Take Art Programme

P R O G R A M M E

Arts events across

SomersetEarly years

Little Big Bang

Update“We exist to

bring you great creative opportunities”

What’s On

Made in SomersetA Festival of

Dance and Theatre

www.takeart.org September - December 2011

2 Sept-Dec 2011 | Take Art

Welcome to the new Take Art brochure, which has

been recreated to bring you all the latest news,

features and events coming out of Take Art this Autumn

2011.

In case you are none the wiser, Take Art is a pioneering

arts charity serving the towns, villages and rural

communities of Somerset. We do this through rural touring,

dance, early years and theatre, providing opportunities for

people of all ages and abilities to experience, participate

and work within the arts.

Funding Cuts explained

The new Live Season

Life Circles – Dance for the frail

elderly

Contents

EcoCentrics: Fruit of Parodise

Squashbox Theatre: The Sea Show

Shanty Theatre: The Mysterious & Fantastical

Wartime Tale of Salty Socks of Dunkirk

Cartoon de Salvo: Pub Rock

Maxwell Golden: A CountryBoys Struggle

Farnham Maltings: For One Night Only

Somerset Youth Dance Company Auditions

Budapest Café Orchestra

Light Waves

The Clay Exhibition

Richard Tomlinson Speaks: Working with

Children’s Centres

Travelling Light & Sixth Sense Theatre: Bob

the Man on the Moon

Northern Harmony

Vamos Theatre: Much Ado about Wenlock

Full Listings

3

4

14

8

9

12

18

20

22

Inside Take Art

So What’s On this Season?6

6

7

7

10

11

14

15

16

16

17

17

20

21

23

Urban Dance Project

Made in Somerset Theatre and Dance

Festival

Join the online dance and theatre

community

Little Big Bang – The importance of

creativity for the Under 5s

Kindling, training the teachers

Interview with artist Maxwell Golden

3

4

8

9

12

14

18

20

22

3Take Art | Sept-Dec 2011

Autumn 2011 sees a very

different Somerset, at least

where the arts are concerned.

But despite the funding crisis

and major cuts in local authority

money, Take Art is determined to

make the best of the situation.

Yes it’s true, we have lost about

a third of our overall funding

and as a result have shrunk our

workforce and reduced 50% of

our Live programme - but it’s

also true that the Arts Council

of England has funded us for

the next three years within their

portfolio. This means we can

continue to offer great quality

arts experiences to the people of

Somerset, just not quite so many.

Partnership is the name of the

Update

“We exist to bring you great creative opportunities”

A word from our Chief Executive

Ralph Lister

game now, so Take Art will be

working with villages across

the county and the National

Rural Touring Forum to support

professional arts performances

in local communities. We are

also working with other arts

organisations in Somerset

through a joint Thrive project

to capitalise on the skills and

interests of volunteer promoters.

We will also be running the Made

in Somerset Festival in October,

providing an opportunity for

theatre and dance lovers to come

together and share passions as

well as concerns.

Our work with Early Years will

continue in Somerset Children’s

Centres, as we celebrate the

concluding chapter of the Little

Big Bang project. We are also

starting our ‘urban’ participatory

dance project with young

people in the Yeovil area and are

delighted to be working with Core

Dance on Life Circles, a dance

project with the frail elderly in the

South West.

More information on all of these

projects and shows can be

found within the following pages.

Remember we exist to bring you

great creative opportunities, so

please take full advantage.

Ralph Lister

Executive Director, Take Art


Feature

WHAT IS THE LIVE RURAL

TOURING SCHEME?

We do this by working in partnership with a band of dedicated local volunteer promoters, people who willingly give up hours of time to make these events happen in their local halls.

It’s a very happy marriage. Performers, often from outside the local community, bring their talents to small, intimate rural venues where they are welcomed by a warm and appreciative audience and often get immediate and responsive feedback to their work. The audience experience a show of the highest quality right on their doorstep. The local promoter is able to provide a memorable, social event that can linger in the community’s collective memory, whilst at the same time making small amounts of profit for local needs.

It is a fantastic and unique experience.

It is very sad that for the first time ever we have had to reduce our programme by half this season, reflecting the funding cuts imposed by Somerset County Council and Mendip District Council.

Despite this, I hope you agree that there are still some wonderful shows being promoted in village halls and I hope that you will enjoy choosing which ones to highlight in your Autumn diary.

We look forward to seeing you for a fantastic night out at a village hall soon.

Sarah Peterkin,

Director of Take Art Live

The Live rural touring scheme is a fantastic mechanism to introduce some of the UK’s best performers, as well as international artists, to audiences who live in the rural areas

of Somerset.

