Are You A Robot? playwright Tim Crouch. Picture: Lisa Barnard
YORK company Thunk-It Theatre will host a free summer youth theatre project at Pocklington Arts Centre to create a performance of Tim Crouch’s Are You A Robot?
Run by industry professionals from August 7 to 11, the sessions for 11 to 18-year-old theatre enthusiasts will climax with a last-day performance for family and friends.
Thunk-It Theatre’s Becky Lennon and Jules Risingham have held youth theatre sessions in the Pocklington area for two years. Now the summer school activities will form part of the Wonder Fools’ international participatory arts project Positive Stories for Negative Times.
Funded by the I AM Fund, Thunk-It Theatre will provide five days of free youth theatre for youngsters with a flair for dramatics, who want to gain confidence and love to perform.
In Crouch’s play, two groups of children meet. They look the same; they imagine similar things; they make almost the same noises; they dance in almost the same way, but one group is a digital version of the other.
Thunk-It Theatre’s summer project poster
“They are the face we see reflected back to us online,” says Tim. “They’re exciting and demanding and hard to live up to. The two groups try to work each other out and decide if they can exist together.
“This is a joyful collision between real and fake, perfect and imperfect, human and robot. It’s an investigation into – and a celebration of – humanness.”
Thunk-It directors Becky and Jules say: “We’ve been blown away with the talent, drive and enthusiasm of the young people we’ve worked with in and around Pocklington. There’s a huge importance for rural arts provisions and the impact that this can have on individual young people is incredible.
“We cannot wait to get stuck in with another week of fabulous fun. Not only will young people develop performance skills, they also will learn confidence techniques, leadership skills, and have the opportunity to express themselves in a safe and supported space.”
For more information or to sign up, head to Thunk-It Theatre’s social media (Instagram, @thunkittheatre; Facebook, Thunk-It Theatre; Twitter, @ThunkItTheatre), or email hello@thunkittheatre.co.uk.
Ready for a second term: Thunk-It Theatre youth theatre duo Becky Lennon and Jules Risingham
POCKLINGTON Arts Centre’s youth theatre partnership with York company Thunk-It Theatre is to continue for a second series of online drama classes.
In response to popular demand, Becky Lennon and Jules Risingham’s all-levels drama sessions for children aged six to 11 will be held on Zoom every Sunday during term-time from April 25 to May 30.
The 10am to 11am classes for Years 2 to 6 children will include fun games, exercises and storytelling, aiming to encourage confidence building, life and social skills, creativity and positivity by giving children a space to express themselves openly and develop connections with other young people.
During the six-week term, participants will work collaboratively to devise and create a short performance designed to explore storytelling.
Pocklington Arts Centre (PAC) director Janet Farmer says: “We’re delighted to be continuing our partnership with Thunk-It Theatre to bring the joy and fun of the performing arts to children at this time.
“The classes delivered so far have proved to be really popular,” says Pocklington Arts Centre director Janet Farmer
“The classes delivered so far have proved to be really popular, so we’re really looking forward to building on this success and eventually welcoming young performers through our doors for their classes, just as soon as it is safe for us to do so.”
The youth theatre was born out of a free project run by Thunk-It in January and February, delivering similar sessions online to alleviate the stress of home schooling for young people and their parents and carers.
Becky and Jules hosted the inaugural series of youth theatre classes from February 28. “We’re so excited to continue building on the success of our first block of online drama classes and seeing this fantastic youth theatre partnership with PAC continue go from strength to strength.”
Series Two tickets are on sale at £35 per child with a sibling discount at £30. To find out more and to book a place, go to: pocklingtonartscentre.co.uk.
Alternatively, for further information, email thunkittheatre@gmail.com.
Thunk-It Theatre’s poster for term two of Thunk-It Youth Theatre
Sandwich time: Teddy Bears’ Picnic, Cassie Vallance’s hit show from last summer in Rowntree Park, York, can be streamed from tomorrow
THE return of live entertainment is on the horizon at last, hopefully from May 17, prompting a surge in show confirmations, but in the meantime Stay Home activities remain prominent in Charles Hutchinson’s diary too.
