POSTED: 1 JAN 2010

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During its 43 successful years, Oldham Theatre Workshop has given thousands of children and young people aged 6 - 25 the opportunity to take part in theatre productions and workshops of the highest quality.  The organisation was the training ground for many of the famous names on our TV screens today, such as Sarah Lancashire, Anna Friel, Anthony Cotton, Suranne Jones, Mark Jordan, Ann Kirkbride and Lisa Riley.

Theatre Workshop was set up in 1968 by David Johnson.Victoria Munich became Director in 1995 and in 2002 current Director James Atherton took the lead.

The current focus is on providing a wide range of participatory theatre opportunities for young people throughout the Borough working with may different partners in including Oldham Primary Care Trust; Oldham Youth Service; and the Linking Schools project, which brings together pupils from ethnically diverse schools in the Borough. Current projects include free after school theatre provision as part of the Extended Schools programme, ensuring that as many children and young people as possible are able to take part.

The appointment of Applied Theatre Practitioner Craig Harris has strengthened the community focus of the organisation and resulted in projects such as anti-smoking play Kiss My Butt for Oldham Primary CareTrust.An ambitious Bollywood film has brought together thousands of pupils from 39 schools, their families, community groups and members of the public and will be screened across Oldham in the Spring of 2008.

Oldham Theatre Workshop has established a reputation both nationally and internationally.The 1969 production ‘Alice’, starring Anne Kirkbride, toured Germany. More recently the Crossing International Boundaries has seen actors from Theatre Workshop, M6 Youth Theatre and Teaterbiten, a young person’s performance group from Finland, working together.

Last year Splinters, a group of Theatre Workshop members ages 16-25, took Little Red, a quirky piece of street theatre about Little Red Riding Hood and everything you didn’t know about her, to the Big Youth Theatre Festival in Epping Forest, Oldham’s twin town Kranj in Slovenia, and the prestigious Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

Oldham Theatre Workshop commissioned Eyam, a new musical about the Derbyshire plague village, in 2005. Eyam was made the subject of a BBC One documentary Greater Love Hath No Man, which was screened on Good Friday 2006 and won the prestigious Premier Award from the Sandford St Martin Trust.

In fact, the last two years have seen Oldham Theatre Workshop win a number of awards! In 2006 the organisation produced drama DVD Too Many Cooks in collaboration with Oldham Council’s Food Safety Team. The DVD helped to deliver impor tant food hygiene messages to Oldham’s young people and was awarded first prize in the 2006 Foodlink Awards in the Communicating Food Safety category. Last year Oldham Theatre Workshop was awarded a Pride in Oldham Award.

Working with Oldham Council’s Children’s Services,Theatre Workshop produced a CD and DVD focusing on the Every Child Matters agenda. These have received widespread recognition nationally, with both the Prime Minister and Children’s Minister praising the project, and were short listed for a prestigious Municipal Journal Award in 2006.

News Articles

What you missed in Our Town
Catch up on the latest from the online Social Media Soap Opera
Come and see Our Alternative Christmas Production

We are now in our final rehearsals for this year’s alternative Christmas show “REAP.” OTW studio 1 has been transformed like never before and the space will definitely make the audience feel part of the environment. Expect to feel every emotion possible as the close up action unfolds! Reap is a completely original piece of theatre exploring issues surrounding youth culture in today’s society. Loosely based around the recent UK riots, the story explores the concept of “you reap what you sow.” Our central characters Liam and Alison meet through unlikely circumstances and the story follows their developing relationship which sends their lives spiralling in a new direction. The wider issues surrounding their journey are explored through a Brechtian performance style allowing us to question and comment on relevant issues and influences regarding the central theme.

 

As a director I feel strongly that theatre should have a purpose as well as entertain an audience. I hope this piece will not only take you on a powerful emotional journey but also provide a politically relevant thought provoking perspective.

