Strike a Chord Theatre
Flight of Hope
FLIGHT OF HOPE (working title) is a new production being developed by Strike a Chord Theatre, with the support of The Arts Council, England and Unity Theatre Trust. The piece is using music, recorded sound and movement to tell the story of an asylum seeker arriving and living in London. This production will explore new and challenging ways of using music in theatre. We will be fusing music styles from West Africa and from a western contemporary classical tradition. The narrative has been created through our research and collaborative work with refugee groups in London. While the narrative is fictional it has been developed in response to the collective experiences of many.
FLIGHT OF HOPE is currently being researched and developed. The team will be in a rehearsal room for two weeks in April/May to explore and devise aspects of the show. Two scratch performances will take place at The PEOPLE SHOW STUDIOS, Pollard Row, Bethnal Green, London on Friday 7th May 2010 at 3.30pm and 7.30pm. To book tickets or for more information about the future tour, please email info@strikeachordtheatre.co.uk.
Refugee Week 2009
Strike a Chord Theatre organised an event for Refugee Week 2009 in collaboration with the Refugee Council, Hounslow. We ran a series of poetry workshops with a group of twenty refugees and asylum seekers over a period of two months, which culminated in a performance where the clients read their own poetry to an audience of 200 accompanied by three musicians from Strike a Chord Theatre. The performance was held at Hounslow Manor School as part of Refugee Week on Wednesday 17th June 2009 and the audience included local dignitaries, members of associated groups and representatives of the local community.
The workshops and the performance provided the clients with a positive outlet for their experiences, developing their confidence, developing their language skills and facilitating an environment where discussion and support between participants could flourish. The work explored themes of first impressions, home, identity, change and legacy.
FLIGHT OF HOPE (working title) is a new production being developed by Strike a Chord Theatre, with the support of The Arts Council, England and Unity Theatre Trust. The piece is using music, recorded sound and movement to tell the story of an asylum seeker arriving and living in London. This production will explore new and challenging ways of using music in theatre. We will be fusing music styles from West Africa and from a western contemporary classical tradition. The narrative has been created through our research and collaborative work with refugee groups in London. While the narrative is fictional it has been developed in response to the collective experiences of many.
FLIGHT OF HOPE is currently being researched and developed. The team will be in a rehearsal room for two weeks in April/May to explore and devise aspects of the show. Two scratch performances will take place at The PEOPLE SHOW STUDIOS, Pollard Row, Bethnal Green, London on Friday 7th May 2010 at 3.30pm and 7.30pm. To book tickets or for more information about the future tour, please email info@strikeachordtheatre.co.uk.
Refugee Week 2009
Strike a Chord Theatre organised an event for Refugee Week 2009 in collaboration with the Refugee Council, Hounslow. We ran a series of poetry workshops with a group of twenty refugees and asylum seekers over a period of two months, which culminated in a performance where the clients read their own poetry to an audience of 200 accompanied by three musicians from Strike a Chord Theatre. The performance was held at Hounslow Manor School as part of Refugee Week on Wednesday 17th June 2009 and the audience included local dignitaries, members of associated groups and representatives of the local community.
The workshops and the performance provided the clients with a positive outlet for their experiences, developing their confidence, developing their language skills and facilitating an environment where discussion and support between participants could flourish. The work explored themes of first impressions, home, identity, change and legacy.
“I strongly believe that our clients in West London have benefited greatly from the ‘Poetry project’. Most of our clients due to the asylum process and the stress of living in an alien environment and dealing with isolation and lack of integration are wishing to air their voice and express their feelings. By having you and your colleagues our clients luckily found this opportunity to do so and I am sure you felt it during the session how passionate they are to share their experiences with you and each other. They also strongly believe these sorts of workshops/ networks made them feel happier, more confident and accepted as well as alleviating boredom, unhappiness, depression and allowing them to feel hopeful.” Farida Stanikzai, Volunteering and Client Support Services Manager. Refugee Council, West London.
