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Charity number: 1077161
Company number: 3724349
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Past programme
Showcases an eclectic range of fresh and interesting contemporary work, largely by emerging artists
Blue Elephant Theatre Street Party
Join us on Saturday September 18th for a street party on the Wyndham Road side of the Jessie Duffett Hall!
Planned with our Youth Board and made possible by a grant from Southwark Council's Cultural Celebrations Fund, the day will feature workshops and performances and be open to all.
It's a day of celebration and a chance to get to know Blue Elephant and its activities better!
Schedule (subject to change):
12pm-6pm: All day games and art activities. Food stalls open. Free cake for early arrivals.
12.15pm – 12.45pm: Drama workshop for 4 – 7 year olds
12:30pm-1:30pm: Art Workshop – Creating Elephant Decorations
1.30pm-2pm: Daisy’s Story: It’s Good to be Me (performance for children)
2pm – 3.30pm-Art Workshop – Creating a mural
2:15pm-2.45pm: Drama Workshop for Young People
3pm-3.30pm: Daisy’s Story: It’s Good to be Me (performance for children)
4pm-4:30pm: Live Music
4:45pm-5.15pm: Drama Workshop for All Ages
5.30-6: Salsa workshop
6:15: Live Music
6:30: Comedy
Blue Elephant Theatre will be open for bathroom facilities, just a few minutes walk away.
Supported by
Playing Up!
Come and discover new ways to play together, and activities you and your child can take away for even more fun at home!
There are three different workshops with a choice of times to join them: 9.00am - 10.00am, 10.15am - 11.30am & 3.30pm - 4.45pm.
Workshop 1 - Hide and Speak (7th September)
This workshop encourages both adults and children to act, sing and dance whilst going on a journey together through a forest. Children will be learning about their bodies and discovering their voices with their favourite teacher... you!
Workshop 2 - Feelings Friend (10th September)
A workshop encouraging children and adults to think about emotions and how they are expressed.
Workshop 3 - Listen and Dance (11th September)
This workshop encourages both adults and children to use music and sound to inspire actions and movements.
One of the facilitators is a Spanish-speaker and will provide translations if needed. For ages 18 months - 3 years.
These workshops will take place at St Matthew's Church, Meadow Row, SE1 6RG.
Playing Up! is supported by Elephant & Castle Community Fund and is specially intended for people living near Elephant & Castle.
Supported by
Elephantology Workshops & Talks
Blue Elephant Theatre has received support from the Idlewild Trust to offer online workshops and talks to those starting their careers in the performing arts.
Spaces on these events are free but limited and are intended for those who are just entering the industry, especially if you’ve just completed training or graduated from a course in the last eighteen months.
Introduction to Self-Taping –Thursday June 17th at 2pm
Bryony Tebbutt of Self-Tape Solutions offers a thorough introduction to self-taping for actors. Book here.
How to be an Arts Freelancer – Wednesday July 21st at 7pm
Invoicing and getting paid for your work?! Expenses and Tax Returns! – starting out as a freelancer in the arts can all be a bit much. Join Sam and Dean from Jozara for a session designed to challenge what you think you know about being self-employed in the arts, and answer your questions, so you can live your best freelance life.
After booking feel free to email dean@jozara.co.uk with anything specific you would like covered.
Book here.
Making Work with and for Young People – Wednesday August 4th at 2pm
A workshop with Blue Elephant Theatre’s Participation Director Jo Sadler-Lovett. Book here.
Writing an ACE Project Grant Application – Monday August 23rd at 2pm
A practical workshop with the Blue Elephant team to kickstart your first – or next – application for funding. Book here.
Elephantology Talk – Wednesday August 25th at 7.15pm
We talk to a range of artists about entering the theatre industry, their work and what advice they would give to their younger selves. These talks seek to offer new theatre artists a welcoming and inclusive space to learn and reflect and *virtually* meet inspiring artists. On August 25th, we will be talking to Matt Woodhead from LUNG Theatre and writer/director Tyrell Williams. Book here.
Elephantology Talk – Wednesday September 1st at 7pm
We talk to a range of artists about entering the theatre industry, their work and what advice they would give to their younger selves. These talks seek to offer new theatre artists a welcoming and inclusive space to learn and reflect and *virtually* meet inspiring artists. On September 1st, we will be talking to directors Sepy Baghaei and Mingyu Lin. Book here.
All talks and workshops will be between 90 minutes and two hours long and we aim to have opportunities for networking. These opportunities are not limited to graduates only but to anyone who has just started a career in the performing arts.
Please note that we are rescheduling the Elephantology Talk originally scheduled for June 30th.
Supported by
Daisy's Story: It's good to be me
Daisy thinks her job is rubbish. Nobody seems to understand her and she feels like she’s unimportant, so she seeks her own adventure.
A play for families about discovering self-worth and self-acceptance.
