Hidden City

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Devonport Guildhall, Ker Street, Devonport PL1 4EL

Wed 1st Oct 6-7pm The Barbican Theatre (Box Office), Castle St Plymouth, PL1 2NJ

Thurs 2nd Oct 6-7pm The Roland Levinsky Building (Info Desk) Drake Circus Plymouth PL4 8AA

Fri 3rd Oct 6-7pm The Theatre Royal (Box Office), Royal Parade Plymouth, PL1 2TR

£5.00

£4.00

On Saturday night at 8.30pm the festival team will present the best of the fest 2008. Decisions on what work will get through to this exciting open programme of work will be being made during the week and will comprise of the best transferable elements and performances from all the work in the festival. Young, emerging and established writers and artists work will be placed side by side in an inspiring, surprising and energetic evening of superlative festival entertainment.

Discovery bus tours can take you from outside the Theatre Royal at 7.45pm

Fare £1 each way

Sunday 5th - 11am

£3.50

£2.80

Citadel Gates, Lambhay Hill 1- 1.5 hours

Sunday 5th - 11am

£3.50

£2.80

Mutton Cove, Mount Wise, Devonport 1.5 hours, sensible footwear

Sunday 5th - 2pm

£3.80

£2.80

St Paul’s Church, Durnford Street, Stonehouse,

Evening Performance Cabaret - nationally known performance poets spa alongside regional wordsmiths in cabaret with a difference. A bit of chat, prose, poetry and some words to music.

Including Matt Harvey (Radio 4’s Saturday Live) with his Wondermentalist cabaret.

“ one of the best loved literary performers on the festival circuit”

Tucked away behind the main artery of Royal Parade, this street is a hidden gem where the sites and remains of old almshouses, workhouses, orphans aid and early health care provision jostle with a cluster of faith houses including the oldest Ashkenazi synagogue in continous use in the English speaking world.

Peter Oswald – writer and Hugh Nankivell – composer, invite the audience to take an extraordinary journey down Catherine Street, a pilgrimage through time, walking through walls that are no longer there. A theatre piece with a difference, full of music and ritual, inviting you to piece together the traces of past, present and future in a scrambled city!

Thursday 7pm - 8pm & 8pm - 9pm

Friday & Saturday 1pm - 2pm & 2pm - 3pm

£7.50

£6.00

Tuesday 30th Sep – Friday 3rd Oct 8-9pm

Saturday 4th Oct 1-2pm

£7.50

£6.00

Key to a greater and broader understanding of Plymouth and what inspired the creative work in the Festival, is the Festival Exhibition. Using photography, film, sound and text, the rich material unearthed during the process of making the work will be put on show and made accessible to all. Capturing the stories, knowledge and reminiscences of locals and residents and tapping into specialists and historians the exhibition takes you deeper into Plymouths hidden places and people on a journey of discovery.

The sea and the epic departures and arrivals across it have defined Plymouth's identity and development. Less well known and acknowledged is the role that the Grade II listed Mayflower Sailing Club played in the arena of emigration from Plymouth. It is housed in what remains of the old government run Elphinstone Emigration Depot, which between 1830 -1890 alone saw over half a million emigrants leave Plymouth's shores.

Shiona Morton – writer and Bill Wroath – installation artist, using the historic diaries of those who made these epic journey’s across the sea as their starting point, will lead us into a unique performance experience that explores the forces that compel people to leave their homeland. Toilets facilities are available on site until 8:15pm.

This is a co-commission with the Drum/Theatre Royal.

Escape: Live & Lyrical

Star of the performance poetry scene Zena Edwards headlines the first ever Apples & Snakes night at the B-Bar as a

partner event to the Hidden City Festival.

Always fresh and unforgettable, Zena’s live performances fuse jazz and hip-hop with sensuous rhythms and intricate rhymes.

Escape: Live & Lyrical will see poets from across the region perform work developed in Zena’s Escape masterclass,

followed by a set from Zena herself to round off this special evening, which will be hosted by the B-Bar’s resident

soul-jazz floozy Mama Tokus.

Come along and see hot new talent share a stage with a lyrical legend!

When: Thursday 2 October, 8pm

Where: B-Bar, Barbican Theatre, Castle Street, Plymouth PL1 2NJ

Tickets: £3

Book: 01752 242021 or info@b-bar.co.uk

Escape Masterclass

From Open Mic to 20 Minute Set

Lyrical queen Zena Edwards leads the first in a series of Escape masterclasses, aimed at performance poets who want

to take their work to the next stage.

As well as an afternoon of inspiration and advice, participants will step up to the mic to perform that evening at Escape:

Live & Lyrical, headlined by Zena Edwards. This event runs in partnership with Hidden City Festival and takes place in

the B-Bar at the Barbican Theatre (www.hiddencityfestival.org.uk)

The masterclass is completely free of charge; places will be secured with a £20 deposit returnable on the day.

When Thursday 2 October, 3-5pm (performance 8pm onwards)

Where Barbican Theatre, Castle Street, Plymouth PL1 2NJ

Book email mel@applesandsnakes.org or call 01752 242016 for a registration form – places will be offered on a

first-come, first-served basis and it is expected to book up quickly!

