The National Youth Theatre of Great Britain is bringing Auditions to Bristol’s The Trinity Centre on Mon 17th February and Sun 23rd February in 2020 as part of their search for talented young performers and creatives across the UK.

Are you a young performer aged 14-25? Auditions are now open to join The National Youth Theatre of Great Britain, a company of talented actors, musicians, designers and technicians.

Take part in a 3 hour audition preparation workshop followed by a 1-2-1 audition with a monologue of your choice. Bursaries are available.

Please visit our website for more information: www.nyt.org.uk/apply

Successful auditionees will take part in a 2-4 week summer course in London and become members of the National Youth Theatre until they turn 26. National Youth Theatre members have access to professional castings, perform in our National Tours and West End Shows, gain free Creative Leadership and Inclusion training and more.

Be part of something bigger. Join the National Youth Theatre in 2020.

Find out what happens at an audition day: https://soundcloud.com/nytofgb/naitonal-youth-theatre-what-happens-at-an-audition-day

Image credit: To Kill A Mocking Bird, 2018 REP Company directed by Meghan Doyle, photo by Helen Murray

The National Youth Theatre of Great Britain is bringing Auditions to Bristol’s The Trinity Centre on Mon 17th February and Sun 23rd February in 2020 as part of their search for talented young performers and creatives across the UK.

Are you a young performer aged 14-25? Auditions are now open to join The National Youth Theatre of Great Britain, a company of talented actors, musicians, designers and technicians.

Take part in a 3 hour audition preparation workshop followed by a 1-2-1 audition with a monologue of your choice. Bursaries are available.

Please visit our website for more information: www.nyt.org.uk/apply

Successful auditionees will take part in a 2-4 week summer course in London and become members of the National Youth Theatre until they turn 26. National Youth Theatre members have access to professional castings, perform in our National Tours and West End Shows, gain free Creative Leadership and Inclusion training and more.

Be part of something bigger. Join the National Youth Theatre in 2020.

Find out what happens at an audition day: https://soundcloud.com/nytofgb/naitonal-youth-theatre-what-happens-at-an-audition-day

Image credit: To Kill A Mocking Bird, 2018 REP Company directed by Meghan Doyle, photo by Helen Murray

A Spark and a Beating Heart

Devised by Firebird Theatre

Produced by MAYK

Presented in association with Bristol Old Vic

History. Myth. Remembering. What stories can we tell each other of our past?

Created and written by the company, A Spark and a Beating Heart is about us. Who we are, how we came here and why we do what we do. It’s a celebration and a love-letter, a party and an elegy. Mixing the many myths of the firebird with a collective reflection on lives lived. We are here to tell you our story.

Yes, a spark and a beating heart full of fire, just before the story starts or the lights come up, us small players become the main act.

Firebird Theatre are a unique group of disabled theatre-makers, spanning generations. They have been making theatre together for 25 years. Their experiences tell stories of shifting attitudes towards difference and disability; of understanding and ignorance.

Dates and times:

Thu 11th May (2pm & 7pm), Fri 12th May (7pm), Sat 13th May (7pm)

Show length 90 mins.

Bar and Box office will be open 40mins before performance start time.

Photo credit Paul Blakemore

ATTACK! Pro Wrestling return to the Trinity Centre, Bristol on Sunday 20th October for another night of Weird & Wonderful professional wrestling as we proudly present our annual spooktacular

We'll be opening up doors at 3:30pm with the first match beginning at 4pm to give you enough time to settle in before we start

No physical tickets will be distributed for this event. Print off your PayPal receipt or present your transaction number on the door.

This event will be recorded for On Demand. No filming permitted

A game of ever-changing rules. Outside the Club combines juggling, sculpture, and movement choreography to create a series of complex worlds which require extreme cooperation and competition to succeed.

The personal politics between the three characters, their objects, and their audience create moments of comedy and pain, and become representative of larger societal relationships. Performed to an uplifting soundtrack featuring Great British musicians, Outside the Club is a celebration of rhythm, playfulness, and visual satisfaction.

