North east-based women's theatre company Open Clasp is working with national company Frantic Assembly to create a new piece of theatre aimed at giving "a voice to young women in north east and north west England through a contemporary, energetic and exciting piece of physical theatre, touring early 2015."
"We do something unique and Frantic Assembly is unlike any other company out there," said Open Clasp Artistic Director, Catrina McHugh. "Together we want to create something new. To change the world!"
Open Clasp and Frantic Assembly are collaborating with 162 young women aged 12-20 whose lives and experiences will inform a new physical theatre piece which will tour in early 2015.
Open Clasp is a women’s theatre company based in Newcastle and works region-wide and beyond. The company collaborates with women and works in partnership with youth and community organisations to present theatre which is informed by the lived experiences of the women they work with and which are rooted in the belief that theatre changes lives.
Frantic Assembly's physical style combines movement, design, music and text. It tours widely throughout the UK and has performed, created and collaborated in 28 different countries
The response to the two companies’ original approach to creating theatre has been overwhelmingly positive.
"Until now our workshops have always been drama based," said McHugh. "This is the first time we’ve introduced movement. It’s led to something really authentic and powerful—new insights into the groups’ own and others’ lived experiences, learning new skills and having their voices heard."
Groups taking part include Gateshead Young Women's Outreach Project, Youthpoint Five Children’s and Families’ trust in Speke, Liverpool, the Barnardos SECOS Project in Middlesbrough for victims of sexual exploitation, and vulnerable young women at a Pupil Referral Unit in Newcastle’s West End.
Movement Director Jess Williams from Frantic Assembly said of her sessions with the groups, "It’s been a completely new experience for these young women; they really didn’t know what to expect. To go from never having done anything theatrical to standing up after a two-hour session and performing for your peers was incredible to see. It meant a lot, particularly in the pupil referral centre."
The project will go into further R&D at Newcastle's Northern Stage in September, before touring the North East and North West in Spring 2015 including dates at Washington Arts Centre and ARC, Stockton.