OVERVIEW In October 2013 Stratford upon Avon College was successful in securing a £4,950 bid through the Equality and Diversity Innovation Fund (EDIF) the Skills Funding Agency and the National Institute of Adult Continuing Education (NIACE) Of over 250 bids 41 were successful and SUAC was one of them.

THE AIM OF THE PROJECT! The aim of the Reach Out Theatre Collective is to provide a high quality training and collaborative facility that supports skill development in the arts which aims to actively value difference and break down barriers created by inequality.

WHO IS THE PROJECT FOR? The project will recruit participants from Black, Asian, Minority Ethnic (BAME) backgrounds who are marginalized by a lack of access to the performance arts through barriers both perceived and real. Participants will take part in weekly workshops with a range of arts practitioners both from the college and wider area. This will serve to create a community of theatre makers drawn from the wider community of Stratford upon Avon College (SUAC), Stratford upon Avon and Warwickshire.

WHAT ARE THE OPPORTUNITIES FOR STRATFORD UPON AVON COLLEGE? The project will support the college in meeting the Equality Duty by encouraging people from protected groups (including but not exclusively,Race and Gender) to participate in arts activities where their participation is disproportionately low. The project will target marginalised groups including NEET groups and those in danger of exclusion.

WHY? In order to address the issues of proportionate representation in the arts both within the college community and the extended community, the project will identify and address the need for a theatre company that targets and meets the remit of providing opportunities for all, regardless of the Protected Characteristics relating to Race and Gender. No data is available that suggests a community based, targeted, accessible project, specifically aimed at increasing participation in a structured weekly workshop for adults and young people 16 plus, as defined by this bid. In SUAC, data clearly identifies whole college starts, retention and achievement rates are below the National average for BAME learners. Although the initial project will focus on BAME groups, this is not an exhaustive list and sustainability of the project will be achieved by actively seeking partnerships to support the project and wider participation in theatre making, thus creating the potential to be transformative, empowering and raise awareness of issues that hinder development because of difference, diversity or socio-economic inequality.

HOW? By encouraging participation for those people identified as BAME and through the development of skills in performance art, the project will develop a focused opportunity to achieve personal, educational and social growth through an understanding of their personal currency, ability and potential to achieve. The aim of the project is to develop a group of theatre makers unrestricted by curriculum needs but focused upon issues that are relevant to young people. This will be done by building an ensemble of like-minded individuals drawn from the college community but as importantly the wider Stratford upon Avon community.

HOW? By providing an opportunity for young people to attend sessions free of charge therefore, breaking down socio-economic barriers. By addressing issues of cultural heritage and diversity through theatre making. By providing an open access policy. By ensuring the process is more important than the product. By developing a learner voice within the community of theatre makers, that plays an active part in the artistic direction of the company.

HOW? As the Reach Out Theatre Collective is open access, participants will not feel they are attending a college course per se. The company will be open to those on any course within the college community and targeted groups outside of the college. By working with a professional rehearsal room approach and company approach to the process, participants will develop a number of usable skills both social,transferable and technical performance skills that will support and foster an interest in further education on a number of college courses, eventually leading to possible Higher Education and employability.

COST EFFECTIVE The bid received is for £4,950 pounds. Basically this money covers; Initial Project Management based on 2 hours per week Rehearsal room hire for weekly two hour sessions from February – June 2014 Sharing/celebration theatre/room hire All staffing costs in terms of Project and Deputy Project Managers Administration expenses Resource pack writing Resources for participants which is cost free. Reasonable marketing costs

HIGH PROFILE PERFORMANCE OPPORTUNITIES FOR PARTICIPANTS Performances at the Shakespeare Birthday Celebrations and the Shakespeare Arts Festival – April, May/June. A sharing opportunity on SUAC premises after a promenade performance in Stratford upon Avon, open to the wider community and public An opportunity for participants to be involved as performers on the intensive course – ‘Teaching Shakespeare’ an MA qualification with The University of Warwick and originally The Royal Shakespeare Company. An opportunity to recruit a possible Apprentice to administrate the project post project conclusion.

EXTENDED PARTICIPATION Although the project bid is for a limited time, the project will continue by extending partnerships and funding opportunities and develop strong viable partnerships in the wider Warwickshire community. Participants could have the opportunity to develop the Reach Out Theatre Collective, to progress to college courses, lead workshops in a variety of settings and be a huge part of the recruitment of peers through the individual involvement in the project.

SUPPORT FOR THE PROJECT Marketing Department – Emma Mundy Kelly Greavy who is on board with the remit and will play a considerable role in developing partnerships with schools and marginalised groups post project. Specialist practitioners within the college in terms of Acting, Music and Dance. Leading academics and third sector specialists in E&D have expressed an interest in supporting the project. NIACE will hold one of three National Dissemination events at SUAC on Wednesday July 2 nd,2014. The Reach Out Theatre Collective will share their work on this day in a performance. A Project manager and Deputy Project Manager are identified and this is a pivotal role and point of contact both internally and externally. Support is now needed through HODs and in identifying a Student Ambassador to work alongside the project manager and liaise with peers. Use of a session space is available. RAISING THE PROFILE,MAINTAINING THE PROFILE, RECRUITING AND RETAINING PARTICIPANTS will be key to maintaining the project.

PROJECT IMPACT The project will have a lasting impact in several ways. Through developing partnerships and links to external organisations by delivering workshops in partner venues to develop self-managing projects linked to the college; through a Peer Mentoring Programme and Positive Role Model Programme that actively supports growth and aspiration, linking this to SUAC learners on courses and professional theatre companies. In addition The Reach Out Theatre Collective would actively seek further funding to develop the collective and continue to recruit participants, managed by a Project Steering Group actively seeking to continue the work through inspiring, innovative theatre that draws on our diverse communities, background and future aspirations. By creating a project that seeks to widen participation for under-represented groups in the arts and specifically theatre, our aim is to create a community of participants and possible future practitioners that will potentially continue to develop skills for life, learning and employability.

PROGRESS Progress is being made with external contacts such as John Partridge who is lead organiser for the Stratford Arts Festival. A marketing drive has now started and there will be an ‘Open Evening’ on Monday January 20 th 2014 in order to recruit participants. This is one of two events where possible participants can gain information and meet the Project and Deputy Project Manager. Planning of the workshops content is now taking shape and initial focus will be on: ‘Why Shakespeare? Why now?’ As Shakespeare’s plays are compulsory in the curriculum the focus will be on how Shakespeare is relevant to groups whose cultural heritage differs through Race and Cultural background. Shakespeare will be explored through text, devising, music, dance and other performance arts, such as rapping and poetry. This will be relevant to the performance opportunities identified but also more importantly build a sense of identification to the world of the plays, Shakespeare’s world and the world of the young people involved in the project.

THE FUTURE