your INTERNATIONAL centremagalogue

October 2013

Image: MET Opera Eugene Onegin

InternationalAdventureMonth13

Autumn suddenly seems to have arrived but we’re trying hard to keep up the excitement of summer with a month of national treasures and international adventures.

This October classic literature takes on a new look with Shakespeare and Greek myths brought to life on stage. We venture into traditions of India and music of Zimbabwe and we go a bit macho with three all-male productions back to back.

Read on to find out more about what’s coming up. Email suggestions for the next issue to sara@salisburyarts.co.uk and wait and see what happens...

Happy adventuring!

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BIG NEWSSuperheroes take over

On Saturday 14 and Sunday 15 September, Salisbury Arts Centre’s Family Fiesta was bustling with superheroes on a colourful creative mission.

Trinity Man and his sidekick Jared captured a few on film, including our dear friend Hercules who was defeated in virtually every challenge by a gifted bunch of mini heroes.

We’ve included a few picture highlights over the next few pages. Can you spot any familiar heroes under their colourful disguises?

We’d love to see your pictures too so why not email them to Super Sammy aka Sam Adams:samadams@salisburyarts.co.uk

Image: Superhero by Jared Thompson

BIG NEWS

Image: Superhero by Jared Thompson

Images by Jared Thompson

Images by Jared Thompson

Each year we hold an open exhibition on a set theme. This year’s theme was drawing. We had a chat with our new Visual Arts and Exhibitions Manager Fiona Cassidy about the theme and exhibition:

Why the theme of ‘drawing’ for the Open 2013?Drawing is very topical, there’s quite a resurgence in drawing in fine art at the moment. Drawing underpins all fine art techniques. It’s the first thing you learn to do and whether it’s as a study or a final work, most artists draw at some stage in their process.

What did you hope to see in the applications?A breadth of materials and techniques. I was really pleased with the works selected by the panel. There’s everything from iPad drawings to an ice installation and works in classical materials like pencil and charcoal that have been used in innovative ways.

What is Drawing?

How have the artists interpreted the theme? Widely! There are works in the exhibition that some people won’t consider drawing at all. The panel had quite a debate over some pieces. If people look at individual works and think they’re not drawing I’d encourage them to consider why they’re not and what ‘drawing’ is to them. We invited applications that challenge our perceptions of what drawing is and I think the artists selected have really done that. The exciting thing now is to see how people react and how perceptions change or stay the same after viewing the work. We’re not making a comment on what we think ‘drawing’ is; we’re inviting people to think about what drawing means to them. Responding to art is every bit as individual as creating it.

What makes an artwork stand out in an Open application process?That’s a really good question. Works stand out for different reasons. Some because they use materials in a really innovative way. Others are exquisitely executed or have interesting subject matter. Open 2013: DrawingThursday 3 October - Sunday 10 NovemberTuesday - Sunday 10am - 3pm (subject to closure during performance times) Image: Nicky Cornwell, Flowerhead

Image: Nicky Cornwell, Flowerhead

FilmA Hijacking - Thursday 3 October 7.30pm

Director’s Statement

Before I was born my father was a seaman, but he never spoke to me about it. Maybe that is why the sea has always been on my mind.

With the hijackings of the Danish-owned freighters Danica White and CEC Future in 2007 and 2008, I became aware of a reality that I did not know existed. A reality where shipping companies are forced to negotiate directly with pirates.

A reality where pirates earn millions of dollars and a reality where seamen are held hostage for months without any influence on their own fate.

I couldn’t make a film about the truth of the hijackings in the Indian Ocean, because I don’t believe that truth exists. But I could make a film about seamen, pirates, CEOs and relatives. Because they do exist. And if A Hijacking feels like it is about them, then I am very close to my goal.

What the press say:

“The superb third film in Richard Linklater’s series captures the melancholy of long-term romance” Mark Kermode

“So much better written than contemporary novels, this film is a literary as well as cinematic achievement to cherish.” This is London

“Hawke and Delpy, who are both credited on the script too, have never found co-stars to bounce off more nimbly or bring out richer nuances in their acting.” Daily Telegraph

Tickets are £7 per film or £6 for members.

Before Midnight - Wednesday 30 October 7.30pm

MET Opera Live from New York

If you love the costumes, sets, drama and musicianship of opera then they don’t come much better than The Metropolitan Opera. New York is quite a trek so we’re making the most of the wonders of technology and bringing the MET to you!

Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin - Saturday 5 October 5.55pmAnna Netrebko and Mariusz Kwiecien star as the lovestruck Tatiana and the imperious Onegin in Tchaikovsky’s fateful romance. Deborah Warner’s new production, directed by Fiona Shaw, is set in the late 19th century and moves episodically from farmhouse to ballroom, with a powerful snowstorm providing the dramatic setting for the finale. Piotr Beczala is Lenski, Onegin’s friend turned rival.

Shostakovich’s The Nose - Saturday 26 October 5.55pmWilliam Kentridge stormed the Met with his inventive production of Shostakovich’s opera, which dazzled opera and art lovers alike in its inaugural run in 2010. Now Paulo Szot reprises his acclaimed performance of a bureaucrat, whose satirical misadventures in search of his missing nose are based on Gogol’s comic story. Pavel Smelkov conducts.

Tickets: £16 / £14 concessions (Members £15 / £13)

MET Opera Live from New York

Shakespeare has his lovers and haters. One of our team was never a fan until she saw Propeller perform. She sat in on a rehearsal of the full-scale tour of The Merchant of Venice and listened as Ed Hall and his talented ensemble of actors drew out the humour and drama of the text. She credits Propeller with transforming her view of Shakespeare. We think Ed Hall’s introduction to the company and their work might just explain why they made such a difference:

“Propeller is an all male Shakespeare company which mixes a rigorous approach to the text with a modern physical aesthetic. We look for as many ways as possible to inform the physical life of the production with the poetry of the text, and we give as much control as possible to the actor in the telling of the story.

The company is as all companies should be: defined by the people in it and not owned by an individual.

Discover a passion for

ShakespearePropeller’s Pocket Merchant of Venice - Wednesday 9 October 8pm

We want to rediscover Shakespeare simply by doing the plays as we believe they should be done: with great clarity, speed and full of as much imagination in the staging as possible. We don’t want to make the plays ‘accessible’, as this implies that they need ‘dumbing down’ in order to be understood, which they don’t. We want to continue to take our work to as many different kinds of audiences as possible, and so to grow as artists and people. We are hungry for more opportunity to explore the richness of Shakespeare’s plays and, if we keep doing this with rigour and invention, then I believe the company, and I hope our audiences too, will continue to grow.

The Merchant of Venice is one of Shakespeare’s most stimulating and controversial dramas which we have set in a prison called Venice - an environment which brings out the more radical tendencies in human nature, an environment that is fertile ground for the ferocious intolerance that Shakespeare examines.”

Propeller’s Pocket Merchant of Venice is kindly supported by Fletcher & Partners.

Image: Propeller by Dominic Clemence

Male Dance ExplosionEcho - Thursday 10 October 8pm

The performance comes with a thumping original soundtrack created by Composer, Musician and Sound Designer Ivan Stott.

The Company has been mentored by choreographer Ben Wright, Amit Lahav Artistic Director of Gecko Theatre, the genius of lighting design Michael Hulls and award-winning performer and choreographer Bettina Stricktler.

Here’s what audiences say:“I suppose I had a stereotype in my head and that was ripped apart. Maybe the best representation of emotion - especially fear that I have seen in a performance piece.” Audience member new to dance

“…phenomenal.... masculine, high-energy dance… the whole piece felt like Apocalypse Now, dance as theatre accompanied by beautiful music” The Wharf

If we said the word “dance” to you what would be the first thing that came to mind? Young girls in pink tutus? Cutting-edge contemporary dance? Strictly Come Dancing? Street Dance? How about an all male company, a revolving sand tower and a piece inspired by action and war movies? Once you’ve seen Echo, chances are it will be!

Echo is the new show by Zoie Golding and her talented all-male company, ZoieLogic.

Five male dancers explode onto the stage with a performance inspired by action and war movies. The dance is strong, physical and theatrical. It tells the story of a mild-mannered office worker pushed to the brink over a pair of missing scissors. Suddenly a mundane office becomes a war zone.

Male Dance ExplosionEcho - Thursday 10 October 8pm

“I had a stereotype in my head that

was ripped apart...”

A cappella music & danceThe Black Umfolosi 5 - Friday 11 October 8pm

Some things just belong together: jelly and ice cream, rhubarb and custard, sun and sand... We racked our brains but couldn’t come up with a better pairing than music and dance. Surely everyone likes a wiggle to a really good tune? The Black Umfolosi 5 fellas certainly do!

The Black Umfolosi 5 has thrilled audiences across the world with its joyful performances.

