Latest News
Chester refugee film is hosted by Royal Shakespeare Company
From Chester to Stratford Upon Avon, Theatre in the Quarter takes its ground- breaking work to the Royal Shakespeare Company this June.
The Royal Shakespeare Company has screened city company Theatre in the Quarter's Walk My Journey documentary which will be broadcast across every evening of Refugees Week this month. The groundbreaking short film will be seen by thousands of people between 17th- 23rd June, who visit The Other Place venue in Stratford.
Walk My Journey was originally performed to a live audience of 3000 people in Chester City Centre in November 2018. Involving twenty five local schools, 700 children, four teenagers and 6 asylum seekers, this film and piece of live theatre and music told the stories of displaced people from across the world, including Eritrea, Afghanistan and Iran. The film was created in partnership with national charity City of Sanctuary, and the momentum created by the project resulted in Chester being granted City of Sanctuary Status. The filming, by Andy Davies of thevideocompany was directed by Jo McLeish with music by Theatre in the Quarter artistic director Matt Baker. Various locations were used for the filming in parts of Salford, Manchester and with 700 children on Chester Racecourse.
Jo McLeish, producer of Walk My Journey said: "It's such an honour to have the Royal Shakespeare Company interested in this project and to commission it for their Refugee Week activities. It's lovely to think that this incredible piece of work, that got such a great response in Chester, will now be seen by an entirely new audience. The more people that can get an understanding of why so many displaced people have to make the tough choice to leave their homelands and come to the UK, the better. What Walk My Journey did, and now will continue to do, is celebrate the humans behind the headlines.”
The Other Place is one of The Royal Shakespeare Company’s venues which can be found on the banks of the River Avon in Stratford-Upon-Avon. The RSC describe it as “a creative hub for learning, research and development with rehearsal rooms and a 200-seat studio theatre’. The venue hosts regular festivals of new work as well as providing additional performance space for work with young people and the local community.
Geraldine Collinge, Director of Events and Exhibitions said, “The Royal Shakespeare Company was proud to host a week of screenings of Walk My Journey during Refugee Week 2019. It was great to screen this powerful and very well made film and to contribute in some small way to the important work that Theatre in the Quarter are doing.”
Matt Baker, composer of the music for Walk My Journey added,”The impact of the film has resulted in several of the schools wanting to find out more about how they can become Schools of Sanctuary, and I am delighted that the work has been recognised well beyond our own city.” Walk My Journey will also be programmed as part of Refugee Week more locally in Chester Cathedral.
Any school wishing to fond out more about becoming a School of Sanctuary should contact Chester City of Sanctuary representative Michael Johnson at mikerj51@hotmail.com.
Latest News
Chester refugee film is hosted by Royal Shakespeare Company
From Chester to Stratford Upon Avon, Theatre in the Quarter takes its ground- breaking work to the Royal Shakespeare Company this June.
The Royal Shakespeare Company has screened city company Theatre in the Quarter's Walk My Journey documentary which will be broadcast across every evening of Refugees Week this month. The groundbreaking short film will be seen by thousands of people between 17th- 23rd June, who visit The Other Place venue in Stratford.
Walk My Journey was originally performed to a live audience of 3000 people in Chester City Centre in November 2018. Involving twenty five local schools, 700 children, four teenagers and 6 asylum seekers, this film and piece of live theatre and music told the stories of displaced people from across the world, including Eritrea, Afghanistan and Iran. The film was created in partnership with national charity City of Sanctuary, and the momentum created by the project resulted in Chester being granted City of Sanctuary Status. The filming, by Andy Davies of thevideocompany was directed by Jo McLeish with music by Theatre in the Quarter artistic director Matt Baker. Various locations were used for the filming in parts of Salford, Manchester and with 700 children on Chester Racecourse.
Jo McLeish, producer of Walk My Journey said: "It's such an honour to have the Royal Shakespeare Company interested in this project and to commission it for their Refugee Week activities. It's lovely to think that this incredible piece of work, that got such a great response in Chester, will now be seen by an entirely new audience. The more people that can get an understanding of why so many displaced people have to make the tough choice to leave their homelands and come to the UK, the better. What Walk My Journey did, and now will continue to do, is celebrate the humans behind the headlines.”
The Other Place is one of The Royal Shakespeare Company’s venues which can be found on the banks of the River Avon in Stratford-Upon-Avon. The RSC describe it as “a creative hub for learning, research and development with rehearsal rooms and a 200-seat studio theatre’. The venue hosts regular festivals of new work as well as providing additional performance space for work with young people and the local community.
Geraldine Collinge, Director of Events and Exhibitions said, “The Royal Shakespeare Company was proud to host a week of screenings of Walk My Journey during Refugee Week 2019. It was great to screen this powerful and very well made film and to contribute in some small way to the important work that Theatre in the Quarter are doing.”
Matt Baker, composer of the music for Walk My Journey added,”The impact of the film has resulted in several of the schools wanting to find out more about how they can become Schools of Sanctuary, and I am delighted that the work has been recognised well beyond our own city.” Walk My Journey will also be programmed as part of Refugee Week more locally in Chester Cathedral.
Any school wishing to fond out more about becoming a School of Sanctuary should contact Chester City of Sanctuary representative Michael Johnson at mikerj51@hotmail.com.
Welcome to Theatre in the Quarter
transforming lives through theatre
Theatre in the Quarter is a leading creator of new and quality music theatre, producing work with professional artists and communities, and in doing so making a lasting contribution to all those involved.
Its original productions draw inspiration from the lives and experiences of the people with whom it works. It creates work in exciting places - from cathedrals to railway stations, palaces to village halls. The company’s work is supported primarily by Arts Council England and Cheshire West and Chester Council. Theatre in The Quarter also works with other arts organisations to make exciting projects happen.
Category: Community Performing Arts
Winner: Best Days of our Lives
With children working alongside professional artists, Best Days of Our Lives was performed at Chester Cathedral and told the story of “growing up and going to school in Blacon”. The project was collaboration between Homegrown Dance Theatre, Theatre in the Quarter and Dee Video, in association with Blacon schools and the Blacon Education Village (BEV).
Told through the eyes of a nine year old boy and his parents, ‘A story about George’ highlights the impact that leading theatre company Theatre in the Quarter has had on this little boy's life and his hopes and dreams for a better future.
Ten years of Theatre in the Quarter.
A decade of our work in less than a minute!
TRANSFORMING REAL LIVES
for the WHOLE community
across ALL age groups
the story so far…
• 18 young peoples plays
• 6 collaborations
• 75 artists and actors
• hundreds of adults
• thousands of children
• over 200 workshops
• 5-star national review
…want to help?
BRINGING TOGETHER
Youth and Experience
Inspiration and Performance
Theatre and Community
Young People and Community
A vibrant core to the company’s work is its theatre programmes for young people.
These include three year-round groups:
JIGSAW
creative music theatre group for 7-12 year olds
QUARTZ
vibrant and dynamic youth theatre for 13+ year olds
REWIND
an innovative theatre and movement group for the young people of Blacon
(co-delivered with Cheshire Dance)
FIND OUT MORE
Theatre in the Quarter also runs exciting SUMMER THEATRE SCHOOLS at St Mary’s Creative Space in Chester.
For adults who wish to sing, perform or play instruments there is the TiQ CHORUS, which is run alongside our various theatre productions.
Saint Mary’s Creative Space
Our go-to venue for workshops, rehearsals and performances, Saint Mary’s Creative Space is a fantastic building in the heart of Chester. See the St Mary’s What’s On page HERE for details of all of their up-coming events, including our own.
