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Have you:
Ever taken part in rehearsals for nuclear war or emergency?
Got an air-raid shelter/ bunker at home or at work?
Been a member of Civil Defence?
Ever followed instructions for nuclear emergency?
Been involved in building or using war defences?
METIS WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!
METIS are investigating the uses of all the spaces in Cambridge built or used for war defence: air raid shelters, bunkers both domestic and civil, pill boxes and so on - past or present - for The Bunker Project.
In this unique, Heritage Lottery-funded project, METIS are recording experiences of such places for posterity from May 2007. The memories and experiences you tell them about will be shared with the wider public through a website, DVD, exhibition and performance event. METIS are working with a local theatre production company, SCAMP to deliver the project with support from The Junction.
If you would like to get involved, please contact admin@scamptheatre.com or call 01462 734843
www.metisarts.co.uk/ www.thebunkerproject.info
More News...
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The 220 seat studio theatre known as The Shed (A2) presents a diverse professional programme each season ranging from theatre, dance, live art, comedy, family performances, acoustic sessions and world music. Since opening in March 05 we have programmed over 90 professional performances and aim to offer around 140 performance events in A2 over each year. In addition to this we also run a lively participation programme in our education space (A4) that runs for 30 weeks a year and offers around 240 workshops per term for children, young people and adults.
In the theatre space (A2) the three main programming seasons for professional performance are currently January to March, April to June and Sep to December. The participation programme in A4 currently runs to coincide with school terms as well as a special summer programme of events.
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The Junction will continue to offer the best new performance work for children, young people and adults, from the region, the UK and internationally.
Each season we will be presenting an exciting programme of theatre, dance, spoken word and family events.
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From March 2005 professional drama at The Junction will be increasingly innovative, challenging, experimental and international with higher profile fringe theatre successes and ‘Jam’ nights introducing up to 4 new companies in a night. It will appeal to those with a taste for theatre beyond the mainstream.
The dance programme will broaden, offering more than contemporary dance, but still seeking innovation and original forms of delivery and presentation.
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For full details of drama and dance workshops and classes click on 'classes' in the what's on section.
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Junction 2
The stage area is approximately 8.5m x 8.5m and the auditorium has a maximum seating capacity of 223. There is also a foyer cafe bar, box office and dressing rooms. The venue has extensive technical capabilities.
Included in the hire fee is:
• Full access to the performance space, dressing room and technical facilities from 9am on the first day of performance.
• Technician to assist with the get-in, set up and get-out and to remain on duty during each performance.
• Duty manager, front of house stewards, bar and box office staff as required to cover the event itself.
• Marketing: inclusion in The Junction brochure. Advice to help you bring maximum attention to your performance is available for an additional cost.
• Box office facilities: Ticketing and box office facilities are available if required. Tickets available from The Junction Box Office and also from the Corn Exchange.
Commercial or community rates are available. A 50% deposit is payable for first time hirers.
Junction 4
There is also a 14m x 9m education and rehearsal studio available for classes, meetings and conferences.
For more info on both spaces, please ring Amy Vaughan on 01223 578000
Comments on Hires
Long Road students had a great time both rehearsing and performing
'Trojan Women' at The Junction. The staff were great and very relaxed
with them. It was an excellent opportunity for them to perform their
work in a public theatre.It gave them a real sense of how to work and
behave as professionals. Facilities were excellent.....a flexible and
uncluttered space presenting plenty of interesting opportunities for
entrances and exits including through the audience; spacious, modern and
well-resourced backstage area. It was a very positive and exciting
experience all-round....thank you so much....
Julie Coulter, Long Road Sixth Form College
Cam Sight was absolutely delighted with the Junction on our Day for
Visually Impaired Children and Parents in October 2005. The venue is full of
light and well adapted for people with poor sight and other disabilities.
