Words Work

‘ The monologues programme was fantastic and has developed new writing skills and talent in the city’

Director, Barbican Theatre, Plymouth

Words work was a new writing programme aiming to significantly develop 6 young writers [16-24 yrs] identified as having talent and potential by working with a professional writer as mentor over a period of five months and producing a five minute monologue inspired by a hidden space within a well known cultural venue.

Wanting to give these new texts their optimum first outing, professional directors and actors produced the pieces, allowing the young people to see their work performed to the highest professional standards.

Audiences experienced the performances in small groups of five at a time, taking an intriguing tour of buildings via their hidden spaces and these site-specific performance works.

The three buildings in which the pieces were performed were the Theatre Royal, Plymouth, the Barbican Theatre and Plymouth University’s Roland Lewinsky building, meaning young writers work was showcased to very different audiences and exposed to some of the city’s most influential movers and shakers.

Over half of these young writers were then given on-going support and advice from the artistic associate of the Drum Theatre, Plymouth and a further two found new opportunities for developing and showing their work through other routes as a direct result of their involvement in Word Works.

‘I was able to produce a theatre piece in English language which I never expected to do. This was my first ever theatre piece in my whole life’

Young BME writer on Uncharted Waters

The young writers were Jack Redmond, Amy Jeffrey, Fara Halil, Taylor A Faith, Ashlee Dillon and Sophie Macdonald. Partners on the project were the Barbican Theatre, the Theatre Royal and Drum Theatre, Plymouth and Peninsula Arts.