Media Release: The Tin Forest Festival at the South Rotunda – tickets now on sale

Part of the Festival 2014 Programme

Produced in association with Scottish Youth Theatre and supported by Glasgow Life, Creative Scotland, Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, Homecoming Scotland 2014 and Arts & Business Scotland

TICKETS are now on sale for The Tin Forest Festival, a two week, Games-time programme of theatre, music, poetry, spoken word, visual art and ideas, created by the National Theatre of Scotland, to be held at a transformed South Rotunda and other Clydeside locations.

The culmination of one of the National Theatre of Scotland’s most ambitious projects to date, The Tin Forest Festival represents the third phase of an eight month project which has so far delivered a large-scale community outreach programme across four post-industrial Glasgow communities, with a series of new theatre events created with and for those communities to follow across the month of June.

The Tin Forest Festival programme runs from Monday 21st July to Sunday 3rd August 2014, and promises: an immersive puppet theatre production directed by Graham McLaren; a live stage launch concert featuring songs, poems and speeches celebrating Glasgow’s past and future; a series of pop-up Clydeside theatre performances from a 90-strong International Performing Company, directed by Scottish Youth Theatre; an International Youth Theatre Festival, involving over 100 theatre makers from across the Commonwealth; a one-off interactive audience event named Dear Glasgow, inviting audience members to contribute to the blueprint for a better city.

Tickets for all events cost £5/£3 (apart from the pop-up Clydeside performances, which are free) and are available from www.thetinforest.com and by phone on 0141 552 4267.

The festival will be launched on Tuesday 22nd July at 7.30pm, with a one-off concert at the South Rotunda courtyard on the banks of the Clyde, the iconic building providing the backdrop on one side and the Finnieston Crane on the other.

A celebration of Glasgow’s past, present and future, the concert will feature songs, poems and speeches, old and new.

A six-piece house band featuring leading Scottish musicians will be joined by a succession of guest performers for the 90 minute event.

From Thursday 24th July to Sunday 3rd August, National Theatre of Scotland associate director, Graham McLaren’s adaptation of The Tin Forest will play to audiences daily between 2.00pm and 6.00pm (apart from Tuesday 29th July).

The best-selling book by Helen Ward and Wayne Anderson – the story of an lonely old man, who decides to rebuild the world around him – provided the inspiration for the project as a whole, with its themes of creativity, regeneration and sustainability seen as emblematic of Glasgow’s reinvention from industrial powerhouse to creative, digital city of the 21st century.

Glasgow-born McLaren’s interpretation promises a strong Glaswegian flavour and sees him collaborate once more with acclaimed puppet-maker Gavin Glover – the two worked together previously on the National Theatre of Scotland’s award-winning production of A Christmas Carol.

A 30-minute promenade experience through a series of rooms populated by oddball characters and featuring intricate landscapes, The Tin Forest invites audience members on a journey into the old man’s world in groups of ten at a time.

The production marks the Company’s first collaboration with The Glasgow School of Art’s Digital Design Studio, which has provided video design for part of the performance.

As Glasgow prepares to welcome the world for Festival 2014, The Tin Forest Festival includes two fittingly international strands.

Directed by Scottish Youth Theatre, The International Performing Company will bring the Clydeside and the streets of Glasgow to life with a series of pop-up and travelling theatre performances between Monday 21st and Wednesday 23rd July.

Ninety young theatre makers from across the Commonwealth will be split into five groups, with each allocated a well-known riverside landmark to serve as a performance hub.

Each group will perform a short Tin Forest-inspired piece, before travelling across the city to join a different group in performance at their designated hub. The groups will travel by foot and by public transport, in costume and in character.

Meanwhile, The International Theatre Festival (Thursday 24th – Monday 28th July) will bring together ten youth theatre groups from across the Commonwealth – four groups from Scotland and a further six from Jamaica, New Zealand, India, Malta, Bangladesh and England.

Each evening, two groups will perform in a newly-created theatre space within the South Rotunda. Performance times are 7.30pm and 9.15pm, with double bill tickets available.

Each group has been tasked with creating a new production based on the The Tin Forest story concept of ‘from nowhere…..to somewhere’.

