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Women Doing It For Themselves - 2007-2008 Open Clasp receive loads of enquiries from community groups and from individual women who want to create and perform in their own pieces of theatre. Due to the demand for this work Open Clasp ran "Women Doing it for Themselves", taking time out from our touring schedule to give these enthusiastic women the chance to perform their own work. March 7th 2008 saw the culmination of Women Doing It For Themselves with a celebratory evening at The Round in Newcastle. Three of the four groups involved in the project performed their plays to a very appreciative invited audience. Many thanks to everyone involved who worked so hard to make this project such a success.
Play in a Week - "Pressure Vs Freedom" - August 2007 Open Clasp were brought in by North Tyneside Youth Services to provide a Play in a Week project in August. Our team of four drama-facilitators, a stage manager, set designer and photographer worked with 8 young women from youth groups across North Tyneside. The young women became the NTWide Girl's Group, and created "Pressure Vs Freedom".
Play in a Week - "The Blackgate Estate" - March & June 2007 Open Clasp were delighted to return to Montagu Full Service School, home of Sure Start Cowgate and Blakelaw, to work with a group of nine parents on a Play in a Week project.
“The Blackgate Estate” reflects the issues experienced by parents, focusing on single-parents, disability, crime and consultation. Like all Open Clasp productions it’s laugh-out-loud funny while being incredibly thought provoking. Its an amazing achievement, and the fact that it was all done in a week shows the level of passion and commitment that the parents brought to the project. It was performed at the end of the week to an audience from the local community who thoroughly enjoyed it.
In June it was be performed again as part of the 100 Voices of Parents conference at St James’ Park to an audience made up of local people, professionals and policy makers. “The Blackgate Estate” is a fantastic production, which will have lasting effects, so congratulations to all those involved.
Play in a Week - "What You Wish For..." - October 2006 Open Clasp were commissioned by North Northumberland Women's Network to work with a group of women to create a Play in a Week as part of the Heritage Women's Cultural Festival in October 2006. Fifteen women and young women worked really hard throughout the week to create, devise, design and perform "What You Wish For..." which was performed to a really appreciative audience at the Alnwick Playhouse at the end of the week.
"I'd advise anyone who needed to feel worth something to spend a week with the Open Clasp girls." Open Clasp perform edited version of their plays at conferences to stimulate discussion and help professionals to consult with and listen to local people's views and concerns. Open Clasp also facilitate conferences, providing drama workshops and discussions in small groups and producing evaluation reports for the conference organisers. Recent conferences include:
Additionally in April 2006 Catrina McHugh, Fiona MacPherson and Kay Hepplewhite presented a paper "Opening up Open Clasp" at the Women's Writing for Performance: Process and Practice International Symposium.
Play In a Week - Snow White - December 2005 As part of the Friendship Festival in December 2005 Open Clasp were commissioned to work with parents and volunteers at Montagu Full Service School Community Wing. Over a week long period the group devised a play for the finale of the festival.
The national "Friend Ship" project was commissioned to bring together cities who bid to become European Capital of Culture in 2008 - Belfast, Bradford, Brighton & Hove, Canterbury, Cardiff, Highlands, Liverpool, Newcastle and Gateshead, Norwich and Oxford. In response to demand from groups we'd worked with in the past Open Clasp's main project of 2004/2005 enabled groups to create their own piece of theatre. Open Clasp worked with seven groups over the year, and four of these went on to perform their pieces at a special celebration of achievement held at the Baltic on International Women's Day, 8th March 2005. There were three performances and one creative writing presentation, attended by over 140 invited women.
Groups involved who chose not to perform were:
In 2002 Open Clasp were commissioned by Quality Protects to access drama and theatre as a means to explore the many issues which surround and compound children and young people in the ‘looked after system’, in particular its impact on young women. The project was so successful that Open Clasp have returned to the group each year, working in partnership first with Quality Protects and now with its successor Gateshead Children & Young Peoples Section. In 2002 the company worked with 17 young women over a three month period, and the young women created ‘28 Days Notice’, which was showcased to an invited audience of carers, professionals, family and friends. In 2003 the company enabled 11 young women to create 'Looked After?' as part of a 'Teenagers To Work' initiative. The young women's involvement was part of their work experience and was supported by a strong team of actors, a writer, a visual artist and a graphic designer. In 2004 Open Clasp worked with 15 young women aged 11 - 18 using dramaturgy with a team consisting of Drama Practitioners, actors, a dancer and a visual artist. The young women created three small pieces of theatre which voice their experiences of the looked after system. These pieces, titled 'Just a Girl', were showcased to an invited audience. 'Just a Girl' was performed again at the MALAP* Conference at the Baltic in June 2004. *Multi Agencies Looked After Partnerships. “I felt sick with nerves, but I’m so glad I got up. I really enjoyed it.” Gateshead Young Women's Outreach Project Between May and July 2004 Open Clasp were commissioned to work with young women who have experienced extensive bullying. Over a nine week period the group explored the issue of bullying and created 'Why Me?', a piece of theatre highlighting the issues of bulling in schools and the lack of effective anti-bullying policy. This was performed at the Certificate of Achievements Awards at Gateshead Civic Centre. Teenage Pregnancy Peer Support Project ‘I Wanted to Cry but I Couldn’t’ and ‘Sweet Or Salted’, were the results of A Teenage Pregnancy – Peer Support Project, facilitated with S.H.A.G.G,via Bridge – Women’s Education Centre, and young women & mothers from Gateshead Young Women’s Outreach Project. Though both groups differed in their approach; one drama based, the other performance based, the project highlighted their concerns regarding teenage pregnancy, encouraged self-awareness, self-esteem and a sense of empowerment. ‘I Wanted to Cry but I Couldn’t’ was first performed at the projects Record of Achievements Awards Ceremony’ in 2001, and then again in 2003 as part of a Peer Education tour of schools in the region. ‘Sweet Or Salted’ was documented on film as a reference and then revamped and performed in 2003 at Open Clasp Annual General Meeting. “Thank you for making us feel better about ourselves.” West End Women & Girls Centre was one of the first projects Open Clasp visited. This relationship has grown from strength to strength. In addition to informing the creation of the company’s shows, each year, as part of the centre play scheme, Open Clasp facilitate a project entitled ‘A Play in a Day’, and they do exactly what says on the tin.
In 2001, Open Clasp where commissioned by Sure Start Westgate, (an initiative set up by the Government to tackle child poverty), to work with 3 groups in the West End of Newcastle; Iranian women seeking Asylum – Angelou Centre, young Asian Women – United Black Youth Association and young white women – West End Women & Girls Centre, in order to explore Teenage Pregnancy and it’s impact. Workshops where facilitated over a three month period and concluded with a performance night where each group presented a short piece of theatre. Three brilliant half hour pieces of drama were created entitled, ‘It Won’t Happen To Me!', and performed at a community venue to an invited audience of over 100 young women/women within the Sure Start Westgate area. “I was
crying whilst I was watching the play; they were so real to me.” |
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fallen in love, his name's Abdul... they both know Maria's family
mustn't find out. But they do with devastating consequences. through
the walls of her home Maria hears talk of marriage (hers) to a man
she's never met.
trouble, big trouble... Now Lucy has to decide whether to risk
putting her hand out yet again.
England. two women struggling with life - isolation, hatred, fear.
So, they got support didn't they, money, houses, education, jobs? We
let them stay here, hat more do they expect? How about to be treated
like anybody else?
created and performed 'Sweet 'n' Sour'
created and performed 'Sorted'
created and performed 'Hey, This Is Your Life, Janice Harper'
created and presented 'The Red Lips of Women'