M M


Feature

You can now buy tickets online

for all Live shows by visiting

www.takeart.org or the old

fashioned way, by ringing the

individual promoters.

6 book online at www.takeart.org | Take Art

The Sea ShowSquashbox TheatreComedy for ages 4-11 and their parents

The Sea Show is a fantastic combination of

puppetry, natural history and comedy cabaret,

mixed together with tall tales, fascinating facts,

rhymes, riddles, live music and songs, all designed

to celebrate the big wobbly blue ocean. Meet

crazy characters like Morwenna the ‘beautiful’

mermaid, Ruan the reformed seagull and salty

sea-dog Captain Pemburthy, as well as a cast of

mischievous limpets, crabs and pilchards!

Squashbox Theatre is the creation of Craig

Johnson: actor, musician, puppeteer and

long-standing member of Cornwall’s internationally

renowned Kneehigh Theatre. We have heard

that Craig’s latest show is an absolute winner for

children and their families and are delighted that we

are able to provide this half-term treat.

www.squashboxtheatre.co.uk

DATES

What’s On

Sat 1 Oct • 3:00pm • Castle Cary Primary School •

£7 / £6 / £5 (inclds refreshments) • 01963 350160

Mon 24 Oct • 3:00pm • Roadwater VH • £5 / £4 /

£2.50 • 01984 640976

Tue 25 Oct • 2:30pm • Dulverton Town Hall • £6 /

£3 • 01398 323818

DATES

Fruit of ParadiseEcoCentricsCelebrating 21 years of ‘Apple Day’

Come celebrate ‘Apple Day’ in an evening of

wassail and exuberant traditional music, exotic

stories, poems and songs, all associated with this

most ancient of fruits.

Fruit of Paradise is a lively and unpredictable

musical evening that takes us on an apple journey

from the wild forests of Kazakhstan via the silk

roads, through myth and legend into the cider

orchards of Avalon.

Discover intriguing tales of culture via the

instrumental virtuosity of well known accordionist

Paul Hutchinson, violinist John Hymans, clarinettist

Karen Wimhurst, the bewitching voice of ballad

singer Emily Portman and writing from the poet

James Crowden.

www.ecocentrics.co.uk

Fri 30 Sep • 7:30pm • Bishops Lydeard VH •

£8 / £7 / £4 • 01823 430421

Thu 13 Oct • 7:30pm • Thurloxton VH • £10 (incls

refreshments) • 01823 413748

Thu 20 Oct • 8:00pm • Appley Pavilion • £7 / £4 •

01823 672675

Shanty Theatre CoThe Mysterious & Fantastical Wartime Tale of Salty Socks of Dunkirk

For those that aren’t afraid of the dark

We heard a whisper from friends in Dorset that

Shanty were an exciting new company, so have

snapped up a couple of dates of their latest show

for you.

Set at the beginning of World War II and dripping

with Brylcreem, bunting and BBC broadcasts, the

show tells the tale of a young boy with the world

at his feet. There is nothing he can’t do. There’s no

tree he can’t climb, no race he can’t win and no

challenge he can’t meet.

With Shanty’s mix of mystery, mayhem and musical

mirth, stories come to life, adventures become

history and socks become legend!

“One can only look out for the next production with

eager anticipation” The Stage

www.shantytheatrecompany.co.uk

What’s On


Pub RockCartoon de SalvoA unique rock ‘n’ roll theatre event

We are so excited to be co-commissioning this

hilarious new production from the wonderful

Cartoon de Salvo and can’t wait to see it in our

local pubs. Pub Rock is about One Trick Pony,

a typical pub rock covers band. Together since

school they are now all in their late 30s and

beginning to wonder what it all means. For 20 years

they have been rockin’ the UK, giving audiences

exactly what they want, that is until tonight!

Plenty of guilty pleasures are on the set list in this

intimate epic about a musician who can cover any

track, except the track of his own tears.

“Warm, funny and brave” Time Out

www.cartoondesalvo.com

Fri 14 Oct • 7:30pm • High Ham VH • £8 / £5 (incls

refreshments) • 01458 250295

Sat 15 Oct • 7:30pm • Meadway Hall, Compton

Dundon • £7 / £4 • 01458 445463

DATES

DATES

Mon 10 Oct • 8:00pm • Eli’s Pub, Langport •

£7 / £6 • 01458 250094

Tues 11 Oct • 8:00pm • Eli’s Pub, Langport •

£7 / £6 • 01458 250094

Fri 20 Oct • 7:30pm • Chilthorne Domer

Recreational Centre • £7 / £5 • 01935 840200

Sat 21 Oct • 7:30pm • Royal Oak, Stoke St Gregory

• £8 • 01823 490313


Feature

J ust because you are passed the age of partying,

it doesn’t mean your body has given up on

joy, or your brain has stopped seeking creative

expression… We believe that dance can make a

massive impact on physical and mental wellbeing,

no matter what age you might have arrived at.

