Tuesday, 30 April 2013

'My Ship of Dreams' Theatre Project Launches

We are delighted to announce that we have received Arts Council funding to produce a one hour piece of theatre celebrating and exploring Southampton people's connections with the sea.

The project will explore the unique histories of shoreline communities along Southampton Water, from the Docks at Millbrook to Thornycrofts at Woolston, and special attention will be paid to those who jumped about the luxury liners in search of fortune and adventure.

Writer Deborah Gearing is keen to weave real voices and stories into her fictional tale, and has been busy exploring the collections of Oral Histories in the City Archives including 'Woolston Before the Bridge' and the 2005 'Vosper Thornycroft' project.

Added to this, we are gathering stories from residents in sheltered housing schemes along the shoreline and we will be running drama workshops in youth clubs to help us with our research.

The show will tour shoreline venues in the summer, playing at:

  • Vellan Court, Millbrook - 24 July, 1:30pm
  • Tudor House Museum - 25 July, 2:30pm
  • Weston Court, Weston Shore - 2 August, 1:30pm
  • Abbey Hall, Netley - 2 August, 8:00pm
3 acting placements and 2 stage management placements will be offered to young people aged 16-19 to work alongside professional actors and crew.

9 young people will take part in a Print Design course at Red Hot Press to help us create the online publicity campaign.

For more information on any aspect of this project please email emma@nowheritage.org

The Queen Mary