Category

Artist Development

Apr 07
2
RTYDS - Annabel and Anna

Starting a directing placement in a pandemic

By | Artist Development

By Annabel Streeton

Hello, I’m Annabel Streeton and I’m about to start a three-month Regional Theatre Young Director Scheme (RTYDS) placement with Middle Child and Hull Truck Theatre. Right in the middle of a global pandemic. 

I am a University of Hull Drama and Theatre Practice graduate. During my time there I was given the opportunity to direct a few plays and absolutely fell in love with directing, through playing around with a script and creating new meanings or getting stuck into making a scene work. After graduating I decided to settle in Hull after briefly returning home to Essex, as I missed the city which is now my home. I fell in love with Hull and the art scene here, especially after living through 2017 and its first year as UK City of Culture. 

After coming back to Hull I met with Daniel Swift, who told me about his new theatre company, Concrete Youth, and his plans to develop shows for audiences with profound and multiple learning disabilities. At the time I had never really heard of multi-sensory theatre, but loved the idea of forging a company which would be completely accessible to people who couldn’t usually go to the theatre. I am now associate director for Concrete Youth, where I will direct future shows, but I also plan to become a freelance director. 

For this placement I was originally meant to assist in rehearsals for Middle Child’s new show, which would have begun this week, and on the tour of The Canary and the Crow, as well as assist on the Grow Festival at Hull Truck Theatre in May. Sadly the pandemic has scuppered those plans, however RTYDS, Middle Child artistic director, Paul Smith, and Hull Truck Theatre associate director, Tom Saunders, have been able to put together an alternative programme, which I didn’t think would be possible.

I will still be able learn what I was hoping to, through a programme of workshops, discussions and activities: how to prepare for rehearsals as a director; the day-to-day runnings of a theatre company; learning rehearsal techniques that will enable a director to get the best out of actors; how to remount a show for a tour; how to direct shows with big community casts; and adapt well-known plays for stage, as well as new writing. It will just be through Zoom instead, including making use of the National Student Drama Festival’s impressive line-up of online workshops this week. I will also get to direct some of the Out Loud scratch night submissions, which will be broadcast on local radio, and work on my own project.

RTYDS - Annabel and Anna

Annabel (r) on the Introduction to Directing programme. Photo by Edmund Denning.

This will actually be my second experience of RTYDS and Middle Child, after taking part in their Introduction to Directing programme in early 2018. During that course, I was able to direct part of a script written by Jamie Potter, during his time with the Middle Child’s Writers’ Group with Tom Wells, about DJing, warehouse parties and mental health. I was lucky to be paired with Jamie as we share an interest in rave culture and gig theatre, and how these forms could tell a story in an interesting way, that might appeal to audiences who rarely experience theatre. 

We’ve already spent the past few months preparing a funding application to workshop his script further and my new RTYDS schedule has been shaped somewhat around this, so that I can apply new skills I pick up over the next few weeks to this script and our plans.

In the future I hope to become a freelance director that creates work to reach people who don’t go to the theatre on a regular basis and to tell stories through different media that are relevant to today. Where I am now is still very much at the beginning stage of learning about how to direct and what makes a good director. After this I hope that I will learn the skills and gain insight into being a successful director that produces good quality work. 

I am so grateful that I can still do this placement despite recent events. I’m eager to start and learn everything I can about directing, from the rehearsal room to the day-to-day runnings of a theatre company, and I can’t thank RTYDS, Middle Child and Hull Truck Theatre enough for still making this possible.

Apr 06
0
Rehearsal Room

Zoom Q&As with the Middle Child team and artists

By | Artist Development

We may not be able to create theatre in-person at the moment, but we are able to continue to support artists over the internet, so are pleased to announce a small series of open floor Q&As throughout April.

The following sessions will take place on Zoom, featuring Middle Child staff and artists we were due to work with this month. All sessions are free, but we would appreciate any donations, no matter how small, to our Hull Artists Coronavirus Fund.

To use Zoom you will need a laptop or mobile phone with a microphone and webcam, plus the Zoom app, but you do not need an account. You can then join a meeting using the meeting ID and password for each Q&A, listed below.

