Benefit for WOMANKIND Worldwide
An event with women, and for women. WOMANKIND Worldwide helps women in developing countries to organise together to achieve their rights and have a distinctive say in what goes on in their family, community and country.
Random Acts were invited to perform at a fundraiser for this important charity recently held in Brighton. After a talk from the Chair of WOMANKIND Worldwide, the Company gave a performance with specific reference to the role of women in all of our lives. The fifteen strong audience spoke of relationships with friends, mothers, grandmothers, aunts and other influential female role-models.
Virgin Atlantic Airways
A performance for a group of Managers and Trainers looking at the use of Playback Theatre in Organisational life. Moments told reflected back the groups own styles in the work place and connections were made with patterns affecting other parts of their lives. The issue of how Playback could be used to inspire their teams and colleagues was also addressed.
Training event for Clean Language Practitioners
During a morning's workshop, the group of Clean Language practitioners (including consultants, coaches, pyschotherapists and counsellors) had a practical experience in order to explore the connections, similarities and differences between Playback and the practice of Clean Language. Many similarities were found. The day culminated in a performance where moving stories were told around the themes of acceptance, bereavement and celebrations of self.
The International Foundation for Action Learning (IFAL)
The Company performed twice at this two day Conference held in Dublin. The group consisted of managers from different organisations in both the public and private sectors. We were invited in order to raise the profile and interest in the Organisation through the use of a visual stimulus and something different from the 'chalk and talk' of such events. One performance took place at the beginning of the first day in order for the participants to explore what they wanted and were hoping to gain from being there. The second performance at the end of the two days was able to crystalise for participants what they felt they were taking away from the whole experience. Our part in the event was key to re-energising the future of IFAL.
"Transition and Change"
A performance at Langdon Park School in the East End of London. The event was a way to evaluate the process that staff and students had experienced during the year-long training for the Conflict Resolution and Mentoring Proramme.
West Sussex Schools
A series of workshops and performances in West Sussex Primary Schools. Focussing on the theme of transition and change for year six primary students into year seven at secondary school. After experiential workshops learning playback techniques students then told stories from their best moments at primary school and what they were looking forward to about starting secondary school. Along the way moments were told concerning rumours and myths they had heard about starting 'big school'. These worries were soon dispelled through skillful and sensitive playback by the company.
The London Borough of Tower Hamlets:
Performances in a number of secondary schools where Conflict Resolution projects are in place. The Year 10 and 11 students had been training for an academic year to become mentors within the school and surrounding community. The occasions evaluated the year for both the students and the staff working with them, exploring their moments of personal learning and enjoyment such as their residential training events.
Families Affected by Murder and Manslaughter
The Company was invited by Winston's Wish to perform as part of the closure day with families who had lost either a parent or sibling through murder or manslaughter. The young people in the room were aged between 5 -16 years old and were accompanied by an adult relative. Firstly stories were told about their meeting together again on the follow-up day. Then highlights from their November weekend camp, such as blindfolded night walks, leadership challenges and keeping each other awake late at night were shared. Other more moving moments were told later by the adults and teenagers about how the common bond of what had happened to them gave them insight, strength and hope for the future.
South East Cancer Help Centre, Purley
A performance for staff and members of the day care centre as part of a social evening together. Stories were told by audience members such as having the chance to be a part of the chorus in the musical production 'Chicago' after only three days rehearsal; the expectation of being a future Godmother; the local vicar and his Easter parade intruding on a cabaret evening and mixed holidays together that meant people got creative with their underwear!
Church Street Neighbourhood, Marylebone
An evening helping the adults in the Church street area to celebrate their rich history. Time plates recording key events are to be set in stone in the local streets. People told stories of how they remembered cows still roaming the streets as late as the 1950's, dancing around May poles, market traders selling their wares and seeing Charlie Chaplin perform at the local theatre!
Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2004/2005/2006/2008:
Our fourth year performing for a week-long run to mixed audiences of regular Festival-goers, foreign visitors and people new to the whole experience. Read Tig's accounts:
- 'So here we are after two years…' - the Company's experience of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2008
- 'Show Me the Way to Venue 11 - yet again!' - the Company's experience of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2006
- 'Show Me the Way to Venue 11' - the Company's experience of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2005
Brighton Festival Fringe 2004/2005/2006/2007/2008:
(2008) our usual type of Festival audience offering a colourful bag of stories including wedding speeches; love stories; being in disguise at Rick concerts and near misses with the rich and famous at airports! (2007) at The Friends Meeting House on yet another rainy night, the audience told stories of touching shopping adventures; heroic rescues and kittens with super-human powers.