The Hidden City Symposium

Mythogeography, Writing, & Site Specific Performance

4th October 2008 from 9.30 am – 5.45 pm at the Roland Levinsky Building, University of Plymouth

The Hidden City Symposium, arranged to complement the Hidden City Festival, is a chance to interrogate the possibilities for writing in site-specific performance practices that address the multiple narratives and trajectories of the city. ‘Writing’ is interpreted broadly and the symposium will bring together considerations

of practices as diverse as political mural making, walking, and karaoke.

With the opportunity to hear keynote speakers including Mike Pearson, Cathy Turner and Baz Kershaw; to attend the

exhibition opening of ‘Bedding the City: Oreet Ashery's Site-Specific Performances’; and to engage with papers from practitioners such as walkwalkwalk, the Fictional Dogshelf Theatre Company, and Fort Reasoning, the symposium will

help to place the Hidden City Festival performance events in wider frameworks. The symposium is open to all: scholars, artists, students, and anybody who enjoys thinking about the ways we live, perform and create in urban environments.

For further information, contact: artsresearch@plymouth.ac.ukFor a provisional schedule and booking form: www.plymouth.ac.uk/arts/theatreRegistration fee: £45 full/£35 conc including lunch and refreshments

(Special ‘early bird’ rates of £35 full/£20 conc are availableuntil 1 September).

WORKSHOPS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH SOUTH WEST NEW WRITING NETWORK

Resident at The Royal William Yard

The South West New Writing Network is a network of writers and producers from the South West region,the network supports local initiatives and offers wider professional development opportunities for playwrights and these are the workshops on offer.

Visit www.writernet.co.uk for more information

1. Writers’ Room

A space where writers can come and be during the festival, meet one another, write, chill out and network informally.

The writers’ room will also have:

• A bookstall

• A wall of words – a space where writers can scribble thoughts and ideas about the festival

• Professional development information

• Information about the festival

• Surgery Slots

2. Stepping Out of the Shadows

Shadow Playwrights - A practical workshop with our shadow writers to share their experiences and share their written

work inspired by their experience of their shadowing. Individual sessions as well as peer group work. In Response - A workshop at the beginning of the week to start a group of writers off on a responsive journey to the work of the festival. Writers will then create short pieces of responses, which can go forward to a Scratch Night at the end of the week.

3. Workshops

PASSERS BY PANEL DISCUSSION

An opportunity to meet the playwrights and artists commissioned to create work for the Festival, and to uncover the processes they followed in their collaborations.

Thursday 2nd October 10 – 12pm

Free

GETTING TO WHERE YOU WANT TO BE WORKSHOP

In association with literaturetraining

'Getting to where you want to be' workshop' using exercises from literaturetraining’s DIY guide to professional development planning, for playwrights (and possibly spoken word artists i.e. anyone who writes for performance). Led by Victoria Field.

Friday 3rd October 10.30 – 1.30pm

£15/ £10 concessions (limited places). Email: sarah@writernet.org.uk

4. South West New Writing Network Meeting

A three hour meeting and network session for playwrights and producers from around the region, bringing discussion

around regional new writing to the very heart of the festival. Time and date TBC

South West New Writing Network

Rresident at The Royal William Yard

The South West New Writing Network is a network of writers and producers from throughout the South West region co-ordinated by Sarah Dickenson. Since their first meeting in March 2004, they have met to network and discuss emerging issues. In addition, the network supports local initiatives and offers wider professional development opportunities for playwrights and those working with them.

Visit www.writernet.co.uk for more information

1. Writers’ Room

A space where writers can come and be during the festival, meet one another, write, chill out and network informally. The writers’ room will also have:

• A bookstall

• A wall of words – a space where writers can scribble thoughts and ideas about the festival

• Professional development information

• Information about the festival

• Surgery Slots

2. Stepping Out of the Shadows

Shadow Playwrights - A practical workshop with our shadow writers to share their experiences and share their written work inspired by their experience of their shadowing. Individual sessions as well as peer group work. In Response - A workshop at the beginning of the week to start a group of writers off on a responsive journey to the work of the festival. Writers will then create short pieces of responses, which can go forward to a Scratch Night at the end of the week.

3. Workshops

Open Access to Playwriting Workshop - A four hour workshop aimed at anyone who would like to have a go at writing a play themed with the ideas of the festival – using stimulus inspired by Hidden City.

Up to 25 participants, costs TBC

Writing for Site Specific Theatre - A workshop focusing on the particular processes for site-specific writing. Led by Phil Smith (tbc), aimed at writers with experience

Up to 15 participants, costs TBCChildrens workshop – a two hour workshop exploring the festival exhibition and themes of the festival and writing and creating your own little piece of performance.

Saturday 4th of October

The tent on the lawn, at Royal William yard

£3.50 /£2.80 concessions

Playwriting Workshop - four hour workshop aimed at anyone who would like to have a go at writing a play themed with ideas of the festival, using stimulus inspired by Hidden City. Saturday 4th of OctoberThe performance space at the New Cooperage at Royal William yard.£3.50/£2.80 concessions

4. Encounters

A Playwright for Breakfast - Morning discussion session with a leading writer. Passers By - Hour-long sessions and discussions with commissioned playwrights. An opportunity to get a snap-shot insight into the experience of writing for the festival, challenges and discoveries.

5. South West New Writing Network Meeting

A three hour meeting and network session for playwrights and producers from around the region, bringing discussion around regional new writing to the very heart of the festival. Time and date TBC

South West New Writing Network

resident at The Royal William Yard

Visit www.writernet.co.uk for more information

1. Writers’ Room

A space where writers can come and be during the festival, meet one another, write, chill out and network informally.