Tickets are FREE, but booking is advised to guarantee availability.
Suitable for ages 2+
Please note these performances take place at Elephant Park, SE17 1UB.
Supported by
Free family performances with Blue Elephant Theatre at Elephant Park
Join Blue Elephant Theatre at Elephant Park at Elephant & Castle for performances and drama games for families.
We'll explore transitions, learning new things, and exploring nature in these fun workshops for ages 2 - 10.
The Next Step/Ana y Silly
Everything seems to be changing for Ana - what will happen next? A workshop/performance about next steps for ages 2+
What If?
Possibilities are endless if we believe in ourselves!
The Search
Join us on a quest! A fun performance/workshop for ages 6-9 that touches on numeracy and literacy skills.
Earth-Machine
A workshop/performance in Elephant Park about caring for the environment.
This work is funded by the Elephant & Castle Fund.
Tickets are FREE, but it is recommended to book in advance to guarantee your places.
Schedule:
Friday August 6th:
10am - The Next Step
11.30am - Earth-Machine
CANCELLED 2pm - The Next Step
Sunday August 8th
11.30am & 2pm - Earth-Machine
Tuesday August 10th
10am - The Next Step
11.30am - Earth-Machine
2pm - The Next Step
Friday August 13th
10am - The Search
11.30am - What If?
2pm - The Search
Tuesday August 17th
10am - Ana y Silly (The Next Step in Spanish)
11.30am - Earth-Machine
2pm - Ana y Silly (The Next Step in Spanish)
Saturday August 21st
10am - What If?
11.30am - The Search
2pm - What If?
Supported by
Day-long Training Workshop with Theatre Re
Come and get your Theatre Re fix!
In this practical workshop Guillaume Pigé (Theatre Re Director and RADA Associate Teacher) will provide an introduction to the company’s training and creative process, as well as how we collaborate with performers to devise Theatre Re’s work. Punctuated by games, ensemble work, technique, repertoire and improvisation, this workshop will support professional, semi-professional, recent graduates and performers-in-training in developing their skills and creativity in an open, playful and generous environment.
Everyone is welcome and no previous experience of Corporeal Mime is required to join, only your professionalism, curiosity and playfulness.
Workshop details
The session will run from 10am to 5pm (with a 1-hour lunch break) and will take place at Blue Elephant Theatre in London.
Session costs £60 (£50 concessions) for the day.
Concessions are available to full-time students, those aged under 18, senior citizen, the unwaged, members of Equity and BECTU and people with registered disabilities.
This workshop will be signed and will be accessible to Deaf, Hard of Hearing and hearing artists who use British Sign Language.
Any questions and for more information please get in touch by email, or register your interest with Blue Elephant Theatre by calling 020 7701 0100
About Theatre Re:
“Theatre Re excels at transforming small, intimate stories into whirling, viscerally physical extravagance.” What’s On Stage
Established as a professional ensemble in 2011, Theatre Re is one of the UK’s leading visual theatre companies. It has garnered a national and international reputation for creating world-class, deeply moving, and visually striking poetic theatre.
The company’s name comes from the prefix re and symbolises its guiding principles: to rediscover, to reinvent and to reveal. Rooted in Etienne Decroux's Corporeal Mime, productions use movement, music and design to tell stories. Our work crosses disciplines, with past projects taking inspiration from science, philosophy, psychology, public health and education to address global human challenges, bring people together and develop empathy with strength and delicacy. Collaborations with community organisations throughout the creation process are central to the company’s work.
The company is led by artistic director Guillaume Pigé with Alex Judd, Katherine Graham and Eygló Belafonte as associate artists. They are supported by a core group of long-standing collaborators.
Theatre Re is currently an @Home company at The Point, Eastleigh (until 2022) and has previously been an associate company at South Hill Park in Bracknell and Greenwich Theatre.
Playing Up!
Playing Up is a new series of drama workshops for children aged 1-3 and their adults.
These workshops use drama, singing, music, moving and props to explore creative play at home.
Pre-recorded workshops to watch anytime:
This workshop encourages both adults and children to act, sing and dance whilst going on a journey together through a forest. Children will be learning about their bodies and discovering their voices with their favourite teacher... you!
Workshop 2 - Music and Movement
This workshop encourages both adults and children to use music and sound to inspire actions and movements. Children will be singing songs, playing games and learning about the weather.
A new workshop encouraging children and adults to think about emotions and how they are expressed.
This series of workshops were created by Blue Elephant Theatre with the generous support of Alan and Babette Sainsbury Charitable Fund and Team London Bridge.
Elefeet on Film
Elefeet on Film is a dance film festival celebrating the power of dance and the strength and creativity of dancers. Over two weeks, we will be sharing nine short films on social media, selected for inclusion in the festival after an open call-out. From May 22nd, all the films will be available to watch together on YouTube and in future we will screen them at the Blue Elephant.
