Jungle of the Cities (Arcola Theatre), Whole (20 Stories High), Run! A Sports Day Musical (Polka Theatre).

Screen credits include: Pokémon: Detective Pikachu (Legendary Entertainment), The Mime, Love Bitten (Dan Allen Films), Rosemary Jane (London Film School) and Little Big Planet PS Vita (Sony)

Valerie Vanscovica | Lia

Valerie Vansovica is a British-Russian actor. She attended the RADA Foundation Course in Acting and is currently part of Open Door, FILM CLUB, Theatre Peckham Company and the Orange Tree Youth Theatre Company. She is currently in rehearsals for Stuff I Buried In A Small Town by Mike Bartlett directed by Toby Clarke (Theatre Peckham) and is one of the actors in Ross Willis’ ongoing devised piece at the Orange Tree Theatre.

Chantelle Amon | Suz

Chantelle is an upcoming multi-disciplinary actor and writer with an interest in costume design. Her goal is to continue to tell stories with the push for diversity behind the scenes.

Pip Williams | Watcher One

Pip Williams is an actor, writer and director based in London and Cambridge. A graduate of UEA’s English and Literature degree, he is also the co-artistic director of his own company We Talk Of Horses, who performed their second show Where Is Ban Ki-moon? in venues across London last year. He has performed with MoCo Theatre and Somna Theatre, and has written and directed work at the Southwark Playhouse. He is a member of the National Youth Theatre and has worked extensively in making theatre with young people.

Megan Jarvie | Joni

Training: The MGA Academy of Performing Arts / Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts.

Theatre credits include: The Countess (Evcol Entertainment); Sleeping Beauty (The Big Tiny UK); The Great American Trailer Park Musical (Edinburgh Fringe, Beyond Broadway Productions); The Pajama Game (Greenwich Theatre, Mountview Academy); Oklahoma!, Carrie the Musical and The Distance (Mountview Academy).

Assistant Directing credits include: Dogfight (Southwark Playhouse with BTA); Songs for Jeremy (Southwark Playhouse). Television credits include: Balamory (CBBC).

Joe Matty | Watcher Two

Training: Royal Academy of Dramatic Art; BA English and Theatre Studies (University of Warwick).

Theatre credits include: Fires Our Shoes Have Made (Pound of Flesh, Edinburgh Fringe Festival & UK tour); Timpson: The Musical (Stockwell Playhouse); Speed Death of the Radiant Child (National Student Drama Festival); Pomona (Don’t Pity the Felon); As You Like It, That Face, Three Sisters (RADA); Hamlet, Much Ado About Nothing, As you Like It, Brilliant Adventures, Little Shop of Horrors, Follies (University of Warwick).

BOUNDLESS THEATRE

Boundless Theatre creates exhilarating, relevant and shareable theatre with and for teenagers, young adults and curious others, responding to a vibrant and diverse global culture. They promote conversation, collaboration and exchange across the UK, Europe and internationally. The company has continued to push the boundaries of work for this audience since it was established fifteen years ago. Under Rob Drummer’s artistic direction the company has a bold new brand that celebrates the unlimited potential of our young adult audience. Beyond their work on stage they empower and inspire teenagers and young adults through a range of opportunities across the UK. Through the Associates programme and artistic development initiatives they invest in future artists now, and empower a new generation of artists to be extraordinary.

boundlesstheatre.org.uk

@boundlessabound

For further information, please contact Kate Morley at Kate Morley PR

kate@katemorleypr.com | +44 207 299 4303

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Boundless Theatre Today Announces Tickets On Sale For Flies By Charlotte Josephine At Shoreditch Town Hall & The Show Will Be Directed By Elayce Ismail

3 February 2020

Boundless Theatre & Shoreditch Town Hall today announce that tickets for Flies by Charlotte Josephine are on sale.  This new production will be directed by Boundless Associate Artist Elayce Ismail (Nanjing, Royal Court; Girls, Talawa, HighTide, Soho Theatre & The War of the Worlds, Northern Stage).

Flies

A Boundless Theatre and Shoreditch Town Hall co-production

I see you seeing me.

What are you looking at? Why’s no one talking about this? When’s it our turn?

Girls are done with stories about boys, done with stories by boys, done with all their looking.

Girls want to take up space, take centre stage, take the patriarchy and smash it. Girls just want to have fun, right?

You’re looking at me, I can see you looking at me. And I can see you’ve got no idea what it feels like to be seen

‘Flies’ is about girls being looked at by boys. It’s about hitting puberty and being smacked by the male gaze. The power and the shame, the pleasure and the fear that flies around your body when you’re constantly being looked at.

Flies started as a takedown of Lord of the Flies, it ends on a stage filled with young women.