Children’s streamed show of the weeks ahead: Park Bench Theatre’s Teddy Bears’ Picnic, February 26 to March 7
ONE of the hits of last summer’s Park Bench Theatre open-air season at Rowntree Park, York, is to be streamed by producers Engine House Theatre from tomorrow.
Children’s show Teddy Bears’ Picnic was performed by Cassie Vallance under Covid-safe conditions with more than 1,000 adults and youngsters seeing the show at 30-plus performances.
Suitable for everyone aged three and over, the streamed show will be bolstered by a Make Your Own Teddy Bear craft video. Tickets cost £5 at tpetv.com.
Hal Cruttenden and Rosie Jones: Your Place Comedy double bill at the weekend
Streamed comedy gig of the weekend: Rosie Jones and Hal Cruttenden, Your Place Comedy, Sunday
ROSIE Jones, Bridlington-born comedian, scriptwriter and actor, will join television comedy mainstay Hal Cruttenden in a virtual double bill on Sunday night, streamed from their living rooms into homes via YouTube and Twitch at 8pm.
Co-ordinator Chris Jones, manager of Selby Town Hall, says: ““I know that times are tough for many people, and so we’re committed to keeping these shows completely free, so please do come and join Hal, Rosie and Tim via yourplacecomedy.co.uk for some top entertainment at an unbeatable price, as for now streaming is the only show in town.”
Thunk-It Theatre’s Becky Lennon and Jules Risingham: Setting up youth theatre classes with Pocklington Arts Centre
Youth theatre project launch: Thunk-It Theatre in tandem with Pocklington Arts Centre, from this weekend
YORK company Thunk-It Theatre are partnering with Pocklington Arts Centre to provide youth theatre for the East Riding and beyond.
Weekly drama classes will be available to children aged six to 11 from February 28, initially on Zoom until it is safe to re-open the Market Place venue, when sessions can be held in person.
The all-levels drama sessions for Years 2 to 6 will take place from 10am to 11am every Sunday during term time, run by Becky Lennon and Jules Risingham. To book a place, visit pocklingtonartscentre.co.uk.
Asterisk tweet: Liam Gallagher found a typically eff-usive way on Wednesday to express his delight at the thumbs-up for Leeds Festival in August
Game-changing festival announcement of the year so far: Leeds Festival, Bramham Park, near Wetherby, to go ahead
LEEDS Festival, Yorkshire’s biggest outdoor musical gathering of the year, is ON. Organiser Melvin Benn, managing director of Festival Reepublic, confirmed the decision yesterday (24/2/2021) in the wake of the Government’s Monday statement on the four-step route out of Covid lockdown strictures.
Already confirmed as headliners are Stormzy, Catfish And The Bottlemen, Post Malone, Disclosure, Liam Gallagher and Queens Of The Stone Age in a new initiative for the August 27 to 29 event that sees the long-running festival introducing a second main stage to enable two bill-toppers per day.
Aljaž Škorjanec and Janette Manrara: New date for Remembering The Oscars dance show at York Barbican. Picture: Colin Thomas
Dance delay: Aljaž Škorjanec and Janette Manrara: Remembering The Oscars, York Barbican, put back to April 2022
STRICTLY Come Dancing regulars Aljaž Škorjanec and Janette Manraraare moving their Remembering The Oscars show at York Barbican for a second time. The persistent pandemic has enforced a switch to April 7 2022 for the only Yorkshire performance of next year’s tour, after an earlier change from Spring 2020 to March 2021. Tickets are still valid.
In the meantime, Aljaž and Janette will star in a streamed one-hour performance of Remembering The Oscars for a limited three-week season from March 27 to April 17. To book, go to: rememberingtheoscars.com.