These films offer glimpses into other worlds, emotions and experiences, often grappling with compelling questions and situations. We are very excited to be sharing them!
The festival includes:
Tulips for Polly - Katie Serridge & Polly Constance
Neat and Tidy - Tmesis Theatre
Knowing Togetherness- SLiDE Dance
3Billion - Overdrive Dance Company
Fallen Star - Tmesis Theatre
Waiting for Color - Kosta Karakashyan
Panopticon - Piers Foley & Dave Finebery (directors) & Amy Swalwell (choreographer)
Lighten Up Mate - Kane John Mills
Acceptance - Piedad Albarracin Seiquer
Obscenities
A comic mini-series following various South London women as they battle workmates, musical divas and their own bodily functions in the pursuit of their ultimate ambitions. This warts-and-all mini-series examines life now, with hopes & dreams unblemished.
Critically-acclaimed theatre company Theatrical Niche Ltd have toured nationally and internationally since 2012.
This marks their first collaboration with Director Will Nash creating film in lieu of live theatre, and is supported by Arts Council England.
Running Time: Approx 30 mins
Age Guidance: 15 (Swearing, Mature Themes)
Available to watch until 11.59pm on April 25th
Creative workshops for young refugees and migrants
Blue Elephant Theatre's ReAct Youth Theatre's workshops for young refugees and migrants!
Aimed at refugees and migrants aged 13-18 years old, these are fun and creative workshops playing games, developing English language skills, meeting new people and learning from each other.
Workshops take place on Zoom on Fridays between 5pm - 6.30pm on these dates:
Friday 5th February
Friday 12th February
Friday 26th February
Friday 5th March
Friday 12th March
Friday 19th March
Friday 26th March
For more information or to join, please email francesca@blueelephanttheatre.co.uk or call 07957 309001 (please leave a message if you do not get to speak to someone, and we will call you back).
Journaling Workshop for Theatre Makers
Feeling under-motivated or lacking in energy when it comes to your creative practice?
This workshop is designed to spark creativity around theatre making in a relaxed and unpressurised way. The workshop will mix written and artistic activities encouraging creative thinking and imagination to support the ideas you may have for your work and inspire new ones.
No experience necessary. You will need a journal or notebook but even some sheets of paper will work. Any art materials that you have are helpful for example, paints, colouring pencils, old magazines or newspapers and a glue stick. However, you’ll be encouraged to use whatever you have, whether that be a pencil or a pen, you can still take part. The workshop will take place via zoom and a link will be sent ahead of the event.
Following the workshop there will be a set of prompts sent out to participants over the course of the month, to continue the journaling journey. We’ll check in at the end, via email to share and reflect on any discoveries.
Drama with Headway and Blue Elephant
Blue Elephant Theatre and Headway SELNWK are partnering to deliver online drama workshops to people in South East London or North West Kent with acquired head injuries and their carers and keyworkers.
The workshops will take place on Zoom on Thursday afternoons (3pm - 4.45pm) from March 4th for twelve weeks.
Free to sign up, please register your interest before March 3rd.
Supported by
Arts Council England Project Grants Discussion Group
Primarily designed for those who have applied for National Lottery Project Grants before either successfully or not, to discuss the process, share tips and ask questions.
Facilitated by Blue Elephant Theatre who will offer prompts and kick start discussion, this is a friendly informal space to explore the application process, help others and gain confidence yourself.
Blue Elephant Theatre supports emerging and early career artists, and has a strong track record on successfully advising on project grant applications.
The event will last approx 1hr and will take place on zoom. Spaces are free but limited, so book ahead to secure a space.
The Story of Little Snow
A Blue Elephant Christmas Show with a difference!
Pixies are never seen, but are always busy making the seasons change around us – they make the leaves turn brown and crispy, paint the patterns onto butterfly wings and fill fields with colourful flowers.
Little Snow is the pixie who plants snowdrops, but she thinks her job is rubbish. Nobody seems to understand her and she feels like she’s unimportant, so one night she runs off to have her own adventure.
A “documentary” about discovering self-worth and self-acceptance, with more than a pinch of pixie dust and a cast of colourful characters make this a festive treat for the family. Anyone who would normally come to watch a Christmas show at the Blue Elephant, or perform in their own, may spot some familiar sights and faces....
The Story of Little Snow is a mini-adventure on film, which is free to watch online.
Tea & Chat: Lockdown Check-In
2021 has not started out as well as we’d hoped and we wanted to take a moment to check-in, have a chat and bring people together.
This online chat is primarily for emerging performance-makers to talk about what feels possible, impossible, inspiring, depressing and overwhelming for us at the moment. However, anyone who feels they may benefit from joining is welcome and some of the Blue Elephant Team will be there to chat and provide a supportive ear.
As a virtual event, this will be taking place on Zoom (please provide your own tea....!). Spaces are free but limited, so book ahead to secure a space here.