#whatareyoulookingat

Charlotte Josephine is an award winning actor and writer, their work includes ‘Bitch Boxer’, ‘BLUSH’ and ‘Pops’.

Flies is a Boundless Theatre Commission.

Disclaimer:

If you’re a boy reading this don’t be scared. ‘Flies’ is for you too. We want you to be there. We want you to see us, not watch us. We want to party together.

 

The production is a Boundless Theatre commission and a co-production with Shoreditch Town Hall. Opening on 22nd September 2020 the show will feature an ensemble of young women and an all-female creative team.

 

Notes for Editors:

 

LISTINGS

Dates

22 September – 10 October 2020

Performance time: 19:30

 

Venue

Shoreditch Town Hall

380 Old St, Hackney, London EC1V 9LT

 

Tickets

£18 (full price)
£15 (concessions)
£15 (15 – 25 year olds)

 

https://shoreditchtownhall.com/whats-on/flies

 

CLICK HERE FOR SHOW ARTWORK

 

CLICK HERE TO WATCH VIDEO WITH CHARLOTTE JOSEPHINE

 

CHARLOTTE JOSEPHINE

Charlotte Josephine is an actress represented by Hatton McEwan Penford, and playwright represented by The Agency. They are co-artistic director of Snuff Box Theatre. Graduate of the Contemporary Theatre Course, East 15 Acting School, Charlotte’s first play ‘Perffection’ won a NSDF Commendation For Writing. ‘Bitch Boxer’ won the Soho Theatre Young Writers Award 2012, the Old Vic New Voices Edinburgh Season 2012 and the Holden Street Theatres Award 2013. ‘Bitch Boxer’ is published by Oberon Books and is performed internationally.

Charlotte’s play ‘Blush’ enjoyed a sell-out run at Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2016, winning a Stage Edinburgh Award. ‘Blush’ toured nationally in 2017, starting at London’s Soho Theatre in May. Charlotte’s monologue ‘Blue’ was awarded the National Octagon Prize by the Bolton Octagon, Charlotte has also won the BBC Screenplay First Award.

 

ELAYCE ISMAIL

Elayce works in the UK and internationally as a freelance theatre and opera director, and dramaturg. She was the inaugural RTYDS Associate Director at Northern Stage in 2017/2018. Prior to this she was Resident Director at the National Theatre Studio as the recipient of the JP Morgan Award for Emerging Directors in 2014/2015.

Direction includes: If Not Now, When? (NT); Nanjing (Royal Court/Shakespeare’s Globe/Royal Exchange Manchester/Birmingham Rep); Under Milk Wood, The War of the Worlds (Northern Stage); Girls (HighTide Festival/Soho Theatre/UK tour); Omeros, The Rise and Shine of Comrade Fiasco, Chorus, Spooky Action at a Distance (Gate Theatre); The Lost Ring (Deutsches Theater Berlin); Stay Another Song (Young Vic); When I Am Queen (Almeida); They Whisper Don’t Gaze at the Stars… (ENO).

Recent opera as revival/associate director: 4:48 Psychosis (Opéra national du Rhin/Royal Opera House); A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Opéra Orchestre national Montpellier); The Virtues of Things (Royal Opera House).

BOUNDLESS THEATRE

Boundless Theatre creates exhilarating, relevant and shareable theatre with and for teenagers, young adults and curious others, responding to a vibrant and diverse global culture. They promote conversation, collaboration and exchange across the UK, Europe and internationally. The company has continued to push the boundaries of work for this audience since it was established fifteen years ago. Under Rob Drummer’s artistic direction, the company has a bold new brand that celebrates the unlimited potential of our young adult audience. Beyond their work on stage they empower and inspire teenagers and young adults through a range of opportunities across the UK. Through the Associates programme and artistic development initiatives they invest in future artists now, and empower a new generation of artists to be extraordinary.

 

boundlesstheatre.org.uk

@boundlessabound

 

SHOREDITCH TOWN HALL

Welcoming over 70,000 people through its doors every year, Shoreditch Town Hall is an independent arts, events and community space housed in one of the grandest former civic buildings in the capital.

Introducing an arts programme just six years ago, and following £2.3m of capital investment, the Town Hall has rapidly established itself as a flagship cultural space for Hackney, London and beyond, with a year-round programme of bold and adventurous new theatre, music, dance, comedy, talks and events, alongside a range of learning, community and engagement activities.

With eight performance spaces ranging from 40 to 800 capacity, and a focus on developing new talent and original live performance that responds to our unique building, the Town Hall works with 130 artists, programmes over 60 productions, and commissions up to 8 new pieces of work every year.

shoreditchtownhall.com

@ShoreditchTH

Press Contact:

hello@boundlesstheatre.org.uk

02079282811