Life Circles is a new project and a new partnership

between Take Art Dance and Core Dance, with a

focus on engaging the frail elderly in movement,

dance and imaginative play. It starts this autumn

and will run for two years, with the ambition of

supporting the lifelong creativity of older people in

eight residential settings in Somerset, Devon and

Dorset.

From January 2012 – April 2013 Take Art Dance

and Core Dance will provide weekly dance sessions

with three experienced dance practitioners for all

eight groups, finding ways for elderly participants to

express themselves through dance.

The artists will also work alongside a filmmaker

to produce a dance training film, documenting

how movement can help older people value their

experiences, remain playful and continue to be

creative and imaginative.

Life Circles has been funded by The Baring

Foundation, Arts Council England and The

Guildford Academic Trust.

Our partners in kind are: Dance South West,

Activate, Dance in Devon, The Foundation of

Community Dance, Age UK, NHS Somerset,

The Alzheimers Society and Arts Health South

West.

Life Circles

“You’re never too old to put on your dancing shoes!”

Beata ‘B

orys’ Kosc P

hotography


Urban Dance

Feature

Urban dance is a powerful way of connecting young people with both their bodies and their communities, through the music and moves they love.

In September 2011 Take Art Dance will be starting

a new Urban Dance project in Yeovil, with a focus

on creating Urban Hubs within communities, giving

young dancers a chance to build their professional

experience and providing advanced skills training

for dance teachers.

The project will be partly led by young people,

who will be crucial to setting up the Urban Hubs,

which could include Street Dance and Break

Dancing workshops, DJ & Graffiti workshops and

demonstrations by local groups. The Hubs will be

in the Westfield and Milford areas of Yeovil.

We are looking for passionate, exciting young

people, who would like to get involved in helping us

set up this project…

As a highlight of the project, we are hoping to bring

together a summer Urban Dance event in July 2012

that will tie in with Big Dance and the Olympics.

Some of the young people involved will have the

opportunity to pursue the Dance Leaders award as

part of this project through the Hubs or workshops

held at The Octagon Theatre. We will also be

holding workshops for school teachers to learn

Urban Dance styles, as well as advanced skills

development workshops for local Street Dance

Teachers.

If you live in or near Yeovil and you want to get

involved in this exciting new project then contact

[email protected]

Beata ‘B

orys’ Kosc P

hotography

CountryBoy’s StruggleMaxwell GoldenFrom Hackney rappers to boys in Bude

We have been involved in the commissioning of

this show from the outset when Maxwell first had

the seed of the idea for making CountryBoy’s

Struggle. It is a hilarious and emotionally endearing

story which explores the joys, pains, excitement

and isolation of living in both rural and urban

environments.

Maxwell, an inspirational young performance poet

and hip hop artist, is able to jump seamlessly into a

huge range of characters, from local boys in Bude,

to Hackney rappers and London pigeons.

He is an experienced writer and performer, currently

part of the Writer’s Hub at Soho Theatre and

previously an Associate Artist at The Albany in

Deptford and an Emerging Artist in Residence at

the Southbank Centre.

This show is also part of the Made in Somerset

2011 Festival, celebrating artists making work in our

county. See pages 12-13 for more information.

What’s On

DATES (Part of Made in Somerset 2011 Festival)

Tue 4 Oct • 7:00pm • Court Fields School,

Wellington • £4 (not available online) • 01823

664201

Thur 6 Oct • 7:45pm • Merlin Theatre, Frome • £10

/ £7 (not available online) • 01373 465949

Fri 7 Oct • 7:30pm • Princess Theatre & Arts

Centre, Burnham-on-Sea • £7 / £5 (not available

online) • 01278 784464

Sat 8 Oct • 7:30pm • Curry Mallet & Beercrocombe

VH • £8 / £5 • 01823 480303


What’s On

For One Night OnlyFarnham MaltingsFull of wit and mischief

We have seen a snippet of this warm-hearted

and well-scripted play, with two talented

performers drawn from the Farnham Maltings

theatre stable. It makes life so easy to work with

a company who consistently create excellent

work specifically for village halls.

For One Night Only is a funny and playful tale

of Eddie and Bode, two young Africans recently

arrived in England on fake passports. They set

off for Covent Garden to find fame and fortune

as street entertainers but never quite make it,

ending up in the outer reaches of the home

counties; picking apples in Didcot; encountering

concrete cows in Milton Keynes and struggling to

keep their dreams alive.

Using puppetry, song and the odd smart

one-liner, this is a story of irrepressible hope and

an unshakeable belief in friendship, as two

people try to make sense of the world they find

themselves in.

