Categories
Courses & Workshops Quay News Theatre Uncategorized What's On News

Practitioner Profiles

Find out more out the professional industry practitioners joining Award-winning DEADMAN at Quay Arts for a series of insightful workshops designed to amplify your theatrical talent.

We are excited to offer a programme of 4 subsidised, day-long participatory workshops, which explore Acting, Directing, Writing and Production across four dates in February. Please click here to find out more about the programme. Devised by DEADMAN film and theatre company, these workshops are for 18-30 year olds and will be delivered by active, industry professionals, providing practical and insightful insider knowledge.

Start your Own Theatre Company Programme Lead: Samuel Bossman

Artistic Director of DEADMAN Samuel Bossman has led masterclass workshops for National Youth Theatre in creating your own work and for The Children’s Society, working with their vulnerable young people. Their most recent production of The Freshwater Five will tour again in Spring 2024. With a new production supported by MAST Mayflower Studios beginning this year. DEADMAN is an Isle of Wight company who produce award-winning work in film and theatre, specialising in supporting new work and talent from underrepresented areas.

Acting Workshop Lead Practitioner: Jessica Rhodes

Jessica most recently starred as Miranda in the RSC’s upcoming production of The Tempest, directed by Elizabeth Freestone. After graduating from RADA, Jessica received critical acclaim for her professional debut in The Sugar Syndrome at Orange Tree Theatre. She won the Off-West End Offie Award 2021 for Lead Performance in a Play and was nominated for The Stage Debut Award 2020 for the Best Performer in a Play. Jessica’s recent stagework includes a starring role in Doubt at Chichester Festival Theatre, directed by Lia Williams. She can currently be seen as ‘Laura Stone’ in the TV series Finders Keepers for Channel 5.

Directing Workshop Lead Practitioner: Becks Granger

Becks Granger is a Southampton based creative who finds joy in the magic of theatre. They make work fizzing with energy, ensemble and spark. They have extensive directing and drama facilitation experience globally, including the UK, Switzerland and USA. They are currently working on Animal Farm with the Lichfield Young Company, as well as collaborating with One Day Creative as a workshop leader. They are currently producing the sold out run of How you Died with Dark Skies Ensemble at Old Red Lion Theatre, having previously co produced the UK tour of Trio of Tennessee Williams with Fox and Hound Theatre Company. They directed The Freshwater Five for the 2023 coastal communities tour and for the 2024 House-supported tour.

Production Workshop Lead Practitioner: Jack Hathaway

Jack Studied Production Electrics at Royal Central School of speech and Drama. After graduating, Jack worked as a Production Electrician for a number of London venues including the Young Vic, Hampstead Theatre and Wilton’s Music Hall. Shortly after, he started to work as an Associate LD and Relighter for companies such as the Royal Court, Northern Stage and Isango Ensemble. Jack now works in a range of fields from Opera to Site specific events in the UK and beyond. Credits include: Sometimes (Sadlers Wells & Touring) Romeo & Juliet (New Wolsey) The Freshwater Five (UK Tour) Hot in Here (Gate Theatre) ADA (NYT) WeeverFish (Webber Douglas, RCCSD) 50days (BYMT, Birmingham Hippodrome) For Guildford School of Acting: Treasure Island and Beasts and Beauties.

Writing Workshop Lead Practitioner: Liam Patrick Harrison

Liam Patrick Harrison is an Isle of Wight born playwright – trained at the Royal Court Young Writers Programme. His theatrical work has been staged at venues across London and the UK, including the Royal Court, SOHO Theatre, Pleasance and Vault Festival amongst others. Outside his written work he has founded several production companies focused on accessibility to the arts including SKINT Theatre, the UK’s first affordable ‘Micro-Teatro’ festival.  He has worked with Deadman on The Freshwater Five since 2021.

WORKSHOP INFORMATION

Acting – Saturday 10th February, 10am – 5pm
Directing – Sunday 11th February, 10am – 5pm
Production – Saturday 24th February, 10am – 5pm
Writing – Sunday 25th February, 10am – 5pm

20 spaces per session. These workshops are designed as a linked programme of 4 but can also be undertaken as standalone sessions.