Broken Box are a collective of three graduates from the UK’s two circus schools: Circomedia and the National Centre for Circus Arts. They combine their distinctive juggling and performance styles to create emotive circus theatre. Outside the Club is their first show together.

Running time: 50 mins - Suitable for All Ages

Check out the rest of the Circus City 2019 programme here.

Hype perform on the Trinity stage at Harbourside Festival 2019. Photo Alastair Brookes

Young female street dancers will be taking over Arnolfini as part of the Trinity supported 'Let Us Dance' project that runs alongside Arnolfini's 'Still I Rise' exhibition.

Running in the gallery space every Sunday, until Dec 15, 'Let Us Dance' is a celebration of young women. Street dancing teenagers, enter the gallery space, dance to soundtracks from their mobile phones playing their choice of songs and then leave the space. This is a simple act of resistance, defiance and tremendous skill.

Trinity have been working with Bristol-based dance groups to invite young women aged 13-19 to get involved. Some of the groups taking part already have strong connections with Trinity; HYPE meet weekly at Trinity and are supported by Trinity's Community Kick Start initiative and Rise Youth Dance have performed their annual showcase at Trinity. Also performing are BS13 / Storm who took part in Trinity's Dances Stage at Bristol Harbourside Festival last July.

Head down to Arnolfini every Sunday between 1pm and 4pm and you might just catch one of the vibrant surprise performances of young women taking ownership of a space they are usually denied.

Let Us Dance is presented by Arnolfini, with the support of Trinity Centre.

“When you go Home, tell them of us and say, For your Tomorrow, we gave our Today” (John Maxwell Edmunds).

This emotional show mixes up all sorts of dance styles to not just remember but bring to life the people who lived and died during World War II on remembrance Sunday, the 75th anniversary of the D-Day landings.

Using tap, ballet, acrodance and contemporary we move from a carefree world of singing and dancing, several years on from the close of the Great War – “the war to end all wars” - before war is then declared again, and watch the hopes and camaraderie of the first journeys off on campaign, the goodbyes, the waiting – on the Western and the Home Front – and the brutal finality for so many who lost their lives or loved ones.

South West Dance Theatre have produced this show in conjunction with the 75th anniversary of the D-Day landings, with the aim to commemorate all those who have suffered in any war.

In addition, as an all-female company their focus has narrowed in on the hopes, fears, losses and work of the women during the war but to emphasize the context there are scenes from conflict and the trenches.

There will be a collection for the Poppy Appeal during the event.

South West Dance Theatre is a Community Interest Company established in 2010 to promote dance and dancers in the region and support local causes. We produce dance theatre drawing on a range of disciplines including ballet, tap, acrodance, contemporary and Latin.

This participatory workshop will include the distinctive mbira rhythms, songs, percussive accompaniment with traditional ‘hosho’ shakers, ululating and dance. Mbira music lifts the spirits and feeds the soul.

This is a rare opportunity to experience the traditional mbira music of Zimbabwe first hand.

Roxana (far right) and Lullabies producer Katy Noakes (far left) surrounded by children from the Rosemary Nursery @ Alexa Ledecky

Trinity neighbours Rosemary Nursery came along for a workshop in the afternoon. They were welcomed in a cosy space that really reflected the warm and intimate feel of the Lullabies project. The children and carers sat comfortably on colourful cushions and carpets and watched an audio-visual piece that showcases the Lullabies gathered by Roxana and her team.

The Lullabies rickshaw created by Designer Ruth Ramsay @ Alexa Ledecky

They then learnt to sing a Somalian lullaby with two project participants before having their photo taken on the Lullabies rickshaw. The rickshaw was created by Designer Ruth Ramsay with the idea to involve further communities by cycling around more cities to gathering more lullabies.

Trinity Engagement Office Edson Burton reading his poem amongst an audience of adults and children @ Alexa Ledecky

The workshop was followed by an evening sharing attended by a larger, mainly adult audience. The audio-visual piece was screened again and followed by a live Kurdish lullaby singing and a poem reading.