“For One Night Only is a show about the enduring

power of freindship, full of wit and mischief.

Building on the work of the Polish Play, it is warm,

affectionate and embraces the audience.”

Gavin Stride, Director of Farnham Maltings

www.farnhammaltings.com

Wed 26 Oct • 7:30pm • Stoke St Mary VH •

£10 / £8.50 / £6 (Includes refreshments) •

01823 443899

Thu 27 Oct • 7:30pm • Clapton & Wayford VH •

£9 / £5 (incls refreshments • 01460 74849

Sat 29 Oct • 7:30pm • Axbridge Town Hall • £9 /

£6 • 01934 732376

DATES

11Take Art | Sept-Dec 2011 11Take Art | Sept-Dec 2011

Made in Somerset is all about supporting,

nurturing and inspiring emerging talent within

the county; stirring up debate and provoking

innovation and big ideas from those already

working in theatre, dance and the performing arts.

What is there to discuss?

At the heart of the festival there will be a stimulating

and regionally significant Open Space debate,

tackling the big questions of funding, diversity and

survival and offering the chance to learn from those

people flying above the crisis.

The current funding picture in Somerset is extreme

with unprecedented 100% local authority cuts

to arts funding, so this is a great time for those

involved in the arts across the region to come

together and engage positively and imaginatively

by opening up a conversation around new ways of

working.

At: The Brewhouse, Taunton on

Friday 7 October 2-5pm.

Register at www.theatresomerset.net for your free

place and book early to avoid disappointment.

What is there to do?

Take part in a full day of workshops, master classes

and activity, for theatre and dance practitioners,

companies, students and the just plain interested.

A great opportunity for everyone to come

together under one roof to pitch new ideas, share

experiences and present short extracts of

work-in-progress.

At: Venues around Langport on Saturday 8 October

9.30-6.30pm.

Tickets: £20 / £15 concs and can be booked at

www.takeart.org or by calling 01460 249450.

Feature


What is there to see?

There are loads of fantastic performances taking

place in Somerset venues and village halls

throughout the week long festival from Tues 4 to

Tues 11 Oct. Please support our local artists, arts

organisations and your own pleasure sensors, by

turning up to see something you fancy.

Festival Hot Tips and Highlights

Local legend Tim Hill will be working with Somerset

artists to create a music and light show on the

River Parret at sunset on Sat 8 Oct. While on Mon

10 Oct and Tues 11 Oct, the extraordinary theatre

collective Cartoon de Salvo will be showcasing their

quirky new satire Pub Rock at Eli’s pub (Rose &

Crown) in Langport (See page 7).

For those of you looking for quality dance and

movement, then don’t you dare miss Small Talk by

Probe Dance on Fri 7 Oct at the Brewhouse, a short

solo piece by Antonia Grove, choreographed by

Wendy Houstoun.

Take Art have co-commissioned CountryBoy’s

Struggle (see page 10), a solo show by the

extremely talented hip hop artist and performer

Maxwell Golden, who will be bringing this fantastic

and original work to four Somerset venues

throughout the festival.

If you fancy some contemporary feminine sass then

pop along to the Brewhouse on Friday 7 Oct for the

multi media otherworldly game show For Our Sins,

a poetic, passionate and visually ecstatic journey

through the 7 deadliest of modern emotions, by The

Women of Wondermenatlist, Liv Torc and Beryl the

Feral.

The festival will also showcase performances by

Jane Flood, Actiontrack, The Summer Set and

Michael Loader.

To find out about all the events taking place at

Made in Somerset, along with dates, prices and the

latest news go to www.theatresomerset.net

Feature


For Our Sins Small Talk

Dance & Theatre Somerset is a

fantastic new online resource

for anyone interested in making

or watching live performance in

Somerset, and, in fact, across the

South West region.

If you haven’t visited the site yet,

then do take the time to check it out.

Dance and Theatre Somerset is

part of a family of sites that now link

the whole of the South West. So if

you’re looking for work or wanting to

advertise a job; if you have a news

story or are putting on a live event;

or if you are running a weekly class,

simply register on the site and add

your information. It’s quick, it’s

easy and it will reach thousands of

people.

To join the community or just find

out more, why not visit

www.dance&theatresomerset.net

Somerset Youth Dance CompanyAudition

Somerset Youth Dance Company (SYDC) is auditioning to

find new young dancers who show potential, passion and

talent in dance. SYDC develop young dancers through

regular contemporary technique classes, working intensively

with professional dancers and choreographers.

The company has been established for over a year and past

SYDC members are now studying at The Laban Centre,

Northern School of Contemporary Dance and Dance

Universities.