 

 The young people involved have worked extremely hard throughout a very challenging devising process. We have been working with writer Sarah nelson to create an exciting story whilst exploring real current issues in society. It has been fantastic experience to work with such a creative and talented cast; they have had a huge input to the content and style of the piece.
Rehearsal Diary

Hello, my name is Megan Knowles and I have been assigned to help on the Huddersfield Canal Project as part as my work experience at Oldham Theatre Workshop. The performance will be happening on Sunday 18th September 2011, to prepare rehearsals have been taking place through out the week. To rehearse the cast spent Thursday 15th-Saturday 17th devising a piece suitable for the Canal Fate. They already knew who the main characters would be; A Time Traveller- visiting the past, Thomas Telford- an engineer who helped finish the tunnel, Laurence- a man relaxing on the canal, the factory girls- who explain their involvement with the canal, Billy- a boy who helped restore the canal in the 80’s and the half timers.


Reflections Of The Past

This year marks the 200th anniversary of the opening of the Huddersfield Canal to through navigation and the Huddersfield Canal Society are planning an ambitious celebratory event to mark the occasion. The event will take place in Diggle, on the weekend of 17th/18th September.

The Split Second At The Fringe

'A truly moving piece of drama highliting the transience of life' edfringe.com Click here to read more about our experiences at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.
Young dancers STRIDE forward

STRIDE gives young males aged 11–19 the chance to take part in contemporary dance workshops with professional artists and deliver a major arts performance.


Rewriting the menu

We have been working with the communities in Waterhead to deliver an interactive creative consultation event for the Oldham East District Partnership as part of the ‘St George’s Day Celebrations’.

Community Voices

Community Voices aims to bring the talents of your school together to record your own song!

Students, teachers, Dinner Ladies, parents...all welcome

Share your voice with your local community and get involved
 

Sign up for summer shows

We’re now searching for aspiring young performers for our big summer projects.
Auditions for the Prom! (ages 13 - 25) and Rhyme to Remember (ages 8 - 14yrs) musicals take place next month and we need the best budding talent from across Oldham.

 

 

Split Second Tour and More
It’s Friday afternoon at the end of week one of my work experience at Oldham Theatre Workshop, and we’ve returned from Our Ladies, where OTW performed The Split Second for the first time this year. The Split Second is a piece of drama created to raise awareness of road safety and the responsibilities that come with being a new driver.
The Wedding of the year

Actors House, our young person’s theatre group for 16–25 year olds, have started work on their most adventurous project yet.

The Wedding is an innovative new kind of theatre production that encourages the audience to interact with the cast and crew… and you are invited!

  

Holocaust Memorial Events

We start the New Year with an inspirational piece of collaborative theatre to mark Holocaust Memorial Day.


The Wedding
Actors House the 16 - 25 years group have started work on their most adventurous project yet!
Countdown to A Christmas Carol

We are now adding the final touches to our fantastic reworking of the classic Charles Dickens tale A Christmas Carol. This exciting end-of-year show runs at the Grange Arts Centre in Oldham from Tuesday 21 to Thursday 23 December, 7.30pm (with a Thursday matinee at 2.30pm).

Brimming with Christmas Spirit

Rehearsals have now started for Oldham Theatre Workshops upcoming production of A Christmas Carol.


Giving a voice to the community

Oldham Theatre Workshop are working on an innovative new project that uses theatre to engage with our local communities.


OTW Add Drama To Parenting Conference

Rehearsals have now started for an amazing piece of theatre to be performed at the Corporate Parenting Conference in November.

Oldham Theatre Workshop will use drama to explore the lives of looked after children and the big issues that affect them as they make the transition to adulthood.

 

The Corporate Parenting Conference is an annual event aimed at senior officers, elected members and partners across Oldham Council and beyond. It aims to highlight the important role that all services can play in the development of these children and our responsibilities to include young people in all decision making.

Our young actors will perform five short pieces of drama and linked workshops at the event. After consultation with young people at the Union Street Centre these performances will cover education, employment, health, housing and finance topics.

 

The specially commissioned work will reinforce to delegates their legal and moral duty of care for all looked after children across Oldham. This includes children in care and foster care, young people in children’s homes and those under 24 hour care.

