Washwood Heath Academy
13th April, 2018
Through our Change Makers award from Arts Council England we have been developing ways of working with people from a range of ages and backgrounds living in the Washwood Heath and Saltley areas of Birmingham. This has included creating and running after school Drama Clubs at two local secondary schools and establishing a network of contacts and arts ambassadors in the community. In April 2018 we ran a week of drama workshops for local young people as an offshoot of the drama club. These workshops which culminated in a show with a five course menu.
We transformed the school hall into a glamorous restaurant with the young people acting as its somewhat eccentric staff. Each of the five acts of the piece was linked to the five senses, each accompanied by appropriate food, including a giant illuminated jelly. Highlights of the show (apart of course from the jelly) included a mop dance, a crisp tasting challenge and a fruit and vegetable fashion parade.
The young people did a great job and it was lovely to see their confidence grow during the week and to see what they could produce in just five days (and the food was very tasty too).
Credits
Cast: Mehran Mughal, Aliya Bashir, Iman Bashir, Alimah Mehmood, Sabah Mehmood, Azim Zamir, Leena Sahib, Theresa Harris
For Stan’s Cafe: Amy Ann Haigh, Lucy Nicholls and Craig Stephens
Project Manager: Adam Carver
Technician: Liam d’Authreau
Production Assistants: Vita Fox and Lucy Bird
Photography: Kate Green
Video:B enjamin Field
Thanks to: Washwood Heath Academy, Saltley Academy, Birmingham REP, Dolphin Women’s Centre and Shahi Masala.