AUDITION DETAILS

This year we are holding two auditions for 15 - 21 years

olds. You may attend either audition and you do not

need to prepare anything. Both auditions will consist of a

contemporary technique class, a street dance phrase and

work with a choreographer. Please wear comfortable clothes

and bring water to drink.

Audition 1

Wed14 September

5.30pm-8pm,

East Bridgwater School, Bridgwater.

Audition 2

Fri 16 September

6.30-9pm,

The Octagon Theatre, Yeovil

To express an interest in attending an audition or for more

information please contact katey@take art.org


What’s On


Budapest Café OrchestraEvoking a little bit of Budapest café life

and gypsy campfires

This promises to be a blistering night of romance

and gypsy tunes, we recommend you book your

tickets early as they will fly out of the box office!

The Budapest Café Orchestra play powerful and

driving folk-based music from Eastern Europe,

inspired by the songs and sounds of European

gypsies.

Comprising of four fabulous musicians, playing

violins, guitar, accordion, double bass, saz &

balalaika, The Budapest Café Orchestra produce

an impassioned and tender mixture of Hungarian

Czardas, Russian and Ukranian folk songs and

dances from Romania and Moldavia. Along with

their own electrifying compositions!

Boasting some of the country’s most revered

international stars the quartet includes Eddie

Hession the supreme accordion champion of

Great Britain, who has accompanied Luciano

Pavarotti, Placido Domingo and Jose Carreras.

Chris Garrick, one of Europe’s most celebrated jazz

violinists also joins the line up. Chris has performed

with Dame Cleo Laine & Sir John Dankworth,

Wynton Marsalis and Nigel Kennedy.

“The Budapest Café Orchestra are the perfect

village hall band. Candle-lit hall bursting at its

seams, people swinging from the rafters, the beer

bubbling, bar staff dancing, goulash served in the

interval” Dorset promoter

www.budapestcafeorchestra.co.uk

Tue 22 Nov • 7:30pm • Charlton Horethorne VH •

£10 / £9 / £5 • 01963 220992

Thu 1 Dec • 7:45pm • Neroche VH • £10 / £6

(Early Bird £8 by 15 Nov) • 01460 234410

Fri 2 Dec • 7:30pm • Tintinhull VH •

£10 (Incls supper) • 01935 824039

DATES


Light Waves Light Scribbles

Light Scribbles is an 11-day exhibition at Oaklands

School in Yeovil, which is part of Somerset Art

Weeks, and features artists and children working

together to explore, dance, visual arts, craft,

storytelling and music.

The exhibition will showcase beautiful photographic

images from children across Somerset, including

0-5 year olds from Oaklands Children’s Centre. The

work was created as part of Take Art’s Little Big

Bang project (see page 18) and Light Waves.

Also don’t miss The Clay Exhibition taking place

from Mon 19 Sep - Friday 23 Sep, 10 - 5pm at

Victoria Park Community Centre in Bridgwater.

It’s free and all the exhibits are made by the

under 5s.

DATES

Early Years

19 Sept to 30 Sept, Monday – Friday only •

9am – 4pm • Oaklands School, Yeovil • Free •

01823 283244

DATES

Light WavesLight Touch

As part of Somerset Art Weeks, Take Art and our

partners will be hosting a special exhibition and

three workshops, highlighting creativity across

a range of art forms and settings. The exhibition

called Light Touch will be at the Brewhouse in

Taunton from 20 Sept to 1 Oct.

You can also bring your little ones to The

Brewhouse for inspiring workshops around

the theme of light, experimenting with shades,

responding to shapes and shadows and making

colours that sing.

In these workshops you and your children will

create beautiful and unexpected work with Richard

Tomlinson, a photographer and filmmaker with

great experience working alongside small children.

Light Touch was created as part of the Light Waves

collaboration.

Workshops: Tues 13, Tues 20, Wed 28 Sept •

10am-11:30am • The Brewhouse • Free

`Exhibition: Tues 17 Sept to Sat 1 Oct • The

Brewhouse Box Office • Free • 01823 283244


Early Years

Bob the Man on the MoonTravelling Light & Sixth Sense Fantastic acting and set, fantastic time

This funny and charming show was inspired by

Simon Bartram’s hugely popular award-winning

book. It incorporates puppetry and musical

narrative as a way of engaging the very young and

their families.

Bob has a very special job – he looks after the

moon and knows almost everything about it. But

there’s one thing he’s blissfully unaware of: ALIENS!

Travelling Light has been creating exciting theatre

and inspiring young people since 1984.

