In this episode I interview Richard Hayhow of the Open Theatre Company about his work in Non-verbal Physical Theatre with Music.
We explore the work of actors with learning disabilities and the importance of inclusion at all stages of the artistic process. We talk about how engagement in this work is transformational, both for the actors, as well as those participating in it in support roles or as audience members.
Richard and I examine the values of the work, discussing why the work matters and the gains to be had from recognising the actors as actors with talents and things to communicate, rather than focussing on their disabilities.
We take a look back at our work together in promoting the art form, where I was a member of the Trustee Board of the Open Theatre Company and Richard was one of its first Directors. We then look forward to what the future holds and the growing reputation of the Company which is keen to develop its international presence and to collaborate with others.
Richard has been Director of Open Theatre for 30 years. Open Theatre aims to place the creativity of young people with learning disabilities at the centre of the cultural life of Birmingham and Coventry. As part of this aim, Richard set up The Shysters, a company of actors with learning disabilities, in partnership with the Belgrade Theatre, Coventry in 1997. Through the development of a unique nonverbal physical theatre practice, the company gained a national reputation for the ground-breaking quality of its performance work ‘on the borderlines of theatre, dance and mime’.
For the past fifteen years Richard has been forging long-term creative collaborations with special schools in the West Midlands region, to examine and maximise the impact the nonverbal physical theatre practice can have on children’s learning and development and on young people’s transition into adult life. Open Theatre currently has a team of 12 practitioners working all year round in 18 special schools.
In 2018, Open Theatre became an Arts Council National Portfolio Organisation with ambitious plans to support the emergence of a significant number of professional artists with learning disabilities over the next four years through appropriate training provision and landmark production work. Open Theatre have just co-produced The Twisted Tale of Hansel and Gretel in partnership with Birmingham Hippodrome and MBD, featuring an integrated cast of actors with and without learning disabilities.
Contact Richard Hayhow by email: richard@opentheatre.co.uk
For more information on the Open Theatre Company, visit their Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/OpenTheatreCompany or their website at: https://www.opentheatre.co.uk/
For more information about this podcast series, or to make any comments or to ask any questions relating to English Language learning, please contact me at johnscottlawton@hotmail.co.uk or visit my LinkedIn profile at https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-scott-lawton/ or my company page at https://www.linkedin.com/company/john-scott-lawton-consulting/?viewAsMember=true
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