Category Archives: Latest News

Love is Underground

Love is Underground

A play devised by Young refugees and volunteers in partnership with YMCA Cambridge

Acting now has been running a drama group for Young refugees at YMCA Cambridge. We have been working together for 3 months using physical theatre techniques, drama games and exercises to empower a group of young refugees from different countries.

Together we devised a provocative theatre play based on the participant´s experiences and stories. “Love is underground” is a powerful play, showing different life struggles, challenges and joy. This piece takes on a journey through warn torn countries, feeling trapped, travelling, songs, hope, love and reaching our dreams We presented the final performance last week during Acting now´s Christmas gathering.

All the Acting Now team, students, members from the different community theatre groups and other guests enjoyed the performance and gave really positive feedback. The young people who were part of the group felt really proud of their achievement and wish to continue doing further projects together.

New drama group project to start in February 2018 thanks to A14 Community Fund

New drama group project to start in February 2018 thanks to A14 Community Fund

We are proud to acknowledge the grant we have received from the A14 Community Fund, a fund managed by Cambridgeshire Community Foundation, thanks to which we will start a new drama Project for 12 people experiencing mental health challenges in Cambridge.

As part of a commitment to the local community, Highways England is looking to support activities with a focus on bringing communities closer together.

The A14 scheme will have a lasting impact on the communities along its length and the A14 Community Fund is therefore looking to support projects which consider and respond to these changes Acting Now was been offered a grant from the A14 Community Fund to enable 12 people experiencing mental health challenges to create a theatre piece about life around the A14 and perform it for communities near the A14.

We will be starting this new drama project in February 2018, using physical theatre to create a high quality play and create links and skills development between the group members.

Theatre of the Oppressed Workshop: An introduction to Forum Theatre

Theatre of the Oppressed Workshop: An introduction to Forum Theatre

Sat 10th February 2017, 12pm - 6pm 

Ross Street Community Centre, Cambridge CB1 3UZ

 

Once again, Acting Now is holding an Intensive Forum Theatre Workshop designed for artists and creatives from all sectors, for anyone who is going to benefit from a deep insight into applied drama techniques.

Participants will be equipped with solid knowledge of the Forum Theatre technique and participatory theatre practices. In addition, they will have the chance to explore means of devising dramatic content and narratives and learn tips in facilitating creative programs for education purposes.

WHAT IS FORUM THEATRE

Part of the ‘Theatre of the Oppressed’ and created by Brazilian theatre director Augusto Boal, Forum Theatre is an applied drama technique and participatory theatre practice created to empower audience individuals to determine social change. Lead by an oppressive political and social background, Boal’s efforts consisted in establishing a dialog between audience and stage with the aim of exploring the real needs and issues of his community. The theatrical act by itself is a conscious intervention, a rehearsal for social action based on a collective analysis of shared problems of oppression.

THE WORKSHOP

Suitable for all ages and abilities, this introductory workshop is designed to strengthen community activation and trust-building through interactive exercises developed from the fundamentals of creating Forum Theatre images. In this workshop, participants will hone their storytelling and image building techniques and explore how different styles of presenting multiple perspectives can aid positive problem solving.

FOR ANYONE

This experience is for anyone! Actors and non-actors that are interested in using theatre as a tool for communication, debate and social change within their communities and a MUST for theatre practitioners, social activists, teachers, community workers, charity representatives and youth workers.

PRICES: 

General: £65 / Concession £50 

 Early birds: £60 / £45 (Before 18th Dec)

Get Your Tickets 

OTHER WORKSHOPS TO COME

Keep an eye on us if you would like to hear from other Workshops and Events organized by Acting Now!

Our next workshop will be: Theatre of the Oppressed, and Introduction to Forum Theatre, an intensive one-day training scheduled for 10th February at Cambridge. 

Other one-day workshops to be announced soon are: 

  • USE OF MASKS IN PHYSIAL THEATRE
  • APPLIED THEATRE - AN INTRODUCTION
  • TECHNIQUES OF STORYTELLING

MEET THE TEACHER:

a woman with a drum talking to a group of women who are standing around her

Marina Pallares, Acting Now's founder and Artistic Director is a professional actress and applied theatre practitioner, with over ten years of experience working across Europe and South America using theatre as a tool for social change. She has developed exciting theatre projects with traveller communities, ex-offenders, adults with learning disabilities, people with mental health challenges, women, teenagers and refugees all over the world.

N.B. Refund policy. In the event of cancellation, we will refund your payment in full if you let us know 30 days before the start of the course. If for unforeseen reasons, your availabilty changes while the course is running and you cannot complete it, we will be happy to discount the remainder of the sessions if you book another course, but refunds won´t be available.

Acting Now to perform at the Junction

20 Questions 

28th October 7pm - 9pm at The Junction, Cambridge

Tickets: The Junction

Our talented group 'Making Changes' will perform at the Junciton as part of 20 Questions, a collaborative dance performance produced by UNIT. 

20 Questions is a fusion of dance, candid interviews and seamlessly integrated film, 20 Questions features a 40 strong intergenerational cast of local people, some of whom have danced all their lives, others who have never danced before.

Every performer in the show has been on a 10 hour journey with the company; learning who they are, who they were and who they might like to be; finding the answers to there big questions through movement. 20 Question is a snapshot of life and a gloriously uplifting look at humanity. 

Participants of 'Making Changes', who performed in Complicité at Corpus Playroom back on July 2017, are really excited to be part of this amazing Project in which they will become dancers for the first time. 

 

Get your tickets here: The Junction