Perhaps even more importantly, the staff couldn't have been more helpful
and understanding both beforehand and on the day. We had a fantastic event
and this was due in no small part to the Junction - its excellent facilities
and caring staff
Shelley Gregory Jones, Cam Sight
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Classworks Theatre Company: www.classworks.org.uk
Hoipolloi:
www.hoipolloi.org.uk
Menagerie: www.menagerie.uk
Mumford Theatre: www.apu.ac.uk/mumfordtheatre
ADC Theatre : www.adc-theatre.cam.ac.uk
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From 2001 - March 2004, The Junction was part of the Arts Council England, East's regional 'Theatre Plan' scheme. The aim of our support for theatre companies was to:
• create opportunities for people to create new work
• nurture talent in the region
• enable artists/companies to make new partnerships with venues
• develop opportunities for small scale venues to identify and encourage regional talent
Through an application process, we offered a selected number of companies each year financial support, technical, marketing and venue support, performance opportunities, training courses and funding advice. We arranged regular meetings fto enable the regional companies to meet and exchange ideas and advice.
We have also supported a number of projects including the Hotbed: The Cambridge New Writing Festival, MASH and Performance Lab.
More detailed information on the companies and projects are detailed below.
From April 2004, The Junction has been supporting artists as part of 'Escalator' - ACE East's regional talent initiative. For more information, please contact Cat Moore on 01223 403493 or email cat@junction.co.uk.
Linked to Junction CDC until April 2003
• Indefinite Articles – The Magic Lamp
Children’s theatre production using Middle Eastern shadow puppetry. Performed at Cambridge Drama Centre on 25 January.
• Alchemy Music Productions
To create a digital opera project based on the Biblical story of Abraham.
• Pursued by a Bear – White Canary
Theatre/installation piece working with the Cambridge writer Craig Baxter, sound designer Simon McCorry, digital artist Catherine Watling, and the British Antarctic Survey.
Work in progress performed at Cambridge Drama Centre on 20-22 March.
www.pbab.org
• In Situ – Paradise
Multi media performance on themes arising from 11 September.
Performed at Cambridge Drama Centre on 28-29 March.
Supported by a regional venue until April 2003
Context Theatre Company – Back and Forth
First translation into English of this 1930s German play. It explores attitudes towards asylum seekers. Performed at Cambridge Drama Centre on 7 November 2002 as part of the Edge Festival.
www.theatrecontext.co.uk
• Theatre Resource – The Monk
Adaptation of classic gothic novel directed and performed by disabled people. Performed at Cambridge Drama Centre on 14-15 March 2003.
Supported by a regional venue until April 2003
•Baobab Theatre – Enchanted Bird
Working with Norwich Puppet Theatre to create a new puppet theatre production for 5-12 year olds and to tour it with the support of Rural Arts East. Performing at Cambridge Drama Centre on 16 February 2004 with workshops after the performance
"Without the support of Junction CDC, there would be no Baobab
Theatre and children in Norfolk would not have been able to experience
an imaginative workshop and performance of good quality in their own
community."
Alistair Winch, Creative Arts East
• Spin Off Theatre – Falling off the Edge
Working with Norwich Arts Centre to create a soap opera of the Eastern region in the form of video, recorded sound and live performance.
Supported Companues 2003 - 2004
Context Theatre – Whisper
Consolidating their position as an up and coming Cambridge-based company, Context Theatre plan to develop a new play by the joint winner of the Verity Bargate award 2002, Amy Evans. Whisper explores the issue of asylum seeking and the writing is informed through their previous production Back & Forth and a series of forum workshops they undertook in Cambridge schools and Oakington immigration reception centre. Performed as a staged reading at Cambridge Drama Centre on 15 November 2003.
www.theatrecontext.co.uk
• Vastok Theatre Company – Ne me quitte pas….
Working with artists from England, Czech Republic, Poland, France and Spain - Vastok Theatre Company will create a devised piece of work based on the differences between languages, cultures and themes within European tradition and incorporating dance theatre, physical theatre, Czech puppet theatre, design and dramaturgy.
Through a rehearsal period in Prague and Cambridge, Ne me quitte pas… had its its English premiere in Autumn 2003 at Cambridge Drama Centre on 3 - 4 October 2003.
