August Newsletter
July was an invigorating month for Outside Edge – We reunited at our East London BBQ and enjoyed the ample talent the Outside Edge family has to offer. Our Phil Fox Award winning plays went into workshops and were showcased to a small audience of industry professionals. Our NEW East London Write Now group started with a bang! And we filmed our contribution for Overdose Awareness Day 2021.
We have an action-packed August ahead, with the announcement of our new intermediate writers group ‘Write Two’ in partnership with the Royal Court and four exciting show offers as part of our Theatre Club.
We hope to see many of you in the spaces as we slowly return to in-person delivery, and we look forward to meeting all of our new participants! For more information about what to expect about our phased return to in-person work see below.
August Workshop Schedule
Monthly Schedule of Activities
August 2021
If you are new to OETC and would like to participate in any of these activities then please register your interest here, and someone from our team will contact you.
Mondays
3:00pm- Back on Track: Wellbeing Workshops (West London NHS Trust)
Each session will explore a different element of wellbeing. These will be run by Psychological Wellbeing Practitioners from the Improving Access to Psychological Therapies team.
2nd August – Introduction to mindfulness
9th August – Relaxation
16th August – Improve your sleep
To register your interest, please click here to complete the online referral form.
Please give the following workshop code when competing the registration form: OE2AUG
6:30pm-8:30pm – Edge Two (Christopher & Julia)
Please note that due to the Bank Holiday (August 30th) Edge Two will be held on Tuesday 31st August.
If you have attended 3 months of any of our Drop-In activities and would like to join Edge Two for their next module please email admin@edgetc.org.
Tuesdays
3:30pm-5:30pm – East London Write Now (Tunde & Charon)
6:30pm-8:30pm – East London Drop-in Drama (Shiv & Alessandra/Tess)
Wednesdays
3:30pm-5:30pm – West London Write Now (Stewart & Alice)
6:30pm-8:30pm – West London Drop-In Drama (Tunde & Julia)
Thursdays
12:30pm-2:30pm – Women’s Drama Group (Charon & Gemma)
Fridays
1:00pm-3:00pm – Peer-led Check-in (Liam & Billie)
The chat room is open for participants to support each other or just meet up to chat about how they are feeling. Open to all participants who have attended 1 other group previously.
6:30pm-8:30pm – South London Drop-In Drama (Julia & Shiv)
Please note that all OETC groups (excluding Peer-led Check-in) are now running a blended delivery, so you can attend in person or on Zoom. Please see below for details about changes to Service Delivery from August.
To keep up to date with the latest schedules check us out on Twitter (@OutsideTheatre), Facebook (@Outsidedgetheatre) and Instagram (@Outsidedge) every Monday! Follow us on social media to see what Outside Edge is up to.
IMPORTANT CHANGES TO SERVICE
(COVID REGULATIONS)
While we welcome the lifting of restrictions announced by the Government in July, the safety and wellbeing of Outside Edge staff and Service Users is always at the forefront of our decisions. Outside Edge has therefore implemented measures to build confidence and a sense of safety for both our staff and Service Users. We are taking a phased approach to lifting covid measures, at a pace that works for staff and Service Users. We hope that this will give our facilitators and participants the confidence to continue to attend the sessions and return to in-person delivery slowly but surely.
Changes from August:
No need to Book In
We will be removing the booking system and reinstating ‘Drop In’ attendance for all registered OETC Service Users. If you are new to OETC you will still need to complete an induction ahead of coming to your first session. Register your interest in our sessions here.
Blended Sessions
The option to attend on Zoom will still be available for those people who are unable to make it to the physical space. We hope that the measures in place will help give you the confidence to come back to the space as and when you are comfortable to do so.
Social Distancing
We kindly request you maintain social distancing whenever possible and consider other participants and staff as you move around the workshop.
Face Coverings
We encourage those who can to continue to wear a face covering in indoor workshop spaces (unless exempt).