Adults and children interact after the screening and live performances before a Q£A with the Lullabies creative team @ Alexa Ledecky

It felt particularly special and soothing to have children and adults come together as part of the sharing. During the feedback session, an audience member said: “Loved having kids around made it beautifully relaxed, comforting and accessible”.

Lullaby contributors serve home made Somalian food to audience members @ Alexa Ledecky

Everyone was able to enjoy freshly cooked Somalian food as part of the sharing, which was kindly prepared and served by local project participants. This brought a particularly heart warming touch to the evening and allowed everyone to engage in informal conversations.

Two audience members sit with colourful pieces of bunting and pens on their knees @ Alexa Ledecky

As well as discussing the project with Roxana and her team in a Q&A, the audience could give written feedback about the sharing, of which: “Beautiful songs, images, words and feelings. Thank you to all who shared. It has inspired me to explore my own heritage through song” and “So much love down the generations. Singing of fears and making them less”.

The IGNiTE and Lullabies teams pose together in front of the Rickshaw @ Alexa Ledecky

Read more about the Lullabies project on Roxana’s website and about our other artists in resident including Ania Varez, Viki Browne and Vicki Hearne.

About IGNiTE

IGNiTE is Trinity's in house programme of world-class, innovative theatre and dance about issues that matter to people now, starting conversations and sparking debate. IGNiTE is supported using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England and by Bristol City Council.

Trinity Centre welcome IGNiTE associate artist: Ella Mesma Company for a week long residency from 15 - 20 Apr.

As part of their residency the company invite you to join them each morning for an open dance and movement workshop (Mon - Fri,10am - 11.30am).

EMC have a unique movement language using a range of techniques such as contemporary dance, contact work from partner dances (such as salsa, tango, kizomba), breaking, Afro-Latin and Latin folkloric dances, capoeira and aerial dance. In these workshops you will use elements from the series of seven workshops for dance artists and dance lovers called the “HOME Series”, inspired by the chakra system and created on the dance company.

Ella Mesma is the 2018/19 IGNiTE Associate Artist to find out more about IGNiTE and our supported artists click here

About EMC

EMC are a British based dance theatre company who use folk dances in a contemporary context to allow transformation: telling personal and global and stories and connecting to our truest selves. The company strive to undo limiting beliefs, explore healing and celebrate cultural and social identity using dance and theatre. With a mix of dance forms, circus and theatre, the work is bold, political and personal.
Cost: £4 + booking fee per class or £15 + booking fee for the week.

To book tickets click below on the date you would like to book.

Monday 15th April 10am - 11.30am

Tuesday 16th April - 10am - 11.30am

Wednesday 17th April - 10am - 11.30am

Thursday 18th April - 10am - 11.30am

Friday 19th April - 10am - 11.30am

To book a week ticket including all the workshop and save £5 click here

Darren Pritchard’s Rent Party was programmed as part of our IGNiTE theatre and dance Spring Season.

Maya Ilogu, aspiring actor and Bristol resident has been blogging about coming along to our IGNiTE performances and workshops this Spring. Read her latest instalment on Darren Pritchard’s Rent Party, that we like to call ‘come dance at Rent Party, even though you’ve not done this type of thing before’.

Over to Maya:

On the 16th March I attended both the workshop and performance of Rent Party. When I arrived I went straight into the main theatre; which was where the workshop was being held.

"As a person of colour living in the UK the show was relatable and they talked about a lot of issues in the UK"

During the workshop I learnt some choreography which I found out was going to be a part of the performance. This is something I didn’t expect to be doing and I don’t have a lot of experience but it was really fun to learn and to be a part of. We learnt the choreography step by step and rehearsed with the performers. The performers were doing it with us and so we had someone to follow if we were unsure of the steps. It was all fun and not taken serious. We had to keep the fact that we are going to be a part of the performance a secret to make it look like a flash mob.

