Oldham Festival Of Diversity, Gallery Oldham
7 – 28 September, 2010
Whilst one version of OATP was in Tokyo, a UK seized version was running in parallel at Gallery Oldham as part of Oldham’s Festival Of Diversity. The show ran for three weeks with a changing team as members flew in and out of Tokyo and Montpellier to work on other shows. Seven volunteers from various backgrounds worked alongside us over the weeks giving them the opportunity to gain experience working with an arts company and us some local knowledge and extra hands.
Workshops were a big part of our presence here and involved working with both school and community groups. On one day in particular the team led 6 x 40 minute workshops for 141 year 7 pupils which involved a lot of going up and down stairs but some very fulfilling sessions.
During our time in Oldham we learnt that the first fish and chips were sold at the Oldham market, that Winston Churchill first fought for a conservative seat in Oldham, that the world’s first test tube baby Louise Brown was born in Oldham hospital and that Oldham piloted a new reading teaching method using Phonics in the 1970s. Children books published in this method can still be seen in Oldham Gallery, which is a regular stop on the daily walk for a couple of older residents who told us that Oldham was once one of the most productive cotton spinning towns in the world and is now learning to live in the 21st century with much less industry and an ethnically diverse population.
C.D and C.S.
Credits
Performers: Chris Dugrenier, Lucy Nicholls, Kerrie Reading, Craig Stephens, Jack Trow
Initial Direction: Craig Stephens
Concept: James Yarker
General Manager: Charlotte Martin
Advisory Producer: Nick Sweeting