PROGRAMMES

An inter­dis­ci­pli­nary per­for­mance pro­gramme that brings par­tic­i­pants together with pro­fes­sional artists and the­atre mak­ers to develop and stage their own ver­sion of Oth­ello. The lab process engages with move­ment, impro­vi­sa­tion, song, dance, and ensem­ble act­ing, meld­ing Shake­spearean verse with the ver­nac­u­lar of com­mu­ni­ties in order to inter­ro­gate Shakespeare’s play.

A fun pro­gramme for all ages and abil­i­ties which focuses on an inter­dis­ci­pli­nary approach to devel­op­ing ‘learn­ing mus­cles’ through cre­ativ­ity. We use visual aids, rhythm, move­ment and sto­ries from Shakespeare’s plays to stim­u­late minds and bod­ies. We are happy to work with organ­is­ers to design a work­shop plan com­pat­i­ble with any spe­cial inter­ests or needs.

In 2008, Tribal Soul ini­ti­ated pilot ses­sions in men­tal health envi­ron­ments in Essex at three loca­tions. Both staff and ser­vices users par­tic­i­pated in the work­shops. Staff observed that the ensem­ble activ­ity and col­lec­tive focus required for engag­ing with Shake­speare stim­u­lated inter­ac­tions between par­tic­i­pants who did not habit­u­ally inter­act with each other.

A hothaus­ing pilot project ini­ti­ated by Patrice Naiambana in 2006, while he was a mem­ber of the Royal Shake­speare Company’s His­to­ries Ensem­ble. The par­tic­i­pants were expe­ri­enced dias­pora artists strongly engaged with their com­mu­ni­ties in the UK and ances­tral com­mu­ni­ties in Africa and the Caribbean. It took place over two years, and pro­vided the basis for The Gospel of Othello.