Entitled The Town Meeting, the play is presented as a partnership between Startforth Neighbourhood Planning Group, Northern Heartlands and theatre company, Cap-a-Pie.
The play explores the role of the community in relation to the planning process. Audience members are invited to take on the role of residents of a fictional town in jeopardy and experience first hand some of the dilemmas faced in making planning decisions.
The fictional town is teetering on the brink and there’s only one thing for it: a town meeting.
The Town Meeting has been developed by Newcastle based theatre company Cap-a-Pie in collaboration with Dr Paul Cowie, a researcher at the School of Architecture, Planning and Landscape, at Newcastle University.
The piece is both a chance for the audience to play and an opportunity for them to help shape research.
Dr Cowie said: “I was really interested in developing this piece as it allows me to understand more about what representation means to different people. I research how communities engage with planning processes and I’m really interested and excited to both share my research with people and gain their expertise and knowledge.”
The Town Meeting is set in the fictional Little Rikjord - a town in crisis. On the eve of a crucial hearing, the audience, taking on the role of the town’s residents, must come up with a plan for Little Rikjord’s future assisted only by shambolic junior planning officer Benjamin Rennold.
Brad McCormick, artistic director at Cap-a-Pie, who plays Benjamin Rennold, said: “The Town Meeting is really exciting to perform as so much of the story depends on how the audience engage with the situation. I think it’s a great chance for audiences to come and play and explore without feeling self-conscious – no one is put on the spot.”
The show is part of Performing Research, a collaboration between Newcastle University and Cap-a-Pie. Performing Research brings together academics and theatre makers to create with each other, and connect to audiences and communities. The Town Meeting is supported using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England as well as funding from Newcastle University - Newcastle University’s engagement team, Newcastle University’s Institute for Social Renewal and Newcastle University’s Institute for Creative Arts Practice.
One of 16 such schemes across England, Northern Heartlands aims to put the arts and culture at the heart of communities.
A National Lottery-funded programme, Northern Heartland is working to ensure that investment in arts and culture also has the biggest possible impact on local economies, jobs, education, community cohesion and health and wellbeing.
Northern Heartlands’ director Jill Cole said: ‘This is an exciting opportunity for Startforth residents to engage with the planning process and understand more about how communities can work together to achieve great effect. As Northern Heartlands first public event, we are thrilled to be working with Cap-a-Pie.
“Startforth are about to embark on creating a Neighbourhood Plan and we really hope this experience will make that process much more enjoyable and meaningful.”
There will be two performances today (Saturday, January 13) at 2pm and 7.30pm respectively, and two workshops the following Saturday, January 20, at 10am to noon and 2pm to 4pm at Startforth Community School.
Tickets cost £6 and include one performance and one workshop. When the ticketholder attends their first event, they will receive a full refund.
To book, please go to the following link and contact the Northern Heartlands team on 01833 200220 or email info@northernheartlands.org with any questions or comments. Https://thetownmeeting.eventbrite.co.uk/
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