Our first-ever literacy project launched in January 2014. The aim was to put young people at the centre of the process and give them the tools and the autonomy to create a piece of theatre from start to finish.  They would come up with the initial idea, work to research, explore, shape and develop that idea with our professional writers and directors, and then gain a range of production skills by being involved in the casting process, working with professional creatives on designing and building the set, costumes and props, and working with the performers during the rehearsal process.

Writer Neil A. Edwards asked the participants to find an image, either from home, online, or in a magazine – something that appealed to them and reflected who they felt they were; something that sparked imagination and had the potential of a story within it. D shared an image of a ballet dancer with the group; As a child, D had dreamed of becoming a dancer. When she joined the group at seventeen, she had just become a mother and often brought her baby to the sessions. Her idea and indeed her presentation of it were compelling; she spoke about themes that mattered to her: abandoned dreams, broken promises, buried passions, and grief. From these themes, the group worked with Neil to give the story depth.

Synopsis

A young girl, Zoe, dreams of becoming a dancer. Under the guidance of her dutiful mother, she trains relentlessly, every day, to reach her goal. But when Zoe uncovers a family secret, a tragic chain of events begins to unfold. Her parents separate and Zoe is involved in an accident which leaves her seriously injured. Life as she knows it is shattered as she is told she will never dance again. To make matters worse, Zoe’s father remarries and his once beloved daughter is no longer welcome or wanted in the house. With her family life and dreams in tatters, Zoe is forced to move on, stepping out into the world to discover what it is she truly wants from life.

The group helped to design the poster, the set, props and costumes, and as intended, had a hand in all aspects of the production process, learning new skills and developing their employability. ‘Arabeska’ was performed in June of 2014 to a sold-out audience at Trinity Arts Centre in Gainsborough, and the first of many groups of young people felt the satisfaction and pride in creating a piece of theatre from scratch.

There was also a second performance, a ‘curtain-raiser’ that took place before ‘Arabeska’ that night, and in keeping with our aim of empowering young people to create and express themselves, it was written and performed by students from Gainsborough Academy. Their piece was called ‘Spanish for Beginners’ and it was inspired by the tragic murder of a teacher called Ann Maguire in Leeds earlier the same year. The play investigated the possible motives behind the attack from the perspective of students and teachers at the school.