I really liked the choreography - it wasn’t too complicated and was fun to learn and do. we went out to the main entrance just before the show was about to start. The performance began; it was set out like a rent party, party games, music and dancing which meant you couldn’t help but want to join in.

In the show they each told their own story and experiences of growing up in the UK as a person of colour and the issues they had to overcome. We were given play money which we would give to the performer we thought deserved the money at the end.

The show in general was inspiring and gave me motivation to get to where I want to be. Something I really like about the performance was that it was really energetic, fun and everyone could get involve. As a person of colour living in the UK the show was relatable and they talked about a lot of issues in the UK but they didn’t always say them in a serious way which meant they kept to the theme of their performance.

This performance was appealing to everyone and was nothing like I had ever seen before. Before I came to the workshop and performance I didn’t know what to expect other than it was going to have a party vibe and there was going to be music and dance. So I was excited to see what was going to happen.

From a young person’s perspective, who wants to get into acting and performance, it was great to take part in and learn from. I learnt new choreography and gained confidence in performing infront of others. I got a better understanding of different types of performances.

You can read more of Maya's blogs over here.

IGNiTE is supported using public funding by Bristol City Council and by the National Lottery through Arts Council England

Scottee's workshop explored making art about 'issues'. Photo Alexa Ledecky

Our Spring 2019 season of theatre and dance presented innovative artists who spoke from the heart and asked: How do we strip away the layers of expectation placed on us by society to find the truest version of ourselves?

Shows included: Fat Blokes from Scottee; Confessions of a Cockney Temple Dancer by Shane Shambhu; Rent Party by Darren Pritchard Dance; Windows of Displacement by Toussaint To Move.

All shows included ways for audiences to get involved, from Scottee's workshop Getting Things Off Your Chest to Rent Party's post show disco.

We also welcome and supported four IGNiTE artists in residence -Ania Varez developed and shared her project 'Guayabo' (Venezuelan slang for 'heartbreak').  Read her thoughts on taking the project to Spill festival and an honest and brave interview about the reasons and importance of the project with the BBC online.

Vicki Hearne, creative director of Untold Dance Theatre an all female intergenerational company, created a new piece ‘Practically Perfect’, a project that focused on the idea of perfectionism, the journey to strive for this unattainable goal and how this affects women in particular.

Audiences take a short break during Roxana Vilk's sharing of Lullabies. Photo Alexa Ledecky

Roxana Vilk's  'Lullabies' explored heritage migration and identity though collecting lullabies sung to children by families and parents across Bristol.

Sharing Hyper Fem - Viki Brown. Photo Khali Ackford

Viki Browne's 'Hyper Fem' asked whether the performance of femininity through Drag can be as powerful, political or subversive when performed on a female identifying body.

IGNiTE is programmed in collaboration with our Programming Forum.The forum is made up of members of the communities who regularly use Trinity and they help advise our programme.

IGNiTE is supported using public funding by Bristol City Council and by the National Lottery through Arts Council England

7.30pm
Performance showcasing the work of Gerry’s Attic dance including a new piece by renowned choreographer Charlotte Vincent with a guest performance from Striking Attitudes.

This performance will be preceeded by a free panel discussion in the theatre from 6.30pm, the panel will be free to attend but please book your place here to confirm.

Why not join us on Saturday and Sunday for public workshops, available for over-55s of any ability. Availability will be limited so please book your place here. Tickets are £3 per person.

Tickets for Sunday's performances can be found here

During the afternoon prior to performing his show as part of Trinity’s IGNiTE, Scottee gave a workshop titled “Making Stuff About Stuff”. The session was delivered in an open-minded, safe space, allowing all participants to exchange ideas freely.

Those who attended were able to share amongst one another and with theatre maker and performer Scottee himself. They discussed ways of finding inspiration for creating new work through different exercises.

Scottee introduced ways of finding new themes to develop new meaningful work. He started off by encouraging the participants to create a list of words that reflects their identity in their own eyes and the eyes of others.

In the second phase of the workshop, Scottee invited the participants to create a list of what makes them angry and to choose one of these particular ideas and write a “rant” about it.