The writers’ room will also have:

• A bookstall

• A wall of words – a space where writers can scribble thoughts and ideas about the festival

• Professional development information

• Information about the festival

• Surgery Slots

2. Stepping Out of the Shadows

Shadow Playwrights - A practical workshop with our shadow writers to share their experiences and share their written

3. Workshops

Open Access to Playwriting Workshop - A four hour workshop aimed at anyone who would like to have a go at writing

a play themed with the ideas of the festival – using stimulus inspired by Hidden City.

Up to 25 participants, costs TBC

Writing for Site Specific Theatre - A workshop focusing on the particular processes for site-specific writing.

Led by Phil Smith (tbc), aimed at writers with experience.

Up to 15 participants, costs TBC

Childrens workshop – a two hour workshop exploring the festival exhibition and themes of the festival and writing and creating your own little piece of performance.

Saturday 4th of October

The tent on the lawn, at Royal William yard.

£3.50 /£2.80 concessions

Playwriting Workshop - four hour workshop aimed at anyone who would like to have a go at writing a play themed

with ideas of the festival, using stimulus inspired by Hidden City.

Saturday 4th of October

The performance space at the New Cooperage at Royal William yard.

£3.50/£2.80 concessions

4. Encounters

A Playwright for Breakfast - Morning discussion session with a leading writer. Passers By - Hour-long sessions and

discussions with commissioned playwrights. An opportunity to get a snap-shot insight into the experience of writing f

or the festival, challenges and discoveries.

5. South West New Writing Network Meeting

A three hour meeting and network session for playwrights and producers from around the region, bringing discussion around regional new writing to the very heart of the festival. Time and date TBC

Wed 1st Oct 1-2pm The Refrectory, Plymouth Gin Distillery, 60 Southside St, Plymouth PL1 2LQ

Thu 2nd Oct 1-2pm The Oddfellows Hall, Ker Street, Plymouth PL1 4EL

Fri 3rd Oct 3-4pm The Treasury (Bar Upstairs), Catherine street, PL1 2AD

£3.00 concessions £2.40

6 new monologues by 6 of Plymouth's most promising young writers inspired by 6 secret spaces in a building. These all new premieres will be performed and directed by some of the city’s most established and talented actors and directors and performed in three of the city’s best known venues. The Theatre Royal, the Barbican Theatre and the Roland Levinsky building. A unique chance to experience usual venues in completely new ways, join the Uncharted Waters Tour on an unforgettable journey around a building you thought you knew…

Young writers are: Amy Jeffrey, Fara Halil, Ashlee Dillon, Taylor A Faith, Jack Redmond, Sophie Macdonald.

Young writers mentor: Simon Turley

See below

£3.50

[talks only] £2.80

Young performance poets and a Special guest create ‘WordWorks’ especially for the festival poetry boat that will be taking visitors and audiences to and from the Mayflower steps and the festival headquarters at the Royal William Yard. Inspired by this floating journey and the quirky and eclectic stories associated with what can be spied whilst at sea on it, this is a unique opportunity to enjoy the work of 6 of the region’s most exciting new writer performers.

Young writers are: Ben Smalley, Clara Gardiner, Mark Jones Cook and Marrick Taylor

Young writers mentor: Matt Harvey

in partnership with Apples & Snakes.

Sat 4th Oct - 12.30pm & 7.30pm, Sun 5 Oct 1pm

£5.00

£4.00

The Festival Poetry Boat, Mayflower Steps, Barbican, Plymouth, PL1 2NJ

6 exciting and emerging writers and artists who have been shadowing our established writers and artists throughout the proccess.Come and join them as they present their ideas for new performance pieces for 3 of the city’s most endangered or characterful buildings.

Saturday 4th October at 3pm – Bill Eaton and Amie Lord on The Pannier Market

Saturday 4th October at 4pm – Hannah Mulder and Selina Taylor on The Palace Theatre.

Sunday 5th October 2pm – Cathy McCabe and Alexis Kirke on The Colin Campbell Building.

SHADOW SHOWINGS at the New Cooperage, Royal William Yard

Tickets - £3.50 concessions £2.80

CHILDRENS WORKSHOP For 8 -12 years, in the Tent on the lawn

What are the pictures and stories that capture young people’s imagination? Taking inspiration from the Hidden City festival exhibition, try some creative writing through story telling, improvisation and letting your imagination run riot.

Led by Olwyn Foot ( Hidden City’s ‘Too Cool for School’ facilitator )

Saturday 4th October @ 10am -12 noon On the lawn at the Royal William Yard Tickets £3.50

INTRODUCTION TO PLAYWRITING

A four hour workshop for anyone who would like a go at writing a play themed with the ideas of the festival. Led by playwright and dramaturg David Lane.

Saturday 4th October 10am - 2pm New Cooperage Tickets £ 3.50

POST WAR BUILDINGS IN THE WEST END with Jeremy Gould.

Jeremey Gould is Professor of Architecture at the University of Plymouth, he has lectured widely on the architectural history of the twentieth century, is author of ‘Modern Houses in Britain’ and numerous articles on modern architecture including reports on the 1950’s buildings of Princess hay in Exeter, Broadmead in Bristol and Plymouth City centre.

Saturday 4th 2pm The New Cooperage, Royal William Yard - I hour

Tickets £ 3.50 concessions £2.80

EXPLORING DEVONPORT with Nigel Overton.