• The Crow Show - How many mile to Babylon?
In collaboration with Classworks Theatre Company, The Crow Show is working on How many miles to Babylon? - a new children’s production drawing on traditional stories and music from around the world. They spent a few months researching and developing the show which includes puppetry, live music, improvisation and innovative costume. Performed at Cambridge Drama Centre on Saturday 20th Septembe 2003.
• Mike Maran - Song and Dance Man
A storytelling piece with live music based on the life and music of Gustav Mahler.
Regional companies:
• 7K Extreme Theatre – Emulator
Supported by the Maltings Arts Theatre, 7K intend to devise and produce a new solo performance piece that explores the relationship between technology and the human mind, and the potential reliance on it to emulate reality. Using physical theatre, acrobatics, live mixed drum‘n’bass and live VJing, the show will tour the region and was performed at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2003.
• Pirateutopia – Antigone
A translation of Sophocles’ Antigone incorporating live performance, video footage and audience interactivity using cameras and mobile phones. The project will be in partnership with Norwich Arts Centre and Crude Apache Theatre Company.
• Full House - The Snow Queen
With support from Bowen West Theatre in Bedford, Full House Theatre Company embarked on their first regional tour in Autumn 2003 with a contemporary piece of children's theatre based on the classic fairy tale. The Snow Queen uses a fusion of traditionl storytelling, a full and original music score and spectacular giant puppets .
• Opera 21 - The Barber of Seville
Promising to produce a different kind of opera medium that lays bare the drama and musical intention, The Barber of Seville will be an exciting fusion of Opera and physical theatre. Set will be created spontaneously and two pianos wil be used instead of a reduced orchestra to create a unique interpretation of the work. This company are being supported by Theatre Royal - Bury St Edmunds.
www.opera21.tv
Research and Development awards
• Anna Reynolds - Loved
Loved is a new play which explores issues that affect adolescents as they approach adulthood. Themes such as love, death, coping with loss and abandonment, taking risks and making difficult choices are all touched upon in the piece. The play wil be written following the input from a five-day workshop at Mercury Theatre, Colchester with the writer, performers, a digital visual artist and young people aged between 14 and 18 years of age.
• BB&me- About Anna
WIth help from Creative Arts East, BB&me are developing a script for a piece of work that will take a look at the many personas that women take on during their adult lives and the consequences that arise when personas "pop up" at inappropriate times through a series of workshops. Staged reading performed at Norwich Puppet Theatre on 29 January 2004.
Other projects
Performance Lab
Menagerie Theatre company and Junction CDC are co-ordinating a series of 'performance labs' enabling local theatre professionals to skill-share and gain professional development. Following on from the success of last year's workshops, Performance Lab will now be run monthly at Cambridge Drama Centre. Workshops cover all areas of artistic development and have included work on the Suzuki & Monica Pagneux techniques, improvisation and comic theatre. In the autumn, the core areas will include work with voice, text and song, physical theatre and developing television and film acting techniques. In addition to the regular sessions, there will also be a number of one-off day events with invited guest workshop leaders.
For more information contact Cat Moore on (01223) 578000 or email cat@junction.co.uk
MASH
June 2002 saw the inaugural night of off-the-wall stand up, songs, poetry and sketches. Produced and performed by Hoi Polloi with invited guests. This first experimentation night proved to be a great success - much enjoyed by performers and audience alike.
For more information, please contact Shon Dale-Jones (info@hoipolloi.org.uk)
HOTBED: Cambridge New Writing Festival
Produced in collaboration with Menagerie Theatre company during three weeks in July 2002, HOTBED presented 22 new pieces of writing with over 2800 tickets sold during the festival at three Cambridge venues: CDC, CB2 Café and the Arts Theatre Playroom. Local and international writers were involved, including premiers from Naomi Wallace, Tim Etchells and Steve Waters.