Known for crowd-pleasing songs and Gumboot Dances, the group combines rich harmonies with intricate rhythms and vibrant stomping and leaping.

If you love rhythms that tickle your feet and get you wiggling, enjoy the wonderful harmonies of a cappella song or fancy a fun night out with friends then The Black Umfolosi 5 is the perfect ticket.

Click to watch them in action:

The Black Umfolosi 5Friday 11 October 8pmTickets: £14 / £12 concessions

The Magical PlayroomCerrie Burnell is a familiar face for CBeebies viewers. We caught up with her to find out more about her show The Magical Playroom and what it feels like to be on stage rather than your TV screen:

Where did the inspiration for The Magical Playroom originate?The Magical playroom was inspired mainly by the wonder of my own daughter’s imagination. Though Libby shares the same disability as me and faces a similar dilemma, beyond that the story is fictional.

When Libby escapes to her playroom her toys come to life. What kind of characters can families expect to meet?When Libby escapes to the Magical playroom and the toys have come to life, she meets Valentine the beautiful and wise rocking horse who was once owned by a young wizard. She also meets Marzipan, a feisty ragdoll who loves baking cakes, and Snow the snow tiger who is fierce and brave.

We read that you trained as a stage actress before joining the CBeebies team. How does it feel to be back on the stage once more?Being back on stage is wonderful and incredibly uplifting - I would love it to continue.

What would you like the audience to take away from the performance?The story is multi-layered, so there is something captivating for every age. I hope the audience leave having been moved and inspired, with a deeper understanding of inclusion.

The Magical PlayroomSunday 13 October 12noon & 2pmTickets: £8.50 / £7.50 concessions / £30 family of 4 (Members: £7.50 / £6.50 / £26 family ticket for family members)

Kathakali comes to town this month so we thought we better take a look at the 500 year old masterpiece and what it’s all about. Kala Chethena Kathakali Company gave us a few pointers:

First thing’s first, how do you pronounce Kathakali? Kathakali is pronounced cat-a-cally.

What is Kathakali and what does it mean? Kathakali means story play. It’s the male classical dance drama which originated in the temples of Kerala, South West India, over 500 years ago. It entices the audience into the enchanting world of Asian storytelling with a magnificent combination of drama, dance and music. Characters with stunning three dimensional make-up and elaborate costumes re-enact stories from the ancient Indian epics where good and evil battle for supremacy and mythology comes alive.

KathakaliFriday 18 October 8pm

How does it differ from other Indian Dance?Kathakali is very different from other classical Indian dance styles. A Kathakali performer is known as an actor and not a dancer and a performance is called a play. The actor is translating a poem being sung in Sanskrit and Malayalam into a specific body language. At the end of each verse there is a piece of pure dance called a Kalasham, which reflects the emotional content of the story.

What are Kathakali plays about?Kathakali plays are about the characters and their relationship to each other through everyday situations. Social and personal issues are the basis of the story and include war, government, power, society, love, marriage, trust, forgiveness and loyalty.

Who is The Kala Chethena Kathakali Company?The Kala Chethena Kathakali Company was founded in 1987 to make Kathakali accessible to as many people as possible whilst maintaining its ancient cultural heritage. Since then the company has toured the UK and internationally with WOMAD festivals.

KathakaliFriday 18 October 8pm

Image: The Kala Chethena Kathakali Company

Image: Stone Donkey Pilots and The Intercepteurs

Salisbury Music AwardsAltar Club, featuring Subgiant, The Intercepteurs, Gazibo, Stone Donkey Pilots

Salisbury Music Awards are back for their annual outing with a stellar line-up to match.

Festival favourites Subgiant will be on headlining duties with local heroes The Intercepteurs, Gazibo and last year’s triple award winners Stone Donkey Pilots.

Who will take home the trophies this year?

With Live Music, tonnes of Awards, Altar Club Resident DJ’s and many surprises along the way make sure Altar Club gets your vote this October!

Altar ClubSaturday 19 October 8pmTickets: £5 in advance / £6 on the door (Members: £4 / £5 on the door)

Laughter therapyWe’re still testing the laughter diet theory that we floated in our first ever Magalogue. We’ve not seen major results - though that might have something to do with the wonderful cakes in the cafe - but we’re certainly feeling cheery! Now the weather’s taken a turn for the worse, laughter therapy is needed more than ever so the Barnstormers Comedy team has come up with a great line-up for your October dose.