In addition to the evening performances, by day the groups will take part in an intensive programme of theatre workshops, masterclasses and cultural exchange sessions.

Dear Glasgow is a one-off event, created by Graham McLaren and Kieran Hurley. At a three hour evening session inside the South Rotunda on Thursday 31st July, audience members will be invited to generate ideas and discuss issues raised by the themes of The Tin Forest, in a bid to draw up the blueprint for a better city.

TFTV, a dedicated TV station produced by students from Creative Industries and TV Production courses at Glasgow’s Clyde College in collaboration with the National Theatre of Scotland, will stream and broadcast short programmes from Monday 21st July, available to view at thetinforest.com.

Ahead of the festival, across the month of June, The Tin Forest Glasgow community theatre events are set to take place in Govan, Springburn, the East End and Southwest Glasgow.

Further info and tickets are available at thetinforest.com.

Cabinet Secretary for Culture and External Affairs Fiona Hyslop says:

“The Tin Forest Festival promises to be a great opportunity to experience an exciting mixture of theatre, music, poetry and much more, showcasing some of what Scotland has to offer.

“In the year where Scotland takes centre stage, welcoming the world to join us in the celebration of the second year of Homecoming, and as the host of the Commonwealth Games and the Ryder Cup, it is also a time for Scotland and the Commonwealth to reach out and share our great cultural traditions as well as our contemporary creativity.”

National Theatre of Scotland artistic director, Laurie Sansom, says:

“The National Theatre of Scotland is delighted to announce such an exciting programme of events for The Tin Forest Festival at the South Rotunda. We can’t wait to welcome audiences from Glasgow, Scotland and all over the world to such an iconic building for a celebration of culture, regeneration and Glasgow itself, featuring hundreds of performers from all over the Commonwealth.”

The Tin Forest director, Graham McLaren, says:

“This year the world is watching Scotland, this summer the Commonwealth comes to Glasgow and at the heart of Glasgow the National Theatre of Scotland will be creating The Tin Forest in the South Rotunda. I cannot think of a more important time to be living and working in Scotland.”

Scottish Youth Theatre associate artistic director, Fraser MacLeod, says:

“The Tin Forest is a fantastic opportunity for Scottish Youth Theatre to work in association with the National Theatre of Scotland. The International Performing Company promises to showcase the very best of talent from across the Commonwealth and bring the city to life in the lead up to the games.”

International Theatre Festival producer, Gillian Gourlay, says:

“The Tin Forest International Theatre Festival is a fantastic opportunity, not only for the 100 young performers coming from all over the Commonwealth to share skills, culture and performances with each other , but also for the people of Glasgow who will be able to experience ten new performances created by these young, exciting theatre makers. For so many reasons, 2014 will be a summer not to be forgotten.”

Arts and Business Scotland chief executive, David Watt, says:

“The programme for The Tin Forest Festival is diverse and ambitious, illustrating the exceptional talent we have in Scotland for showcasing the very best of the arts. Arts & Business Scotland is thrilled that our New Arts Sponsorship scheme has played a role in bringing this exciting venture to an international audience in a year where all eyes are on Scotland.”

Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation UK director, Andrew Barnett, said:

“We are supporting arts organisations committed to pushing the boundaries of their work with professional and non-professional artists and working across borders. The Tin Forest is an exemplar initiative which reflects the Foundation’s interest in the environment, promotes intergenerational activity, and engages local and international participants and audiences in a project of uncompromising quality, which we hope in turn will influence artistic practice more widely.”

PRESS PERFORMANCES

THE TIN FOREST SHOW

Thursday 24th July: performance slots available from 2.30pm – 3.35pm

THE TIN FOREST OPENING EVENT

Tuesday 22nd July, 7.30pm

To reserve a ticket for either of the above, please contact Adam McDougall:

E: adam.mcdougall@nationaltheatrescotland.com T: 0141 227 9231

THE INTERNATIONAL THEATRE FESTIVAL / INTERNATIONAL PERFORMING COMPANY – PRESS TICKETS

To reserve a ticket, please contact Katie Mackenzie:

E: katie.mackenzie@nationaltheatrescotland.com T: 07709 127711

LISTINGS INFORMATION

THE TIN FOREST SHOW: A PUPPET THEATRE EXPERIENCE

Venue: The South Rotunda

Finnieston Street by the Squinty Bridge (Clyde Arc) G51 1PQ

Entrance: Audience members to gather at Box Office on Govan Road side of the South Rotunda

Duration: 30 minutes approx. (no interval)

Promenade event: This is a promenade performance, requiring audience members to walk through a series of spaces and to stand; seating will be available for older/infirm audience members unable to stand throughout the performance

Date/Time: Thursday 24 July – Sunday 3 August 2014

Daily, 2.00pm – 6.00pm (except Tue 29 July)

Performances start every 10mins

Audience Groups: Audience members will walk through the performance in groups of 10;

Our front of house team will do their best to ensure that you and your accompanying friends/family members are kept together in the same group.

Tickets: £5/ £3 (no booking fee)

Box office: Online: thetinforest.com

Phone: 0141 552 4267

Accessibility: Event is wheelchair accessible – please advise box office when booking

BSL performances: Saturday 26th July, Friday 1st August

Pre-recorded audio description available by request online from Wednesday 23rd July, and from the venue box office

Captioning: a booklet will be available at box office on request

Age guide: For everyone over 8 years old not afraid of enclosed spaces and puppets in close proximity

Public Transport: Bus (23, 26); Rail (Exhibition Centre, 10min walk)

Car Parking: None on site; nearest car park at Finnieston Street (8min walk)

Toilets: On site

Refreshments: Nearest bars/restaurants – Congress Way / SECC Precinct (5min walk)

THE TIN FOREST OPENING EVENT

Venue: The South Rotunda Courtyard

Finnieston Street by the Squinty Bridge (Clyde Arc) G51 1PQ

Entrance: Via box office on Govan Road side of building

Duration: 90 minutes (no interval)

Date/Time: Tuesday 22 July 2014, 7.30pm

Tickets: £5/ £3 (no booking fee)

Box office: Online: thetinforest.com

Phone: 0141 552 4267

Accessibility: Event is wheelchair accessible – please advise box office when booking

BSL: some aspects of performance will be BSL interpreted

Age guide: Suitable for all

Outdoor Event: Please dress accordingly. Sturdy footwear advised for cobbled courtyard.

Public Transport: Bus (23, 26); Rail (Exhibition Centre, 10min walk)

Car Parking: None on site; nearest car park at Finnieston Street (8min walk)

Toilets: On site

Refreshments: Nearest bars/restaurants – Congress Way / SECC Precinct (5min walk)

THE TIN FOREST INTERNATIONAL PERFORMING COMPANY

Monday 21st July Tuesday 22nd July

11.30am – 12.00pm (Hub active from 11.00am)

Barrowland Park

The Forgotten &The Players 11.30am – 12.00pm (Hub active from 11.00am)

Barrowland Park

The Forgotten & The Travellers

12.30pm – 1.00pm (Hub active from 12.00pm)

Waterbus Terminal

The Workers & The Travellers 12.30pm – 1.00pm (Hub active from 12.00pm)

Waterbus Terminal

The Workers & The Forgotten

1.30pm – 2.00pm (Hub active from 1.00pm)

Tradeston Footbridge

The Dreamers & The Forgotten 1.30pm – 2.00pm (Hub active from 1.00pm)

Tradeston Footbridge

The Dreamers & The Workers

2.30pm – 3.00pm (Hub active from 2.00pm)

Custom House Quay

The Players & The Workers 2.30pm – 3.00pm (Hub active from 2.00pm)

Custom House Quay

The Players & The Dreamers

4.00pm – 4.30pm (Hub active from 3.30pm)

Riverside Museum

The Travellers & The Dreamers 4.00pm – 4.30pm (Hub active from 3.30pm)

Riverside Museum

The Travellers & The Players

Wednesday 23rd July

The South Rotunda, 2.30 – 3.15pm

The day before the transformed South Rotunda opens its doors, all 90 performers converge on the courtyard by the Clyde, for a special performance uniting the five groups.

• These events are free and unticketed

• All venues are outdoors – please dress for the Glasgow summer!