Running a Theatre Company

Thu 9 April, 2.30-3.30pm

So, how do you run a theatre company? From starting as a group of graduates to managing an Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisation, with the Middle Child core team:

Paul Smith – Artistic director
Rozzy Knox – Executive director (maternity cover)
Jamie Potter – Audience development manager
Emily Anderton – General and production manager

Meeting ID: 150 821 313
Password: 097217

Update: please note the meeting IDs and passwords below have all changed as of Tuesday 14 April.

Being an Actor

Wed 15 April, 2.30-3.30pm

How do you prepare for rehearsals? Should you have an agent? What’s the best route for training? Any questions asked, to a cast of actors with varied experience and backgrounds.

Meeting ID: 824-3530-9585
Password: 751846

Page to Stage

Thu 16 April, 2.30-3.30pm

How do you bring a script to life? This AMA is a chance to ask about any part of the creative process, from dramaturgy to choreography and directing to design and stage management, with:

Paul Smith – Director
Maureen Lennon – Writer and associate director
Bethany Wells – Designer
Danni Harris – Deputy stage manager
Tor Copeland – Stage manager
Ryan Harston – Choreographer and movement director

Meeting ID: 873-2303-6572
Password: 621393

Sound and Music

Thu 30 Apr, 2.30-3.30pm

What goes into creating music and designing sound for theatre? With:

James Frewer – Composer and musical director
Beats Bus – Composers and performers
Owen Crouch – Sound designer

Meeting ID: 834-6837-3973
Password: 400972

Introduction to Theatre Marketing

Fri 17 April, 2-4pm

A quickstart guide to promoting your work, from defining your target audience and developing your brand, to creating content and approaching the press, with audience development manager, Jamie Potter.

This session is aimed at Hull-based companies and individuals who find themselves tasked with reaching an audience, but who don’t have a background in marketing or PR.

Book via Eventbrite.

Coming soon…

We will also be running a separate online workshop on theatre photography, date to be confirmed. Follow us on Twitter or sign up to our artist development mailing list to stay up-to-date.

Apr 03
0
North Star Project

Get help applying for emergency funding with the North Star project

By | Artist Development
North Star Project

We are pleased to announce that Middle Child are taking part in a new initiative, started by New Diorama Theatre, to support artists applying for emergency funding to get through the coronavirus pandemic.

The North Star Project brings together a collection of 30 nationwide theatres and companies, that will offer a suite of advice, guidance and support to ensure artists have the insight to apply for all the financial support they’re entitled to in the wake of the COVID-19 crisis, ensuring they shape their ask in a way that makes the most impact.

Artists can sign up now to a specialist mailing list, which will keep subscribers informed of more information about the project as it is pulled together.

The list of participating organisations:

Alphabetti Theatre, Newcastle
Arts at the Old Fire Station, Oxford
Barbican Theatre, Plymouth
Birmingham Hippodrome
Brighton Dome and Festival
Bristol Old Vic
Camden People’s Theatre, London
Diverse City, Dorset
Everyman & Playhouse, Liverpool
Exeter Northcott
Farnham Maltings
In Good Company Network, Midlands
Jerwood Arts
Middle Child, Hull
National Theatre
New Diorama Theatre, London
Nottingham Playhouse
Pleasance, London
Polka Theatre, London
Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester
Royal Shakespeare Company, Stratford
Scene & Heard, London
Shubbak Festival, London
SlungLow, Leeds
Tangled Feet, South East
The Lowry, Salford
The Place, Bedford
The Spring, Havant
Theatre Royal Plymouth
Wardrobe Theatre, Bristol

Apr 01
1
Stick Figure

Playwriting with Tom Wells #2: Character and Monologue

By | Artist Development, Playwriting with Tom Wells

By Tom Wells, associate artist

Hope everyone enjoyed last week’s writing tasks. This week we’re asking a bit more of you. By the end of this workshop, you’ll be ready to have a go at writing a monologue. A beautiful character portrait and a proper story. That’s the goal. But to give you something to get started with, I think it’s a good idea to do a bit of free writing. Like last week, I know, but it’s the best way I can come up with of shaking off things you’re preoccupied with and getting in the right headspace for making stuff up. So. Here goes:

Exercise One

A little reminder of the exercise: you get a word and then just write. And keep writing. Write any thoughts you have connected to that word and see where it takes you. Whatever comes into your head. It doesn’t have to make sense, it doesn’t have to be in sentences, and it doesn’t matter if it ends up having nothing to do with the word you were given to begin with.

