WHAT SHOW?
Look out for details of our What Show? competition coming soon.
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OFFICE SPACE AVAILABLE
Are you looking for a place to organise your creative or community work from? Do you want your own space amongst other vibrant community organisations who work in theatre, radio, dance and music? Do you need a location with a high level of functionality which will also keep you inspired?
If yes, we invite you to join our creative community!
For details email admin@newhamptonarts.co.uk
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WHO ARE THE ALBERT ROAD PLAYERS?
The Albert Road Players describe themselves not as a disability theatre group but as a group of people with disabilities who chose to celebrate their diversity and special abilities through their theatre work.
From the beginning of 2010 the Albert Road Day Centre no longer exists in its historic role and the building will take on a new function. Previous users of this service are in the process of being transferred into the two other day centres – with obvious implications for members of the Albert Road Players Company.
First of these is the need to find a new working base where their requirements will be better facilitated. The need for this is urgent and the search is on - but may take some time!
Second is to find a new name! This process is already in place and the group are currently searching for a name that reflects their independence rather their belonging to a day Centre.
These and other related problems will inevitably mean a difficult time ahead for the company – but both directors and the existing members are determined to use this temporary set back as a spring board to move on to bigger and better things in the future.
The good news is – the ‘Albert Road Players’ will remain the ‘Albert Road Players’ for this next production which will be done in collaboration with The ‘Discoverers’(Mencap) theatre group at the Newhampton theatre on Friday, 22nd January - 2.00pm & 7.00pm. This show will be titled ‘(two) reasons to be cheerful’ in which, each company will present its own individual interpretation of the theme of ‘comedy’...... so expect some laughs!
During 2009, ARPC have been busy! After the Christmas performance of ‘The Rain Machine’ at the Newhampton, they began rehearsing ‘Rain Machine 2’. RM2 was performed alongside the WOW theatre group (based at Stow Heath Day Centre) & the Discoverers theatre group (Mencap) at the Arena theatre in June. After this very successful collaboration, the ARPC went on to tour their show at four special schools in Wolverhampton during the summer. After the summer break, they began to plan & rehearse the current show, ‘Everybody needs Somebody’. The first performance of this play was, again, with WOW & the Discoverers at the Arena in December & again, was a massive success! The ARPC enter 2010 with a full and rewarding year behind them.
The work of the ARPC would not be possible without grant support. ‘Everybody needs somebody’ was grant funded by Wolverhampton Network Consortium. ‘Rain Machine’ 1 & 2 were funded by Arts Council England – the ARPC would like to thank both.
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Disaster into Triumph
Central Youth Theatre turned a disaster into triumph after their outdoor performance of Robin Hood was halted by a giant thunderstorm
at an international theatre festival in an Austrian medieval castle. Sixteen members of Wolverhampton's Central Youth Theatre (CYT) were performing at the castle in Hall in the Austrian Tyrol at the weekend.
Director Jane Ward said: "When we were half way through our show a giant thunderstorm hit us with a massive and sudden downpour which meant we had to stop our performance mid-show. The alternative venue - an inside space was already booked for another indoor show so we had to wait whilst the audience watched this very serious dance/physical theatre show and then one hour later we resumed our show indoors.
The young people created a five minute "scenes you saw earlier-type resume", narrated by Dan Helsby holding an umbrella and blaming traditional English-style weather for the suspension of the show. The spontaneous improvisation brought the audience back on side and half an hour later when we finished the show the young people had a five minute standing ovation from the packed house of over a hundred and fifty people."
The Austrian festival marked the 200th anniversary of the Tyrol's uprising against occupation by France and Bavaria and had the theme of heroes. As well as CYT, groups from each of the six Austrian regions, two German groups and two Czech groups took part. CYT arrived back home early on Sunday after a week at the festival.
In May they staged another very successful version of another play about an old English hero - Beowulf - in the Czech republic. CYT will perform Beowulf and Robin Hood on their home ground at the Newhampton Arts Centre, Dunkley Street, Whitmore Reans, Wolverhampton, on Saturday July 11th at 2.30pm.
