World
theatre season at Oxford's premiere youth venue
Tuesday 22 April 2008
Pegasus Theatre,
an intimate venue at the eastern edge of Oxford's city centre,
has a reputation that belies its small size. Known regionally
for its groundbreaking work with young people (anyone aged
from 6 years to adult can get involved in projects with performing
artists and practitioners without a prior audition and at
low cost), the organisation has also been a training ground
for professional performers and technicians as well as a venue
for new and experimental performance.
The summer season brings together a range of artists from
around the world and their own back yard, demonstrating diverse
creative possibilities in making theatre. There are few places
where performances by a musical trio from Zimbabwe, the Caribbean
and the UK, a Japanese comedy duo and a German film/opera
maker would sit alongside each other so comfortably. This
is the charm and special quality that Pegasus has—within
the studio sized black box that has seen such performances
as trapeze artists, choirs, mime and steel pan orchestras
alongside puppeteers, dancers and actors (sometimes up to
100 at at time)—anything can, and at some point probably
will, happen.
This welcoming venue, a favourite amongst young people and
the artistic community in Oxford, is also attracting attention
from major businesses in the community. BMW Group Plant Oxford,
through Oxford Inspires, the county's cultural development
agency, is supporting the youth work for which the theatre
has become renowned.
Their commitment to make innovative events more accessible
to local people has been instrumental in helping to extend
the theatre's regular summer project work. This year the workshops
and courses planned, under the umbrella title Summer Village,
take place at Pegasus and various venues in the city from
28th July to 15th August, culminating in street theatre performances
around Oxford.
The successful performance and workshop programme (regularly
achieving 70%+ capacity) is a tribute to the theatre-goers
in Oxford and beyond expanding their horizons to try out what
venues like Pegasus have to offer. For details see the Pegasus
brochure or go online www.pegasustheatre.org.uk
Editors' Notes
· Pegasus specialises in performance, technical theatre,
music and dance for young people and supports emerging artists
as they take their first steps into a professional career.
· Collaborative performance projects between professional
artists and young people have been a key element of creative
new work being made at the theatre for the last 30 years.
· Key artists and performers have established their
professional careers following their time at Pegasus including
Théâtre de Complicité, The Right Size
and Peepolykus.
· Summer Village, supported by BMW Group Plant Oxford
through Oxford Inspires, runs from 28 July to 15 August 2008
and includes music, dance, theatre and technical workshops
as well as courses in dance, street theatre and set design
plus arts taster workshops at local community venues.
end
for photographs, interviews or review tickets
call Gill Jaggers on 01865 792209 (x 114) or 07961 922301
email gill.jaggers@pegasustheatre.org.uk
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