Refreshments
Unfortunately, we will not be offering refreshments during workshop activities, so please do bring your own water and snacks if required.
All these guidelines will be continually reviewed in line with government guidelines and the needs of the Outside Edge community. If you have any questions do not hesitate to ask, you can drop us a message on admin@edgetc.org.
NEW GROUP ANNOUNCEMENT – WRITE TWO
We are thrilled to announce that we are starting a NEW intermediate script writing group in September called ‘Write Two’, in an exciting partnership with the Royal Court Theatre!
‘Write Two’ members will form a new Writers Group led by a Royal Court-produced playwright at the Royal Court Theatre. The lead playwright will guide members through a gentle process to write a *full-length play. With writing time built into the structure of the group, members will also receive one-to-one dramaturgical support from the company’s literary department. Writers will build on the work they have undertaken in Write Now to delve deeper into structure, story, character and to develop their unique voice as a playwright. A selection of short pieces will be rehearsed by professional actors and directors to share with an audience in 2022.
This group is for those writers excited by the challenge of taking the next step with their writing and as such requires a minimum of 3 months continuous commitment to one of our drop-in Write Now groups in order to join.
You can now attend Write Now either in East London at Brady Arts Centre on Tuesdays (3.30pm-5.30pm) or in West London at Chelsea Theatre on Wednesdays (3.30pm-5.30pm). We plan to have two intakes over the next six months for the group, so make sure you start attending regularly if you wish to qualify for a place in Write Two!
More information about Write Two will be coming soon, so watch this space!
*the emphasis will be on completing a full idea for a play rather than on actual length of the play – for these purposes a full-length piece can mean anything from 25 mins and above
Write Two is generously supported by:
August Theatre Club
For August’s Theatre Club we have FOUR shows for you, three live and one you can stream from the comfort of your home!
So however you prefer to watch theatre there is something for you.
Heart of Hammersmith
Date: 12th August
Time: 2:30PM
Theatre: Lyric Hammersmith Theatre (LIVE)
The Globe On Tour Production – A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Date: 14th August
Time: 2:00PM
Theatre: Emslie Horniman Park (LIVE)
Priority Booking being offered to OETC participants so please let us know ASAP if you would like to attend.
The Globe On Tour Production – Audience Choice
Date: 14th August
Time: 7:00PM
Theatre: Emslie Horniman Park (LIVE)
Priority Booking being offered to OETC participants so please let us know ASAP if you would like to attend.
LAVA
Date: 16th- 21st August
Time: 2:30PM or 7:30PM
Theatre: The Bush (Live Stream)
As always tickets are limited and will be offered on a first come first served basis.
Email admin@edgetc.org if you would like to reserve your space, please include your name and which shows you are interested in. We will then get back to you to confirm your booking.
THANK YOU to the Royal Court for making us feel incredibly welcome on our Theatre Club trip to see their performance of Seven Methods of Killing Kylie Jenner last month!
We left inspired and elated to be back watching live theatre again!
Back On Track – Wellbeing Workshops
West London NHS Trust is offering Outside Edge Service Users free online Back On Track: Wellbeing Workshops. Each session will explore a different element of wellbeing. These will be run by Psychological Wellbeing Practitioners from the Improving Access to Psychological Therapies team.
First Workshop: Monday 2nd August 2021 at 3pm – Introduction to mindfulness.
The first workshop session will aim to develop an understanding of what mindfulness is and how it can benefit us. We will learn some simple mindfulness activities to practise and finally provide some information on where support is located and how to access it.
Upcoming Workshops:
Monday 9th August at 3pm – Relaxation
Monday 16th August at 3pm – Improve your sleep
To register your interest, please click here to complete the online referral form. Please give the following workshop code when competing the registration form: OE2AUG
If you have any questions please feel free to get in touch with the office.
