JOIN US THIS AUTUMN ON GLOW

The Participation newsletter aims to keep you up to date with current Tron events and give schools, colleges and community groups advance notifi cation of the exciting new season and accompanying workshops that the Tron has to offer.

Last year Tron Theatre had an extremely busy participation programme. In 2010/11 we delivered 305 workshops and events working with 5295 participants of all ages both at the Tron and in venues across Glasgow. Highlights from the year included a new piece of devised theatre by our 13-17 year old skillshop group. Project Branded gave a glimpse of where society may be headed with the state’s new programme designed to restrain teenage impulses. With a group of close friends refusing to conform, the piece explored the question what would happen if we were all the same?

‘The evening must rank as one of the most profound experiences I’ve had at the theatre. Right from my early unwitting acceptance as I was met by the project team and bar-coded to the fi nal moments my attention was grabbed and held throughout.’ JONATHAN LISTER, TRON PATRON Meanwhile the 8-12 skillshop group (all 45 of them!) worked together to create the magical story The Curious Tale of Oak Tree Grove, daring you to believe in the fairies at the bottom of the garden. As a group of disparate teenagers head to Oak Tree Grove Outward Bound Centre for the summer, they soon discover much fun can he had in the Grove, particularly on one midsummer night when the nature world and human world collide.

Tron Young Company worked with director Lisa Gregan, with Tron Artistic Director Andy Arnold acting as group mentor, to create a new piece of theatre as part of the Tron’s annual Mayfesto Theatre Festival. Inspired by the poetry of Edwin Morgan, From A City Balcony was about the people, the places and the stories found in his poetry.

‘Director Lisa Gregan and her young team of actors create something warm, funny, deep and truthful. The material inspires an extraordinary series of poised and humorous performances from its young and gifted cast, with none of the unevenness that so often weakens youth theatre work.’ JOYCE McMILLAN, THE SCOTSMAN

The start of this academic year brought the launch of our new look GLOW page which will replace our newsletter and become our main form of communication. If you or your students are not already using GLOW, get yourself a log in – you don’t want to miss out! The Tron aims to use GLOW to build upon and form new relationships with schools, teachers and students. We want to interact with schools regularly throughout the academic year and best of all its free!

This season log on to our glow page to see:weekly blogs and back stage gossipvideo diaries exploring various roles within the organisation including artistic director, marketing manager and stage managervirtual tour of the theatreGlow Meets: in connection with Edwin Morgan’s Dreams and Other NightmaresUploaded lesson stimuli linked to current Tron and visiting productions: from September access a video of our KES workshops

And a whole lot more!

Lisa Keenan, Education & Outreach Manager

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JOIN US THIS AUTUMN ON GLOW..

TRON PARTICIPATION 2011 IN PICTURES

Images: John Johnston Photography www.JohnJohnstonphotography.co.uk

PERFORMANCES, WORKSHOPS & RESOURCES

KESKes is based on the novel A Kestrel for a Knave by Barry Hines, which was made into the fi lm Kes, by Ken Loach. Set against the backdrop of a 1960s mining town, Kes tells the story of fi fteen year-old Billy Casper and the one thing that gives his life meaning, a kestrel called Kes.

THEMES

• SCHOOL AND EDUCATIONBilly struggles at school and doesn’t excel academically. However he teaches himself to train a Kestrel entirely on his own by reading a book and applying the principles he learns.

• FAMILY AND HOMEBilly is from a chaotic and unsupportive family. His father has left and his mother shows little interest in Billy. Billy is bullied by his older brother.

• NATURE AND THE URBAN ENVIRONMENTNature represents hope and escape for Billy and is in stark contrast to the estate he lives on and the school he goes to. The expectation is that Billy will conform to the pattern of other boys in the town and go to work in the mining industry, but the presence of nature, symbolised by Kes, offers different ideas to Billy.

After seeing a production of Kes teachers will be able to use the production as a stimulus to develop the core skills:• Communication• Working with others• Literacy• Social wellbeing

Four capacitiesKes provides particular stimulus in the following capacities:

Confi dent individuals• Relating to others• Self awareness• Tolerance of other people’s needs and beliefs

Responsible citizens• See the importance of respect for others• Examine the notion of community• Develop informed, ethical views of complex issues

Catherine Wheels presents

Based on Barry Hines’ A Kestrel for a KnaveAdapted by Rob Evans

MAIN AUDITORIUMThursday 29 September - Saturday 1 October, 7.45pm SCHOOLS TICKETS: £6Daytime performances: Thur + Fri, 10.30amTickets available from the Tron Theatre Box Offi ce on 0141 552 4267



PERFORMANCES, WORKSHOPS & RESOURCES

AND DON’T FORGET TO BOOK YOUR SEATS FOR THIS YEAR’S PANTO....

Mister Merlin’s Magic is mince if he doesn’t have his wand - a family heirloom handed down through many Merlin generations. The Great Bahooky’s magic has always been mince - so stealing Mr Merlin’s wand, helped (or is it hindered?) by his side-kick Bumble, is part of his cunning plan for wizard world domination.

What he didn’t bank on was Merlin having a guardian angel in the guise of TheGovan Fairy; or two plucky puppet pals, Peter and Penny, prepared to brave Clab-ber Castle’s haunted garden to get the wand back.

