Birmingham Hippodrome and Talawa Theatre Company are working together with a growing cohort of local Black artists to develop craft and support a growing artistic community.
We are delighted to announce that Gathering Residency is back on Friday 25 & Saturday 26 September. Gathering is a programme for Black artists in the Midlands to develop craft and continue building an artistic community. Join us for two days of workshops, food and connection.
Schedule:
- Friday 25 September
- 10:30am – 11am – Welcome Workshop
- 11am – 1:30pm – Bringing Characters to Life with Aimée Powell
- 2:30pm – 5pm – Working with Text for Performers, Directors and Writers with Justine Themen
- Saturday 26 September
- 10:30am – 11am – Welcome Workshop
- 11am – 1:30pm – Movement: Finding the Story Through the Body with Keiren Hamilton-Amos
- 2:30pm – 5pm – An introduction to the Windrush Prize and practical workshop on idea generation and redrafting with Shereener Browne and Sophia Griffin
- 5pm – 7pm – Hosted Dinner
More about the workshops:
Friday Workshops –
Join Aimée for a practical workshop on bringing characters to life. Through practical exercises and group discussions you’ll explore a range of techniques and methodologies to create memorable and authentic characters. Aimee will also share insights on her career and journey as an actor.
Aimée has been working in the industry across stage and screen since 2012. She has most recently finished filming on the new series of Line of Duty, appeared as Aisling in ITV’s Believe Me series and won an Off West End award for best performance, along with the rest of her cast, for her role in Belgrade Theatre and Bush Theatre’s co-production After Sunday. Some of her other credits include: The Lonely Londoners Kiln Theatre, Family Tree Actors Touring Company, Seaview Strictly Arts and Belgrade Film and Digital, Crongton Knights Pilot Theatre, Freeman Strictly Arts Theatre Company.
Justine will lead you through a workshop focusing on different approaches to working with text. You’ll learn techniques to interpret plays, explore the details and action of scenes and bring a text to life. Justine will also share insights on her career and journey as a director and artistic leader.
Saturday Workshops –
Introduction to Movement: Finding the Story Through the Body with Keiren Hamilton-Amos
This workshop introduces participants to movement as a language of storytelling. Through practical exploration, participants will develop the foundations to understand how the body communicates, creates meaning and supports character, narrative and ensemble work.
Using devising techniques, physical exploration and collaborative exercises, the workshop will explore how movement can generate ideas, build relationships and reveal stories beyond words. Participants will work with the body as a creative tool developing awareness, confidence and the ability to create expressive physical choices.
The session will explore ensemble movement, storytelling through the body and the foundations of movement practice, giving participants tools they can carry into acting, devising and performance-making.
Keiren Hamilton-Amos is an actor, director, writer and movement director from Birmingham. A graduate of the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, Keiren is a founding member of the internationally recognised Strictly Arts Theatre Company and has built a career rooted in storytelling, collaboration and socially engaged performance.
His work spans stage and screen, with credits including RSC, Belgrade Coventry Birmingham Rep , the BBC/Netflix drama Champion. Keiren’s practice explores the relationship between the body, rhythm, identity and narrative using movement as a powerful tool for character, ensemble and storytelling.
An introduction to the Windrush Prize and practical workshop on idea generation and redrafting with Shereener Browne and Sophia Griffin
Join Shereener & Sophia for a practical workshop on generating ideas and the process of redrafting plays. As well as discussions and practical tips, Shereener will talk through the process of applying for the Windrush Prize, offering valuable insights for creatives.
The prize is open to British Caribbean playwrights, but everyone is encouraged to attend the workshop, whether you are entering the prize or not.
Shereener Browne is an award-winning barrister-turned actor who started her acting career in 2017. She has played a number of roles in fringe theatre and also at the National and Chichester Festival Theatres. Shereener’s screen credits include co-lead in Dead on the Vine, winning Best Actress at the Unrestricted View Film Festival and Candles, co-starring with Paterson Joseph and winning Best Actress at the Real Time International Film Festival, and Best Romance Short at the London Independent Film Festival. Shereener co-produced Candles and is Executive Producer of short film The Backway.
In 2018 Shereener founded Orísun Productions with the aim of amplifying underrepresented voices. The company has been nominated a number of times for its work and has produced performances garnering four and five star reviews as well as being enthusiastically received by the Black community.
About the Windrush Prize – https://www.orisunproductions.com/the-windrush-prize
The Windrush Prize for British Caribbean Playwrights, has been established by Shereener Browne, the founder and artistic director of Orísun Productions, in memory of her late father, Myron Brown.
The prize will award £10,000 to a UK-based British Caribbean playwright and receive a minimum three-week run at the Arcola theatre in 2027 and will be published by Methuen Drama.
We run various events and workshops each year as well as commissioning opportunities. Previous workshops have included –
- Working With Text with Michael Buffong
- Creative Blocks & Practical Tools & Techniques with Talawa Theatre Company
- Theatremaking Workshop with Toni-Dee Paul
- Think Like An Artist Workshop with Roger Robinson
- Visioning Workshop with Lou Robbin
- Movement Exploration Workshop with David Gilbert
- Think Outside The Box with Ola Animashawun
“From what I experienced, it was a really empowering space to be in, I personally gained a lot of valuable insights and new connections”
Gathering participant
If you’re a Black* theatre creative in the West Midlands and would like to know more, add your details here and we’ll be in touch with more details about our next event.
*Defined as people of African, Caribbean, Afro-Latinx and African-American heritage, including people of mixed white and African diaspora heritage who identify as such.