Discover the history and architectural ‘treasures’ of Mutton Cove, Mount Wise and South Devonport with Nigel Overton , the City’s Maritime Heritage Officer

Sunday 5th 11am Mutton Cove, Devonport 1.5 hours, sensible footwear. Tickets £3.50 concessions £2.80

AROUND THE CITADEL WALLS with Chris Robinson

A 360 - degree review of Plymouth and it’s history from the walls of the Royal Citadel

Sunday 5th 11am at the Citadel gate 1- 1.5 hours

Tickets £3.50 concessions £2.80

THE PALACE THEATRE, UNION STREET - A Historical Overview with Chris Robinson

Sunday 5th 3pm the New Cooperage, Royal William Yard - I hour

Tickets £3.50 concessions £2.80

BEER, BEEF & ROYAL STEPS with Phil Smith

The fabulous patterns and the ungiving stones of Rennie's Royal William Yard were part of a resolution to avoid the mistakes of the past, to create a lasting and impregnable organisation for the feeding of Naval bellies. But history would not play fairly, least of all by the rules of the great game, and granite had to strain to meet the changes. Phil Smith brings to life the dramatic transformations of the Yard over nearly two centuries.

Sunday 5th 2pm St Paul’s Durnford Street Stonehouse,

Tickets £3.80 concessions £2.80

THE HISTORY OF PLYMOUTH’S JEWISH COMMUNITY with Elkan Levy

Why is Plymouth’s synagogue unique from all other’s - a truely Hidden history in the city. Elkan Levy - Director of Small Communities, will take us through the history of this beautiful building and its people.

Sunday 5th 10am Synagogue, Catherine Street Free event

Designed by the architect John Foulston in 1821 and part of a plan that included an Egyptian house, a Hindu temple and a commemorative column to celebrate and promote the new town, the Guildhall was once the civic heart of Devonport. In its current position amongst the demolished remains of Ker Street this neo-classical building speaks of past prosperous times whilst presiding over the regeneration developers bulldozers and cranes.

Hugh Janes – writer, and Jules Laville – choreographer, use the changing fortunes of the Devonport Guildhall to present a visual, physical feast for the eye, mind and heart.

Discovery bus tours can take you to the Guildhall and back again. Departs form outside the Theatre Royal at 7.15pm and 7.40pm.

Fare £1 each way.

SOME SORT OF SOUND by Hana Sklenkova

Weds 1st Oct @ 1pm - The Plymouth Gin Distillery

OUR BEAUTIFUL REALITY by Anthony Caleshu

Thurs 2nd Oct @ 1pm - The Oddfellows Hall, Ker Street

A WOMAN’S RIGHT TO CHOOSE by Alison Mitchell

Friday 3rd Oct @ 3pm – The Treasury, upstairs

Mayflower Sailing club, Madeira Rd, Barbican

Mayflower Sailing Club

help me with this

time and day

ARARAGAHAHA

Devonport Guildhall

Mayflower Sailing Club

HISTORY AND HERITAGE

The Hidden City Festival will draw communities together... sharing their heritage... creating an understanding of their past… a sense of hope

for their future.

The Hidden City Festival is focusing on buildings and sites in the city of Plymouth that currently have little general awareness about their historical significance. All have played an important part in defining Plymouth and constitute a wealth of history and heritage.

The festival explores existing historical material for those sites and buildings, as well as generating new archives by working with community groups, residents and local experts to record memories, stories and specialist knowledge.

This new material will then be made accessible through not only our commissioned performances but through our Festival Exhibition, talks, walks and workshops. The Hidden City Archive will then be passed to the Plymouth records office to be made available to the general public after the Festival is over.

ROYAL WILLIAM YARD

Having once played a major role in the supremacy of the British Navy,

the Royal William Yard in Plymouth now has a brand new role to play... in the regeneration of the city's waterfront. The former victualling yard on the banks of the River Tamar was once the supply stores for the Royal Navy, ensuring the ships had sufficient stocks of food and drink. The 18-acre peninsula includes a section which was reclaimed from the sea. The yard was designed by eminent Victorian engineer Sir John Rennie and was built between 1825 and 1835 with the help of convict labour.

It remained the navy's stores until the early 1990s, when the Government decided to close it. It lay disused for several years, before the site was acquired by the South

West Regional Development Agency (SWRDA) in 1999. With Urban Splash developing

the site as a mixed development, it has been recognised by English Heritage as one of the 30 best development schemes in the UK involving an historic environment and the peninsula after being a no-go area while in the hands of the Royal Navy for over 150 years is now open to the public and thriving.

MAYFLOWER SAILING CLUB

This old building in the heart of Plymouth's waterfront is one of few reminders of the

days when the area around Pheonix Warf was the government run Elphinstone

Emigration depot - which between 1830-1890 saw 600,000 emigrants leave Plymouth's shores. For this hidden bit of Plymouth’s history we will use the diaries and accounts of those in transit, the theme of departures and try to get a better understanding of what

it feels like to leave ones homeland. For updates on our heritage trail go to ITV local....

CATHERINE STREET

This street is a hidden gem, tucked away behind Royal Parade we have sites and

remains of old almshouses, workhouses, orphans aid and early health care provision which jostle with a cluster of faith houses including the oldest synagogue in continuous use in the English speaking world. The buildings and sites on Catherine Street are so close together and this is no coincidence, it reflects the early links between health

care, the church and the monastries.

