Youth Theatre Workshops

Youth Theatre Workshops are held on a weekly basis.  The aim of the drama club is to participate in drama games, offer opportunities to develop acting skills, learn about different dramatic styles to enhance  confidence and wellbeing. We are working towards a  performance for early 2023.

Day School - Celebrating 50 years of the UCS Work-In

A day school celebrating the 50th anniversary of the UCS work-in took place on Saturday 12th March. It was free events funded by Manchester University.  Professor Ben Harker from Manchester University was spokesperson for the day along with Ann Henderson. There were speeches from Ann and Professor John Foster. Three veterans of the UCS work-in were interviewed on their experiences of the work-in. Townsend Theatre Productions documentary on the work-in was shown.  Findlay Napier sang and we had songs from the local choir.

Yes Yes UCS

Working with Rutherglen Peoples Past and Peoples Future Community group presenting discussing and socialising with the group.  Discussing how all the different elements of the choir, the show and the musicians will come together to create a successful event.

Neil Gore pre show Q & A with Diss Youth Theatre

Neil Gore held a pre show Q & A on 'We Are The Lions Mr Manager' with the The Corn Hall's Youth theatre in Diss last week. They then came & watched the show.  Some of them had never seen live theatre before these were just some of their comments:

Isabella really enjoyed herself on Tuesday, and although she said she didn't understand everything, she was able to give me a summary of the strike. A great opportunity for them all.

Just to let you know Malachy and Róisín really enjoyed last night’s play. They came home very enthusiastic about going to more live theatre and all fired up ready to join a union!!! Thanks for organising it.

 Bethany and Naomi did enjoy the play…. They were talking about it this morning, so it has obviously made an impact!

HOMELESSNESS

2016

Townsend Theatre Productions in partnership with Hertfordshire Council’s Youth Connexions/Services for Young People created a project for young care leavers to investigate the subject of homelessness, which culminated in a short performance for an audience of young people and adults in Hatfield.

Over 4 months, the project involved participatory workshops which led to devising scenes and solo poetry and speeches from personal experience of homelessness and issues with the care and welfare system in Welwyn, Hatfield and Hertsmere areas in Hertfordshire. The aim of the project was also to encourage access for young people to explore theatrical techniques to tell their own stories and find ways to build personal confidence.

ON THE ROAD TO FREEDOM

A Choir and Community Project - 2015
In association with Leighton Buzzard Library Theatre

THE PROJECT

Townsend Productions and Leighton Buzzard Library Theatre in conjunction with the Library created a community project based on the National Chartist Hymn Book:

“This very exciting and unique project will centre around The National Chartist Hymn Book, and the participating choirs and groups will be the first to sing some of these hymns for over 150 years, as the only surviving copy of the book was discovered just three years ago.

Working with academics from the University of Manchester and with revered folk singer and musician, John Kirkpatrick, tunes and arrangements will be created that are thought to be or mirror the original tunes. There is also the opportunity to include other relevant songs of the period that also reflect the times and the aims of the Chartist Movement.

There will also be different musical styles, speeches, playlets and a dance element to provide a narrative thread, as well as an opportunity for academic lectures on the importance of the little book and it's contents to the history of the country and Chartism.”

We encouraged involvement from all forms of community activity to contribute to the project, such as music groups and drama groups, and the event was not just a celebration of this little book and the people that desired necessary social change, but created a modern, contemporary approach to the performance of the songs and retelling of these stories; it reflected, too, current community activities.

The songs themselves are unique and powerful and were a brilliant excuse for a "Great Sing!"

Chartism

Chartism was a working-class movement for political reform in Britain which existed from 1838 to 1858. It took its name from the People's Charter of 1838 and was a national protest movement.
The Charter demanded:

1. Universal Suffrage.
2. Vote by Secret Ballot.
3. No Property Qualifications.
4. Payment of Members.
5. Equal Representation.
6. Annual Parliaments.

 The demands for freedom as an inherent human right and the insistence that everyone, however poor, is entitled to such rights, reflect the religious roots of revolt. Through the Industrial Revolution we hear the voices of the Chartists, with their call for annual Parliaments, and a much clearer definition of what freedom means, and it's relationship to education:

"Behind universal suffrage I want to see that knowledge in the mind, that principle in the heart, that power in the conscience, that strength in the right arm that would enable the working man to meet his master boldly, upright on his feet, without the brand mark of the bondman upon his brow, and without the blush of shame and slavery upon his cheek." - JR Stephens, 1838.

Support for the movement was at its highest in 1839, 1842 and 1848 when petitions signed by millions of working people were presented to the House of Commons.

The National Chartist Hymn Book

In 2011 a tiny 165-year-old pamphlet, previously unknown and uncatalogued, containing the lyrics of 16 hymns was discovered in Todmorden Library in the North of England. This is believed to be the only Chartist Hymnal in existence. Its rarity is quite unique as even the British Library doesn’t have a copy. Heavily influenced by dissenting Christians, the hymns are about social justice, 'striking down evil doers' and blessing Chartist enterprises, rather than the conventional themes of crucifixion, heaven and family. Rather than the crucifixion or Christ's glory, the focus of the hymns is a cry for liberty. Some of the hymns protested against the exploitation of child labour and slavery. Another of the hymns proclaimed: 'Men of wealth and men of power/ Like locusts all thy gifts devour.' Two of the hymns celebrate the martyrs of the movement. "Great God! Is this the Patriot's Doom?" was composed for the funeral of Samuel Holberry, the Sheffield Chartist leader, who died in prison in 1843, while another honours John Frost, Zephaniah Williams and William Jones, the Chartist leaders transported to Tasmania in the aftermath of the Newport rising of 1839.

The project involved amongst many:

The Wing Singers; choir director – Jill Neenan
Leighton Buzzard Youth Theatre; director – Chris Amos
Ballet dancers from Vine Arts Centre, Berkhamsted – Tomomi Sato and Alexander Gore
Musicians from music sessions around Bedfordshire and Buckinghamshire
Volunteer performers and musicians from the Leighton Buzzard area

For Townsend Theatre Productions:
Louise Townsend – Director
Neil Gore, Rhiannon Meades – performers and musicians
John Kirkpatrick – musical director
Dr. Michael Sanders – University of Manchester, senior lecturer in 19th Century writing, esp. early Victorian literature and culture; Chartist and radical literature
Doug Nicholls – general secretary of General Federation of Trade Unions