“Imaginative.. atmospheric.. delightful” The Stage

www.travellinglighttheatre.org.uk

DATES

Fri 11 Nov • 11:30am & 1:45pm • Regal

Theatre, Minehead • £3 • 01643 706430

Sat 12 Nov • 2:00pm • Montacute VH •

£6 / £4 • 01935 822419

Working with Children’s CentresRichard Tomlinson Speaks

Richard is Lead Creative Practitioner for Take Art’s

Little Big Bang project (see page 18) and has a

great deal of experience working with the under 5s

as a creative, multi-media artist.

For this event you will get the rare opportunity to

see Richard talking about his work in Somerset

Children’s Centres, using his experience with film

and photography to give a visual arts focus.

Using examples from his work in Children’s

Centres, Richard will talk through the challenges,

benefits and unexpected moments this project has

produced, discussing the best ways of working

digitally with very small children.

Richard Tomlinson on Working with Children’s

Centres will take place as part of the Shepton

Mallet Digital Arts Festival.

To book, contact [email protected]

Take Art | Sept-Dec 2011

Thurs 6 Oct • 2pm to 4pm • Shepton Mallet Digital

Arts Festival • Free

DATES


Little Big Bang Take Art’s two year Little Big Bang project was set

up because we believe that children and families

need, and have a right to, creative and cultural

activities.

When it was conceived in 2009, Little Big Bang was

determined to increase creative opportunities for

children and families across Somerset. We did this

by bringing four creative practitioners into nine key

Somerset Children’s Centres, to work holistically as

part of their professional teams. They were a digital

and visual artist, a dance and movement artist, a

theatre practitioner and a clay mark-maker.

The four creative practitioners in Little Big Bang

have now worked in 32 Early Years settings and

arts venues across Somerset, offering over 600

workshops. In addition, Little Big Bang has offered

234 training sessions for 263 artists, 116 early years

teachers and 571 Early Years practitioners.

Dr Susan Young, of the University of Exeter, is

evaluating the project to maximise Little Big

Bang’s potential to inform national practice and

help creative practitioners all over the UK work

effectively with the under fives, sometimes in

challenging environments.

Although the findings from the project are still to be

published at the end of 2011, what we can say is

that Little Big Bang has touched thousands of lives.

For two brilliant years we have provided children

all over Somerset with secure and permanent

environments to explore their full creative potential;

A creative thinking person sees possibilities,

secret paths through the jungle, rainbows in

puddles and purses in pigs’ ears. They see

cities and vast savannas, where other people see

rubbish tips and sand pits. They see opportunities

and potential, instead of brick walls and limitations.

Feature


until creative thinking becomes an intrinsic part of

their everyday lives.

We hope that over the next few years we can

encourage the rest of the UK to bring a bit more

creativity to our smallest intergalactic explorers.

Find out more about Little Big Bang and our work in

Early Years by visiting www.takeart.org

The Bigger Bang The Bigger Bang symposium was a seminal

moment in Take Art’s Little Big Bang project,

drawing together the achievements and learning

from the first two years of the project, along with

some of the most influential people in Early Years

creative education nationally.

The day, which took place at The Octagon

Theatre in Yeovil on the 9 April 2011, included

workshops, international performance and research

presentations from the Little Big Bang project. Arts

practitioners, local Children’s Centre staff and Early

Years specialists attended from all over Somerset

and the wider UK. We were also delighted that

over 100 young children attended the morning

performance.

Bernadette Duffy OBE, who is Head of the Thomas

Coram Children’s Centre in Camden, gave a superb

keynote speech. Dr Susan Young of the University

of Exeter delivered her top-line research findings

from the project’s interim report, with illustrations

from the three lead creative practitioners, Hannah

Lefeuvre, Richard Tomlinson and Rod Harris.

If you missed out on The Bigger Bang or want a

recap, you can read a full transcript of the day, see

the film of Bernadette Duffy’s speech and download

the Little Big Bang interim report at www.takeart.org

Feature


Early Years

Igniting the

KindlingKindling is part of an Arts Council England funded

initiative, set up between 16 Somerset arts and

cultural organisations (including Take Art) and the

Early Years Sector.

By offering regular training opportunities Kindling

supports artists and practitioners working with the

under 5s in the county. We use practical training to

explore theatre, dance, music, visual arts and the

creative environment.

Our aim is to expand upon the skills of practitioners

within Somerset to help them develop the creative

and critical thinking of Somerset’s under 5s.

Kindling also supports and champions creative

excellence in Somerset, sharing our experiences at

a national level.

Further details of our winter training courses will

be posted on www.takeart.org. To be informed of

future Early Years events contact [email protected]

Northern Harmony European Tour 2011Harmonies to make your toes tingle

We remember Northern Harmony visiting Somerset

about ten years ago performing in several country

churches, where they went down a storm. Now on

their fourteenth European tour, Northern Harmony’s

young singers promise to delight audiences with

their sheer power, vocal versatility and engaging

presence.