DEVONPORT GUILDHALL

The Guildhall was once the civic heart of Devonport, designed by John Foulston in 1821 he planned a square around the neo-classical Town Hall which also included an Egyptian house, a Hindu temple and a commemorative column to celebrate and promote the

new town. Despite being hidden amongst the run-down character of Ker Street today, the historic and architectural quality of the square is still evident. We will use the changing face of the Guildhall as a microcosm of Devonports decline from its beginnings to the present day and the part it will play in the re-generation of the area.

Welcome to the first ever Hidden City Festival, Plymouth

– a unique synthesis of arts, heritage and architecture.

Inside the city is the city

Washed up by the sea

And downstream with the tin,

By the silting up of somewhere else,

Raleigh galloping down the stream....

Excerpt from original work by Peter Oswald

Experience the city in a new light.

Come and explore Plymouth’s rich history and heritage through original site-specific works and performances created by the region’s finest writers and artists and inspired by Plymouths most fascinating, hidden spaces.

Help uncover the city’s young blood in new writing and performance at unusual spaces in Plymouths best loved venues and toast with us the wealth of talent being showcased through our caf culture lunchtime and evening performances at some of Plymouths finest and most distinctive eateries and watering holes.

See and hear the people and stories that went into inspiring the work at the Festival Exhibition and help ensure that whilst this fascinating city is fast changing and moving on, what was and is will endure in hearts and minds - not forgetting the Hidden City Archive that will be created as a poignant reminder and insight and stored at the records office for posterity.

Throw in a floating poetry venue, a festival headquarters built by Napoleonic slaves, a smattering of talks and walks -‘twalks’- by local experts and celebrities and many other sundry and varied activities in the areas of new writing, inspiring buildings and local heritage and you have one utterly original, fascinating and thought provoking new festival for Plymouth!

All that remains is for us to extend a heart felt welcome aboard and wish you a transforming and unforgettable journey through the pathways in time and place that belong to the people and places of Plymouth.

There’s adventure and discovery just around the corner!

SUPPORT THE HIDDEN CITY FESTIVAL

AND PART EXCHANGE CO.

If you are intersted in helping us and supporting this unique arts and heritage festival our sponsorship scheme is coming soon...........

in the meantime if you would like to talk to someone please contact

ruth@partexchangeco.org.uk

THANK YOU's 08

A huge THANKYOU! to all the festival funders, sponsors and partners who

have made this festival possible via their commitment, time, energy and resources.

Together we are putting the spotlight on how Plymouth can grow via cultural events that spring from the city itself, getting the community involved and supporting the development of our local talent by showing what they can do!

SUPPORTING THE FESTIVAL

Our aim as a not-for-profit arts & social enterprise, is to ensure the Hidden City festival is funded by those who have a belief and vested interest in Plymouth along with a

desire to support the Arts. We welcome involvement from businesses, the public

sector, arts institutions and the public themselves – recognising that coming together creates a greater combined connectivity and awareness about what makes Plymouth great.

If you would like to support these aims by becoming a friend of the festival, and have your details included in our literature, please get in touch and we can give you more information about the options.

OUR PRINCIPLE FUNDERS WERE:

Arts Council England

Heritage Lottery Fund

Plymouth City Council

OUR PARTNERS AND SUPPORTERS:

Drum/Theatre Royal, Plymouth.

The Barbican Theatre, Plymouth.

Writernet - South West New Writing Network

Apples and Snakes South West

Penninsula Arts

Plymouth University

Creative Writing Faculty - Anthony Caleshu

Theatre Faculty - Roberta Mock, Phil Smith & Chris Hall

Plymouth College of Art and Design

Architecture Centre Devon and Cornwall

Plymouth City Museum

Plymouth Libraries

Plymouth and Devon Records Office

Thomas Westcott Accountants

Zest, Arts for Health Plymouth Hospitals NHS Trust, Derriford Hospital

Stoke Damerel Primary School

BBC South West

ITV West Country

Plymouth Gin

The Treasury Bar

Ker Street Social Club

The B Bar

OUR SPONSORS ARE:

Real Ideas Organisation

Urban Splash @Royal William Yard

PCAD - Plymouth College of Art and Design

Festival people – roles and biogs

There were over 90 people engaged in the Hidden City Festival 08. Local and Excellence were our watchwords in selecting them. This page tells you who they were, what they did to help make the first ever Hidden City festival a huge success.

Core team –

Rachel Aspinwall - artistic director

Ruth Mitchell - development director

Sandie Ferrar - finance director

Operations -

Andy Martin - technical production manager

Thomasin Marshall - costume and props

Emma Corkery - admin support

Emma Collinson - ushers co-ordinatorz

PR and marketing

Steve Gyseman – marketing manager

Nick Warren – graphic design

Bracken Vernon Jelier – PR, education and media

Exhibition and archive

Belinda Dixon - history and heritage co-ordinator

Matt Pontin - documentation team co-ordinator

documentation team - film: Yvonne Turner, Lukasz Sosnowski, Doug Specht. Photography: Simon Gomery, Kirsty Gash, Gemma Pearce, Steven Brown.

Jo Loosemore - exhibition advisor

David G Johns - exhibition assistant

Danielle Woodbridge - printing and graphics

Festival Artists

Commissions

Shiona Morton - I was brought up in Ayrshire and came south to train as a Drama teacher. I lived in Bristol for a number of years and recently moved to Brixham, Devon. In 2004 my play Baby Bank was produced at The Everyman Theatre in Cheltenham.

