CORPORATE PARTNERSHIPS
Big Telly Theatre Company has considerable experience in the creation of projects exclusively designed for corporate clients. These range from promotional events to arts-based training programmes and the use of actors within the recruitment process. Artistic Director, Zoë Seaton, works with Management Consultants such as Venture International to deliver training and development programmes that use theatrical techniques.
Previous clients include Bass Ireland, Irwin, Donaghey & Co Accountants, Coleraine Town Partnership, Zing Design and Print and Macaulay Wray Solicitors.
References
Macaulay Wray
Big Telly has worked with Macaulay Wray in 2003 on an arts-based training project. A group of junior solicitors from the company used themes from The Colleen Bawn production to develop their courtroom skills. The solicitors spent a rehearsal session with the cast and director, during which the characters in the play were placed on trial and cross-examined.
'Most of the solicitors in the office were at the production itself and I know that the result of that is that they will return to the Riverside for other productions. The idea of involving local businesses in the theatre directly is an excellent one. All my colleagues who attended the production and the mock trial join me in thanking Big Telly Theatre Company for inviting us to participate.'
Alison Millar LL.B., Partner, Macaulay Wray Solicitors, Coleraine
Irwin, Donaghey & Co / Bishops Footwear
Big Telly and Irwin, Donaghey & Co. received a New Partners award from Arts & Business for their collaboration on The Shoe Show . Staff from the Coleraine accountancy firm worked in rehearsal with the cast and production team to produce this unique sneak preview of The Playboy of the Western World - from the knees down! The action of the play was compressed into a frantic ten minutes with the story told only by shoes, and the show repeated nine times over the course of a Saturday afternoon in January in the window of Bishops' Footwear in Coleraine.
'We were pleased with the partnership with Big Telly Theatre Company. We consider that our employees benefited from their involvement in producing The Shoe Show. There was a very good reaction from our client who was able to stage the Show in his shop window and felt that this was an innovative promotion. We felt that the press and media coverage was extensive and certainly resulted in a positive reaction from our clients. Finally we were pleased with the client reception, which was held at the Riverside Theatre following the main production and again this was enjoyed and appreciated by our many clients who attended.'
Derek Irwin, Partner, Irwin, Donaghey & Company, Coleraine
'The Shoe Show was great craic and generated considerable interest in Bishops' window that day. We were delighted to have been able to showcase the event and very much enjoyed the association of the business with such an innovative project.'
Nigel Hamilton, Retail Manager, Bishops' Footwear, Coleraine
Bass Ireland
Big Telly provided actors to represent potential clients in an interview situation where Bass Ireland wished to test candidates' ability to perform under pressure. National No Smiling Day coincided with the launch of Bass Ireland's comedy festival. Big Telly gathered together ten performers dressed as ordinary members of the public to stage a protest about smiling and laughter. The actors remained solemn throughout while admonishing passers-by for any smiling or laughing. The reaction from the public was very positive and Bass Ireland's comedy festival was a huge hit.
Coleraine Town Partnership
During Easter 2003, Big Telly Theatre Company presented The Mad Hatter's Tea Party in two different locations in Coleraine town centre. The project was commissioned by Coleraine Town Partnership and was made possible with the assistance of an Arts & Business NI New Partners Award. This specially commissioned theatre piece utilised magic, illusion and special effects to tell the story of the Mad Hatter's Tea Party and was performed by a cast of five who portrayed well-loved characters Alice, the Dormouse, the March Hare, the Queen of Hearts and, of course, the Hatter himself. Each performance lasted for sixteen minutes, and the show was repeated twice on each performance day, with the cast undertaking extensive walkabouts amongst the audience before, after and between the shows.
'From Coleraine Town Partnership's point of view the Mad Hatter's Tea Party in Coleraine Town Centre on Tuesday 22nd April was a major success. During the day there were in excess of 1000 people in the town centre enjoying the performance, both on stage and throughout the town centre. The event was well publicised through the local media and as a result town centre footfall on the day was increased. Working with Big Telly exceeded our expectations, they provided an innovative town centre event and they were very flexible and adaptable in their approach. We look forward to working with them in the future.
Aisling Lynch, Town Centre Manager, Coleraine Town Partnership
'The event - The Mad Hatter's Tea Party - was a resounding success in the Diamond Centre. The buzz for us was the fact that the characters play acted on the Malls just before the show was to take place and this really got the curiosity going. The show itself was great and I found that all ages appreciated it from the very young right through to our elderly customers. Everyone was really intrigued by what was going on and I suppose I could use the word mesmerised by it all - you could see it on their faces. It will remain a memorable event in the Diamond Centre!
Gwyneth McQuiston, Diamond Centre Manager, Coleraine
Zing Design & Print
In January 2004, Big Telly provided arts-based training in the form of team building for Zing Design and Print, Coleraine, as part of an Arts & Business New Partners Scheme. The company had recently taken on a number of new members of staff and wanted to develop an effective and efficient team. The training began with an icebreaker exercise called 'Thank you very much...' which is about accepting praise and then using it to enhance and develop performance. The ice well and truly broken, the group then changed partners and did some synchronised story telling work. Next was a teamwork exercise where the group had to work together to prevent one person from getting to an empty chair. The group seemed to get a great deal from this exercise, working together to decide strategy and analyse their performance. By the end of the training day, which involved a multitude of workshop techniques, they were working extremely well as a team.
'...excellent, I would recommend arts-based training thoroughly.'
Karen Yates, Development Manager, Zing Design and Print, Coleraine
'The interaction amongst participants away from the working environment I think made the greatest contribution towards our enjoyment.'
Employee, Zing Design and Print, Coleraine
'...very relative within a print and design environment where [you are] interpreting and communicating customer requirements both internally and externally.'
Employee, Zing Design and Print, Coleraine
