February Newsletter
Is it February already? Time really does fly when you’re getting creative.
Sure, it’s the middle of winter, and very cold outside, but we’ve got just the thing to warm you up and put a smile on your face- a month full of new beginnings and familiar faces.
Last month we cheered on as The Company went into rehearsals for Barefaced (performances at Chelsea Theatre in March), we opened the floor to service users at our Co-Production meeting, started recruitment for our first ever Young People’s Project and Edge Two got back in action welcoming seasoned service users to explore Postdramatic Theatre.
The coming month is full to the brim with opportunities, chances to catch up with old friends and meet some new ones. As is Outside Edge tradition we will be holding an Anti-Valentine’s Day Social Event to share the love, eat some pizza and watch performances. Our Young People’s Project will be running over the half-term break and our Write Two group is back at the Royal Court welcoming a new cohort of writers. We’ll also share some exciting news with participants about February’s Masterclass offer in the next few days!
Why not try something new this month and join our Peer-led Check-in group? We have an exclusive interview below with our Peer Volunteer Phil to answer all of your questions about this group.
This month has brought a lot of new people our way and we would like to extend a warm welcome to all new participants! We look forward to welcoming you to the Outside Edge family. And if you have any friends or loved ones you want to invite to join the Outside Edge family get them to register their interest here. Everyone is welcome!
Let us reflect on the past month and tell you what we have in store.
February Workshop Schedule
Monthly Schedule of Activities
February 2022
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
6:30pm-8:30pm – Edge Two
**Edge Two is our intermediate performance group open to anyone who has attended any of our introductory groups for 3 months. If you are interested in joining Edge Two or want to find out if you are eligible contact Tess, [email protected]**
Tuesdays
3:30pm-5:30pm – East London Drop-in Drama (Shiv & Tess)
6:30pm-8:30pm – East London Write Now (Tunde & Charon)
Wednesdays
3:30pm-5:30pm – West London Write Now (Stewart & Jane)
6:30pm-8:30pm – West London Drop-In Drama (Tunde & Julia)
Thursdays
12:30pm-2:30pm – Women’s Drama Group (Charon & Vicky)
6pm-8pm – Write Two (starting 9th February)
** This is our intermediate writing group in collaboration with The Royal Court Theatre. The second cohort of writers has been selected and notified. **
Fridays
1:00pm-3:00pm – Peer-led Check-in (Phil)
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 (Júlia & Shiv)
The Company
Rehearsals for ‘Barefaced’ continue this month. All performers should refer to their rehearsal schedules for dates and times. If you are a Company member who is performing as part of this project and you need more information, please contact Molly.
Please note that all OETC groups (excluding Peer-led Check-in, Write Two & Edge Two) are now running a blended delivery, so you can attend in person or on Zoom.
A New Home for BAREFACED!
Following last month’s announcement that the VAULT Festival was cancelled, we are thrilled to announce that our upcoming production of Barefaced has found a home at Chelsea Theatre and rehearsals for the upcoming performance are in full swing! The members of The Company have been rehearsing for the past month with director Hannah Hauer-King and writer Jane Bodie and we can’t wait to see what they’ve put together.
Barefaced will be performed on Friday 18th March, 7.30pm and Saturday 19th March, 7.30pm and 3.30pm at Chelsea Theatre SW10 0DR.
Get your tickets below!
About the show:
“Frank? Frank! It’s your wife; remember me?”
When Frank dies a web of lies start to unravel. A group of mourners gather to mark the end of his life. But who really was Frank? And will anyone celebrate his life, or just claim back what was theirs?
Directed by Hannah Hauer-King (The Funeral Director; Fury; Fabric), written by Jane Bodie (Women’s Prize for Playwriting shortlist, Hampstead Theatre, Melbourne Theatre Company), Barefaced is a collaborative piece about tall tales and the deceit that lives within our stories, especially in the world of addiction.
Performers are all members of The Company and are in recovery.
Barefaced is kindly supported by:
Young People’s Project Starts This Month!
Recruitment for the Young People’s Project in on its way and we’ve had an inspiring month getting to know youth organisations, schools and community groups in Tower Hamlets and around London to share information about the project. We are still accepting referrals for the project and it’s not too late to share information or join in!
What is The Young People’s Project?
Outside Edge’s pilot Young People’s Project invites young people (aged 14-18) that have been affected by the addiction of a loved one. This February half term (February 14th-18th), participants will work with a team of two specially trained facilitators to create a short play that will be shared with an invited audience at Brady Arts Centre.