The important thing is to keep going. If you don’t know what to write, write about how you don’t know what to write and just see what follows on from that. Something interesting, something funny, something unexpected – anything’s fine. Time yourself doing it. For the first word, keep going for thirty seconds. The first word is: make. Write whatever comes into your head when you think of the word make.

Go.

For the second word, the challenge is to keep going for a minute. The second word is: good.

Go.
And keep going.

For the third word, the challenge is to keep going for two minutes. The third word is: stuff.

Go.
And keep going. And keep going. And stop.

Exercise Two

When I was growing up, my Mum often described stuff as ‘character-building’. Gale-force winds, maths, glandular fever. Things to experience so that afterwards you’re a better-rounded person, with funny stories to tell and a bit more empathy. I think it was good practice for being a playwright too. Character building is a big part of your job.

When you’re building a character it is useful to know as much about that character as you can – their daily lives, their memories, what they sound like and look like and the gestures they make when they’re talking, or not talking, their struggles, their hopes, their favourite phrases, their favourite socks, their childhood toys, their scars and how they got them, and (most importantly) their name.

Stick Figure

Self Portrait, 2020 by Jamie Potter

This next exercise is about getting to know a character. The sort of person who would say the thing that leapt out at you from your free writing, the thing you’ve written at the top of your piece of paper.

Draw a stick figure version of them. Give them a name, an age. And then write things about them in the space around the drawing. Just anything that comes to you. And label them with the information.

So, for example, if they have a wonky nose or a scar on their chin, write about it, about how they got it, if there’s a story, or what it means for them in the world, if they’re self-conscious about it when they meet new people, or if they’re proud of it maybe. If they’ve got a cardi they always wear, describe it. Or a gesture they always make, or a thing they always say. See if you can write down everything about that character you can think of.

Spend a good bit of time with them – ten minutes, say – getting to know them and writing down the interesting details of their lives. Have a good look at the portrait you’ve drawn of them. And then take this character into the next task.

Exercise Three

You’ve got your character, and spent a bit of time getting to know them. There’s two more things to mention at the start of this exercise.

The first is a straightforward story structure. There’s lots of different models for story structure, and all of them are good to follow and think about and find out about from different playwrights and plays and guides to writing. The one we’re going to base this task on has five different bits, as follows:

  1. A character wants something, and sets out to get it;
  2. Things go well – the character manages to get a bit nearer to the thing they want;
  3. Things start to go badly – the character comes up against obstacles, but keeps going;
  4. Things go very wrong for the character – it looks like the thing they wanted is out of reach, unachievable;
  5. Some kind of resolution: maybe the character gets the thing they wanted; maybe the character doesn’t, and has to give up; maybe they get something different, something they need.

This will hopefully help you to give a shape to your monologue.

The second thing to mention is choosing something your character wants. If we were all together in a workshop, we’d do a lucky dip and you’d all choose something from a bag without looking. But, since we’re not, here are a few of the items you might’ve picked:

  • a key
  • a phone
  • some chilli flakes
  • a pound coin
  • a box of juice
  • some painkillers
  • a screwdriver
  • a stamp
  • a condom
  • a safety pin
  • a Kitkat

Choose one of these things, and imagine a scenario where it is the most important thing your character needs. Then, using the story structure mentioned above for help, write a monologue. Imagine the character you built in Exercise Two sets out to get the thing you chose in Exercise Three.

Write it from the character’s point of view, in their voice and, to make it feel like it is happening as we see it, write it in the present tense. Don’t worry about getting it wrong, just try it. Give yourself fifteen minutes for this task. Once you’re done, read it through and feel a bit proud.

Homework

The monologues you end up writing for Exercise Three will probably be a mixture of brilliant bits and messy bits. It’s your first draft of your first go, under time pressure, with things that were out of your control, and you’re only just getting to know the character, just starting to hear their voice a bit. But hopefully now you’ve had a go with a quickly-made-up character and a lucky dip thing-they-want, you’ve got the skills to write something a bit more considered. If you fancy doing a bit of homework, this might be a good task:

Think about a character you’re really drawn to writing. Do a portrait of them – just a stick drawing, but labelled with their quirks and memories and appearance and gestures and phrases they use a lot. Spend a bit of time getting to know them. Try to hear the way they sound, the words and phrases they use, the rhythms of their speech.

