1990 | 2020 by Half Moon Theatre

1990 2020 9

106 COLUMBIA ROAD, E2 (1990)

Black and white vinyl print mounted on aluminium by Sarah Ainslie

106 COLUMBIA ROAD, E2 (2020) Colour vinyl print mounted on aluminium

by Emma Brown and Youth Theatre members Dexter, Giulia, Joseph, Laura, Liza, Maya, Rafael, Sarah and Sofia

Celebrating 30 years as a young people’s theatre

1990 | 2020

Celebrating 30 years as a young people’s theatre In March 2020 Half Moon celebrated its 30th birthday as a young people’s theatre. Our planned celebrations – including a festival of new Youth Theatre shows and a photography exhibition – were quickly postponed when COVID-19 forced the country into a national lockdown. Any thoughts of parties and special events were quickly abandoned as we found ourselves devising ways of moving our Youth Theatre and other Creative Learning programmes online, while quickly developing ways of streaming some of our recent productions for young people for free. It was a challenging, difficult and uncertain time for us, but we knew how important it was to try and keep engaging with our local community – if families and young people could not come to Half Moon Theatre, then we would go to them. One Youth Theatre parent told us: “It’s been an extremely stressful few months and I cannot thank you enough for putting a smile on my daughters’ faces. I really love the way they engage with the games; they help me forget how grim the present situation is.” As spring turned into summer and then transformed into autumn, we realised that we would be celebrating our 30th birthday a little later than expected. Over a year later and feeling more confident about the future, we are proud that we have been able to mark our 30th birthday appropriately with a virtual showcase of digital content that celebrates not only the history of Half Moon as a young people’s theatre, but also the resilience and creativity of our young people. We hope you enjoy our trio of birthday celebrations, created by our young people: Born 1990, Happened 1990 and Snapped 1990 | 2020. Incidentally, next year in 2022, Half Moon Theatre reaches another important milestone, the 50th birthday of the original theatre company! Watch this space…

90)

minium

8 July 2021, 6pm–8pm

Virtual Showcase An online presentation of all three aspects of 1990 | 2020 created by our young people.

BORN

HAPPENED

1990

A captivating and poignant series of filmed interviews with people who work in Tower Hamlets, who also celebrated their 30th birthday in 2020.

Five digital performances about world events that happened in 1990: the birth of the internet; the fall of the Berlin Wall; the release of Nelson Mandela from prison after more than 27 years; the Poll Tax Riots and resignation of Margaret Thatcher as Prime Minister; and the discovery of the hole in the ozone layer.

See pages 10–11 for more information.

See pages 16–27 for more information.

22 April – 23 October 2021

Gallery Exhibition Exploring 30 years of local history through photography. Same Scene, 30 years apart.

SNAPPED

1990 | 2020

An exhibition of photographs of Tower Hamlets taken in 1990 alongside photographs of the same locations in 2020. See pages 12–15 for more information.

1990 | 2020 On Demand The Born 1990 and Happened 1990 films and Snapped 1990 | 2020 exhibition will be available on Stages of Half Moon, our digital archive celebrating the history of Half Moon Theatre. Alongside the films and photographs, there will also be a virtual gallery tour and images charting the progression of the three projects. Snapped 1990 | 2020 will also become a permanent exhibition in the Half Moon garden later in the year. Visit stagesofhalfmoon.org.uk and search ‘1990 | 2020’.

Tower Hamlets in 1990 Although most of the World War II bombsites had gone by 1990, there were still large numbers of derelict buildings in Tower Hamlets. There were also huge problems of over-crowding in the borough, at levels not seen since the 1930s. Then the landscape of Tower Hamlets was changed forever when the 244m Canary Wharf skyscraper at One Canada Square, topped by a pyramid, became the first tower to rise out of the docks in 1990. It became a symbol of the regeneration of the London Docklands. It was Britain’s tallest building for two decades until it was overtaken by The Shard in 2010. At the other end of the borough, the Council, local businesses and third sector organisations began the transformation of Brick Lane into what became Banglatown. Elections to Tower Hamlets London Borough Council were held on 3 May 1990. The whole council was up for election and there was a turnout of 42.9%. The Liberal Democrats won 30 seats, Labour 20 Seats, and the Conservatives 0 seats. In the year that the borough (and the rest of the country) was gripped by a heat wave, The Ragged School Museum opened, The Friends of Tower Hamlets Cemetery was set up and Frank Sinatra played four nights at the London Arena in the Isle of Dogs as part of his 75th birthday tour! Left: 260 West India Avenue, E14 (1990), by Leon Rogers | Right: 78 Bank Street, E14 (1990), by Clara Ely