Three short plays were performed by a professional Rep company as well as an ensemble of local actors formed after an open audition to perform staged readings and monologues. Other events included practical workshops and a new writing forum (panel members included Jack Bradley of the National Theatre) plus a play created in 24 hours with Hoipolloi Theatre.
HOTBED 2004 is currently in the planning stages.
For more information, please contact Cat Moore on 01223 578000 or email cat@junction.co.uk
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| Escalator - supporting Artists in the East of England
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What is it?
Escalator is a new Arts Council England, East initiative which aims to find, support and invest in regionally based artists. Covering all areas of the performing arts, it enables them to realise their potential in producing high quality professional work.
Escalator supports a broad range of artists at different stages in their careers, providing coaching, training and investment as well as joint promotion and networking opportunities. Through the development of partnerships and projects, Escalator aims to enhance the profile of artists at both a national and international level.
Escalator is run by a team of regional arts organisations, producers, artists and the Arts Council England, East. It is being co-ordinated by The Junction in Cambridge and Colchester Arts Centre.
Who can apply?
Escalator is open to all artists and companies based in the Eastern region. Whether at the start of their career or wishing to develop their work further, artists can enter the programme at different stages.
Advice, support and professional development will also be made available to regional producers and promoters.
To get involved in Escalator, you must demonstrate a clear desire for appropriate professional development. Inclusion will be based on potential, quality of work and clarity of aims, rather than artistic or ethnic background, education or experience.
Escalator artists do not have to be working professionally at the time of their inclusion in the programme, nor necessarily be seeking to develop their careers along more traditional mainstream paths.
What's on offer
Coaching
Awards are available to artists to enable an expert to spend an agreed period of time with you or your company, evaluating and offering feedback on specific elements of your work. Coaching can be for business as well as artistic development. There are no specific deadlines and there is a short and simple application process. Coaching awards will be up to £250.
Development Plans
Once an artist has been identified for inclusion in Escalator, a development plan will be produced. This evaluation of individual circumstances will help identify key issues and needs to inform future planning. Development Plans could recommend commissioning, coaching, mentoring, training, touring support, research & development or business planning support.
Venue Network
A network of regional venues will present and support new work . Performances may be of finished work or of work-in-progress and may also include post-performance discussions to gather critical feedback from audiences and promoters.
The Pulse Festival
Ipswich’s Pulse Festival will develop into an annual showcase of new work by both emerging and established regional artists.
Showcasing, Exporting and Importing
Escalator provides opportunities to get your work seen outside of the region. Collaborations between artists from the region and other national and international artists will be encouraged and supported. Links are being made through producing national arts organisations and agencies.
East to Edinburgh
The East to Edinburgh initiative began in 2003 with six regional companies receiving support at the Fringe Festival. Eleven further companies will benefit from the scheme in 2004, with plans to continue this programme in future years.
If you are an arts professional or organisation interested in supporting the work of Escalator, please contact Cat Moore on (01223) 578000/ cat@junction.co.uk for more information.
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As part of our commitment to supporting innnovative new artists The Junction worked with a number of companies during 2005. Companies included:
• Blind Summit Theatre
They were our artists in residence during the opening season (March 2005) and developed a new piece of adult puppetry titled Low Life which was a Total Theatre Award nominee during Edinburgh 2005 and programmed as part of the 2006 London International Mime Festival before national touring
• Tom Dale
Tom is a new choreographer who utilises new technology.Through joint support by The Junction and essexdance, he rehearsed at The Junction in Spring 2005 in preparationn for a regional tour. He performec at The Junction on the 11th May 2005.
• Glass Eyed
A live art collective, they performed at the National Review of Live Art in Glasgow 2005, and will begin development of a new show through Jam events
• Fever Productions
A company who developed a piece of new writing called Martha Loves Michael. The work was taken to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and toured in the East of England during the Autumn 2005.
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In October 2004 The Junction announced the creation of a whole new department to deal specifically with dance development in the county.
Continuing the good work already begun by Cambsdance, the dance development programme covers the whole of Cambridgeshire including Fenland.