Now think of the thing they want most, more than anything else, in the moment that your monologue will start. It might be something grand and abstract, like love, or justice, or freedom. It might be something a bit more everyday, like a yogurt. But make sure it comes from what you know about the character. And then, following the story structure given above as a guide, imagine the character setting out to try and get the thing they want the most in the world at that moment. What things might get in the way? Do they manage in the end? Have a go at writing this monologue.

Feel free to share your writing with us on social media: simply tag @middlechildhull on either Twitter, Instagram or Facebook.

Mar 25
9
Playwright Tom Wells

Playwriting with Tom Wells #1: Voice

By | Artist Development, Playwriting with Tom Wells

By Tom Wells, associate artist

This year’s not quite going to plan in terms of Middle Child’s Writers’ Group (and other things). We can’t meet up for workshops, but we thought a few of you might have a bit of time on your hands and feel like having a go at writing something. Fingers crossed some writing exercises might help.

The aim of our Writers’ Group, and these blog posts in its place for now, is to help you write your first play. Just a short one – 5-10 minutes – but hopefully if you enjoy it you’ll have some of the tools you need for tackling bigger projects. You’ll also have something to send in to future Out Loud scratch nights, organised by Middle Child and Silent Uproar for writers in Hull and East Yorkshire, which will happen once we can all sit in the same room again. The last one was magic – I’m really looking forward to the next.

There’ll be blog posts on: Voice; Character and Monologue; Dialogue and Scenes; Making Worlds (no biggie); and Planning. The exercises are ones I’ve picked up from doing workshops over the last few years. It’s important to say at the start: there’s no one way to write a play. These are just suggestions of things that might help: take what’s useful, ignore what isn’t. Getting things right is a process, not an event, and getting things wrong is just as important. It just means you’re trying stuff. Mostly the thing to do – I think, anyway – is have a go. It won’t be perfect, but it will exist.

So. Here goes.

Exercise One

Think it’s best to start with an exercise. Dive in head first, sort of thing. Free writing, to free you up a bit. The idea is this: you get a word and then just write. And keep writing. Write any thoughts you have connected to that word and see where it takes you. Whatever comes into your head. It doesn’t have to make sense, it doesn’t have to be in sentences, and it doesn’t matter if it ends up having nothing to do with the word you were given to begin with. The important thing’s to keep going. You know, like life.

If you don’t know what to write, write about how you don’t know what to write and see what comes next. Time yourself doing it. For the first word, see if you can keep going for thirty seconds (you definitely can). The first word is: Free. Write whatever comes into your head when you think of the word Free.

Go.

For the second word, the challenge is to keep going for a minute. The second word is: Writing.

Go.
And keep going.

For the third word, the challenge is to keep going for two minutes. The third word is: Exercise.

Go.
And keep going. And keep going. And stop.

Now read over the three things you’ve written. They might not make sense, they might not be in sentences, and they might have nothing to do with the words you were given to begin with. But they will be full of interesting words and phrases and thoughts and ways of looking at things and patterns and rhythms that are uniquely yours. They are words that are channeled through your eyes and your way of seeing and thinking about and understanding the world. They’re the words that come out when you’re not trying too hard or overthinking stuff or pretending to be something you’re not, the raw material you’ll be working with as a playwright. They’re really special. They’re your voice.

Hummus on a plate

Hummus.

I did this exercise in the first writing workshop I ever went to. When we finished I looked at the scrappy stuff I’d written and felt a bit embarrassed. Proper writers wrote stuff about truth and justice and love and freedom, I thought. I’d done a joke about hummus. But gradually I saw that figuring out what your voice as a writer sounds like is really useful. It doesn’t limit you, but it can guide you a bit to people and subjects you can write about well, with spark and life and honesty and soul. You can still have characters who think about the big stuff, they just also think about dips.

So: have another look at what you’ve written. A proper look. Get a sense of the beginnings of your voice. Embrace it. And use it in exercise two.