The World in 1990 Bread costs 50p, milk 30p and a Mars Bar 27p French and British workers on the Channel Tunnel meet up 40 metres below the seabed Art thieves steal 12 works of art from the Isabella Gardner Museum in Boston NASA launches the Hubble Space Telescope

The Simpsons debuts on Fox and becomes an instant hit The Gulf War starts after Saddam Hussein invades Kuwait 7

Half Moon in 1990 1990 was an important milestone in the history of Half Moon Theatre. It was a year that saw the end of the original company, which entered voluntary administration, and the formal creation of the young people’s arm as Half Moon Young People’s Theatre, which established itself as an independent Limited Company and later gained charitable status. Half Moon’s current base, the former Limehouse Board of Works, was also identified as a new permanent home for the company, with the organisation eventually moving into the premises in June 1994.

In 1990 the newly established Half Moon produced:

Positive Knowledge 1 Jan 1990 – 31 Dec 1991 A comprehensive participatory Drama-inEducation programme for ages 14+ which examined perceptions of HIV/AIDS through workshops.

Suits 8 Feb – 23 Mar 1990 A participatory theatre experience that toured into schools. Suits was a play set somewhere in the near future, where money was everything and also the biggest problem. Teenage audiences were asked to think about the choices they have when making decisions about their futures.

Suits, photo by Amrando Atkinson

After the Storm 18 Apr – 21 Apr 1990 Drawing on carnival, pantomime and Hindi film styles as inspiration, After the Storm was a community and youth performance that dealt with the themes of immigration, separation and destruction of the environment.

Aarekta Juta – The Second Shoe 1 May – 1 Jul 1990 This participatory theatre programme for upper primary students explored the transitioning experience from primary to secondary school, unpacking the major changes pupils would face as they started their secondary education and the impact this time had upon family and friends. The schools’ package was part of an anti-racist awareness programme and was one of a series of bilingual Theatre-in-Education plays presented by the company in English and Sylheti Bengali.

Rattlin’ the Cage 1 Oct – 8 Dec 1990

The Second Shoe cast devising at Dame Collett House

Set in an inner-city urban neighbourhood, Rattlin’ the Cage toured to schools and youth centres. The show reflected problems facing young people as they struggled with what it meant to be independent and how society was full of temptations and frustrations.

Explore the history of Half Moon Theatre online at stagesofhalfmoon.org.uk Rattlin’ the Cage, photo by Amrando Atkinson

BORN

1990

A captivating and poignant series of filmed interviews with people who work in Tower Hamlets, who also celebrated their 30th birthday in 2020. Young people from three of our Youth Theatre groups spent two months working with filmmaker Justin Allder to capture the insights of seven people who work in different sectors in the borough who were born in 1990, the year Half Moon was established as a young people’s theatre. We ask them about the developments in their sector, the way Tower Hamlets is changing and their views on the impact of the pandemic, an additional insight we had not expected to explore when we first designed the project. Born 1990 was originally conceived as an in-person project, with relaxed, face-toface interactions taking place in different locations throughout the Half Moon building, creating an informal and conversational atmosphere between the young people and interviewees. However, due to COVID-19, the films were recorded on Zoom, which has a more formal environment, and created some unexpected difficulties with internet speed and camera quality.

Katy Jewell, Year 6 Teacher, Mayflower Primary School

Ryan Thomas, Personal Trainer at PureGym, Canary Wharf

We hope you enjoy the films and learning more about some of the people who can give different insights into what is happening in Tower Hamlets right now and what we might see in the future.