I then wrote RULate, for an Everyman schools tour, At the Hop for Forest Forge

Theatre Company and in 2006, the Play for Somerset, The Rain Has Voices. Show of Strength Theatre Company performed Celeb in south-west railway stations as part

of the Brunel 200 celebrations. Since then I have written Bailey Bridge for

NTC Touring Theatre and Mary Mary for Theatre West in Bristol. My most recent

project has been The Gliding Hour, a play about the seventeenth century portraitist

Mary Beale, written for The Point Young Peoples’ Theatre.

Peter Oswald - I am best known as a verse playwright who was the Writer in

Residence at Shakespeare's Globe from 1996 to 2005. I wrote three plays for that stage - Augustine's Oak, The Golden Ass and The Storm. My play Fair Ladies at a

Game of Poem Cards, (based on a Japanese puppet play) was staged at the Cottesloe National Theatre. I have written a stage version of the Hindu epic, The Ramayana, produced at the Birmingham Rep and the Olivier National Theatre. My version of Schiller's Mary Stuart was produced at the Donmar Warehouse in 2005 and at the A

pollo Theatre, Shaftesbury Avenue. I have written translations and versions of plays

by Sophocles, Racine, Kalidasa, Tirso de Molina and others. I'm currently working on

a new play for the Hampstead Theatre, as well as other projects. I have also been Writer in Residence at Dartington Hall, and now live at Ashprington, near Totnes.

Bill Wroath - Bill Wroath’s career spans thirty years and has worked in many arenas including theatre and opera. In his time he has constructed some of the largest sculptures produced for the stage, such as the eight-meter high, sword wielding angel, and a four meter tall Crucifix for the Welsh National Operas’ tours of Tosca and La Favorita. Other commercial work included a life sized Michael Faraday for National Power, giant butterfly show-jumps, for the Olympia, Horse of the Year Show, a copy of BT’s transatlantic yacht (Earl’s Court Boat Show), a figure head for Dunhill’s of London, as well as work for Jim Henson and Alton Towers. Bill is perhaps best known for his inventive fine art exhibitions and thought provoking installations, dealing with such diverse subjects as quantum mechanics, time and war. He has taught at several art colleges and universities as a visiting lecturer and at present Bill holds a proportional lecturing post at Plymouth School of Art and Design. He teaches in the Fine Art and Applied Arts departments. Bill still maintains strong links with the stage, producing film for contemporary dance performance. What this biography doesn’t tell you is that in the late seventies, Bill also worked as a fisherman out of the Cornish port of Fowey.

Jules Laville - Dance has inspired Jules since she was 10 years old. Her ongoing passion for dance has enabled her to move, travel and work in different communities, cities and countries with people from all walks of life. Within her work she aims to draw attention to, create an impact on and magnify what surrounds us (buildings, spaces, people, stories and current issues). Current work includes part-time resident dance animateur for the Barbican Theatre in Plymouth, Associate Lecturer for University of Plymouth (Performing Arts) and dance teacher/choreographer for Cygnet Theatre, Exeter. Jules trained at London Studio Centre and then went on to extend her training and dance performance experience with companies in Paris and Vancouver. Returning to her home town Plymouth, Jules became co-founder of DNA Dance Company and successfully toured the premiere performance of ‘La Lutte’ to The Place in London. Through her work at the Barbican Theatre Jules’s ‘Time to Dance’ project (for the older dancer) was selected by Arts Council England as one of six projects throughout the country to represent ‘Arts & Social Inclusion. More recent choreography commissions at the Barbican Theatre include ‘Syncapoda’ for The Bugs Project and ‘Two-thirds Blue’ for The Ocean Project; both performances provided inspirational connections with Science, The Environment, Heritage and Dance. Through her freelance work Jules has also worked with Stiltskin Theatre Company, Momentum Dance Company, Plymouth Theatre Royal and Billy Elliot Production Company.

Hugh Janes - I have been a writer for 30 years, working mostly on original plays or adaptations for commercial theatre, three of these are published by Samuel French. I have written five screenplays, two of which have been shot, a short and a feature film starring Brian Cox and Lauren Bacall, now in post production. I have had three plays filmed for BBC TV and was contracted to the BBC children's department for 4 years working on shows like 'Play Away'. During rehearsing my play 'Master Forger', at the Theatre Royal in 1993, I met my partner and moved to Plymouth. Whilst continuing with my other writing I had another play at the Theatre Royal and one in The Drum, been Writer in Residence with the Barbican Theatre and Plymouth City Libraries and written community plays, site specific pieces, a soap opera, a play for primary schools throughout Devon, Festival items and permanent wall poetry. Way back, I was a child actor and have worked in most areas of the theatre from asm to director.