Our second dose of Barnstormers autumn comedy comes in the shape of the versatile Geoff Boyz, the hugely talented Pierre Hollins and the ever popular Danny Pensive.

“Fast and very funny” GQ Magazine on Geoff Boyz

“Wild and wonderful” Venue Magazine on Pierre Hollins

“Gloriously deadpan and very funny” South Wales Post on Danny Pensive

Barnstormers ComedyFriday 25 October 8.30pmTickets: £12 / £11 concessions / £13 on the door (Members: £11 / £10 / £12)

Image: Danny Pensive

THE HEATHA Salisbury OdysseyEarlier this year our Outreach and Engagement team took to the streets of Bemerton Heath with a merry band of filmmakers. They were on a mission to create a brand new film inspired by Homer’s Odyssey. They didn’t have a cast until they arrived. They didn’t even have a story but 14 weeks later they had a film and this month it will be screened on our big screen. We chatted to Engagement Manager Simon Morris about the project:

Where did the idea come from for the Salisbury Odyssey project?It was inspired originally by The Paper Cinema’s Odyssey which we showed at Salisbury Arts Centre last year. It’s such a good story and seemed a perfect metaphor for the obstacles and adventures of young people’s lives in the suburbs of Salisbury.

What was your highlight of filming The Odyssey?When we got six weeks or so into the project and suddenly we had a regular cast of young people turning up and waiting for us because they were really enthusiastic about the project and looking forward to the next bit of filming.

How does the Salisbury Odyssey vary from Homer’s?The Salisbury Odyssey is more about day to day life and in it Homer’s crew are a group of friends making their own entertainment around Bemerton Heath. There aren’t any boats either but there’s plenty of free-running.

What’s the next big filmmaking project?We’d like to roll out the Odyssey to other areas around Salisbury and there are also plans to set up another filmmaking project in Bemerton Heath.

The Heath: Salisbury Odyssey Screening Tuesday 29 October 6pmFREE entry

Stay on for UnmythableTuesday 29 October 7pmTickets: £12 / £10 concessions / £35 family of 4

Three actors and all the greek myths...

Unmythable If you love a good story, they don’t come much better than the Greek myths. Think Jason and the Argonauts, Troy, Clash of the Titans and O Brother Where Art Thou - all based on the classics. Temple Theatre’s new show mashes them all together to create a show that is utterly Unmythable... or so its audiences say:

“This brilliant and comedic journey across the seas had the crowdroaring with laughter… utterly entertaining” Three Weeks

“A sensationally physical piece of theatre … a masterclass inholding the audience spellbound” Fringe Review

“If you’re looking for a fun show for all the family that has monstrous laughs and gigantic brains, look no further than this magical mish‐mash of Greek delights” Edinburgh Guide

“Ancient Greece meets the Godfather, with a dash of blues guitar ‐ this gem is simply unmythable.” Fringe Biscuit

So what’s it all about?

In Temple Theatre’s new show, audiences set sail with Jason and the Argonauts as he takes on his greatest mission: the quest to bring back the Golden Fleece. Along the way they narrate, sing and clown their way through all the Greek myths you’ve ever heard of, and some you never knew existed.

Legendary heroes, deadly monsters, epic fights and fantastical flights are all brought vividly to life in an Unmythable adventure that merges first class physical theatre with high-jinx antics, song and drama.

UnmythableTuesday 29 October 7pmTickets: £12 / £10 concessions / £35 family of 4

Princess and the Pea

Do you love puppets and really good stories? If you do, or you know a 3 - 7 year old who does, then read on because Norwich Puppet Theatre has been telling us all about its new show, Princess and the Pea.

We love a good Hans Christian Andersen tale. Why did you decide upon The Princess and the Pea?Joy Haynes, the show’s director, has always been interested in Hans Christian Andersen’s work and has directed and performed in many adaptations of his stories. She was drawn to Princess and the Pea because it has been one of her favourite fairytales since she was a child.

What new things will you bring to the production?There is a mixture of styles of different puppetry combined with the manipulation of objects. One of the great things about puppetry is that you are not confined by the boundaries of scale that apply to traditional theatre, or indeed real life. The ‘bedtime’ aesthetic can therefore become a dominating presence in the performance, taking over the space and the world that the characters are inhabiting.

We hear that the show involves dreamlike projections. Is it important to you to use a variety of mediums?Utilising different mediums can enrich a production, and we do often combine traditional puppetry with projections and animations if this works within the context of the story. It gives another layer to the audience’s whole experience and its fun to combine the live performance with pre-recorded visuals.