Just Steve, A Guitar And You: the tour poster for Seasick Steve’s York Barbican return in the autumn
York gig announcement of the week: Seasick Steve, York Barbican, November 11
CALIFORNIAN country blues singer-songwriter Seasick Steve will return to York Barbican on November 11 on his Just Steve, A Guitar And You Tour.
Tickets go on sale tomorrow (26/2/2021) from 9am at yorkbarbican.co.uk for the only Yorkshire gig of the American’s nine-date autumn solo tour in support of his second album of 2020, last November’s Blues In Mono.
“I’m lookin’ forward to coming and playing for y’all,” says Seasick Steve, 69. “Just gonna be me, you and my guitar. A few songs and a few stories, kinda like we just hangin’ out together! Gonna be fun. See ya there.”
Jesse Malin: Pocklington Arts Centre gig in December
East Yorkshire gig announcement of the week: Jesse Malin, Pocklington Arts Centre, December 7
POCKLINGTON Arts Centre has secured a new date for New York City singer-songwriter Jesse Malin. He will play on December 7 2021, fully 18 months after he was originally booked to perform there in June 2020 as part of PAC’s 20th anniversary programme.
Malin, 53, released his seventh studio album, Sunset Kids, in 2019, produced by Lucinda Williams, American roots icon, country music queen and 2016 Platform Festival headliner at the Old Station, Pocklington.
Grayson Perry: Channel 4 return, York Barbican show and York Art Gallery exhibition at CoCA
And what about?
THE return of Grayson’s Art Club for a second series on Channel 4 on Fridays after Grayson Perry’s championing of people’s art was such a spirit-lifting boost to home creativity in the early days of Lockdown 1 last spring.
Perry, by the way, is booked into York Barbican for September 6 on his A Show For Normal People tour and his delayed early pottery exhibition, The Pre-Therapy Years, should open at the Centre of Ceramic Art (CoCA), York Art Gallery, on May 28, if Step 3 re-opening comes into effect from May 17, as planned.
Youth theatre hosts: Thunk-It Theatre’s Becky Lennon and Jules Risingham
YORK company Thunk-It Theatre are partnering with Pocklington Arts Centre to provide youth theatre for the East Riding and beyond.
Weekly drama classes will be available to children aged six to 11 from February 28, initially on Zoom until it is safe to re-open the Market Place venue, when sessions can be held in person.
The all-levels drama sessions for Years 2 to -6 will take place from 10am to 11am every Sunday during term time .
This new youth theatre project has emerged from a free project that Thunk-It founder-directors Becky Lennon and Jules Risingham have delivered throughout January and February, presenting similar sessions online to alleviate the stress of home-schooling for young people and their parents or carers.
The drama classes will provide an opportunity for children to be involved in Pocklington Arts Centre (PAC), be creative and meet other children.
The poster for Thunk-It Youth Theatre, run in tandem with Pocklington Arts Centre
PAC director Janet Farmer says: “We’re delighted to be teaming up with York company Thunk-It Theatre to introduce all the fun and joy of performing arts to children, something that we feel is especially important at the moment when children are perhaps looking for something extra to do around their home-learning.
“The online sessions Thunk-It have delivered so far have proved to be really successful, so to be able to expand on this online offering initially is such a fantastic opportunity, and we look forward to welcoming budding young performers through our doors for their classes when it’s safe for us to do so.”
The Thunk-It Youth Theatre sessions will include fun games, exercises, storytelling and much more. “In this pilot term, we hope to create a small piece of performance that all parents and carers will be able to see at the end of the term,” say Becky and Jules.
“We’re so excited to create this new partnership with such a well-loved venue and vital part of the community. We can’t wait to start delivering these sessions and getting to know more about the young people in and around Pocklington.”
Drama-class tickets are on sale at a fee of £30 for the five sessions with sibling discounts available. For more information and to book a place, visit pocklingtonartscentre.co.uk. More details on Thunk-It Theatre can be found on their Instagram, Facebook and Twitter accounts via @Thunkittheatre.
