Theatre | Enterprise Nation

Theatre | Enterprise Nation

Work Together and Create Space

Work Together and Create Space is the name of our campaign for a new community arts space in Lincoln: 'The Liminal Space'.


We feel a community arts space that is shared across all arts disciplines is needed and wanted in Lincoln and our campaign has been set up to evidence and achieve this. These spaces exist in other cities, so why not Lincoln? 


Our vision is a visible shop-front space in the city centre that is adaptable, grows with the artists that occupy and utilise it, and above all, is welcoming. We hope artists will use the space to showcase, create, test and experiment with their work. We also hope the space will enable artists to inspire each other, collaborate and support each other too.


In terms of communities - well, we want to welcome everyone. We have said before and continue to state that theatre (and other art forms of course) can build bridges, strengthen communities and break down walls. We sincerely hope that this space will help to do that, with communities feeling they have a say in the running of it and feeling able to use it and creating a sense of home. This always inspires theatre that is real and relevant.


So what do we need? We need support mostly - in all senses of the word. We are going to fundraise and apply for funding to secure a property and get the space going. We need artists to come along and book the space to carry out workshops, rehearsals, try out teaching, or to rent cheap office or workshop space. In short, no offer of help or support will be refused or ignored.


We need to build communities within communities, in all senses of the word.


Liminal needs you - let's create a community space and make a huge change!






PS. Initially, the more signatures we get on our online petition the better, so please sign - and if you can leave a reason for signing, even better.
http://www.change.org/petitions/liminal-community-theatre-work-together-and-create-space

The need for space - moving forward in theatre

We recently attended a conference in London called 'Ages and Stages' organised and facilitated by the wonderful London Bubble theatre company:  http://www.londonbubble.org.uk/ Already feeling inspired, challenged and determined to move our company forward/sideways depending how you look at it, this conference cemented those thoughts and urged us to take action.

Lyn Gardner, theatre critic, recently said perhaps it is now time to move theatre forward into the direction of making theatre WITH people rather than just FOR people, and we wholeheartedly embrace this statement. Theatre, for us, is so many things: and principally it has the potential and the ability to break down walls and build and strengthen communities. We have formed Liminal Community Theatre which is a community group completely and utterly dedicated to this mantra.

So what happens now? We want to work with communities - all sectors of communities, across all ages and eventually across the whole county - but small steps at first. We want to bring people together to share, to tell and communicate stories. There are many to tell - we've already discovered some! We also want to work inter-generationally to bridge the gaps between the generations. Something that is very dear to us is creating apprenticeships, volunteer opportunities and retaining our wonderful student graduates that can give so much to our city.

We need space - somewhere - to create wonderful theatre and invest in our fantastic communities. We would like theatre to become part of a central community arts hub that contains - (under one very cheap to run and operate roof, the creating and sharing of work across a range of arts disciplines. Most of all - we want to create and generate a warm and welcome space where artists and those who long to be and also those who might be but don't know it yet, can feel 'at home'. 

We would love for anyone to get on board with this venture and help fundraise to make it happen. We are also inviting interested parties to become part of a steering group to move this project forward. There is strength in numbers and to coin a well-used phrase, 'power to the people'!

:D

Theatre in a Rural Climate.

In early December we participated in Lincolnshire Open Space, an event organised by Lincolnshire County Council and facilitated by Nick Sweeting from the fabulous Theatre Company Improbable. The Open Space model is a great way of exploring problems in a relatively new format: it is very participative and involving. The event was well attended from lots of arts organisations, venues, artists and the like, and proved to be an interesting day. The aim of the day was to provide an 'open space' for artists across Lincolnshire to discuss burning issues and perhaps set future agendas to take them further. For us, this is hopefully the start of more collaboration and partnership working across the region, and an opportunity to explore sustainability as a theatre company in the current climate. 


Lincolnshire is a very rural county with as many obstacles as there are opportunities. The event opened our eyes to what an amazing county we have, and what latent talent there is here. We hope that 2012 will provide chances for us to turn these obstacles into opportunities and for us to embrace our wonderful county. It is tough, making sustainable theatre in a rural climate, and also in a difficult economic climate, but we are up for the challenge! Here's to a wonderful 2012!