Hugh Nankivell - Hugh is a composer and musician recently moved to Torquay, Devon after living for the past fifteen years in West Yorkshire. He is always involved in an eclectic mosaic of musical activity and has been commissioned to compose numerous pieces in a wide variety of styles including works for jazz, pop, folk, electronic and contemporary chamber ensembles. Currently interested in and engaged with site-specific music and theatre pieces, including working with The National Theatre of Scotland, Wilson+Wilson, Northern Stage, Coral Arts, The Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival, Opera North and The Barbican Theatre, Plymouth and also working on collaborative pieces with community groups including

Whaletone Opera – www.whaletone.co.uk ; in Japan and the UK, and works with Chol Theatre, Three Little Birds, The Halle Orchestra and Full Body and the Voice as well as with puppetry companies (including Faulty Optic, Freehand and Poppets Puppets. He has worked in over 300 schools on composition and performance projects, worked for three years as ‘Musician In Residence’ for the Tyne and Wear Museums Service and led workshops for the Contemporary Music Network touring programme. He has directed and supervised projects with The Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, The Halle Orchestra, Opera North, Opera Northern Ireland, Opera Theatre Company (Dublin), Glyndebourne Opera and the Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival and most recently been commissioned to lead primary schools workshops in Devon with Welsh National Opera.

Shadows

Hannah Mulder

Cathy McCabe

Bill Eaton

Selina Taylor

Alexis Kirke

Amie Lord

School project

Olwyn Foot - I have worked within the arts in an integrated way since I moved to the West country in 1990. I was trained as a drama teacher but took to the boards and became a performer/director for a theatre company in Kent. I soon became interested in the writing of text and had my first attempt published by Methuen in a book of multi cultural stories for children. However, my passion was always theatre and after moving to Cornwall I turned to writing plays. I was lucky enough to direct and tour my first major piece with Girls Own Theatre in the South West. My joy is variety and working in the community; being inspired by and working with real life, real people and real places. I have worked on many young people and community projects with Theatre Royal Plymouth, BBC Devon, and Creative Partnerships in Cornwall. Recently I have become very interested in site specific work which enables a cross arts look at spaces and places. The site at Stoke Damerel primary school is a jewel for a project based on site specific principles. It will take us into the past and perhaps into the future !- we are already hearing the drums of inspiration beating.

Monologues

Mentor – Simon Turley

Born in Bristol in 1958, Simon graduated from Cambridge University and trained as a teacher. He has been teaching Drama and English in schools in Plymouth for 26 years. For most of that time he has also been a playwright – initially writing pieces for students to perform, but then working under commission to write for all ages. He has been commissioned by: The Barbican Theatre, Paines Plough, Girls’ Own Theatre, Theatre Royal Plymouth, and Theatrescience. His theatre work has been performed extensively in the South West Region, as well as further afield in the UK, with plays performed in London, the Edinburgh Festival and in the North. He has also written for Television and is currently working on a film project. He has worked as a writer in conjunction with academic research into computer interactivity, contributing to conferences and articles. Publications include one play, and a forthcoming book about collaborations between artists and scientists, called Creative Encounters

Young Writers

Amy Jeffrey, Fara Halil, Ashlee Dillon, Taylor A Faith, Jack Redmond, Sophie Macdonald.

Wordworks

Mentor – Matt Harvey

Writer/performers – Ben Smalley, Clara Gardiner, Mark Jones Cook, Marrick Taylor

Dramaturges

Sarah Dickenson

Phil Smith

David Prescott

Rachel Aspinwall

Festival Rep Company

Peter Ellis, Aso Salm, Matt Freeman, Nat Tarrab, Hannah Mulder, Ruth Mitchell, Kevin Johnson, Gemma Conidis, Jo Tatum, Anita Parry, David Hawksland, Cassie Williamson, Rebecca Crookshank, Tim Goodwin, Tony Liddington, Sarah Hurley, Rachel Aspinwall, Adam Crawford, Mark Laville, Jo Carey, Connor McIntyre, Natasha Buckley, Amie Lord, Jules Laville, Amy Beadle, David Prescott, Steve Bennett, Helen Cartwright, James Palmer.

Volunteers

Cathy McCabe, Cassie Williamson

I am enough of an artist to draw freely upon my imagination. Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited.

Imagination encircles the world.

Albert Einstein (1879 - 1955)

About us:

Part Exchange Co is a Plymouth based performance company dedicated to

the research, development and production of high quality site-specific

performances and events that collaborate across the art forms and have new

writing at their heart. We aim to inspire both artists and audiences with where

and how performances can be created and experienced and to transform the

way that people engage with and perceive the environment in which they live.

Committed to creating site inspired, new writing performance work based on

creative exchange between writers and artists across the art forms, a key commitment of the organisations work is to the discovery and nurture of fresh

and emerging talent in new writing and performance. Helping develop young and emerging artists and their work by creating opportunities to work alongside established artists.

We aim to animate the city with new performance works and invest in the creative community by prioritising working with writers, artists, organisations and the

wider community of the city specifically and the south west region in general.

We intend to be an integral part of the cultural regeneration of Plymouth and

aim to do this by delivering a diverse programme of cultural activity - throughout the area - whilst working closely with both the private and public sector to develop our cultural offering and highlight the socio-economic benefits that this can bring.

Our signature event is the Hidden City Festival which first took place over

6 days from 29th September to the 5th of October in 2008.

Who we are:

Rachel Aspinwall – Artistic Director.

As a professional theatre practitioner of over 17 years experience, Rachel has worked as an actor, director and dramaturge and workshop leader in both the

new-writing and physical theatre worlds.

Currently artistic director of Part Exchange Co & the HIdden City Festival for which she devised and developed the intial ideas through to delivery of the festival in 2008. Previously she co-founded Menagerie Theatre Company in Cambridge, which nurtures and produces writers for the stage. She has acted, dircted and been the dramaturg for devised theatre and new plays both small and middle scale from ideas stage through to successful tours and runs. Set up and run numerous new writing development programmes for writers at all stages of their careers and co-founded the Cambridge Hotbed New Writing festival that will have its fifth festival in July 2009. For the inaugural Hotbed she co-devised the festival model creating a winning formula that is still adhered to today. Working intensively from funding stages through to management and programming of festival activities, script reading, acting and directing in festival work and training the festival rep company.