(2006) the first night of the Festival and a Saturday night two weeks later, playing in the "Theatre Truck" to capacity audiences who had braved the cold and wet to share their sometimes wacky stories of from the Festival and from their lives…
(2005) two nights performing at the Marlborough Theatre as part of the famous Fringe Festival. Adult audiences telling stories, and this year the theme of relationships emerged such as speed-dating experiences and living with difficult flat-mates!
Steyning Festival 2008
Our first performance in the second year of this growing Village Festival hidden amongst the South Downs. A delightful evening where stories emerged such as how best to deal with noisy people in the theatre; how to fit in when new to the area; the ceremonial sending off in a rocket of someone's ashes and a beautiful Dragonfly caught shopping in the local supermarket! Read Tig's account:
Chiddingly Festival 2004:
The Company performed as part of what is claimed to be the UK's smallest village general arts festival, now in it's 27th year. A wide range of stories were told including one about an escaped hamster and a more moving moment in which an audience member was involved in a hold-up at a local homeless centre.
Rugby Portobello Trust:
The Company was asked to open the afternoon with a performance for participants who were either tenants in a homeless house share or members of the local youth club. All had had little or no contact with each other and the event had been designed to build bridges between the two groups. Many of the young people had experienced traumatic childhood experiences. Many of the adults in the audience had been invited in order to allow the young people to experience positive role modeling first hand. The performance allowed the participants to hear each others experiences which was built on later in the afternoon through one-to-one mentoring work.
Church Street Reminiscence Event:
A performance celebrating cultural diversity amongst the community near and around the Cockpit Theatre in Maida Vale, North London. People who had grown-up and lived in the area for over 70 years told stories alongside young families with children who were new to the area. Moments of courtship and love during the Second World War and visits by soap-stars at Christmas time were amongst the stories told.
Reminiscence Centre:
A fund-raising event for the celebrated South-East London museum. The audience members were all aged over sixty and told stories about their lives in London and the changes they have seen occur over the years. Most of them were members of the resident theatre company at the Centre and enjoyed being on the other side of the curtain for once!
Orange Mobile:
A group of managers from all over the country on a three-day conference addressing their leadership skills and how effective they were with their teams. Experiences were shared addressing issues of what was working well for them and what strategies could be used to improve their leadership in the future.
Association of MBAs:
A group of managers from the Oxford area addressing issues of change and how their handling of this in their own lives influenced their work in the outside world.
GP's Conference:
A conference held in Kent where the performance was used to evaluate General Practioners' ongoing progress within the profession. They explored their high-lights of the job and their plans for the future.
Family and Child Resource Centre:
A performance in South London for children at risk and those described under the 'looked after' category and their Social Workers. The children were aged between 8 and 12 years old. Moments of learning included an 8 year old who had been excluded from his school football team. Although upset and angry he made the decision to take his punishment and go to cheer on his team from the sidelines.
Northwick Park Hospital:
This performance in North London was offered to the patients and families of people in the Rehabilitation Unit. It was part of the Unit's Christmas celebrations and was attended by staff and patients together.
Rehabilitation Unit:
A performance in North London for patients recovering from substance abuse and the staff working with them. The focus was on the patients' success stories and their future plans.
Crisis at Christmas:
A performance offered as part of the respite for people who are homeless at Christmas time. Members of the audience were enthusiastic and curious about how Playback worked!
Gaunts House, particularly Spring, Summer and Christmas Festivals:
The performances at this centre for alternative learning were to help the community celebrate together important dates in the lunar calendar. At ome of the performances, meaningful stories arose around the imprisonment and death of Myra Hindley.
Alternatives, St.James's Church:
A performance in Picadilly, London as part of the 'April Fool's Day' celebrations. After a number of workshops all sixty participants were part of the performance reviewing the highlights of their day together.
Company Member's Wedding:
A performance to celebrate the marraige of a Company member. Amongst wedding-day highlights, stories were told by both family and friends of the Bride and Groom, inculding past escapades of both before they met!
White wedding:
A white wedding event where the Company played back stories for the bride and groom and their guests. Moments from the big day were told, including the fire alarm that went off in the hotel just before the ceremony and stories of courtships back in the 1950's!
Pearl Wedding Anniversary:
This performance was the finale of a surprise Wedding Anniversary party. Friends and family shared stories about the couple that spanned their thirty years of marraige. There was much laughter, tender moments and a real sense of celebration.
… and regular seasonal public performances.