SPRING CHICKENS ON THE LOOSE!

Spring Chickens, a theatre arts programme for older people, has been let loose across Northern Ireland! Big Telly Theatre Company completed its first round of workshops in the counties of Antrim, L/Derry, Tyrone, Armagh and Down.

The programme focuses on creative engagement within the older community across Northern Ireland. So far participants have experienced drama, clowning, magic and circus workshops!

The drama workshops involved fun and easy-to-learn games with facilitator Clair Chapwell and the company 1st Framework, both London based. The magic and circus workshops involved simple hands on tricks with local lads Caolan McBride and Paul Taylor. For something a bit different the L/Derry participants were taught about the importance of laughter with the London based award-winning silent clown Fraser Hooper! Theatre Company Theatre Without Walls mixed drama and mime with multi-media so that groups in this workshop experienced the simple techniques of putting together their own picture story in under two hours!

The Spring Chickens programme will culminate at the end of the two years in October 2009 when five shows will be performed simultaneously in five venues across Northern Ireland. The final shows will be professionally directed and produced and will be written, designed and performed entirely by the older population. Zoë Seaton is the overall director of the programme, which has been funded by The Atlantic Philanthropies.

For further information on how to become part of this exciting project contact project manager Cróna Lynch at Big Telly on 028 7083 1782 or email crona@big-telly.com.