• All events are wheelchair accessible

THE TIN FOREST INTERNATIONAL THEATRE FESTIVAL

Venue: The South Rotunda

Finnieston Street by the Squinty Bridge (Clyde Arc) G51 1PQ

Entrance: Via doors either side of Box Office, on Govan Road side of building

Duration: Each show last approx. 45 minutes

Stage reset: The auditorium will be cleared between performances each night, to allow the stage to be reset for the next group

Date/Time: 24 – 28 July 2014

Daily, 7.30pm + 9.15pm

Seating: Seating is unreserved

Tickets: One show per evening: £5/ £3 (no booking fee)

Two shows per evening: £8/ £6 (no booking fee)

Box office: Online: thetinforest.com

Phone: 0141 552 4267

Accessibility: Event is wheelchair accessible – please advise box office when booking

BSL and Captioned performances:

Age guide: Suggested age guide 16+

Public Transport: Bus (23, 26); Rail (Exhibition Centre, 10min walk)

Car Parking: None on site; nearest car park at Finnieston Street (8min walk)

Toilets: On site

Refreshments: Nearest bars/restaurants – Congress Way / SECC Precinct (5min walk)

Thursday 24th July

7.30pm – 8.30pm: Physical Theatre Scotland from Edinburgh present A Bridge to Nowhere

9.15pm – 10.15pm: theatrEX Bangladesh from Dhaka, Bangladesh present Dokkhina Sundari

Friday 25th July

7.30pm – 8.30pm: YUVA EKTA- Youth Unite from New Delhi, India present Shoonya se Shikar: a Journey of Transformation

9.15pm – 10.15pm: Hotel Echo from Bristol present Wild Men

Saturday 26th July

7.30pm – 8.30pm: Aberdeen Performing Arts Youth Theatre from Aberdeen present Bubble Wrap

9.15pm – 10.15pm: Teatru Manoel Youth Theatre from Valletta, Malta present CLUB

Sunday 27th July

7.30pm – 8.30pm: Collision from Buckhaven, Fife present Fragile State of Mind

9.15pm – 10.15pm: Manifesto Jamaica from Kingston, Jamaica present SomeNoWhere

Monday 28th July

7.30pm – 8.30pm: FanFiction Comedy from Auckland, New Zealand present TBC

9.15pm – 10.15pm: Urban Fairytale Theatre Company from Glasgow present Hiraeth

DEAR GLASGOW

Venue: The South Rotunda

Finnieston Street by the Squinty Bridge (Clyde Arc) G51 1PQ

Entrance: Via doors either side of Box Office, on Govan Road side of building

Duration: 3 hours, with breaks

Audience Interaction: This is an audience interactive event – we welcome your contribution, but nobody will be compelled to contribute, nor ejected/tarred/feathered for lack of contribution

Date/Time: Thursday 31st July 2014

7.30pm – 10.30pm

Seating: Seating is unreserved

Tickets: £3 (no booking fee)

Box office: Online: thetinforest.com

Phone: 0141 552 4267

Accessibility: Event is wheelchair accessible – please advise box office when booking

Age guide: Suggested age guide 12+

Public Transport: Bus (23, 26); Rail (Exhibition Centre, 10min walk)

Car Parking: None on site; nearest car park at Finnieston Street (8min walk)

Toilets: On site

Refreshments: Nearest bars/restaurants – Congress Way / SECC Precinct (5min walk)

CREATIVE TEAM AND CAST INFO

THE TIN FOREST SHOW

CREATIVE TEAM

Graham McLaren – director and Designer; Gavin Glover – associate director and designer; Rebecca Hamilton – associate designer; Philippa Tomlin – associate artist; Iain Heggie – dramaturg; Kai Fischer – lighting designer; Matt Padden – sound designer; The Glasgow School of Art’s Digital Design Studio – video design

CAST INCLUDES:

Steven Clyde, Darren Brownlee, Pete Collins, Angela Darcy, John Kazek, Harry Ward

THE TIN FOREST OPENING EVENT

Created by Graham McLaren, Peter Arnott and Michael John McCarthy

Musicians include: Michael John McCarthy, Cat Myers, Adam John Scott, Annie Grace, Neil McDermott, Gavin Prentice

