Inroads

Newhaven Ferry Theatre Project

Inroads have received a Research and Development grant to explore ideas for a site specific theatre piece about Newhaven, centring on the ferry  and the people who have worked and travelled on it, in its 200 year history.

Sara has been gathering initial stories and research for ideas for the play, which will involve local people as actors, musicians, storytellers and audience.

Planned production is July 2012 at Newhaven Fort, working in collaboration with Zap Arts

Theatre and Health

Theatre and drama are valued in tools in arts in health and Inroads can work with you to develop a project with your group to reflect important issues. 

Recent projects include:
St Christopher’s Hospice in Sydenham,  from 2001 to 2005, three projects with the overarching theme of Quality of Life.

Working with patients in the Day Centre, Sara Clifford used drama and creative writing to facilitate the group’s exploration of the theme, creating a script that was performed by professional actors to an audience of family, friends and staff.

Sara then worked with Hanna Slattne, a professional dramaturg, to use verbatim text from patients, to create a script, Silence is Golden, that was again performed with actors.

International collaborations

SASKIA HUYBRECHTSE AND THEATRE PARELSVOORDEZWLIJNEN ( PEARLS BEFORE SWINE)

In 2006, Sara Clifford received an Arts Council research and development grant to visit Saskia and her pioneering work with young people in the Netherlands. Working in close association with Social Services, Saskia works with a group for between six months to a year, training them in theatre skills and performance, along with another skill such as Tai Kwondo or Thai Boxing. They devise a show that tours to youth theatres and plays in a leading Amsterdam theatre. 

Saskia and Sara are due to collaborate on a piece in the future – watch this space! 

ESTUDIO MACUBA

In 1998, and again in 2000, Inroads hosted national tours by the African-Cuban music and theatre group, Estudio Macuba. 

Based in Santiago de Cuba, and led by the charismatic Fatima Patterson, the company use theatre, dance, music and storytelling to explore different aspects of Afro-Cuban culture, from Santeria to rumba to the clog dance, the company dazzled with their talents!

Accompanied by workshops for people of all ages, the tours were funded by Visiting Arts, the National Lottery and the Gulbenkian Foundation.

Wallands School Intergenerational project

WALLANDS SCHOOL PROJECT

Wallands Intergenerational Local History project: ‘On this bare, bare field was built Wallands school’
Funded by the National Lottery Awards for All scheme, Inroads worked with two Year 5 classes at Wallands Community Primary school in Lewes in partnership with the East Sussex Record Office.
Using drama, creative writing and visual art, Sara Clifford and Sheridan Quigley worked with the children to explore the school archive from the Record Office, and with visiting ex-pupils, and responded with their own work, to create a performance presented to an audience of over 200 family and friends.
Picture from Sussex Express
DVD available

Belonging

THE BELONGING PROJECT
2008 in Ratton, Chailey and Peacehaven schools, funded by East Sussex County Council and Creative Partnerships, East Sussex.

Sara Clifford, playwright and drama practitioner, and Anne Colvin, dance practitioner and educationalist, used dance, drama and writing to explore identity and belonging with young people in these three secondary schools. The project took place over four days in each school and culminated in a sharing, where each school presented their findings.
Young people from Chailey school also took part in the Equalities conference organised by ESCC, leading exercises and speaking eloquently about their experience of the project, and also went on BBC Southern Radio to talk about it. ESCC cited Belonging as an example of best practice in the region. 

Feedback from students:

‘I learnt maturity – maturing throughout the course, being put with different people and getting to know them without stereotyping where you might have done before. Being able to discuss rather than being taught like we have done throughout the whole time at school’

Deputy Head, Chailey School:

Belonging ….. ‘profoundly effected the group of students – on how they view friendship, community, relationships, confidence, and their ability to speak to multiple audiences.. It’s the first time Ive heard the kids talk this honestly’

PSHE teacher, Peacehaven School:

‘This is something the school should do again’

2009 BELONGING

Inroads were asked back in 2009, to roll out the Belonging project to more schools, this time taking the focus of Community Cohesion, and culminating in the young people disseminating their findings across the school to pupils and staff. We worked with two primary schools, Churchwood and West St Leonards and with two secondary schools, Filsham Valley and William Parker.

Feedback included:
“The children are showing jaw-dropping progress”
“This project is brilliant”
“They seem like freer spirits..”
“I’m addicted to Belonging!”
(Teachers, primary schools, Belonging project)