Filmmaker Justin Allder Interviewers: Alice, Arsema, Elizabeth, Ibrahim, Lola, Matis, Matthew, Mikyas, Nehan, Olivier and Sakura Claire Slack, Heritage Officer, Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park

Tom Simper, Actor, Facilitator and BSL Performer and Interpreter, Half Moon Theatre

Alex Portlock, Development Manager, Hadley Property Group

Sabiha Khanam, Volunteer Coordinator, Poplar HARCA

Halima Khanom, Heritage Officer (Learning and Participation), Tower Hamlets Local History Library & Archives

SNAPPED

1990 | 2020

Exploring 30 years of local history through photography Same Scene, 30 years apart Half Moon’s young people took part in a photography project to explore the changes in the landscape of Tower Hamlets over 30 years. The result is Snapped 1990 | 2020, an exhibition of photographs taken in 1990 alongside images taken at the same locations, 30 years later, in 2020. But, as it turned out, the exhibition is much more than that. During February 2020 young people took part in a series of research sessions that took place at Tower Hamlets Local History Library and Archives to identify photographs taken in 1990 by local residents and professional photographers that would reveal the area’s transformation. What had changed in the local area since the young people’s company was established in 1990 and what had stayed the same? In March 2020, the first COVID-19 lockdown was looming and the on-location photo shoots around the borough had to happen quickly, or we would be forced to abandon the project altogether. Some of our final activities, before the lockdown was officially announced, were sessions where young people accompanied Emma Brown, the photographer who had taught them about camera technique and composition, to the now deserted streets of Tower Hamlets. What had been intended as a celebration of the evolution of a cosmopolitan, thriving borough was now a poignant reminder of how precious life is, capturing a very particular moment in the history of the world, where once busy streets were suddenly empty. We hope you enjoy the exhibition and exploring 30 years of local history.

1990 photography: Sarah Ainslie, Clara Ely, Paul Moncrief, Leon Rogers, Bradley Snooks, Malcolm Tremain and Nigel Winfield

2020 photography: Emma Brown and Youth Theatre members Dexter, Giulia, Joseph, Laura, Liza, Maya, Rafael, Sarah and Sofia

617 Commercial Road, E14 1990 by Clara Ely 2020 by Emma Brown and Youth Theatre members Dexter, Giulia, Joseph, Laura, Liza, Maya, Rafael, Sarah and Sofia

Bootmakers Court, 132 Ben Jonson Road, E1 1990 by Malcolm Tremain 2020 by Emma Brown and Youth Theatre members Dexter, Giulia, Joseph, Laura, Liza, Maya, Rafael, Sarah and Sofia

HAPPENED

1990

Five filmed performances about world events that happened in 1990: the birth of the internet; the fall of the Berlin Wall; the release of Nelson Mandela from prison after more than 27 years; the Poll Tax Riots and resignation of Margaret Thatcher as Prime Minister; and the discovery of the hole in the ozone layer. The creation of Happened 1990 was spread over 18 months due to COVID-19 restrictions, as sessions seamlessly switched between in-person and online delivery. Our five oldest Youth Theatre groups have spent three terms, between January 2020 and June 2021, creating shows inspired by world events that took place in 1990, the year Half Moon became a young people’s theatre. We hope you enjoy watching the filmed performances and that you delight in being transported back to 1990, either to re-live a moment in history, or to discover them for the first time.

Eclipse

Lunar

Filmmaker Rich Rusk Composer Johnny Tomlinson Designer Elliott Squire Lighting Designer and Production Manager Samuel Baker

Solar 16

Equinox

Orbit

Connectivity – The Birth of the Internet By Eclipse Youth Theatre

As part of the Happened 1990 project, Eclipse wanted to take the ‘creation of the internet’ as the event they would like to explore and bring to life. The young people’s eyes have been opened to the technology of the 90s with lots of jaw-dropping moments as they learnt about items such as fax machines and floppy discs! The performance explores the idea of connection. How did people in the 90s communicate with each other? How has it changed 30 years on? Eclipse have worked hard in creating a fun and playful look at how and why they believe the internet was created. Imagine being a fly on the wall when the inventors finally plugged that last cable in! You may have bad memories of listening to the dial-up tone as it tries to connect, but during this performance you will experience that tone like never before.