THE TIN FOREST INTERNATIONAL PERFORMING COMPANY

Fraser MacLeod – director; Kenny Miller – designer; Ross Brown – composer; Carla Duggan – choreographer

DEAR GLASGOW

Created by Graham McLaren and Kieran Hurley

Press contacts:

Adam McDougall, Press and Marketing Officer at National Theatre of Scotland

Tel: +44 (0)141 227 9231 / +44 (0)7738 153157

E: adam.mcdougall@nationaltheatrescotland.com

Katie Mackenzie, Communications Officer (temp) at National Theatre of Scotland

Tel: +44 (0)141 221 0970 / +44 (0)7709 127711

E: katie.mackenzie@nationaltheatrescotland.com

Further information at:

www.thetinforest.com

www.nationaltheatrescotland.com

www.facebook.com/NationalTheatreScotland

www.twitter.com @NTSonline #TinForest

Notes to editors:

• The National Theatre of Scotland is supported by the Scottish Government. Since its launch in February 2006, the National Theatre of Scotland has been involved in creating over 200 productions in 186 different locations. With no building of its own, the company takes theatre all over Scotland and beyond, working with existing and new venues and companies to create and tour theatre of the highest quality. It takes place in the great buildings of Scotland, but also in site-specific locations, airports and tower blocks, community halls and drill halls, ferries and forests. The company has performed to over 1,056,000 people across four continents. www.nationaltheatrescotland.com.

• Scottish Youth Theatre – giving young people in Scotland the opportunity to explore and to reach their creative potential through a quality theatre arts experience. Using the youth theatre/drama process to develop not only creativity and performance skills but also transferable skills in participants, Scottish Youth Theatre puts particular emphasis on each individual’s personal and social development.

• The Glasgow 2014 Cultural Programme is a national celebration. Culture 2014 is showcasing dance, theatre, music, visual arts, comedy and much more in the run up to and after the Commonwealth Games, with Festival 2014 transforming the Host City at Games time. The Cultural Programme is a partnership between the Glasgow 2014 Organising Committee, Glasgow Life, and Creative Scotland through National Lottery funding. www.glasgow2014.com/culture

• The Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation is an international charitable foundation with cultural, educational, social and scientific interests. Based in Lisbon with offices in London and Paris, the Foundation is in a privileged position to support national and transnational work tackling contemporary issues. The purpose of the UK Branch is to bring about long-term improvements in well-being, particularly for the most vulnerable, by creating connections across boundaries (national borders, communities, disciplines and sectors) which deliver social, cultural and environmental value. We support innovative projects and partnerships within time-limited and purposeful strands of activity. For more information about the work of the Foundation in the UK visit Partnerships and Initiatives at www.gulbenkian.org.uk

• Homecoming Scotland 2014 Scotland will welcome the world in the Year of Homecoming 2014 – providing a year-long programme of events alongside the Ryder Cup and Commonwealth Games. The Year of Homecoming Scotland will run from 31 December 2013 to 31 December 2014 throughout the length and breadth of the country. Visitors from around the world are invited to join in a celebration of the nation’s food and drink, active pursuits, cultural heritage, nature and ancestral heritage. Homecoming Scotland 2014 is a Scottish Government initiative being led by EventScotland and VisitScotland, supported by numerous partners. To find out more visitwww.homecomingscotland.com

• The New Arts Sponsorship Grants scheme incentivises businesses to sponsor the arts in Scotland. It is funded by the Scottish Government and administered by Arts & Business Scotland. An arts organisation receiving an eligible business sponsorship can apply for £1 of funding for every £1 of sponsorship. The funding goes towards additional arts activity, for which the sponsor receives additional business benefits. www.aandbscotland.org.uk

• The Guardian reviews The Tin Forest by Helen Ward: “Some children’s picture books are real works of art and this is one of those. The very best books for both adults and children often take you deep into the unconscious or show you the world as if through a prism. This, again, is one of them. Austere and yet visually rich, needing few words and yet saying so much, this is a wonderful fable about making something from nothing, seeing the beauty lurking among the junk, and about reaping what you sow.” www.guardian.com – 22nd July 2008

Contact: Adam McDougall
Phone: 01412279231
Email: adam.mcdougall@nationaltheatrescotland.com
Website: http://www.thetinforest.com