Across 5 days, the young participants will improve their confidence and wellbeing with a group of peers who have a similar lived experience. Creative activities and exercises will be designed to highlight the group’s collective skills, imagination and talents in an inclusive environment. The group is free to attend and young people don’t need to have any previous drama experience to participate.
This project will be led by our experienced facilitators Tunde and Julia who between them have years of experience making theatre and working with communities. We are thrilled to have them lead this new initiative and know that the project is in excellent hands.
Taster Sessions:
As part of the recruitment process we are making available a number of free taster sessions for young people’s services in East London for a chance to meet the facilitators leading the project and get a feel for the work we do. These sessions are a stimulating 1 hour long drama and creative writing workshops which explore the Five Ways to Wellbeing through a series of performance exercises and reflective writing. Participants will be encouraged to engage with each other in a creative way and explore their own wellbeing and artistic voice.
We have a limited number of these free sessions available for Young People’s Services. If you are interested in booking one of these sessions, please contact Tess: [email protected].
Referrals and How to apply:
If you are aged 14-18 and think this might be right for you.
If you are a parent, guardian or caregiver in recovery and would like to enrol a young person.
Email [email protected] and Tess or Molly will get in touch.
If you are a young person’s service, charity, school or community group and would like to know more, email [email protected] and we can arrange to send you more information or come and run a Taster Sessions for your service!
Keep an eye out for more information on our webpage here.
The Young People’s Project is generously supported by:
Anti-Valentine’s Day Social Event
Join us on Saturday 12th February for our annual Anti-Valentine’s Day event. Expect performances, pizza and a chance to mingle outside of the workshops setting as we swap Cupid for community and creativity. All friends of OETC and participants past and present are welcome to come along.
We will open the stage to performances from our incredibly talented service users, with sharings from our script writing groups (East & West London Write Now) and the Women’s Drama Group.
If you have something you’d like to share with our audience, please email us at [email protected] by 4th February 2022.
Venue: The Study Society, 151 Talgarth Rd, London W14 9DA.
Date: Saturday 12th February 2022
Time: 5pm-9pm
Please RSVP below by Thursday 10th February, so we can manage capacity and know to expect you. The event is free to attend.
Spotlight on… Peer-led Check-in
This month we shine a light on our Peer-led Check-in group. Our peer support group led by our service users for our service users. Want to know more? Find the answers to all your questions in this Q&A with our current Peer-led Check-in volunteer Philip Bayes:
1. Can anyone join Peer-led Check-in?
Anyone who has attended at least one Outside Edge Drop-In is able to join.
2. What can I expect if I join Peer-led Check-in?
At Peer-led Check-in you can expect to join a non-judgemental space to talk, where everyone is supportive. There is no requirement to stay for the whole session from 1pm-3pm, you can come and go as you wish too. Peer-Led Check-in is facilitated by a supportive peer volunteer of Outside Edge who have had their own recovery journey.
3. What if I can’t join the full session?
No problem! It is not a requirement of Outside Edge that you attend the entire session, it’s an open drop-in.
4. Why should I join Peer-led Check-in?
It’s a friendly space where you can talk to your fellow peers about how you are feeling and get support.
5. Does Peer-led Check-in ever meet in person?
We do sometimes meet in person as we think it’s good to meet for Social events. Previously, we met for a picnic on Hampstead Heath and in December we had a trip to Tate Britain. We are planning to do a social event very soon, maybe a meal or even a walk. Watch this space as details will be announced soon. Following feedback from existing peers it would be nice to meet in person once a month, if possible.
Peer-led Check-in meets every Friday, 1pm-3pm via Zoom. If you’d like to join, email Tess on [email protected] to get the link.
Quotes of the Month
From Our Friends
ROYAL COURT THEATRE-
Introduction to Translating for Theatre
Our friends at The Royal Court are running an Introduction to Translating for Theatre group that is open to anyone interested in theatre who has a strong and proficient knowledge of a language other than English. Some experience of translation outside of theatre settings is ok but please be aware this programme is designed for those with little to no previous experience in theatre translation.
To apply please complete this form: https://forms.gle/kaW5Qbn3F7Lbg5FL7
Deadline for applications is 5pm on Tuesday 8th February.
LEWISHAM YOUTH THEATRE-
Our friends at Lewisham Youth Theatre are looking for a new Outreach Producer. Find a full job description and how to apply here.
MIND TOWER HAMLETS AND HACKNEY
Mind in Tower Hamlets and Hackney has a couple of great training opportunities.
LEAP PROJECT- a self-esteem/self-worth building course to try to help people feel ready to start and run their own peer support or social groups.
Find out more here.
Support Us
To continue to offer our creative activities for free we rely on the continued support of grants and donations. If you would like to help Outside Edge through this challenging time, then please consider donating.