Notably as an actress, she took the solo role in the criticallly acclaimed production of Fraser Grace's Gifts of War. ‘absolutely compelling theatre’- the independent.

An arts council funded [ACE,E] professional development grant specifically

exploring site-specific cross-art form work and new writing, took her to

New York – a city whose people celebrate and are proud of their history – which

helped inspire the initial ideas and model of the Hidden City Festival for Plymouth.

Ruth Mitchell – Development Director.

Ruth has worked as a leading actor in theatre and television for twenty years.

As a classical actor she toured the world with the Royal Shakespeare Co. and

was nominated for her role as Queen Margaret in Henry VI. Whilst at the RSC, working for the director Katie Mitchell on ‘The Mysteries’, she instigated and produced a festival of new writing at the Other Place, wanting to showcase

emerging talent against the oldest written English texts, she brought in three

new writers and a dramaturge to watch ‘the Mysteries’ and to come up with their own response. Called “Modern Mysteries” it was given full performances at the

Other Place by members of the acting company. She has also appeared in the premieres of award winning new plays, ‘Kindertransport’ for the Soho theatre and ‘Smoke’ at the Manchester Royal Exchange. She appeared in the adaptation of

the Whitebread prize winning novel ‘Not the End of the World’ at the Bristol Old Vic and in Ted Hughes’ version of ‘Spring Awakening’ for the RSC. Three years ago she co-founded Ripple to take a production of ‘Pricked’ by Anita Sullivan to the Assembly rooms at the Edingburgh festival, after receiving critical acclaim there it played

the Drum Theatre Plymouth. Ripple’s second show ‘The Talisman’ played the Barbican theatre in late 2006 and sold out at the Drum in January 2008. Ruth is a

professional script reader with extensive experience of reading and assessing new plays and has access to new writing networks and resources both within and

without of the region.

Sandie Ferrar - Finance and Marketing Director

An accountant by background, Sandie has extensive corporate experience in

business development, marketing, systems and processes and working in the 3rd sector with charities and community organisations to bring about positive social

and economic change. She has founded several businesses both in the private

zand public sector and continues to be active in the running of these.

Past clients have included Relate, The Citizens Advice Bureau, Councils for

Voluntary Service, Housing Associations and a myriad of other small and very tiny community and voluntary organisations – many of which were arts based and culturally very diverse. Working closely with senior teams, Sandie had a track

record of developing and implementing change strategies that were underpinned

with solid financial and systems support and these resulted in improved

performance across the board within the organisations she helped.

In a stint as Operations Director within the Business Link movement, she was able

to use her experience to develop a range of business support services especially targeted at the creative industries and minority groups before joining

Part Exchange Co as a way of furthering her work and interests in the benefits

of cultural regeneration.

Inside the city is the city

Washed up by the sea

And downstream with the tin,

By the silting up of somewhere else,

Raleigh galloping down the stream....

Excerpt from original work by Peter Oswald

Welcome to the Hidden City Festival Website

Here you will find all you need to know about the Hidden City Festival 2008.

In 2009 we are developing ways to make the festival part of

Plymouth's cultural calender as a bi-annual event for the city.

We will be updating this page with our news and

other information throughout the year.

In 2008 we ...

Experienced the city in a new light

Hidden City 08 explored Plymouth's rich history and heritage through original site - specific works

and performances created by the region's finest writers

and artists and inspired by Plymouth's

most fascinating, hidden and forgotten spaces.

Look through the 2008 programme and our archive pages on this website for more

information and remember there will be a full Hidden City Festival

archive stored for posterity at the Plymouth records

office from April 2009.

2 COOL 4 SCHOOL

Part Exchange co can deliver their workshops to fit with your school needs and expectations.

2 Cool 4 School aims to inspire the pupils by investigating their own school site, working with the local community and sharing their stories to gather the rich material.

Stoke Damerel Primary School 2008

2 COOL 4 SCHOOL was a project led by years 5/6 and faciited by Olwyn Foot (Theatre Royal). They created a piece of installation and performance to celebrate the history and heritage of their school site. It worked across the curriculum involving creative writing, art & design, drama and history to create a golden moment within the pupils final years at primary level. Starting with an 'Inspire day' where members of the local community were invited into school to share their memories of the bulding, the pupils threw themselves into the task bringing in stories from grandparents and some even dug up relics from their gardens. The children treated the community with respect and polteness and it empowered the older people and gave them a sense of shared ownership with the children.

The site was originally the house of Admiral Collingwood - Nelson's 2nd in command, one of the year 6 girls found she was directly related to the Admiral and twins found out they were related to the local policeman who had caught the graverobbers in Stoke Damerel churchyard, an incident that is still talked about. These findings elevated the project into one of huge significance for the children.

'The children were an absolute delight, they loved the mystery of this place and it's history. The idea that where their school is now has been so many other things and has a history was a magic discovery it gave them a sense of themselves within an historical context'

- Olwyn Foot

'A truely golden moment within the pupils final year'

- Richard Marsh, Head teacher

If you are interested in the workshops please contact

ruth@partexchangeco.org.uk

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