YOUNG PEOPLE FROM COVENTRY AND WARWICKSHIRE LEARN MORE ABOUT MUSIC AT THE RSC
This Spring, 15 young people from Coventry and Warwickshire, aged between 13-16, are spending time at the world famous Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) in Stratford-upon-Avon, learning more about how music is used in its current and past productions, as part of a project called reIMAGINE Music.
The participants started visiting the RSC on Monday 29 January, and will visit every Monday for a 2 hour session for a total of nine weeks. They are spending time with RSC Head of Music, Bruce O’Neil, RSC musicians and composers to discover how music creates mood and atmosphere in RSC shows. The RSC commissions composers to create new musical scores for all of its productions, with the music played live by RSC musicians at each performance.
As well as getting to know what it is like to be part of the RSC Music team, the young people will get the chance to play instruments and create the own music. In smaller groups they will devise their own musical themes for key moments in Shakespeare’s Macbeth, the project culminating with an evening for family, friends and RSC staff, where they will play their music live to accompany key speeches from Macbeth. At the end of the nine weeks each member of the group will get to see the RSC’s forthcoming production of Macbeth, featuring Christopher Eccleston in the title role.
reIMAGINE Music follows on from two previous projects: reIMAGINE Collections and reIMAGINE Sound, which gave young people the chance to explore the RSC’s rich heritage of creating pioneering work on stage, at the same time as meeting people who work for the RSC and developing new skills. Those taking part this time include young people from Coventry’s Positive Youth Foundation, The Gap Community Centre in Warwick, and Stratford-upon-Avon and the surrounding region, following a general call out on the RSC’s website.
Bruce O’Neil, RSC Head of Music, said: “The RSC produces an incredibly wide range of music for its productions, from Jazz to Classical, from Folk to Pop, in addition to a diverse spectrum of genres from around the world. This reflects the universal breadth of Shakespeare’s plays, as well as highlighting the importance of music as a dramatic device in contemporary theatre. The techniques behind how it is used offer an insight into how plays come to life, and highlight the powerful effect that music has on us all.”
Rachael Osmotherley, RSC Participation and Outreach Coordinator, said: “This is a fantastic opportunity for young people to get an insight into the workings of the RSC’s music department and the importance of music on stage over the years. The project is a really social experience for participants; it brings together young people from different places and backgrounds, with a huge range of interests and skills but all working together towards a common goal.
“By creating their own music they will learn more about the world backstage and how we make our productions come to life.”
Katie Davis, Programme Coordinator, Positive Youth Foundation, said: "Positive Youth Foundation have enjoyed being a part of the past three reIMAGINE programmes, with reIMAGINE Music being no exception! It's fantastic to have the opportunity to open out these experiences to young people from Coventry who, without the collaborative support from the RSC team and ourselves, may not find Stratford Upon Avon and the RSC accessible. The programmes are innovative and engaging, meaning that staff and young people alike have a sense of being part of something very special, from backstage tours and working with RSC professionals. The reIMAGINE programmes give young people a chance to explore what it means to be creative in a variety of ways and has shown impact in boosting the confidence of all engaged."
Marcos Campos, Director, The Gap Community Centre said: “reIMAGINE is an incredible initiative from RSC, providing a highly valuable opportunity for young people in the local and surrounding areas. The Gap Community Centre is very grateful for having four of our young people taking part in the project. The project offers a unique opportunity for our young people to experience life behind the scenes, working with very talented professionals from RSC. This type of experience does not come around very often and we believe that it will inspire and raise their aspirations of what to do next. Who knows - we are maybe watching the next generation of music producers being born.”
For more information please contact:
Dean Asker
RSC Press Office
01789 412660, 0778 9937759
dean.asker@rsc.org.uk
NOTES TO EDITORS
The RSC Acting Companies are generously supported by THE GATSBY CHARITABLE FOUNDATION and THE KOVNER FOUNDATION
The Royal Shakespeare Company creates theatre at its best, made in Stratford-upon-Avon and shared around the world. We produce an inspirational artistic programme each year, setting Shakespeare in context, alongside the work of his contemporaries and today’s writers.
We have trained generations of the very best theatre makers and we continue to nurture the talent of the future. We encourage everyone to enjoy a lifelong relationship with Shakespeare and live theatre. We reach 530,000 children and young people annually through our education work, transforming their experiences in the classroom, in performance and online.
Everyone at the RSC - from actors to armourers, musicians to technicians - plays a part in creating the world you see on stage. All our productions begin life at our Stratford workshops and theatres and we bring them to the widest possible audience through our touring, residencies, live broadcasts and online activity. So wherever you experience the RSC, you experience work made in Shakespeare’s home town. Registered charity no. 212481 www.rsc.org.uk