Exercise Two

The second exercise is quite a lot like the first exercise, but instead of responding to a word, you are responding to a song. For the length of the song you just have to write. Keep writing. Whatever the song makes you think about, whatever comes into your head while you’re listening – write it down. Maybe it sparks a memory, maybe you just hate it, or it’s your favourite, maybe you’ve never heard it before and it makes you feel a bit far away from what the social distancing 34-year-olds of Mayfield Street are listening to on repeat on their Spotify – whatever your reactions, write them down. And keep going. For the whole song. See where it takes you. Somewhere interesting, I bet.

First song.

Second song.

Third song.

Now have a read of what you’ve written. It might not seem much for a workshop but that’s your voice in three different, unexpected contexts, getting more confident, more sure of what it is and what it sounds like. Which is a lot. Fingers crossed you’re getting a sense of the sort of writer you might be, the sort of worlds you feel comfy in or don’t feel comfy in and, on an unrelated note, the genius of Dolly Parton. Try it with other songs if it feels useful. There’s time. And it might find its way into the play you write.

Feel free to share your writing with us on social media: simply tag @middlechildhull on either Twitter, Instagram or Facebook.

Mar 24
0

Crisis funds available to Hull artists

By | Artist Development, News

If you are a freelance artist from Hull who has lost income because of the coronavirus outbreak, we are now making one-off grants of £200 available from the pot raised by our crowdfunding campaign.

Thanks to the kindness of the general public, we have now raised over £4,000, having smashed through our initial £2,000 target within 24 hours. We are now keeping it open and aim to raise £6,000, which will provide 20 artists with £200 each.

How to apply

Any artist from Hull, whether you work in theatre, dance, art, music or any other form, who has lost income through cancellations and shutdowns from venues, can ask for money, no questions asked. Simply email our artistic director, Paul Smith, to make a request.

We are offering grants on a first-come, first-served basis. GoFundMe lets us withdraw from the fund on a weekly basis, so we will let you know if we can help you and when to expect to receive the money.

Mar 17
0

Hull Artists Coronavirus Fund launches

By | Artist Development

The recent situation caused by the coronavirus has led to the closure of many venues, the cancellation of performances and exhibitions and a potentially devastating loss of income for many of those working in Hull’s creative sector. After an incredible few years for Hull’s art scene we think it’s time that we came together to show the freelancers who help to make this city so special just how much they mean to us, and help support them in difficult times.

That’s why we’ve just launched a crowdfunding campaign via GoFundMe, to raise money to support those artists who have provided us with so much joy. A donation of any size can help to ensure that Hull’s artists survive this crisis and continue making world-class work long into the future.

For context, many freelancers are about to enter into a particularly challenging time. Many artists make their living either by performance in front of groups of people, working together in rehearsals rooms or, often, by having another job to help support work.

With the oncoming disruption brought to us via the coronavirus it’s important that we bear in mind that many artists are about to be unable to work due to the closure of theatres, television and film production and the many industries that employ artists when they’re making their art such as restaurants, bars, and events.

Inspired by Middle Child associate artist Luke Barnes and his Liverpool fundraiser , we are aiming to be able to provide a minimum of 10x £200 hardship funds for any artists that cannot work during this time. These will be distributed on a first come first served basis and there will be no questions asked. If you need it, you can have it and once it’s gone it’s gone. If we make more additional money in this instance then that will also be made available. The first will be available in a month’s time when we have a better idea of how it will impact us.

Please note that no money donated as part of this fundraiser will go to Middle Child, nor will any of the money raised be used to pay those employed by Middle Child. We are merely acting as hosts of the GoFundMe page and will not profit from it in any way.

Donate Now
Mar 16
0
Hull Covid-19 Mutual Aid

Support for theatre makers during the Covid-19 outbreak

By | Artist Development

We understand that the present time may be difficult to navigate for many theatre makers, especially those who are freelance, so we thought we’d try to help somewhat by sharing a list of useful resources, below.

HM Government

See the government website for official guidance on various aspects, including staying at home, travel advice and information for employers.

Arts Council England

ACE have announced their intent to compensate freelancers and individual artists for loss of earnings, as well as continue to fund NPOs and CPPs. More info will be made available in the next week or so as they confirm their plans. See their Twitter thread too.