Through the ‘Positive Action’ programme the programme is establishing a core group of young men who can express themselves freely through dance, have opportunities to present that work throughout the region, and are given the support and encouragement they might need to enter the world of dance professionally.
The Junction will continue to develop the Cambridgeshire Youth Dance Company – a company formed by auditioning dancers from across the region, creating a pool of exceptional young dancers who will make and perform work together with the help of professionals.
The successful TOP dance programme will be maintained and expanded in primary schools across the region. TOP dance has been developed to support the teaching of dance in primary education and will enable teachers to improve the skills, knowledge and understanding of pupils in line with the Physical Education National Curriculum.
For more information contact cath@junction.co.uk
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The Junction and Cambridge Drama Centre have a history of supporting artists but it is only through the opening of The Shed that it has been possible to start realising our wider ambitions in becoming more instrumental in the creation and development of new work.
With the flexibility of our new spaces, we are able to offer Junction Supported Artists residencies throughout the year, giving them the space to rehearse and try out new ideas, developing practice as well as product. As an organisation, The Junction is involved creatively throughout the process, offering not only time in the spaces but ongoing creative discussion and input from different members of our team, financial support and connections to regional, national and international networks.
Artists are offered blocks of time, either in the Theatre (A2) or the education space (A4). This can be anything from a fixed number of days spread over a longer period or concentrated residencies lasting between one and four weeks. These are allocated to fit around the professional performance season and participation programme.
policy
• Focus on artists with an open approach who wish to develop work with us as creative contributers.
• Looking at work that has a strong theatre based element to it – including work through a devised process, new writing, physical and experimental theatre. We are particularly interested in work that crosses art forms, especially incorporating rock, pop and club music and elements of popular culture (ie film).
• Interested in artists who employ the use of new technology in their work. There is a particular emphasis in finding creative applications for industry cutting edge technologies.
The Junction aims to support and develop artists across the performance programme. We are there to help create, promote and enable artists to experiment with new ideas and practice and encourage dialogue between art forms, artists, audience and staff.
Associate Companies
We currently have a three Junction Associate Companies two of whom we provide with support through subsidised office space at The Junction as well as commissioning of specific projects.
• Menagerie Theatre Company
A new writing company with whom we co-produce a bi-annual New Writing Festival Hotbed, as well as supporting a range of ongoing writers programmes and productions.
• Classworks Theatre
A Theatre Company that creates work specifically for young people. We co-commissioned their last production ‘ In Limbo’ which went to the Edinburgh Festival in 2005 and jointly run the Junction’s new Youth Theatre Company ‘Clash’.
• New International Encounters
A European physical theatre company that have developed a trilogy of shows with the support of the Junction over the last three years. We are currently discussion a new commission with possible producing partners both within the UK and abroad.
Supported artists and companies
In addition to our Associate Companies we also have a number of Junction Supported Artists and Companies for whom we offer short term support to develop specific projects.
• Hoipolloi
Commission of a new Children’s Christmas show for December 07.
• Zoe Svendsen
R&D project working with the local community and artists. Looking at the local history/ memories associated with residential bunkers used in WW2 and inviting artists to reinterpret these spaces and create work for them. Looking into utilising video and live stream work in the project connecting the spaces up.
• Glass Eyed
Offering on going support, time in the studio space in December and performance opportunities in Jam events.
• Yvonne McDevitt
• Jane Turner
Working with New Technology. We have agreed to programme Jane’s current show ‘Baby’ in May 06 as a way to introduce her work to the region. There are initial discussions about developing a new piece in 06/07 called ‘Show girls’, which would be a co commission with the ICA, International Workshop Festival and State of Emergency
• Menagerie Hotbed Festival
A Cambridge three week new writing festival involving full productions, stage readings, writing forums, surgeries and workshops programmed across multi-venues in Cambridge.
• Ruffian Productions
New writing company developing new ideas for possible development.
• Darren Johnston
Regional chorographer, interested in developing dance work for club spaces, which use commissioned soundtracks/live performances for electronica DJs.