Tickets for this international double bill are now on sale at £6.50 (concessions £4.50) or £20 for a family ticket. They can be purchased by calling the box office on 01902 572090 or on the day. In addition CYTs juniors and seniors will present a double bill of All The Worlds A Stage and Card Play at 7.30pm on Friday 10th July and Saturday 11th July at the same venue. Tickets for these performances are priced the same and are available from the venue on the same telephone number or at the box office.
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PUPPET EXTRAVAGANZA
 On Saturday 30th May, puppet companies from across the UK and Europe will be converging on the Newhampton Arts Centre for an amazing Puppet Extravaganza from 10am to 5pm.
There will be shows, workshops, displays and fun outdoors and indoors.
For an entrance fee of just £1, families will be able to enjoy mischievous street marionettes from Belgium, giant puppets from Walking Tall, Theater Laku Paka from Germany,
UK company Objects Dart using puppets made from everyday objects to tell stories for the very young and Punch and Judy. Theatre shows, also for just £1, include dramatic shadow theatre with Peter and the Wolf and Storybox Theatre with a jolly collection of porcine stories called 3 Pigs. Children can also make their own puppet to take away. Puppetlink have also been working with local children and St AndrewÂ�s School will be showing a video of the puppet show they have created. All this for just £1.
The Puppet Extravaganza is part of the Dynamics International Puppet Festival that takes place
across the West Midlands every two years. (www.dynamicsfestival.com)
Centre Manager Christine McGowan says, "This has got to be the best value family entertainment
around this half term. We are delighted that the Extravaganza is coming to Wolverhampton for the
first time, instead of its usual venue in Birmingham. We have kept the entrance fee really low so
that everyone can enjoy this rare opportunity to see so many different sorts of puppets from different countries in one day. They should bring a smile to everyone's faces"
There is no need to book. Just turn up with your £1 on the day anytime between 10am and 5pm; try to catch one of the shows in the theatre at 12.30pm. 2pm & 3.30pm.
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THE SPECIAL CORRESPONDENCE CLUB
 Foursight Theatre has spent the last couple of months working in West Park Primary School in Whitmore Reans.
Inspired by their current theatre show, Can Any Mother Help Me, Foursight Theatre is building links between a class in West Park Primary School - in the heart of urban, multicultural Wolverhampton
- and a similar aged class in a primary school in rural Shropshire.
The play was based on a Correspondence Club - real letters written by women from different parts of Britain. So the children from the two classes began by writing letters to each other. They also worked with a poet, a photographer and a drama specialist to create personal portraits of themselves which
they then swapped.
The project has explored ideas of prejudice, assumptions and difference, by working with the pupils
on their expectations and thoughts about the other group.
The pupils decided they wanted to meet each other and share something of their lives so, in the first week of May, the two classes will each visit the other at their schools. They will meet each other for
the first time and play, learn and talk together.
The West Park pupils planned a whole day of exchange to welcome their Shropshire classmates, including a welcome ceremony for their correspondence club friends with bhangra dancing and welcome snacks, a drama performance and a trip to West Park
Later that same week, the West Park pupils will embark on a return visit to Much Wenlock in Shropshire, where the schoolchildren are planning to introduce their urban friends to maypole dancing and the founding of the modern Olympic Games!
It has been a fascinating and surprising project and Foursight Theatre has really enjoyed working with pupils in a school right on our doorstep and discovering how much we all have to learn from our near neighbours.
www.foursighttheatre; www.westparkschool.co.uk
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GOING LIVE ON SOCIAL NETWORKS
Do you have a Myspace or Facebook profile? We have recently launched pages on both. Check out www.myspace.com/newhamptonartscentre for all the latest information about music events at the NAC including tracks and videos of upcoming artists. Why not join our friends?
