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Creative Way research on progression

admin — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 11:52:15 +0000

Creative Way have just published a short video on YouTube, which was the outcome of joint research between Lewisham College and Rose Bruford College. We’ve embedded it onto the website: click on the link above.

The research looks into issues of widening participation and social capital.

The Rokeya Project – visit to India

admin — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 18:29:16 +0000

Rose Bruford College is breaking new ground again. It is supporting a visit to three universities and a school in Kolkata by a graduate company, taking workshops based on a production they wrote and developed.
“Rokeya’s Dream” was developed in association with Tara Arts, and describes three young women discovering a visionary text by the Muslim feminist campaigner and educator, Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain, written in 1905. Rokeya was a tireless campaigner against women in purdah, and she envisages a time when women are empowered to take control by using the earth’s resources wisely. At a time when young women are choosing to wear the veil, her writing still holds a relevant message for today; indeed, her championing of women’s education feels very contemporary. The play performed in March 2009 at Tara, at Brady Centre in East London, and at Rose Bruford College.

The Rokeya Project continues the story. The company comprises graduates Rae Leaver and Claudia Jazz Haley, who scripted and designed the original show; Showmi Das who choreographed it, and includes Alia Wilson who has been acting as promoter; Shaheen Westcombe MBE, who was the original promoter of the project on behalf of Mahila Sangha women’s group, will be delivering supporting lectures.
The company will be visiting three Universities: the Rabindra Bharati and Viswa Bharati Universities both have strong links with the great poet and dramatist Rabindranath Tagore, while an invitation has also been received from the Women’s studies programme at Burdwan University. They will also visit the school for young women founded by Rokeya, which is celebrating its centenary. While there they will be delivering workshops on the original production, while collecting reactions from their counterparts to the material to shape a truly intercultural reaction to the material.

Film night

admin — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 09:14:01 +0000

The College played host to Chocolate Films’ showing of their community project, in the refurbished Barn Theatre. Young film makers from Welling and Trinity Schools have been working with them for months, making documentaries on transport and on the history of Erith, using material from Bexley Libraries’ film archive.

The films will be sent out in DVD form, to be used in schools and local community settings. In particular, they will support the inter-generational work in the North of Bexley Borough. Rose Bruford graduate company The Fiasco Division have already been working with groups of young people and elders on a drama project bridging the gap in understanding between the age groups.

The College is giving strong support to film in the borough: we have been key players in the development of Pointless Taxi productions, a project for young film makers, now hosted at Lamorbey Park campus; and have contributed many students and emerging artists to organising the Rob Knox Film Festival. The Festival will get its second outing in June of this year, at Cineworld Bexleyheath.

Map of NALN and Creative Way partners

admin — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 11:19:22 +0000

View Rose Bruford College outreach partners in a larger map.

This year’s roadshow has just been successfully completed, delivering advice and training to nearly 300 young people, in eight centres across England. About two dozen brave young people chose to put themselves forward for auditions in regional centres, saving the cost of travelling to London. Brave, because it is much harder to be judged on home ground, without the psychological preparation of the journey. But for young people who are members of the “Performance Passport” progression agreement scheme, it can represent a considerable saving, which for students from lower income backgrounds makes it possible to apply.

The College is working closely with the National Skills Academy for Creative and Cultural Skills, and is seeking to build partnerships developing the understanding of the arts of technical theatre with all of the Founder colleges.

Black History Month – Oct 09

admin — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 10:00:34 +0000

Thanks to our Cultural Diversity Student Union Officer at Rose Bruford College, there has been a plethora of events to celebrate the month. Palesa started the month with Cultural Night, followed by Theatre Trips and UN day - it will end with an African Dance Workshop. To hear more about the events – aims and outcomes – look under our 5th heading: Equality, Diversity and Inclusion.

National Poetry Day 2009

admin — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 16:44:00 +0000

As a celebration of National Poetry Day, 15 acting students recited poetry at Bexley Central Library. Unfortunately the sunny day led visitors outside, but the students persevered and their voices were heard by the local community. The choice of poetry appealed to all ages and some sat all afternoon listening. Next year we hope to integrate the National Poetry Day within other activities at the library and invite local schools to listen!

Arts Awards, Co-lab-arts & Rose Bruford College 2009

admin — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 16:26:35 +0000

During the past year Co-lab-arts (Collaborative – Laboratory of the – Arts), a group of young people from London undertook their Gold Arts Award. Four smaller groups form the latter and worked in connection with the organisations: Oval House, Hoxton Hall, All Change and Rolling Sound. Three of the groups devised a short performance that was presented at the Shoreditch Festival; while those working with Rolling Sound filmed the performance and at a later date created a TV Magazine facilitated by Ravensbourne College.

Rose Bruford College facilitated Zephryn and Shavani at Oval House with a production team for the performance “Grandma’s Legacy” including a Theatre Designer and Lighting Designer; the role of the production team then expanded to all other Gold Teams (maintaining the exclusivity of the Theatre and Lighting Designers to Oval House); and in addition College tutors provided workshops to Col-lab-arts regarding technical theatre and the role of a production team.

It has to be highlighted that at the Shoreditch Festival, Grandma’s Legacy, the concept and their level of understanding of text and devising, ultimately shone. What’s more the Rose Bruford production team gained a unique experience, outside of the convenience of the institution or a theatre company.

A fuller report will be uploaded at a later date.

Summer projects 09

admin — Wed, 13 May 2009 17:16:31 +0000

Outreach is busy organising five projects for the summer:

School and college visits associated with the Poetic Theatre project
Bexley 14-19 creative diploma “Performance Icons” project
“Meltdown 3″ performance installation, with UEL and University of the Arts
Arts Award Gold project for Shoreditch Festival, with Oval House, sipported by Arts Council England.
Disability arts summer school

Also, a welcome to Sam Kay, who has recently started as Outreach and Diversity support officer, already making a great contribution to these projects. She can be contacted at outreach@bruford.ac.uk, or on 020 8308 2629.

We’re also busy extending our national partners network to colleges including the newly merged City College Leeds.

2009 Roadshow under way

admin — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 10:33:01 +0000

Monday 2nd February saw 60 studetns from City College Norwich battling snow drifts to take part in the first 2009 workshop. A large group, from a variety of courses, took part in auditon workshop; and some went on to be auditioned for the College. Another group made a series of videos as backdrops for shadow play, which have been posted on the companion site, Performance Passport.

As part of the project, Rose Bruford is actively helping the development of CCN’s Foundation degree in Community Theatre.