Based in Vermont USA, Northern Harmony are

an international choir who sing the most fantastic

range of harmony songs from different cultures and

centuries. Their repertoire includes both secular and

religious music, South African songs and dances,

ancient Georgian choruses, lively American

shape-note singing, quartet gospel and intricate

14th Century sacred pieces.

Introducing each song with powerful prose,

Northern Harmony deliver with enormous passion

and are a must see for choral enthusiasts and

music lovers. www.villageharmony.org

DATES

Mon 7 Nov • 7:30pm • St George’s Church, Hinton

St George • £8 / £4 • 01460 72355

Tue 8 Nov • 7:30pm • St Mary’s Church, Chilthorne

Domer • £7 / £3.50 • 01935 841659

What’s On


Much Ado about WenlockVamos TheatreA Victorian household going for gold!

We have been dying to bring this company down

to Somerset village halls. Their latest show sounds

enormous fun for the whole family and a pre-

Christmas treat.

In the year 1850 the small Shropshire village of

Much Wenlock hosted its very own ‘Olympian

Games’, an event that was to be an essential

inspiration for the modern Olympics that began

46 years later. Behind this typically English event,

where athletics and country sports combined with

wheelbarrow races and a competition for a bag of

tea (the ‘old-ladies’ race), lay a struggle for equality.

Much Ado About Wenlock centres around the

characters from the local community as they train

for, and compete in, thisamazing annual event.

A full mask show, with original music, a

combination of physicality, theatricality and dance

choreography, Much Ado About Wenlock, is a

hugely inventive adventure that will appeal to all

ages and backgrounds.

www.vamostheatre.co.uk

DATES

Thu 8 Dec • 7:30pm • Kilve VH • £7 / £3.50 •

01278 741157

Fri 9 Dec • 6:45pm • Hatch Beauchamp VH •

£10 / £7 (incls supper) • 01823 481909

Sat 10 Dec • 7:30pm • Dulverton Town Hall •

£7 / £3.50 • 01398 323818


Q Hey Max, can you tell us

why you chose to make this

partiular show?

A I thought it was a good

story, and when I was

telling people the idea it made

them smile which is always a

good start! I was interested

in authentically reflecting the

differences between rural and

urban living in modern day

England, while at the same

time telling the more age-old

story of growing up,ambition,

and negotiating changing

relationships with your parents.

Q What is the biggest

challenge in the show for

you as a performer and also for

the people watching you?

A It’s not so much playing

the 41 characters it’s more

keeping them distinct from one

another and not letting any

changes slow down the drama or

comedy of the scene.

Q Can you share with us one

of your favourite lines from

the show?

A It’s a tough one as my

answer will be different on

different days! At the moment

the lyric I really like performing

is “why am I complaining? more

than just good my childhood

wasamazing; rockpools, arcades,

and summer sun blazing, then

autumn leaves leave see B & B’s

vacant”.

Q What do you enjoy most

about the quirks of rural

touring?

A The different people that I

get to meet. Every venue

and show feels totally unique for

this reason. It also feels like more

of an event than city venues, and

I like that. I also like the raffle,

even though I never win I still

always take part convinced that

this time will be different!

Q Any funny rural touring

stories?

A The experience of watching

a room full of grey-haired

elders partake in a vocal call-and-

response with more gusto than

your average hip hop audience

will live on with me for ever more!

InterviewMaxwell Golden

Maxwell Golden is the man

behind the hip hip theatre

show CountryBoy’s Struggle,

which Take Art is touring to four

Somerset venues this Autumn

(see page 10).

So because he’s a pretty great

guy, with a pretty great offering,

we thought we’d ask Max a few

questions about his show and

the road he is taking it down.

Interview


DATE TIME EVENT VENUE BOX OFFICE

Tue 13 Sept 10:00am Light Waves Exhibition: Light Touch The Brewhouse 01823 283244

Fri 14 Sept 5:30pm Somerset Youth Dance Co. AUDITION East Bridgwater School 01460 249450

Fri 16 Sept 6:30pm Somerset Youth Dance Co. AUDITION The Octagon Theatre, Yeovil 01460 249450

19-30 Sept 9am-4pm Light Waves Exhibition: Light Scribbles Oaklands School, Yeovil 01460 249450

19-23 Sept 10am-5pm The Clay Exhibition Victoria Park Comm Centre, Bridgwater 01460 249450

Fri 30 Sep 7:30pm The Fruit of Paradise Bishops Lydeard VH 01823 430421

Sat 1 Oct 3:00pm The Sea Show Castle Cary Primary School 01963 350160

Tue 4 Oct 7:00pm A CountryBoy’s Struggle Court Fields School, Wellington 01823 664201

