Where do I fit in?

  Over the past week I have been looking into many organisations in my field which may open up options for me that I had not previously thought about. I started to look into local community drama groups that would be possible to join. In looking into this it took me back to my days in the drama group I was in , which I mentioned in my previous post, the L.B.C.T, (Leighton Buzzard Children's Theatre; http://www.lbct.org/home/). I thought it would be a good place to start to review the organisation that first made me so passionate about the field of drama, and reflect on what it was specifically that made the group so special, so that when looking into new organisations, I will be able to identify what makes them unique. 

 L.B.C.T was taken over in 1995 by a local drama teacher called Sally Allsopp, and it started off with a small group of children. Nowadays the group has grown to have four different sections, including the mini theatre, (ages 5-8), the children's theatre (ages 8-13), the youth section (ages 13-18) and most recently the advanced theatre company, for over 16's. I joined the group in 1997 aged 8, and was to spend 10 years in the group until leaving for university. I had been on the waiting list for several months, as the group is very in demand. I would say it is the most successful youth theatre group in the area, and has made a very good name for itself in the local community, raising money for various charities, the main being Cancer Research UK. There are fees, which coincide with the dates roughly of the school terms, when I joined it was £30 a term, and for what you get that fee is reasonable. There are no charges for taking a part in specific productions, and costume/props anything needed, is all provided. 

Les Miserables (2005)

 My first show with the group was the musical Oliver, it was from the start, a great and fresh experience. Working so closely with strangers, it is amazing how quickly you become comfortable and during the process of rehearsals, a unique family is formed. This is the beauty of the dramatic art that bonds are formed very quickly, because of the nature of the close working environment, and I think there is nothing more rewarding than seeing the end production that people have been working so hard for. I went on to be in a number of musicals, and straight plays including, Alice in Wonderland, Les Miserables (schools edition), Ring of Roses, The Slipper and the Rose, The Sound of Music, Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's dream, and many more. The group also puts on several compilation shows, made up of songs from musicals, and short scenes from well known plays. 

A Midsummer Night's Dream (2004)

 The new section that the group has just opened, the advanced theatre company is something that I would be very interested in joining if I still lived in the area, as I always wanted to continue being involved in community drama, and was very sad when the time came to leave. The advanced theatre company aims to produce more challenging theatre with mature members, and also would like to go on to provide workshops, and coaching for different types of people interested in the field, including educational theatre and experimental theatre. If I could find a local group similar to this one then I think that would be my first area to look at, considering I have not done much work in the community theatre area since leaving university. 

                                            Les Miserables One Day More by Leighton Buzzard Youth Section. 
 
 Community groups like this are of great importance I would say, not only to provide a fun, enjoyable environment, in which people can learn new skills, but also to learn to work as part of a team, and with people of various ages and abilities. The great thing about community arts practice is that anyone can be involved, and that everyone will take away something truly unique from the experience.