MOVING ROOTS TOURING NETWORK

We are very excited to announce that Peterborough’s Jumped Up Theatre is one of five partners on Battersea Arts Centre’s Moving Roots Touring Network.

What are The Moving Roots Touring Network currently working on?

In 2022 The Moving Roots Touring Network are bringing Kid Carpet’s show Epic Fail to local schools to explore the idea of failure and how it is essential to creativity. Learn more about our ongoing work with Kid Carpet on our Epic Fail page!

Kid Carpet will be doing two in-school two-week residencies. 31 January - 11 February and 16-27 May, and then deliver their own project with Year 6 in June / July.

Kid Carpet is an acclaimed musician and performance maker from Bristol, with a track record of successful shows which have toured the UK, including sold out shows in Peterborough. More information about Ed, who is Kid Carpet, on his website here.

What else have The Moving Roots Touring Network done?

Moving Roots, a creative touring network led by Battersea Arts Centre with producing partners Jumped Up Theatre (Peterborough), CommonWealth Theatre, East Cardiff and The Old Courts, Wigan, launched RENT PARTY in the summer of 2021. The first of three collaborative touring productions, Rent Party was a show made with, by, and for the local community with world-class artist Darren Pritchard (Rent Party, Mother of the House of Flava, House of Ghetto). Each partner is re-imagined Darren’s unanimously critically acclaimed hit show with a local cast throughout 2021; passing the mic around the working class communities themselves and platforming the incredible talents of professional, often unheard artists in their local areas.  

Each Rent Party production showcased the voices, lives and skills of artists from each of these places, some of whom have never performed in a traditional theatre setting. In a mighty retort to Arts Council England’s reports that these have long been areas with low arts engagement, these highly skilled performers from each town make up the 21-strong national cast. Telling their own stories of who they are and what their community has faced, they create an authentic, captivating and dazzling map of their lives through devised performances across styles such as Hip-Hop & Trap music, fire dancing, spoken word, ventriloquism and opera. Weaving a vibrant tapestry of humanity, the shows were shaped by the unique experiences and talents of each cast, who give a distinct shape to the challenges and triumphs of their communities and their lives. 

Kate Hall, Creative Producer, Jumped Up Theatre:

“There is a change coming in theatre, and some of the most exciting shifts are coming from the artists and audiences based in places like the homes of the Moving Roots network. To be able to work with such a generous, insightful and radical artist like Darren Pritchard accelerates that change, disrupting whose stories can be placed centre stage, raising the expectation of audience, and creating national opportunities for exceptional local talent.”

The tour kicked off on Thursday 24 June with a digital screening by the Medway cast. It continued with in-person performances by the Peterborough cast (Jumped Up Theatre) on 1 & 2 July, followed by further digital screenings of the Medway cast on 8 & 22 July via lyriciarts.com. The Wigan cast (The Old Courts) performed on 29-30 October. Dates and venue for the East Cardiff (Common Wealth) performances to be announced.

Supported by Garfield Weston Foundation and Esmée Fairbairn Foundation

What is Co-Creation?

Co-creation is a collective approach which challenges old hierarchies, with communities taking the lead in new projects supported by charities, local councils, funders and arts organisations. The co-created projects will have live performance at their heart and will be a vehicle for local people to engage with their communities’ most pressing needs. 

Co-Creation gives agency to participants and invites them to openly share and engage in a dialogue with others about their own stories in order to shape work. We hope that this work will go well beyond the percieved end of the projects. We want to encourage people to take ownership of the work that is being created in their local towns and cities.

We believe co-creating our work will help us create life-changing experiences with the communities we are working with. If our work is shaped by more experiences and aspirations, that challenge and change the work that we do, it will have a greater impact than we can achieve on our own.

A great place to find out more about co-creation is at the Co-Creating Change Network website.

Our Manifesto:

  1. We will not use jargon, and make sure language and process is clear and de-mystyifed

  2. We will be receptive to gifts

  3. The work will be artistically excellent

  4. “Not about us, without us”

  5. The project will encourage people to be more active in their own lives/ community

  6. The project will enable people to blow up old narratives & practice new ones

  7. Where possible, support the onward progression of people; take them beyond volunteering and give access to paid work

  8. Dig deeper

  9. The project will make people feel differently

 
BAC+LOGO.jpg