New Ideas
School For Fools
We have recruitied new young members with learning difficulties to form a new group called the "fool ensemble". Funded by the Arts Council, these new members are being trained in Clown, Commedia del Arte, Mask, Mime and physical theatre. The group is being trained by Pady O'connor. (see staff)
The Fool Ensemble will devise and tour a new show with a professional Commedia Company, Theatre mimi and Troubadour band, Horsewife (formally known as Loon). The tour is scheduled for July 2008.
The young Fool ensemble are mentored by the older and more experienced company members from the Krocodile Krew and Actors.
We will be holding a Schools For Fools Festival in June 2008, with International Commedia practioners and performers being hosted by the Lawnmowers.
Members of the Fool ensemble will be taken on in September 2008 as our new Apprenticeship Scheme. The group will recieve first class training and experience in all aspects of running a vibrant, well established Theatre Company. At the end of their apprenticeship, the highly skilled apprentices would stay within the company to help us achieve our long term aims.
The Lawnmowers Real project
We wanted to look at all the issues that are around at the moment for people with learning disabilites who want to make it into the world of employment.
Funded by One North East, The Real Project looks at barriers into employment, and ways to encourage employers to employ people with a learning disability. An employers pack has been produced, to help employers better understand how they might employ a person with a learning disability. An accessible version of thie pack is also available.
The Lawnmowers Real Project recently held a conference at The Sage, Gateshead.
we have a sperate web site for this project which is www.therealproject.co.uk
Work with Unions
The Lawnmowers have pioneered some important work with Unison and Equity and made important in roads into people with learning disabilities becoming unionised.
Over the last 2 years Lawnmowers have worked with Unison and Bill Wilson to produce the UCAN Film Festival. Held at The Gate Cinema in Newcastle, Andy Stafford our learning disabled outreach worker was Mc.
The Company has produced a poster about Unions this year.
The company will make a film about Unions for people with learning disabilities this Summer with Unison.
Lawnmowers And Engage TV
Lawnmowers are the Cultural Content Partners to Engage TV, the UK and Europe's first TV channel for people with learning disabilities, with programmes made by people with learning disabilities
As a result of this partnership the Krocodile Krew, Fool ensemble and actors have already directed and produced two music videos, featuring songs written, recorded and sung by the learning disabled members of the Lawnmowers. Watch this space to view the videos!
Company members will be attending script writting lessons in March to write a pilot episode of a soap opera. This will hopefully be filmed later in the year.
Who Are Engage TV?
A TV channel which will initially be shown on the Internet featuring programmes made by people with learning difficulties for their community. Engage TV have pledged that they will aim to employ 40% of their work force from the learning disabled community by 2010.
Engage TV is a partnership between Lawnmowers, Superkrush, and F451
The Lawnmowers Independent Theatre Company is a unique company run by and for people with learning disabilities.
Superkrush Films are an award winning production company that specialises in community video projects,TV commercials and drama.
Fahrenheit 451 are an innovative company that provide services to the television industry.
The rest of this page is about the work we would like to do in the future:
• Our `Weekly Culture Club`: an evening drop in facility for people with learning difficulties to do drama, dance, arts, crafts and watch films.
• A Legal Services Project to help us develop legisalative theatre and help people with learning difficulties understand the law better and plan for action.
• `Agony Aunt` an informal counselling service which will allow people with learning difficulties the opportunity to express concerns and get guidance on where to go for help.
• `Big Film Idea` to follow up from our recent feasibility study.
• `Music Sparks` project in partnership with The Sage Gateshead looking at securing funding to explore differences and similarities in governance in both a large cultural arts organisation and a learning disabled led organisation.