Independent Theatre Council

The ITC are signposting people to information through their blog.

Equity briefing on financial support

The union has published a briefing to help people understand their rights to the different kinds of financial support available during the outbreak and how to claim them. This includes government benefits, plus info on people working on an Equity contract.

Exeunt Magazine

Exeunt are collating their own list, which includes some of the resources named here.

Rehab 4 Addiction

A useful guide about improving mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Mutual aid Facebook groups

For those of you based in Hull, our own Jamie has started a Facebook group to facilitate mutual aid in the city, connecting people able to offer support with those in need. There is also one in Beverley, set up by She Productions. If you are based further afield, here is a list of groups across the UK.

There is also a Facebook group specific to theatre makers.

#GigAid

Bryony Kimmings is looking to connect people who’ve lost earnings with those who can contribute some kind of financial support. Luke Barnes, a Middle Child associate artist, has set up a crowdfunder for Liverpool-based artists.

Edit on Tuesday 17 March: Inspired by Luke, we’ve created a similar crowdfunder for Hull artists.

+++

You may have seen us sharing our contingency plan on Twitter last week. This is already somewhat out of date, such is the speed at which things change, so we are no longer sharing that particular document.

However our emails and DMs are open if anybody would like to ask us any questions or share any concerns and we’ll help where possible.

We will also continue to share any useful info relating to theatre through our Twitter account.

Lots of love,
Middle Child
x

Mar 11
0
Ellen Brammar

Ellen Brammar joins BBC Writersroom programme

By | Artist Development, News
Ellen Brammar

Middle Child founding company member Ellen Brammar has joined the BBC Writersroom Northern Voices programme for 2020 – and we couldn’t be more proud!

Ellen, who wrote I Hate Alone in 2017, joins 16 other exceptional writers on a year-long development programme to write for television, with expert masterclasses, pitching opportunities and introductions to the industry.

“In January I was delighted to find out that I had a place on the BBC Writersroom Northern Voices programme, where I’d have the opportunity to write my first TV treatment and speculative script,” said Ellen.

“On the first day, I arrived in Salford feeling exhausted (blame the baby and a stupidly early train), was handed a BBC lanyard (I’m a sucker for a lanyard) and firmly told to banish all thoughts of any imposter syndrome – I absolutely, probably, definitely shouldn’t be here. And then we cracked on!

“I’m loving it so far, there’s a lot to learn and I head home with my head aching at the end of the day, but in the best possible way. I’ve always fancied myself writing for TV so I’m doing my best to grab this excellent opportunity with both hands and learn as much as I can from the course. I’ll keep you posted on how it goes.”

Ellen’s writing credits in theatre include I Hate Alone (2017) with Middle Child, Walk in the Park (2019) with Back to Ours, Ten (2019) with Hull Truck Theatre and Ordinary People (2016) with Middle Child and Leeds Playhouse. She is currently writing a new show for Middle Child, to be produced in 2021.

Ellen was also longlisted for the BBC Comedy Script Room in 2016 with Cultured and shortlisted in the same year for the CBBC sketch show, Class Dismissed.

Over the past year, Ellen has mostly had a baby attached to her boob and is now excited to get back to writing and seeing what her sleep-deprived brain can create.

Mar 06
0
Theatre Social Quiz Night

New social quiz night for Hull theatre makers

By | Artist Development
Theatre Social Quiz Night

Starting in April 2020 we’re launching our new Theatre Social Quiz Night: a chance for people working in theatre in Hull to socialise and meet others without any of the awkward staring-at-name-badges that usually comes with networking.

We’ll pull up some pews, stock a bar with beers and soft drinks and throw down some pub quiz questions for teams of four (max) to get stuck into. No team? We’ll find you one on the night!

We’ve also bought a MASSIVE trophy for the winning team to keep hold of each month. Like seriously big. 46 centimetres tall big. *audience ooh* We might even put ribbons on it.

So come join us, meet other theatre people in Hull and romp home to victory as quiz champions.

The first night takes place on Tuesday 7 April at 7pm, then will resume on the first Monday of every month. RSVP through Eventbrite, then pay £1 on the night if you’d like to play along.

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