EAST LONDON BBQ
Thank you to all who attended our East London BBQ last Saturday! It was great to be reunited with some old friends and make some new ones, and what a wonderful way to celebrate the launch of our TWO new East London drop-in groups at our new home in Brady Arts Centre, Tower Hamlets.
The day was spent socialising, eating and singing some classic tunes on the karaoke machine. We were treated to a number of incredible performances from the Outside Edge family, and were once again reminded of the sheer talent and creativity in our Recovery Community. From spoken word performances to traditional Chinese fan dancing, we spent the afternoon laughing out loud, being moved to tears and clapping along.
A special thank you to the superb performers who inspired and delighted us and to the wonderful volunteers who helped ensure the day ran smoothly!
“It was just a really nice afternoon seeing lots of people I know and enjoying the entertainment.”
“It was a great opportunity to meet old friends and new members of the family… I am so grateful to be a part of this community.”
Phil Fox Award R&D
The winning script of the inaugural Phil Fox Award for Playwriting Lessons for Diving by Silas Parry and two special commendation scripts Drift (Kristian Phillips) and Boomerang (Jack Stanley) were workshopped and showcased at the Jerwood Space last month. The cast and creative team included West End actors such as Tom Rhys Harries, Patrick McNamee, Sebastián Capitán Viveros and award-winning director Jude Christian (National Theatre, Royal Court, Lyric Hammersmith, Shakespeare’s Globe).
These workshops were an important next step for the Fox Award-winning scripts on their journeys to becoming full productions. We were so pleased that we could offer this extraordinary development opportunity for the three playwrights to collaborate with such exceptional actors and directors as they work towards the final draft of their scripts. By utilising the unique lived experience of Outside Edge’s community participants and artists throughout the development process, the work on these three scripts about issues related to addiction with a team of professional theatre artists was a fitting legacy for our founding Artistic Director, Phil Fox, after whom the competition was named. This combination ensures that these exceptional three plays now have the best possible chance of reaching audiences soon and that the three early-career writers are supported to continue refining their craft.
Read more about the winning plays and the exciting creative teams here.
The R&D showcases were open to an invited list of industry professionals, and we hope to be able to share full productions of these plays with a wider audience in due course.
The Phil Fox Award R&D project is supported by:
An Anonymous Friend of OETC
and
Overdose Awareness Day Live- 31st August
This month we are honoured to be taking part in International Overdose Awareness Day 2021. We were really excited to be a part of a project that collaborates with other recovery arts communities across England.
After weekly zoom sessions with Paul Bayes Kitcher from Fallen Angels Dance Theatre Company and Kate McCoy from Small Performance Adventures, Outside Edge participants filmed their contribution for the International Overdose Awareness Day 2021 Live pop up performances at the Leake Street Arches.
When will the performance be shared?
Performances will be shared online by recovery communities around the country on Overdose Awareness Day, 31st August 2021 from 11:11am.
Outside Edge will be sharing our London contribution video on our Facebook page at 17:17 – join us then and support us by commenting, sharing and liking our post.
What is the project about?
International Overdose Awareness Day is a global event held on 31 August each year to raise awareness of overdose and reduce the stigma of drug-related death. This project brings together a collective of UK addiction recovery arts organisations who collaborate to deliver pop-up performances across the country on 31st August each year to commemorate International Overdose Awareness Day.
You can see last year’s film here!
Who is involved?
The project will be led by Kate McCoy (Small Performance Adventures) with great companies including our friends Fallen Angels Dance Theatre Company and other recovery communities across the country (including Theatre Royal Plymouth, New Note Orchestra, Geese Theatre Company and Bristol Drugs Project).
Quotes of the Month
Thank you to our new supporters…
During these difficult times we would like to thank our recent supporters who have made donations to Outside Edge this month:
Support us
To continue to offer our creative activities for free we reply on the continued support of grants and donations.
If you would like to help Outside Edge through this challenging time, then please consider donating.