 

Zoë Charnock, Corporate Parenting Manager for Oldham Council who commissioned the play, said:

 “We have full confidence in Oldham Theatre Workshop to deliver this project, promote our work and bring the issues to life. Using theatre we want to highlight our key message… that if it’s not good enough for your own kids then it’s not good enough for looked after children.”

 

The project is part of OTW's ongoing partnership work with looked after children, having recently created a cyber-bullying drama, radio pantomime and animation programme.

 

The company also took a group of young people in care to Auschwitz earlier this year as part of the 22nd Century Citizens project and they were heavily involved in our major summer production Shades of Grey.

 

Bernadette Deakin, Participation Officer for Oldham Council who ensures young people are involved with local services and the decision making process, said:

 “We have been working with Oldham Theatre Workshop over the last two years and children have built a trusted relationship with them.”

 

“Through the Children in Care Council we created a new drama group to discuss and develop emotive issues in a safe environment,” continued Bernadette. “The work has been brilliant in boosting confidence and self esteem, allowing young people to develop creative skills and gain learning certificates for their portfolios.”

 

The Corporate Parenting Conference takes place on Tuesday 16 November in Oldham.



 

‘Lumenus’ light the way

Oldham Theatre Workshop is taking part in a groundbreaking exchange project for students with special needs next month.

Working in partnership with New Bridge School artists will travel to Finland in support of their Lumenus project.

OTW TAKES POWERFUL NEW DRAMA ON TOUR

 Our latest project aims to make a positive difference to communities by changing young people’s perceptions of road safety.

The Wish Memoirs of a Work Experience

 

by Eliot Salt

2 OTW Members Hit The Big Time

In February of this year Stefan Davies-Capper and Bethany Crompton went for an audition with The National Youth Theatre. Read on to find out how they did…..

Facebook Twitter and Beyond
Oldham Theatre Workshop are trying to help all members and prosepctive members keep in touch daily.
Crossing International Boundaries 2010
Oldham Theatre Workshop, M6 Youth Theatre, Rochdale and The Academy for Peace and Development in Georgia are working together on a cultural programme of work involving young people and leaders/artists to explore the issues of Home and National Identity
Exciting New Musical For 8 to 12 Year Olds
Have You Got What It Takes?Can We Make You Wishes Come True? We're searching for fresh new faces to showcase their talents in what will be a truly magical and inspiring piece of musical theatre. The show will be performed right here in the OTW studio theatre in June of this year.

Have You Got The X Factor

Have you got the X Factor? We're looking for hot new talent to take centre stage this Summer. Read on to find out how you could get involved in the premier of a new major piece of musical theatre. The show will be performed in July at the Oldham Coliseum. book your audition now and get involved!

One of our members gives an account of life at OTW
A Cast Member's Perspective by Jenni Smith
I have been a member of Oldham Theatre Workshop for nine years now, reflecting the colossal role the company has played in what some might call my most influential years. Throughout my life and involvement with OTW, I have had the chance to not only participate in over 14 major productions, performing at various venues including Shaw Playhouse 2, Grange Arts Centre and the renowned Oldham Coliseum Theatre, but I have also been offered the chance to participate in projects such as taking a piece of street theatre to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, a valuable experience I probably wouldn’t have gained if it weren’t for OTW.
Welcome To Oldham Theatre Workshop

Oldham Theatre Workshop is a creative, inclusive and quality theatre resource; contributing to the personal and social development of all people in Oldham.

Oldham Teens remember victims of the Holocaust with a trip to Auschwitz
A group of Oldham teenagers are planning a harrowing trip to the Auschwitz concentration camp as the country gears up to mark Holocaust Memorial Day on January 27.
During its 43 successful years, Oldham Theatre Workshop has given thousands of children and young people aged 6 - 25 the opportunity to take part in theatre productions and workshops of the highest quality.  The organisation was the training ground for many of the famous names on our TV screens today, such as Sarah Lancashire, Anna Friel, Anthony Cotton, Suranne Jones, Mark Jordan, Ann Kirkbride and Lisa Riley.

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