Garidge Theatre – Inverurie Script
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Writer Brief
Garidge Theatre wishes to commission a professional playwright to create a script, in collaboration with a director and composer (of music or music & song?), based on an aspect or aspects of Inverurie’s cultural heritage. The piece is to be performed at the Garioch Theatre Festival 2014.
It will also be made available as a creative resource to the people of Inverurie, suitable for future use by schools, community groups, local historians and theatre companies.
This project is being delivered in partnership with Aberdeenshire Council's Percent for Art Scheme.
Garidge Theatre, based in Inverurie, Aberdeenshire has successfully run Garioch Theatre Festival for eight years, as well as workshops and many other events.
The group is made up of around 20 – 28 young people aged between 12 and 24. All of the group have former training in theatre skills.
We have a reputation for performance pieces that are based on local heritage but brought up to date in terms of relevance today, and local relevance for the young people who are involved. We sometimes perform in the local dialect, Doric, promoting and celebrating its language and local culture.
Although some of these plays were devised by young people themselves, other specially commissioned works for theatre, promenade and site-specific pieces were developed alongside Aberdeen-based writer Charles Barron. These have ranged from ‘Passion’ set in a graveyard with a Doric grandmother coming to life to speak to her troubled grandchild; ‘Flight’ which was a promenade piece around four different venues in Inverurie; ‘The Eagle Has Flown’ and many more.
In 2008, Garidge Theatre received a Young Roots grant to research at Aberdeen Archives and elsewhere, and to produce and perform a script in conjunction with playwright, Charles Barron and original music and songs by Ashley Forbes. This was a hugely successful project, with a lasting script given to many schools and libraries for future use by others, and a CD produced of the songs and music. We also produced a brand new piece, devised by the young people for Homecoming year, called ‘Our Scotland’, with newly composed songs sitting alongside the songs of Robert Burns.
Reviews are consistently excellent: see the website at www.rhonamitchell.co.uk
This project has the support of Aberdeen Archives, Garioch Heritage Society and The Mitchell School of Drama will provide space for the improvisation sessions.
3. Context & Vision
Given these past successes in terms of creating, producing and performing new work centred on local culture, we are keen to work again in this way, but this time to produce a piece centred specifically on Inverurie.
In addition, this commission will seek to provide a legacy to members of the wider community, and will be available for use in the future.
We are looking for a writer with evidence of playwrighting who would work in a collaborative way with the director (Rhona Mitchell) and composer (Ashley Forbes). It is not essential to have experience of collaborative working, though it would be preferable.
The commission is outlined below in key phases:
Phase 1- Research The steering group will play a key role in this initial stage. This will include researching and gathering potential items of interest through documents, press material and other evidence held at both Garioch Heritage Society and at Aberdeen Archives. The steering group would also seek to engage people in sharing memories from the past. It is the the writer’s choice how much they are involved in this phase.
Phase 2 The playwright would choose elements of interest from the initial research and ‘workshop’ their ideas with a workshop leader through improvisation.
Phase 3 The playwright would then be required to produce a script based on some aspect of the research and sources. Further research may be required at this point, to flesh out details.
Phase 4 It is hoped there will be on going collaboration during rehearsals and the development phase, as songs are added to the piece.
Phase 5 A brief report will be required, outlining the approach the scriptwriter took to this work, the concept for the play and how it developed from words into performance.
5. Project Timeline.
Deadline for applications – 3 June 2013
Undertake interviews – 17 June
Appoint artist – June 2013.
Start work on resources, interviews with the people of Inverurie and improvisation sessions, visits to Garioch Heritage Society and Aberdeen Archives – August – October, 2013.
Artist writes script – October – December, 2013.
Theatre group works on production of script – January – June, 2014
Performance of script, as part of the Garioch Theatre Festival – June 2014.
Production of script for other groups – July, August, 2014.
End report – by end October.
6. Finance and Contractual
The playwright’s fee will be £5000
On completion of the script copyright will belong to the Client, but the intellectual copyright belongs to the writer.
7. Application Procedure
Writers should submit:
· a current CV that demonstrates evidence of previous commissions and past projects, with examples of writing. Experience and skills should show clear links to this brief.
· a proposal of around 500 words indicating how they would approach this commission, including an outline work schedule to suit the timeframe showing details of methodology, key milestones and expected number of days working on the commission, including those spent working with the group of young people and other community groups as required.
· the names and contact numbers of two referees.
8. Tendering Procedure
The deadline for submissions is 12 noon on 3 June 2013.
Applications should be marked Garidge Theatre Writer 2014 Project and emailed to watt-msd@tiscali.co.uk
Alternatively post to: Rhona Mitchell, 6 Fairview Gardens, Inverurie, AB51 4JZ
Applications will be assessed by a panel comprising Garidge Theatre committee members and the local Arts Development Officer.
Short listed writers will be invited to Inverurie for interview on 17 June 2013. The selection panel intends to make an immediate appointment but reserves the right not to choose any artist.
10. Project Contact
For further information prior to making a submission contact watt-msd@tiscali.co.uk