Thur 6 Oct 7:45pm A CountryBoy’s Struggle Merlin Theatre, Frome 01373 465949

Thurs 6 Oct 2:00pm Richard Tomlinson Speaks Shepton Mallet Digi Fest 01173 250091

Fri 7 Oct 7:30pm A CountryBoy’s Struggle Princess Theatre, Burnham-on-Sea 01278 784464

Sat 8 Oct 7:30pm A CountryBoy’s Struggle Curry Mallet & Beercrocombe VH 01823 480303

Mon 10 Oct 8:00pm Pub Rock Eli’s Pub,Huish Episcopi, Langport 01458 250094

Tue 11 Oct 8:00pm Pub Rock Eli’s Pub,Huish Episcopi, Langport 01458 250094

Thu 13 Oct 7:30pm The Fruit of Paradise Thurloxton VH 01823 413748

Fri 14 Oct 7:30pm The Salty Socks of Dunkirk High Ham VH 01458 250295

Sat 15 Oct 7:30pm The Salty Socks of Dunkirk Meadway Hall, Compton Dundon 01458 445463

Thurs 20 Oct 8:00pm The Fruit of Paradise Appley Pavilion 01823 672675

Fri 21 Oct 7:30pm Pub Rock Chilthorne Domer Recreation Centre 01935 840200

Sat 22 Oct 7:30pm Pub Rock Royal Oak Pub, Stoke St Gregory 01823 490313

Mon 24 Oct 3:00pm The Sea Show Roadwater VH 01984 640976

Tue 25 Oct 2:30pm The Sea Show Dulverton Town Hall 01398 323818

Wed 26 Oct 7:30pm For One Night Only Stoke St Mary VH 01823 443899

Thu 27 Oct 7:30pm For One Night Only Clapton & Wayford VH 01460 74849

Sat 29 Oct 7:30pm For One Night Only Axbridge Town Hall 01934 732376

Mon 7 Nov 7:30pm Northern Harmony European Tour 2011 St George’s Church, Hinton St George 01460 72355

Tue 8 Nov 7:30pm Northern Harmony European Tour 2011 St Mary’s Church, Chilthorne Domer 01935 841659

Fri 11 Nov 11:30am Bob the Man on the Moon Regal Theatre, Minehead 01643 706430

Fri 11 Nov 1:45pm Bob the Man on the Moon Regal Theatre, Minehead 01643 706430

Sat 12 Nov 2:00pm Bob the Man on the Moon Montacute VH 01935 822419

Tue 22 Nov 7:30pm Budapest Cafe Orchestra In Concert Charlton Horethorne VH 01963 220992

Thu 1 Dec 7:45pm Budapest Cafe Orchestra In Concert Neroche VH 01460 234410

Fri 2 Dec 7:30pm Budapest Cafe Orchestra In Concert Tintinhull VH 01935 824039

Thu 8 Dec 7:30pm Much Ado About Wenlock Kilve VH 01278 741157

Fri 9 Dec 6:45pm Much Ado About Wenlock Hatch Beauchamp VH 01823 481909

Sat 10 Dec 7:30pm Much Ado About Wenlock Dulverton Town Hall 01398 323818

Listings

To book tickets: please call the listed box office number or book online at www.takeart.orgAccess requirements: full information about the accessibility of venues is available online. Some tickets may include supper or refreshments, enquire with the box office for more information. All details correct at time of going to press

FOR A LARGE PRINT DOCUMENT, PLEASE CALL 01460 249450

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Venue map

1. Minehead

2.Roadwater

3.Dulverton

4.Kilve

5.Bishop’s Lydeard

6.Appley

7. Thurloxton

8. Stoke St Mary

9. Neroche

10. Hatch Beauchamp

11. Curry Mallet

12. Stoke St. Gregory

13. High Ham

14. Langport

15. Hinton St. George

16. Clapton

17. Compton Dundon

18. Tintinhull

19. Montacute

20. Castle Cary

21. Charlton Horethorne

22. Axbridge

23. Chilthorne Domer

24. Yeovil

25. Taunton

26. Bridgwater

27. Shepton Mallet

Contact us T. 01460 249450

E. [email protected]

Take Art Ltd, The Mill, Flaxdrayton Farm,

South Petherton, Somerset, TA13 5LR

Find us onlineFor more information on Take Art including our events and projects please visit www.takeart.org

You can also find us on Facebook, Twitter, Flickr and Vimeo.

Mailing listIf you would like to join our mailing list and receive

your very own program through the post or via

email please contact [email protected]

Registered Charity No.298671 Registered in England 2203943

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Take Art Programme