We want to thank all our participants, clients, customers and supporters this year. We have had an amazing year, packed full of creative projects that we hope you have enjoyed. We wanted to take some time to celebrate the achievements of 2022 as we look forward to another great year in 2023.
We ran our Performing Arts Camp during the various school holidays throughout the year. We were lucky enough to secure HAF funding for our spring programme and our ‘Winter Wonderland PA’ Camp that we are hosting this December. We assisted children aged 4 to 13, providing performing arts activities and creative engagement, allowing everyone to have fun and express themselves. Over the year, we have supported 311 children; 208 of these places were free, with 46 free meals being served (December 2022 is yet to be counted). We are thrilled that we have managed to provide this provision for our community.
We have produced several original productions that were commissioned by various organisations in Milton Keynes. To celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee in June, we created a theatre piece that was performed at The Old Bath House’s Tea Party for Older People. “Lizzie’s Carriage”, was a tribute to the Wolverton Works and recounted the time Queen Elizabeth came to see her Jubilee carriage. Some of our Youth Theatre members committed to extra rehearsals to be part of the production, as shown in the picture below. It was a very special piece.
A second project we were involved in for the Platinum Jubilee, was the work we facilitated with Look Ahead Youth Hostel in Milton Keynes. The project, funded by Milton Keynes Community Foundation, aimed to support the residents to build confidence and self-esteem, expressing their own experiences through drama and performance. We created a story in collaboration with the young people that explored their experiences of moving to the UK. The final piece ‘I Wear my Decisions like a Crown’, was performed on the square outside Bar Bar Black Sheep. It was a lovely event where local stakeholders came together to support and discuss the piece.
Over the course of 2022, the Square became a wonderful hub for many projects and performances, and the weather certainly aided us in mounting successful outdoor performances.
Our Youth Theatre came together in their end-of-year performance of ‘Once Upon a Crime’ a murder mystery set in a fairy tale kingdom, where the audience needed to work together to help Good Cop and Bad Cop solve the crime. The event was a huge success, with the audience correctly guessing the outcome; we gathered over 50 people and packed the square.
In September, we started our very exciting partnership with Stantonbury Theatre, delivering a wide range of creative learning projects, including our new adult acting classes. Our full programme can be found on the Participate page of the website, and we can’t wait for next year, when we really put our stamp on the theatre. Watch this space.
We have a feeling 2023 is going to be a good one. We will be delivering our Arts Award Access Fund project, working with 10 children to create a new piece of theatre inspired by the exhibits at MK Museum. We will be working on new play commissions and new partnerships with local schools and colleges, along side our regular programme of classes and workshops.
Thank you again for all your support this year. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from all of us at Black Sheep Collective!
CHILDREN ENGAGED:
102 children, 66 free places, 10 free meals
161 children, 127 free places, 21 free meals
48 children, 15 free places, 15 free meals
(311 children, 208 free places, 46 free meals)
