#ArtsCouncilEngland funded #free #summerschool for 14 - 18 yr olds in #Brighton August 31 - September 3
- The Chronicle Theatre Company
- Aug 3, 2021
- 4 min read
Updated: Aug 20
The Apples and Eyes Project features filmmaking, acting, music and games sessions in Racehill Community Orchard, top of Wilson Avenue
We are delighted to announce that through a unique partnership we have been successful in winning a grant from Arts Council England for a free four-day summer school in East Brighton for 14 - 18 year olds. It will give young people the opportunity to play and have fun with film-making, drama and music to explore an orchard environment.
The Apples and Eyes Project will take place in Racehill Community Orchard at the top of Wilson Avenue and be led by an experienced team of actors and practitioners from the Shakespeare in Italy Theatre Company, alongside the Trust for Developing Communities and Brighton Permaculture Trust.
The natural world was a driving force of Shakespeare’s imagination. His plays abound with references to nature. Oberon, the king of the fairies in A Midsummer Night’s Dream instructs Puck to drop a love potion in Demetrius' eyes:
‘Flower of this purple dye,
Hit with Cupid’s archery,
Sink in apple of his eye’.
“We are thrilled to be working on this project in Brighton, which we hope will be the first of many. Young people will be assisted to use their creative, dramatic skills in a natural setting, encouraging them to explore the transformative powers of both and to have fun in the process,” said actress Mary Chater who devised the project and is one of the founders of Shakespeare in Italy.
Youth Work Manager Caroline Vitta for the Trust for Developing Communities in East Brighton, is looking forward to taking part: “The trust is excited to be involved in this great project for young people at the Racehill Community Orchard. East Brighton has a strong community arts base and the partnership can build on this by giving young people the opportunity to get involved in film making, music and drama in really beautiful surroundings whilst being supported by the fantastic Shakespeare in Italy Theatre Company.”
Bryn Thomas, Director of Brighton Permaculture Trust said: “I am delighted that this project is taking place at Racehill Community Orchard, giving local young people a chance to connect to nature and explore the space in a creative way. In practical terms, it will also help us towards fitting solar electric lighting in our cabin and tools store and to install rainwater harvesting for watering the orchard trees.”
TO JOIN THE SUMMER SCHOOL AND FOR MORE INFO, please email Caroline Vitta - carolinevitta@trustdevcom.org.uk
Session leaders and partners are -
Sarah Sayeed
Sarah is a musician and composer. Her credits include Principle Musician in Richard II at Shakespeare's Globe, Composer and Musical Director for the RSC adaptation of Moliere's Tartuffe, and Sound Designer for Contact Theatre's production on the Suffragette Movement, She Bangs The Drums. With more than 15 years of experience working collaboratively with a range of artists, she is Creative Director of Project Phakama which works with artists, young people and communities in East London. Sarah ran sessions at our summer school at The Playground Theatre, W10 in June this year and lives in Hove.
Matt Kowalczuk
Matt is a Manchester born, BBC trained filmmaker who works across video art and photography and whose passion is documentary work. Among other projects, he makes ongoing documentation artworks for contemporary dance theatre company, Chameleon. Matt will be the film-maker on The Apples and Eyes Project and lives locally.
Tonya Easter
Tonya has over 15 years of experience in multiple capacities using her skills to enhance the lives of young people and families, including working for child services in Foster Care and Adoption, with Pregnant mothers with substance abuse, High Risk Teenagers through the National Crime Prevention Programme and as Director of a Youth Centre and Shelter. Tonya will lead games on resilience and leadership for the summer school.
Trust for Developing Communities
The Trust for Developing Communities tackles inequality in Brighton and Hove through community-led solutions. TDC practices Asset Based Community Development, an approach that empowers communities to drive development themselves by identifying and utilising the assets and strengths they already possess. Staff work across a variety of neighbourhoods and citywide, supporting communities and individuals to develop and flourish, bringing skills and resources in consultation, group development, project planning, governance and fundraising to help build on existing assets.
TDC encourages participatory leadership and offers informal and formal training on community development.
Brighton Permaculture Trust
Brighton Permaculture Trust is a charity that promotes sustainable lifestyles, biodiversity and community cohesion through our courses, events and projects.
The trust runs a wide variety of courses related to food growing, low impact building techniques and permaculture design.
Our Scrumping project reduces the amount of fruit that goes to waste by collecting unwanted fruit from local gardens and farms and turning it into juices and other products.
Our plot at Stanmer Organics demonstrates regenerative food growing, with produce shared amongst volunteers and with local food banks.
The trust has planted over 130 school and community orchards and manages several orchards in Brighton & Hove, including Racehill Community Orchard. Many of the orchards we have planted are in economically deprived areas and give valuable opportunities for community building, connecting with nature and will improve food security and access to fresh fruit for local people as the orchards mature.
Brighton Permaculture Trust: Inspiring, connecting, learning: for people and planet to flourish
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