What is your ideal audience response?We want to give audiences a magical experience that will stay with them. Puppetry has a transformative power and we love the look on children’s faces as they leave a performance after having been totally transported to a different world.

Princess and the PeaThursday 31 October 11am & 2pmTickets: £7.50 / £6.50 concessions / £24 family of 4 (Members: £6.50 / £5.50 / £20 family ticket for family members)

How routine shopping could support the artsThat feeling of frustation that comes with handing over hard-earned cash for a boring but necessary purchase is all too familiar. Marketing and Development Manager, Sara Lock, has found a solution that is proving rather addictive:

I’d heard of www.easyfundraising.org.uk some time ago - a shopping site where you could buy things from a variety of online stores and raise money for charity. I didn’t quite trust it. When I clicked the link to my favourite online store would it take me there? Would my purchase be lost without trace? Surely it would cost more?

When our Fund Development Co-ordinator set up Salisbury Arts Centre as a registered cause I thought I should at least look into it a bit further to show my support. When I signed myself up I had no idea how much it would change the way I think about shopping. Suddenly shopping for car insurance was actually quite exciting!

As it turned out it was actually really easy to use. You can search for your favourite stores online, the links really do take you direct to those sites and sure enough everytime I made a purchase via Easyfundraising links Salisbury Arts Centre earned a bit more money and it didn’t cost me a penny more. In fact it saved me money!

Browsing through the Top Donations list I discovered that several insurance companies were offering £40 donations when you bought via Easyfundraising. At the time, I needed car insurance so out of interest I filled in my details for an online quote. Not only did it come out £100 cheaper than my previous deal but it earned £40 for Salisbury Arts Centre.

I got quite a buzz from the knowledge that my car insurance purchase could now be paying for a community workshop to inspire and develop the skills of young people.

So I started researching what else I could buy! Several train tickets and shops later I had earned £70 and was telling all my friends how they too could be earning money for their favourite charities.

I wish I’d trusted Easyfundraising earlier. 2700 retailers have registered to donate a percentage of all purchases made in their online shops to our chosen charities. I know they’re getting something back and I’m willingly playing along by choosing to buy from companies who are registered with Easyfundraising rather than those who aren’t... but if those companies are willing to pay money to my favourite charity then I’m happy to play along!

Next time you’re begrudgingly handing over money for something online I thoroughly recommend taking that little detour along the way. It certainly changes the way you feel about insurance, travel and grocery shopping! It gives you the chance to choose where your money goes.

Almost 2/3 of adults in the UK shop online. If each of those raised just £10 for UK charities, our world could look quite different couldn’t it?

If you love the arts and, like us, believe that everyone should have the opportunity to smile at a performance, to see their child perform or to find a talent that enables them to shine then please join me in supporting our cause.

If you would like to support Salisbury Arts Centre through Easyfundraising, go to www.easyfundraising.org.uk and follow the easy steps to register. If you need some help, feel free to give Sara or Chris a call on 01722 343020 or email sara@salisburyarts.co.uk.

October DiaryThursday 3 A Hijacking film Friday 4 Casablanca independent Saturday 5 MET Opera: Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin opera Saturday 5 & Bed Among the Lentils independent Sunday 6 Sunday 6 Big Band Brunch with GOJO music Wednesday 9 Café LUA café Wednesday 9 Pocket Merchant of Venice theatre Thursday 10 Echo dance Friday 11 The Black Umfolosi 5 music Saturday 12 Acoustic Café music Sunday 13 The Magical Playroom family Sunday 13 Doug Allan Life Behind the Lens independent Tuesday 15 Magic Lantern film/café Friday 18 The Kala Chethena Kathakali Company theatre Saturday 19 Live Lunch: Adam Moore music/café Saturday 19 Altar Club music Sunday 20 Shoot Out Screening film Friday 25 Barnstormers Comedy comedy Saturday 26 Live Lunch: Jess Morgan music/café Saturday 26 MET Opera: Shostakovich’s The Nose opera Sunday 27 Live Lunch: Jon Kenzie music/café Tuesday 29 Unmythable theatre/comedy Wednesday 30 Before Midnight film Thursday 31 Princess and the Pea family Thursday 31 Hijack Open Mic music

PLUS One-off Workshops and Workshop CoursesFull programme details available at www.salisburyartscentre.co.uk or you can contact the Box Office on 01722 321744.