One hundred and fifty primary school children in the Black Country are to become theatre producers for a year, working on a new piece of theatre for family audiences.
Walsall-based company Little Earthquake and Black Country Touring will work on the production which will go on tour in summer 2015, with public performances in each school and in a range of venues across the Midlands.
Each of four young producer groups in Walsall, Wolverhampton, Sandwell and Dudley will be involved in making collective choices about every aspect of the new production. Between them they will select which show is developed, help to recruit the performers and creative team and will also develop their own promotional campaigns with marketing professionals.
Little Earthquake’s co-director Philip Holyman describes the project as “a massively exciting chance for us to nurture the creative potential of young people in the Black Country.
“By the end of the project a new show will exist which can engage and entertain audiences of all ages, not only in the Midlands but also further afield in the UK and overseas—all thanks to the ideas and imaginations of these young producers.
“We hope this experience will open their eyes to their own limitless possibilities and will plant the seeds for a whole new generation of future Black Country artists.”
Steve Johnstone, co-artistic director of Black Country Touring, says this new partnership with Little Earthquake “means the young people involved will get even more direct hands-on experience of how the professional arts work. It’s a unique opportunity for them.”
The project officially begins on Monday 1 September. The chosen show will be announced on Monday 3 November and full tour dates will be revealed at the beginning of 2015.