VENUE:  Minghella Theatre, Quay Arts
COST: £10 per workshop. This programme is subsidised with kind support from Arts Council England

BOOK TICKETS HERE

Categories
Courses & Workshops Exhibitions Quay News Uncategorized

Tutor Profile : India Allin

Studio Delma

Quay Arts is delighted to be working with new tutor India Allin who will be running her Sculptural Pasterwork Course starting on 11th May. We asked India a few questions to introduce herself and her beautiful work.

Tell us a little bit about yourself, and how you became an artist/maker ?

I was born & raised in Hertfordshire, and moved to London to study prop making at a drama school in 2014. I’ve always enjoyed a range of arts & crafts based hobbies, but have always leaned heavier towards 3D work and prop making was a fantastic entry point to making creative work actually pay the bills. I transitioned from prop making to decorative arts a few years ago when I took a job making bespoke artworks and finishes for luxury interior design projects. This is where I discovered relief sculpture as an art form and really got to practice and develop my skills working on sculptural plasterwork pieces. I fell in love with the craft and the aesthetic of the finished pieces, and haven’t stopped practising since. I’ve now founded my own decorative arts studio, Studio Delma, where I  make bespoke & ready-to-hang sculptural plaster artworks and specialist paint finishes for interiors, as well as offering creative workshops & private art tuition. 

Why move back to the Island what does it offer?
I’m very new to the Island, having only moved here in August 2023. I’ve been visiting for most of my life as I have family here, and it’s always been a place very close to my heart. I felt it was my time to leave London, and there was no other place that I felt such a connection with, and that I felt could offer me what I was searching for; Somewhere with a real sense of community, a tight knit place with a strong artistic presence, and plenty of open spaces & nature to explore and be inspired by. It’s not been long but I absolutely love living here and everyone I’ve met has been so welcoming and encouraging. 

Who/what are your artistic influences?
I take inspiration from nature, as most artists will say. It is an endless supply of ideas, from colours, textures, shapes, and feelings, to composition. I’m always taking photos of the textures in the cliffs on a beach, or the bark of a tree, or the shape of a particularly interesting leaf! I’ll scroll back through when I’m planning out a new piece and pick out bits that I want to recreate or reinterpret in my own way. I also love looking through books of old wildlife and botanical illustrations, and I’m always finding myself drawn to sculpting birds. 

What can participants expect from your ‘Sculptural Plasterwork’ course?
The course is a chance to turn your hand to a really exciting craft, something that has been around for many many centuries but still isn’t widely popularised. People may feel intimidated to start as a beginner because it’s often very intricate work, but it’s actually very easy to pick up, and once you understand the process and have a feel for the tools and materials it has endless possibilities and is a very affordable art form to practice. It’s very satisfying & therapeutic for some, planning your artwork, building up the plaster into a 3D form, then carefully carving and sanding away until the shapes and depths match your vision, adding intricate details to bring it to life. Participants on the course will finish with their own artwork, but will also have all the knowledge they need to go home and experiment with sculptural plasterwork independently. It’s something a little bit different; not many people are familiar with sculptural plasterwork in this sense, but the effect of the artwork is a really striking conversation piece. 

Best creative advice you’ve been given?
It’s not strictly creative advice, but knowing that there will always someone you perceive to be “better than you” at what you are doing, accepting that fact, and not letting it discourage or discount the significance of your own work. It’s easy, particularly when learning a new skill, to want to give up when your work isn’t coming out how you want it to and people around you seem to be churning it out easily and more beautifully. Creativity should be a place of fun, exploration & personal development, not for competing with others or tearing yourself down. Doing something perfectly is overrated, and frankly impossible.  

What are your creative ambitions for 2024?
Artistically, this year I want to push myself out of my comfort zone by experimenting with different styles and subject matter. I find it all to easy to find something that works for me and just stick with it. I also want to connect with other artists on the Island to plan events that will help contribute to the thriving arts scene, run more workshops throughout the year, and I’m looking forward to exhibiting my work on the Isle of Wight. 

DONATE TO QUAY ARTS

Even a little money can make a big difference at Quay Arts

Did you realise that when you buy a cup of freshly ground barista coffee in our Café Bar, you are helping to support the cultural life of the Isle of Wight?

However, the generosity of our supporters goes beyond sales of food, drink and theatre tickets. Gifts of money, time, and even specific items make a huge difference to the amount of work we can do. Together, we can continue to enrich the lives of islanders and visitors with our fantastic programme of events.