How do we imagine the future of where and how we live? Who will we live with? What can we afford? What will our lives look like and how will we manage? Will we live in our home, castle, container or prison?
Newcastle-based Skimstone Arts, whose mission is to “create collaborative theatre, music and art with artists and researchers, and develop artistic practice with diverse individuals and communities, to reflect challenges in society”, will be giving a free performance of their play Doorbells at B&D Studios on the third floor of Commercial Union House, Pilgrim Street in Newcastle on 22 March at 6:00.
The play, which has original songs and a live soundscape, asks how do we imagine the future of where and how we live? Who will we live with? What can we afford? What will our lives look like and how will we manage?
Doorbells was commissioned by Care & Repair England, an independent charitable organisation established in 1986 to improve older people’s housing, and Elders Council of Newcastle, and is supported by Northumbria University. It was originally performed between 2014 and 2016 at the Edinburgh Fringe, Alphabetti Theatre in Newcastle, Scratch Nights at Northern Stage, Barnsley CIVIC Theatre, Black Swan Theatre, Newcastle, and The Queens Hall, Hexham.
This production is a new, revised version of the piece originally commissioned / supported by Northumbria University, Newcastle University, Elders Council, Growing Older in MY HOME and Arts Council England.
In England and Wales, almost 1.3 million retired people are caring for ill partners or their own ageing parents. Census figures suggest this represents a dramatic increase of 35% in the last ten years.
The Institute of Public Policy Research says that in 2012 there were 1.2 million people aged over 65 without adult children and estimates that by 2030, this will rise to approximately 2 million. Some 230,000 will be in need of more than 20 hours' care a week, and many will not have immediate family support.
Tickets (free) can be booked online or by phoning 0191 235 9905.