Lead Tutor Simon Batchelor Support Tutor Katy Daghorn Volunteer Alice Brown

Youth Theatre members Angelus, Astrid, Caoimhe, Eliza, Elsie, Joseph, Joshua, Kasper, Liza, Max, Rafael, Tom, Willow and Zahra

“We may have started an Internet-themed project in a Zoom room, but nothing beats watching Eclipse as they play and create in the room – the connection is back.” Simon Batchelor, Eclipse Lead Tutor

Saturday Night

By Equinox Youth Theatre Before YouTube there was You’ve Been Framed. Before The X Factor there was Stars in their Eyes. Equinox is trading entertainment in 2020 for the year 1990. The young people have been exploring slapstick comedy by making hilarious videos and creating their own colourful and eccentric pop stars in sixty seconds. However, does entertainment serve as a distraction for society acknowledging global issues? In the year 1990, Nelson Mandela was released from prison. The whole world tuned in to watch this monumental moment in history, or did they?

Lead Tutor Amari Harris Support Tutor Megan Khonhorst Placement Student Heather MacInnes

Youth Theatre members Amelia, Bronte, Buddy, Damini, Fatima, Freddy, Giulia, Ibrahim, Indra, Isabelle, Jamie, Katherine, Leila, Matthew, Mikyas, Olivier, Saida, Sakura, Sarah, Siomha and Zahra

“Equinox were extremely creative when our sessions were online and we wanted to continue this trend in the film. Whether it is using items from their home to create pop stars or making funny home videos, it has been great to see them be creative outside of the theatre.” Amari Harris, Equinox Lead Tutor

The Downfall of The Iron Lady By Lunar Youth Theatre

Lunar have been exploring the political events of 1990 as part of this project. Research and mature conversations have led to creative explorations. Lunar retell the true story of Margaret Thatcher and the events that led to her leaving Downing Street in November 1990. The devising process involved the group being split into three groups and each given a part of the theme to explore through a variety of theatre techniques. Lunar share creative responses to the Thatcher Government, the Poll Tax Riots and the Prime Minister’s resignation, with the script featuring verbatim responses from local people who experienced it. The group have enjoyed the challenge of taking their usual devised scenes and adapting them to film. They have learnt other ways to tell a story and the power that subtle movement can have on screen. Watch as Lunar retell the political events of the UK in 1990 in the style of a creative abstract documentary.

Lead Tutor Simon Bachelor Support Tutor Katy Daghorn Access Mark Conway and Tom Simper

Youth Theatre members Alice, Arsema, Aurora, Avalon, Bezawit, Cal, Danny, Douglas, Ehan, Elizabeth, Hannah, Harper, Kevin, Laura, Lemonie, Lola, Matis, Miles, Nehan, Radhika, Sofia, William, Winta, Yahya, Zac, Zakaria and Zebedee

“Lunar have really impressed me with their ability to take a theme and try multiple creative ways to tell that story to the audience.” Simon Batchelor, Lunar Lead Tutor

Where Were You? By Orbit Youth Theatre

In the year 1990 the hole in the ozone layer was discovered. Three decades later, what has changed? Using Brechtian techniques of performance, designed to make members of the audience take action on social issues, Orbit aims to educate their audience on an issue that has been plaguing our planet for a long time. This is not a piece you can watch to escape your life; this piece is about your life.