• Blind Summit Theatre
Puppet Theatre company redeveloping their show ‘Low Life’ for a May performance at The Junction and a spring run ay BAC.
• Uninvited Guests
Bristol based experimental theatre company, who are creating a new show about the history of English rural culture and ceremony.
3 week residency in April 06.
"We were made extremely welcome and the staff at The Junction were all very friendly and went out of their way to be helpful. The coffee vouchers were a small thing that makes a huge difference. All in all, we
were made to feel a part of the junction community for
3 weeks, which made a conducive environment for making
work so thank you. For the generosity and hospitality,
thank you."
• Company of Angels
Theatre company specialising in young people’s work, piece of new writing which explores sexual relationships. 2 week residency in July before being part of East to Edinburgh and returning to The Junction in the autumn.
• Young Angels
Project to develop new work for younger audiences. Three partners are Manchester Royal Exchange, Hampstead Theatre and the Junction. The Junction will act as a creative producer for one of the three pieces created and will programme the other two developed shows. Timescale is Spring/Summer 07, still tbc.
• Gecko/Fuel commission
Development of a new piece working with contemporary dance company. Artist residency during August 06.
• Gob Squad
German Theatre Company who specialise in comic work using new media (Co Commission with Arnolfini, Dance 4, Lakeside Nottingham). Artist residency in June to develop a new piece called Flesh and Blood based on the horror genre.
Performance Opportunities for artists
JAM
We have developed a brand of events, which enables artists and companies at varying stages of development to present work to a supportive audience.
A JAM night is an opportunity for artists and companies across performance art-forms to present a short extract/ work in progress. The evening is a night of two halves, the first part presents 10 minute performances from up to four companies in A2 with the second half of the evening dedicated to feedback from audience members and other performers in the theatre bar. Jam nights are an opportunity to present work in its roughest state with the minimum technical input and little get-in time.
Jam nights are an opportunity to present work in its roughest state with the minimum technical input and little get-in time. It is about the idea rather than the presentation.
The event is co-ordinated on the night by a Junction programmer
Jam nights offer moments of discovery and both audience and artists should come with an open mind
Feedback is generated by questionnaires followed by informal discussions in the bar
Audience pay what they want
Audience is generated in the main by companies involved, so it is important that selected companies/ artists are pro-active in generating an audience to see the work
The JAM performers will aim to talk honestly and openly to each other about their work
JAMMED
The second stage of development following a JAM event and follow-up discussion is JAMMED – a double bill of thirty minute extracts. This will be by selection from the programming team and will happen once a season (2 – 3 during the year).
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| Young Angels Theatremakers project - apply now!
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Company of Angels are leading on Young Angels Theatremakers, a groundbreaking new scheme for young theatre-makers in association with The Junction, Hampstead Theatre , London and The Royal Exchange Theatre , Manchester supported by Arts Council England East
The mission is to create an inspirational body of new and experimental work for young audiences. Young Angels Theatremakers is a scheme that inspires young theatre-makers to create new and original theatre for young audiences.
*The phrase 'theatre-maker' is used instead of 'director' in order that certain highly creative individuals - choreographers, designers, puppeteers, movement specialists - who have a fresh and original sense of new theatre for young audiences can also compete for the bursaries.
A creation might include a theatre production, a site-specific performance, an installation, a school based project, etc. The scheme will welcome applications from 'partnerships' between theatre-makers. The bursaries must be used to develop the three winning ideas into three full professional theatre works that will play to a public audience as detailed below.As part of the scheme, each partner will act as creative host to the making and mentoring of one of the three annual productions.
The pilot programme will take place from September 2007 at The Junction with residencies and public performances taking place in September and February 2008.
Full details on this initiative and how to apply are available from info@companyofangels.co.uk or by sending a stamped SAE to: Company of Angels, 126 Cornwall Road, London SE1 8TQ.
www.companyofangels.co.uk
Closing date for applications is June 11th 2007
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