| Exchange For Change
Year One 2009 • Year Two 2010 • Year Three 2011
Half Moon is committed to developing new artists and new plays for young people which reflect the diversity of our community. Exchange For Change, a three year artform development project, originally funded by the Paul Hamlyn Foundation (2009 - 2011) is a product of this commitment.
The aims of Exchange For Change are:
• to develop emerging artists, particularly those under-represented in the sector
• to encourage established writers to write for young audiences
• to create new, challenging and relevant productions for the Theatre For Young People (TYP) sector
• to encourage debate within the sector
For this project and with our on-going programmes inspired by this programme, Half Moon works with emerging artists from a variety of artforms and experienced writers new to the age range in focus. The group follow a programme of development and exchange, working with a range of artists from different backgrounds, undertaking specialist training and participating in facilitated workshops with the target age group. The resulting scratch performances / rehearsed readings are showcased at an annual one day festival accompanied by discussions and provocation. Exchange for Change was curated and conceived by Half Moon's Director, Chris Elwell.
If you would like more information, please feel free to get in touch by email or call 020 7265 8138.
Year Three 2011
Age focus 8 - 12 year olds.
Exchange for Change 2011 culminated in a festival day on 30th June 2011 at Half Moon for an audience of industry professionals and school children. The day saw two ensemble companies present The Crossing and Album - scratch performances that were developed over a period of just six days, including encounters in local primary schools. Also part of this year’s festival , Jean ‘Binta’ Breeze’s new piece Caught in the Middle was presented. The day culminated in a provocation session that saw guest hosts - Martin Welton, Ola Animashawun and Nina Birch - and delegates discuss artform development and how engagement changes practice and what impact this can have on theatre for young people.
The 2010 artists and plays were:
The Crossing
poet/writer - Raymond Antrobus
musician & storyteller - Christine Cooper
musician - Sean Corby
spatial designer - Saif Osmani
theatre maker - Shalini Peiris
Partner centre for development - Marion Richardson School, E1.
A world of two beginnings and two endings. The piece explored young people’s ability to exercise choice in their lives.
**********
Caught in the Middle
Poet Jean 'Binta' Breeze was commissioned to write her first play for young
people.
Partner centre for development - Mayflower Primary School, E14.
‘To be a girl, and a girl in the middle, is double misery. It’s like nobody sees me, or what I want.’ The play charts the life of a teenage girl through puberty, who is forced to confront the challenges of being ‘caught in the middle’ between her younger brother and older sister.
The actors who featured in the rehearsed reading were: Rachel McKenzie, Anna-Maria Nabirye and Divian Ladwa.
**********
Album
poet - Kayo Chingonyi
composer - Luke Grant
theatre practitioner - Tuan Ly
visual artist - Rashmi Munikempanna
Partner centre for development - George Green's Secondary School, E14.
Album. Memory. Migration. The piece contained reflections of what a certain place meant at a certain time.
You can download the booklet with further details of Exchange For Change 2011 here.
**********
Year Two 2010
Age focus: teenagers.
This year's Exchange For Change has drawn to a successful close. The festival day provided a stimulating and thought provoking opportunity to showcase the pieces that the ensembles and writer Courttia Newland had created. We're very grateful to all the delegates who attended from across the theatre sector, particularly the panel members Lyn Gardner, David Lane, Zena Edwards and Half Moon's Youth Theatre members.
In 2010 three brand new cross-artform ensemble companies formed and presented scratch performances of new shows they had created for teenagers. The artists had input from teenagers from schools and groups in our local area.
The 2010 artists and plays were:
Glass Knickers
Lissia Fraser - digital media artist
Jacqueline Johnstone - contemporary dance athlete
Conrad the Scoundral - MC/producer
Partner centre for development - George Green's School, E14.
This ensemble produced a piece exploring male attitudes to women, in particular a brother and sister relationship.
  
**********
Frag-mENTAL
Amberin Huq - visual artist
Sean Graham - theatre artist / choreographer
Marv-Ill - beatbox/ MC
Partner centres for development - Stepney Green Boys School, E1 & Swanlea Secondary, E1.
Set in a twisted game show state of mind, this ensemble explored identity - what makes you who you are.
  
**********
The Closer I get the Distant I am
Vipul Bhatti - dance artist
Tamsin Kayembe aka Concise One - lyricist
Nick Tyson - musician
Partner centre for development - Limehouse Youth Centre, E14.
A physical piece looking at how young people communicate and how they find release.
  
**********
Look To The Sky
by Courttia Newland
Look To the Sky was shortlisted for the 2010 Alfred Fagon Awards. The piece was developed into a full commission and toured during the Autumn of 2011. For further details, visit the show's microsite.
A new play which challenged the stereotypes that young people face in a piece of writing full of lyricism.
  
The rehearsed reading featured actors: Pedro de Sousa, Ayesha Antoine, Divian Ladwa and Kim Hardy.
You can download the booklet with further details of Exchange For Change 2010 here.
**********
Year One 2009
Age focus under 7's.
Year One of Exchange For Change worked with artists from a wide range of backgrounds who participated in research and development and gained valuable insight into producing theatre for the very young, which was new to many of them.
The 2009 festival day was held at Half Moon's building in Limehouse on July 16 2009, it was attended by theatre professionals from across the country. Patricia Cumper (CEO/Artistic Director Talawa Theatre Company) and Karena Johnson (CEO/Artistic Director theBROADWAY Barking) were visiting speakers on the day, leading the provocation session.
The 2010 artists and plays were:
Rip, Fold, Scrunch
Jesal Patel - dancer
Gauri Sharma Tripathi - choreographer
Ayanna Witter-Johnson - musician
Maria Thomas - actor
Partner centre for development - Barkantine Community Day Nursery, E14.
A new play of very few words using paper as a tool for an imaginative story of developing friendship with a live cello and vocal soundscape.
  
After a successful run at Half Moon in early 2010 Rip, Fold, Scrunch toured nationally between April and June 2011. For more information, please see our show archive.
**********
The Magical Adventure Of Spud & Plum
James Grant - composer
Temujin Gill - choreographer
Wai Yin Kwok - designer
Megha Sharma - actor
Partner centre for development - Stewart Headlam Primary and Nursery School, E1
A movement based play with no words exploring how friendships can be both fun and challenging.
  
The Magical Adventure of Spud and Plum y was redeveloped, renamed Plum And Pickle, and enjoyed a very successful premiere during Half Moon's 2010/11 season. For more information, please see our show archive.
**********
Moon And Genie
Established Writer Tanika Gupta
Partner centre for development - Barkantine Community Day Nursery, E14.
A play of simple poetry and song using food as a tool for cross-generational dialogue through the eyes of a little boy and his grandmother who isn't well.
  
The rehearsed reading featured actors: Waleed Akhtar, Marcia Mantack, Carol Moses and Kim Hardy.
Moon And Genie has been fully commisioned and was selected to be part of the 2011 Arts Council Decibel Showcase in the Autumn 2011. We are planning to mount and tour the show in 2012. For further details please click here.
You can download the booklet with further details of Exchange For Change 2009 here.
The three years of Exchange For Change was documented by video artist Nick Pilton. Three 30 minute DVDs have been created following the journey of the artists from their first day together, to their encounters with young people concluding with their reflections on the 'scratch' performances. These DVDS offer a hugely valuable teaching and dessimination tool. For further information please contact us by email. The DVD in year one was made possible by funding from the Centre for Excellence in Training for Theatre (CETT) at Central School of Speech and Drama.
back to top of page |