Lead Tutor Amari Harris Support Tutor Megan Khonhorst Placement Student Heather MacInnes

Youth Theatre members Alessandra, Alessandro, Alex, Amber, Anan, Brodie, Freya, Leela, Leyla, Lola-Grace, Lucas, Malachi, Martha, Maya, Nicole, Sonny, Taylor, Una and Yusaf

“Orbit wanted to create a piece exploring the issues they feel passionately about; to amplify their voice as a generation. They also wanted to focus on a different performance technique to expand their range of creativity.” Amari Harris, Orbit Lead Tutor 25

Break Down the Wall By Solar Youth Theatre

For their Happened 1990 piece, Solar have been drawing inspiration from the fall of the Berlin Wall, which led to the re-unification of Germany in 1990. They have been exploring how it would feel to wake up one day and find your home, your city, your life, completely changed. Thinking about forced separation, they have considered the parallels of this in comparison to their recent experience of lockdown during the pandemic and have found ways to express this through their words and movement. As we face barriers to our ‘normal’ life, how do we express the way it makes us feel? How do we find ways to cope, endure and ultimately overcome? And what does it look like when we are able to come together again, after surviving such an impactful event?

Lead Tutor Madeleine Graham Support Tutor Daniel Mariño Access Patrick Evans, Rachael Hammond, Hayley Hill, Megan Khonhorst, Molly Neylan and Rosie Vincent Volunteers Alice Brown and Brianie Burrell

Youth Theatre members Anthony, Dami, Dana, Desmond, Jack, Jamie, Nicolas, Saira, Soheli, Tahera, Temina and Younes

“After a year of only seeing each other online, getting back in a room together has been electric. As ever, Solar have brought their vibrant energy and relentless creativity to our sessions. And their resilience and commitment to this group have, more than ever, made Solar feel like an established theatre ensemble, as we work with excitement to produce our piece for this project.” Madeleine Graham, Solar Lead Tutor 27

Half Moon would like to say a very special thank you to: • National Lottery Heritage Fund • Tamsin Bookey, Halima Khanom, Genova Messiah and all the team at Tower Hamlets Local History Library and Archives • The young people who gave their time to visit Tower Hamlets Local History Library and Archives to research the project: Aldo, Anan, Danny, Aurora, Ehan, Kevin, Zac, Tom, Eliza, Noah, Asa • Sarah Ainslie, Clara Ely, Paul Moncrief, Leon Rogers, Bradley Snooks, Malcolm Tremain and Nigel Winfield for allowing their photographs to be used in our Snapped 1990 | 2020 exhibition • Photographer Emma Brown and the young people who gave their time to learn about photography and recreate photographs around Tower Hamlet: Dexter, Giulia, Joseph, Laura, Liza, Maya, Rafael, Sarah and Sofia • Carla Mitchell and Dave Than at Four Corners; Beccy Allen, Stephen Beeny, Androulla Constantinou and Phil Maxwell for additional photography; Stefan Dickers and Linda Hall for help with photography permissions for the 1990 Snapped 1990 | 2020 photos • The Born 1990 interviewees who have so generously donated their time to the project: Katy Jewell, Sabiha Khanam, Halima Khanom, Alex Portlock, Tom Simper, Claire Slack and Ryan Thomas. • Heba Al-Jayoosi, Joseph Bowkley, Clifford Chance, Susie Crome, Fiona Jones, Alex Nelson, Hadley Property Group, Roman Road Trust, Fiona Stokes and many other friends of the company for help in finding the Born 1990 interviewees • Filmmaker Justin Allder and the young people who have given their time to interview our Born 1990 participants: Nehan, Elizabeth, Olivier, Sakura, Ibrahim, Alice, Matis, Arsema, Matthew, Mikyas and Lola • Composer Johnny Tomlinson, designer Elliott Squire and filmmaker Rich Rusk and all our Youth Theatre tutors, access workers, volunteers and participants who took part in Happened 1990 • All the Youth Theatre parents and carers who have supported their young people to attend extra sessions and been involved in the at-home making for the Youth Theatre films. • The team of volunteers, freelancers, core staff and trustees at Half Moon We couldn’t have done it without you all.