"It felt like a really safe and generous moment. I liked having less 'showing work' and more talking about creative process in an interactive way" - workshop participant

There are plenty more IGNiTE workshops around the corner. Why not join Shane Shambhu (Confessions of a Cockney Temple Dancer,10 Mar) or Akeim Toussaint in the day time (before Windows of Displacement, 23 Mar), or drop in just before Rent Party (16 Mar) take to the stage for a dance workshop?

Scottee makes work with non-professionals artists (in Fat Blokes the four dancers had ‘never done this kind of thing before’), exploring issues about personal experiences that have a common theme. His work is about encouraging ‘safe spaces’ for new work to be created – ensuring new voices get heard.

Before the show Scottee ran an afternoon session ‘Making Stuff About Stuff’ - a workshop designed to address the things that make us angry in the world. Aspiring actor and Bristol resident Maya went along to find out what a workshop with Scottee was like for a young person starting out.

Scottee (second from LHS) leading 'Making Stuff About Stuff' photo @Alexa Ledecky

“I found out about this workshop and the shows taking place through Roseanna, the Assistant Producer at Trinity, and wanted to take part to develop my confidence and learn new skills.Before attending this workshop I had no expectations of what was going to happen or exactly what I was going to get out of it but I saw it as a new opportunity to get closer to where I want to be as a performer/actor.

"One thing I liked about the workshop was there was no pressure to share anything we didn’t want to and there were no right or wrong answers."

When I arrived into the room, chairs were set out in a circle at one side of the room where we all sat. The workshop began and Scottee introduced himself and what he identifies as, and then everyone in the circle went round and introduced themselves, what they identify as and where they want to be. We were told that there should be no expectations set and we are not here to learn anything.

Scottee asked us to each take a piece of paper and pen. We folded the piece of paper into a leaflet style and on one side, those who wanted to, wrote down all their identities and how others see them. If we wanted to we could then discuss them and people got the opportunity to ask questions on any specific identities we were unsure of, had questions about or found interesting. I decided to share my list with the group.

We then went to another side of the paper and wrote all the things that made us angry. After mentioning the things that made us angry we then wrote down a rant about this particular thing which we hated. I wrote about racism and my rant was against those who are racist or who don’t see racism as a serious issue. At first some of us struggled, finding it difficult to rant about something when we were not in an angry mood. For others it was an opportunity to get the issue off their chests. There was a mixture of very individual issues and those that affect lots of people. Scottee encouraged us to read over it and add more details into the rant.

The group shared their 'rants' about the things that made them cross photo @Alexa Ledecky

We came to a final decision about whether we wanted to throw it away or keep it. If we threw it away, it was like we were done with the issue, and if we kept it then that may have meant there was still more to write, discuss or work on.

One thing I liked about the workshop was there was no pressure to share anything we didn’t want to and there were no right or wrong answers. Everyone showed signs of being comfortable in the group through their body language and the conversations we had. People opened up about their identities and personal issues. It was a relaxed intimate environment without anyone being in your face.

This workshop helped me personally because I was able to think of how I identify myself and how others identify themselves - my confidence in having discussions and sharing things with others has definitely increased."

Scottee’s workshop was a great opportunity for anyone working in performance, particularly socially driven work, to learn techniques around developing work.

Want to take part? We have more workshops coming up as part of our IGNiTE Spring season.

On 10 March, learn Bharatanatyam dance with Shane Shambhu ahead of his for dance/comedy show Confessions of a Cockney Temple Dancer. 16 March learn voguing and house styles at a pre show workshop then join the party crew for dance experience Rent Party and, finally on 23 March join dance artist Toussaint To Move for a workshop about his creative process ahead of his show about migration Windows of Displacement.

Making Stuff About Stuff was presented as part of IGNiTE - our programme of world-class, innovative theatre and dance about issues that matter to people now, starting conversations and sparking debate. IGNiTE is supported using public funding by Bristol City Council and by the National Lottery through Arts Council England