Edward Tulane at Theatre Peckham Review by John Kirk

Edward Tulane at Theatre Peckham Review by John Kirk

A seasonal treat in SE15

If you were looking for family friendly Christmas theatre the last place you might expect to find it would be Peckham. For many Peckham at Christmas is nothing more than a seasonal backdrop to “Only Fools and Horses”. This year, allow Theatre Peckham to change your mind. Tucked away, just off Peckham Road you’ll find a rough cut gem of a performance space. This is the home of Theatre Peckham, where they are celebrating 25 years of nurturing local talent and community based theatre.

This December Theatre Peckham offer The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane, skilfully adapted from Kate DiCamillo’s children’s book by Artistic Director Teresa Early with original music by Roger Goslyn. The story follows Edward Tulane, an eloquent china Rabbit, from the safety of Abilene’s bedroom on a voyage of discovery across the seas to Memphis. When Edward is lost to the ocean we follow him meeting aristocrats, sailors and vagabonds and see him learn about love as he touches the lives of many different people.

The piece is performed by an ensemble comprised of actor apprentices and young actors from the ranks of Theatre Peckham, ably supported by a core cast of professional actors. Forgoing the opportunity to incorporate puppetry, our hero Edward Tulane is bravely played in Cast B by Eamon who is just seven years old.

The story is beautifully contained by waves of pastille coloured fabric. The lighting effects are enchanting and the underscore and music are excellent. I watched the piece with a local school group who thoroughly enjoyed it, laughing at the comic King of the Dump and Lucy the Dog, enthralled by balletic dance sequences and feeling for Edward Tulane especially when he is confronted in Neal’s Diner.

Reminiscent of Carlo Collodi’s “Pinocchio” this is solid ensemble work with songs and dances which lift the piece well. With a running time of 90 minutes it is perhaps a little long but our young cast are engaging with strong performances most notably from Abilene and her Papa.

So this Christmas don’t watch Del Boy and Rodney again – get along to Havil Street and let Theatre Peckham entertain you.

- John Kirk

www.theatrepeckham.co.uk

www.john-kirk.co.uk

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Southwark Arts Conference tomorrow! 12-5

Southwark Arts Conference tomorrow! 12-5pm @ The Ability Media Centre. Last tickets available for free at http://bit.ly/vFGXNK

A few tickets still available for the So

A few tickets still available for the Southwark Arts Conference 17th Nov, 12-5pm. Free at http://bit.ly/vFGXNK

Shape Articulate Conference

Yesterday, we were lucky enough to attend Shape Arts‘s Articulate Conference at Unicorn Theatre. Plans for Boundless our festival of disability led performances and art to coincide with the 2012 Paralympics, are well under way now. The conference informed us of London’s key organisations in this field. It was not only an informative day but a moving one as well – read on to find out what we got up to.

On arriving at the venue it was clear we were going to have a full day, the schedule was packed with different discussions and the audience were eager to begin.

 The first portion of the day was lead by Jane Pettingell who after explaining her own work as CEO of Generate Opportunities http://www.generate-uk.org/ introduced us to the other members of the pannel: Unicorn Theatre’s http://unicorntheatre.com/access manager Kate Hoyle, 2012 facilities manager Paul and Harry, a life coach who, having overcome low confidence as a result of his own disability, successfully gained employment and now seeks to inspire others in the same position.

The panel wasted no time in beginning their discussion on practical ways to diversify the workforce. Organisations such as Remploy and The Tower Project, immediately came up in conversation because of the support they offer employers taking on disabled candidates; funding and specialist equipment are available if you know who to ask. Each of the speakers animatedly discussed their experiences of employing candidates with learning difficulties and disabilities.  It quickly became clear how beneficial this diversity had been in their workplaces – the consensus was that diversifying lead to a more respectful and satisfying work environment.

Harry, focused on how useful the Tower Project was to him, they helped him boost his maths and English – and, therefore, his confidence – they also introduced him to Shape. Shape got him the job as a cleaner on busses; this really helped build Harry’s self esteem and also provided him with a sense of purpose. An initial concern Harry’s employer was that he would be in contact with dangerous chemicals, Adeen (project co-ordinator at Shape) explained how this was easily solved using images that were put on the bottles which explained their dangers. Harry was promoted to a managerial position at the firm!

 After the thorough Q&A session and a tea break, the many young people, who Shape work with, arrived at the building, and we were treated to a theatre performance by one of its youth drama groups. The piece told the story of three little girls who wanted to grow up and have their own occupations – each of the little girls was taunted by two bad angels who told them they’re stupid and that they’ll never get a job. Then their good angel came along and gave them the confidence to follow their dreams. It was a story that many of the children knew all too well and the play reminded, the employers in the audience, that they each have the power to be ‘good angels’.

 As the day closed we heard from Leon and DJ, both dealing with disabilities – and both very happily employed. DJ, who works with one of our affiliate dance company’s Corali, explained ‘I wanted to get out there and get noticed’ which is exactly what happened. After DJ attended a workshop at Corali in 2002, they noticed his talents and he has been working with them ever since.http://www.corali.org.uk/

 Leon spoke very articulately and encouragingly about how much he enjoys his job at Wandsworth Council ‘if I could work 300 days a year I would!’ he says. His love of his work was infectious and he told the audience again and again that all we have to do is stay positive, be the masters of our own destiny and don’t allow our confidence to get knocked.

 With that in mind the conference drew to a close. As we had lunch and networked, there was a buzz in the foyer as organisations approached each other and made vital connections. People eagerly crowded Shape’s display stand which offered information on training and, at our own table, people keenly picked up information on Boundless and Corali. This showed how responsive people were to DJ’s success story. We left feeling all the more excited about Boundless because, it too, will provide exciting opportunities and success stories.

Thank you to all at Shape for making the conference so thought provoking and inspirational.

http://www.shapearts.org.uk/

 Tutku Barbaros

Southwark Arts Conference, a week to go!

Southwark Arts Conference, a week to go! Not to be missed for creatives looking to network. For free tickets:http://bit.ly/vFGXNK

Southwark Arts Forum Trustee Wanted

October 2011

Southwark Arts Forum is seeking to appoint four new trustees.

Southwark Arts Forum is seeking new board members to help steer the organisation through a key period of consolidation and development. We are looking for trustees with particular skills, who will support these developments and share our values, complementing the existing board.

About us: Southwark Arts Forum helps artists, arts organisations and creative industries in Southwark to excel and to have a greater impact on their local community. We do this by providing a wide range of networking, information and advice services such as our events, e-bulletin and one-to-one advice surgeries. We also advocate for the arts in the borough.

SAF was set up by a small group if artists in 1987 and now has over 3,000 members. We are a rich creative network, widely known in Southwark and beyond. More information about our work and the organisation can be found on our website: www.southwarkartsforum.org our blog: southwarkartsforum.wordpress.com & our twitter: www.twitter.com/theSAFteam

Applications. We encourage applications from individuals with a background at a senior level in any of the following:

• Development & strategic planning
• Entrepreneurial approach to business development
• Policy at local and/or national government level
• PR & fundraising.
• Membership or customer service development
• The Arts

Applications close on 14^th November 2011

Interviews evenings of 21^st & 23^rd November 2011

Trustee Job Description & Application information

To apply email Bridget Edwards with your CV and a covering letter, explaining why you would like to be a trustee of Southwark Arts Forum: bridget@southwarkartsforum.org

Looking forward to meeting a new team of

Looking forward to meeting a new team of #Arts and #Culture volunteers @LSBU tomorrow!