On Facebook, the Newhampton Arts Centre page will keep you up to date on all events coming up with photos of past events and workshops. Become a "fan" to keep in touch.
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LOOK AT ME NOW!
"Look at Me Now!" A Portrait of Youth Theatre History
Central Youth Theatre turns 25 this year. The specially commissioned exhibition "Look at Me Now!" tracks down 25 former members to discover where they are in the world and how Central Youth Theatre shaped their lives.
Almost 3000 young people have passed through CYT since its beginnings in 1983. The youth theatre was awarded £35,000 by the Arts Lottery to help it mount a truly innovate exhibition to mark its 25th Anniversary. Members in the exhibition include:
o Tim Routledge, lighting programmer for London's contribution to the Beijing Olympics.
o Art director Liz Griffiths, who has worked on Hot Fuzz, Shaun of the Dead and Angus.
o Theatre producer Edmund O�Driscoll, currently touring productions of �Allo �Allo and Dad�s Army.
o Ian Connop, stage manager at the National Theatre.
o BBC News at Ten journalist, Alys Cummings.
o Boyzone production assistant Claire Pearson
o Rising comedy stars, members of the Chortle-award-winning Pappy's Fun Club, Tom Parry and Ben Clark.
Created by West Midlands photographer Kate Green and exciting new artist Rhiannon Worgan, "Look at Me Now" ran from 8th - 17th January at the Arena Theatre, W'ton and from 17th June - 19th August will be at the Grand Theatre W'ton.
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WAKE UP
 Wake up! was a unique Hip Hop Theatre Project delivered by Transit Trix (TT) to raise awareness of the serious nature of bullying. Young people were challenged to use their creative minds to explore and use the art of B-Boying (breakdance) Music, Drama & Poetry to perform a thrilling showcase, highlighting their experiences, after a six week course at Gatis Street Adventure Playground in Whitmore Reans. The final show down took place at the Newhampton Arts Centre on 30th August.
It started off with the audience being brought to their seats by African drumming (Kalillo) accompanied by TT B-boys who improvised with dashing footwork & gestures to their traditional beats.
The next big thing to make an impact was a poem read by Tobias who set the scene for a succession of performances including an audience question and answer led by Ricky (Drama tutor). Blessman wrapped up the first half by reading a poem entitled 'Beat Bullying' by Craig Bagwell.
The second half started with a bang! With a dynamic display of hip hop choreography from DNA dancers, followed by a Crew v Crew battle (Park Village vs. TT). Now some people hearing these words ordinarily may become fearful but this was a battle of skills in which judges (Marlene retired dance teacher / community worker, Hanifa Queen 1st UK B-Girl & B-Boy Nene) had to decide by style, confidence, dance technique & crew energy which crew was outstanding.
To round off the night, Keith Fraser (TT chairman) & Money B (Course Tutor) thanked everyone who made the event possible including Midland Heart and Black Country Connexions. A special thank you was given to the performers of the Wake Up Project who received Certificates and personalised Graffiti T-shirts.
For more information on Transit Trix/breakdance, ring 07762 765952 or come along to the Newhampton Arts Centre on Thursdays from 7.30pm.
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Support us while you shop!
 There's now a new and easy way for you to help us raise funds for Newhampton Arts Centre - simply by shopping online!
easyfundraising is a shopping directory that features some of your favourite online stores, including Amazon, NEXT, Debenhams, John Lewis, Toys 'R' Us, HMV and over 500 others. All you have to do is use the links on the easyfundraising site whenever you shop online and, at no extra cost to you, we'll receive a free donation of up to 15% from every purchase you make. It really is that simple!
It's completely FREE to register and use and you still shop with each retailer in exactly the same way. Many retailers even offer additional discounts and money saving e-Vouchers when you shop using easyfundraising.
If you shop online anyway then why not raise valuable extra funds for us by using this fantastic scheme. All you need to do is visit http://www.easyfundraising.org.uk/newhamptonarts and when you register, select Newhampton Arts Centre as the organisation you wish to support
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