Last performed in 1989, Peter & Penny’s Panto is given a modern-day makeover by original creator Alex Norton.

Altogether now allyballysugarallyeentyteentyhalligolum!

A full panto resource pack will be available on our GLOW page from October.Note: Last year’s panto run was marred with diffi culties caused by heavy snow. Whilst no performances were cancelled, many schools were closed or unable to bring children to the Tron Theatre. Although unable to offer refunds to schools not able to attend performances, every effort was made to transfer group bookings to other performances. The same policy will apply to this year’s panto in the event of severe weather conditions causing disruption.


MISTER MERLINTRON THEATRE COMPANY PRESENTS

A PURE MAGIC PANTO

MAIN AUDITORIUMTuesday 6 - Saturday 31 December SCHOOLS TICKETS: £7Daytime performance options: 10am, 1pm & 2.30pm (check with Box Offi ce for performance schedule)Tickets available from the Tron Theatre Box Offi ce on 0141 552 4267

WRITTEN BY ALEX NORTONDIRECTED BY ANDY ARNOLD + DESIGNED BY KENNY MILLERSUITABLE FOR CHILDREN AGED 6YRS+

At the Tron we have a varied programme of in-house and visiting work. As an organisation we aim to share information and resources that will help to engage you and your students; and support their studies. Many of the performances this season deliver cross-curricular learning and outcomes and support the new Curriculum for Excellence. We aim to give you as much information as we can to allow you to make informed choices about the work you bring your students to see as a group; or encourage them to see as individuals. The Curriculum for Excellence places arts at the centre of learning and opens upopportunities for the Tron to collaborate with schools in their venue and at the theatre.

We hope you’ll fi nd inspiration and learning opportunities in our other autumn season highights:

MY ROMANTIC HISTORY: Fri 9 - Sat 24 September, 7.45pm, £7-£15Drama outcomes from expressive art; sexual health and parenthood; social well-being from health and well-being outcomes

DAYS OF WINE AND ROSES: Tues 18 - Sat 29 October, 7.45pm, £7-£15Drama outcomes from expressive arts; substance misuse and relationships; sexual health and parenthood; social well-being

CALUM’S ROAD: Tues 4 - Sat 8 October, 7.45pm, £7-£15Drama outcomes from expressive arts; people, past events and societies from social history; social well-being

EDWIN MORGAN’S DREAMS - and other nightmares: Wed 2 - Sat 5 November, 7.45pm, £7-£15Drama outcomes from expressive arts; people, sexual health and relationships; social well-being; language outcomes.

To discuss learning opportunities contact Lisa Keenan on 0141 559 5318 or visit www.tron.co.uk for full details of autumn season productions.


TRON TRON PARTICIPATION: 0141 559 5318 www.tron.co.uk

The Tron Theatre Education and Outreach department offers a range of opportunities to help pupils, schools, and teachers become more involved in and aware of the arts. As a theatre venue, we can offer a variety of workshops,

performances and theatre visits to suit all ages, abilities and budgets.

For further information on any of the events listed or to discuss future projects please contact:Lisa Keenan, Education & Outreach Manager

0141 559 5318 or email [email protected]

Are any of your students interested in performance and keen to take to the Tron Theatre’s main stage? Tron Skillshops are series of classes and workshops for young people interested in developing their skills in drama, and September sees the launch of the new class programme:

Saturday classes (starting 3rd Sept):11am-12noon Suitable for P1-P3 pupils12noon - 2pm Suitable for P4-P7 pupils (working towards performance in June 2012)2.30pm - 4.30pm Suitable for S1-S2 (working towards performance in June 2012)

Monday class (starting 5th Sept):6.30pm - 8.30pm Suitable for S3+ (working towards performance in June 2012)

Skillshops classes can be booked in terms via the Tron Theatre Box Offi ce on 0141 552 4267. Charges apply.

‘My experience of the education programme at the Tron Theatre has been nothing short of life-changing...I feel very privileged and very grateful to have been afforded these opportunities at such a young age, and with no previous experience’.

ANDREW McKIE, TRON YOUNG COMPANY MEMBER (pictured below in From a City Balcony, Mayfesto 2011)

Last year, the Tron Theatre, in association with Catherine Wheels Theatre Company, hosted an innovative new group for Secondary Drama Teachers to explore effective resources. The group met bi-monthly to focus on scripts and text-based resources with the aim of sharing ideas and developing better practice. Sessions ended with a social drink in the Tron bar and the option to see the evening performance with a discounted ticket.

We’ve scheduled two sessions this season and hope to grow membership:

Session 1: Thursday 15th September, 6-7pm Exploring the text of KES followed by performance of Borderline’s MY ROMANTIC HISTORY at 7.45pm.

Session 2: Thursday 17th November, 6-7pm Session theme to be confi rmed followed by performance of BLACKBIRD by David Harrower at 7.45pm.

Places on the resource group are free of charge (and tickets to post-session performances are offered at a discounted rate).

To reserve your place contact the Tron Box Offi ce on 0141 552 4267.

OTHER RESOURCES & OPPORTUNITIES

DRAMA WORKSHOPSFOR YOUNG PEOPLE

TEACHERS’ RESOURCE GROUP

Documents

JOIN US THIS AUTUMN ON GLOW