Simon Victor in Party. Photo by Stephen Russell. 29

Theatre Passport

Unlock a Child’s Creative Journey Half Moon is your local theatre and has been providing professional plays for young people aged 0–18 since 1990. Launched as part of our 30th birthday celebrations, we need your help to continue Theatre Passport, a free ticket scheme for Tower Hamlets school and community groups. This type of scheme has been very successful in other areas of the UK and we want to ensure children in our borough don’t miss out. Working together with businesses, organisations and individuals, we can give local children the opportunity to experience the magic of live theatre, many for the first time, and start them on their creative journey. Attending live performances can provide a host of benefits, including improving emotional wellbeing and giving opportunities to discuss challenging subjects. Enjoyment and education rolled into one! Please help us to ensure children can access the arts locally.

A DONATION OF:

would let four young people visit Half Moon would allow an entire class to come* would go towards a whole school outing† *40 children and adults †400 children and adults

To find out more, or for donations of £3,000, please email jackie@halfmoon.org.uk or call 020 7709 8903. You can donate online at halfmoon.org.uk/passport or send a cheque made payable to Half Moon Young People’s Theatre to: Half Moon, 43 White Horse Road, London E1 0ND 30

Half Moon On Demand Put your sofa in the front row with digital productions of some of our recent productions for young people, recorded live at Half Moon Theatre and professionally filmed and edited. Our new On Demand service allows you to watch a show for £7 whenever you want, and as many times as you like for 48 hours. Join us for an online performance that puts the best seats in the house into your own home.

Dust

What Once Was Ours

Written by acclaimed award-winning children’s author Laura Dockrill, Dust uses exciting puppetry and exquisite poetic language to explore a heartfelt story about love, loss, identity and memory. With haunting music by Hugo White of The Maccabees, this striking and emotional play is a joyous reminder about just how playful the world can be. For ages 4–9.

Created against the background of Brexit in 2017, this hard-hitting production for teenagers is now being presented online. Developed in consultation with young people across the country, What Once Was Ours uses their direct words and opinions to explore how politics and national values impact on the complex lives of one family and asks why we’ve become so fearful of anyone who is different from us.

“A captivating, imaginative production that uses tiny particles to make big things possible” HHHH Everything Theatre

“Stuns the audience into silence” HHHHH LondonTheatre1

Both productions have closed captioning for d/Deaf and hard of hearing audiences and Dust is also available with British Sign Language. More shows will be added to the On Demand collection soon. Find out more at halfmoon.org.uk/OnDemand 31

About Half Moon

Get in touch

Half Moon is a local organisation with a national remit, committed to supporting artists and young people at every stage of their creative development. Working from our base in East London, Half Moon specialises in new writing and artform development, acting as a gateway organisation that provides pathways for progression and experimentation.

020 7709 8900 halfmoon.org.uk admin@halfmoon.org.uk

we include, we inform, we inspire

Half Moon’s wide-ranging programme reaches around 50,000 people annually and engages those who are often excluded from arts activity. Our activity includes a season of professional plays for young audiences, national touring productions and an extensive creative learning programme, including eight Youth Theatres. Half Moon is a National Portfolio Organisation of Arts Council England and receives regular funding from the London Borough of Tower Hamlets.

Half Moon Theatre 43 White Horse Road London E1 0ND

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Half Moon’s digital archive is available at stagesofhalfmoon.org.uk

Staff Beccy Allen Head of Creative Learning Sam Baker Technical and Production Manager Stephen Beeny Communications Manager Jolanta Bujauskiene Cleaner John Bunker Cleaner Androulla Constantinou Producer (Creative Learning) Jackie Eley Administrative Director Chris Elwell Director/CEO Lucy Fawthrop Administrative Assistant (Kickstart) Sam Luffman Theatre and Programmes Administrator Esther Rennae Walker Trainee TYA Producer/Programmer

Patrons

Trustees

Adeel Akhtar Michael Irving Josie Lawrence Linda Marlowe

Dawn Harrison-Wallace (Chair), Mark Macey (Vice Chair), Elaine Mc Laughlin (Treasurer), Heba Al-Jayoosi, Kevin Eastwood, Anuradha Laws, Mary Mc Colgan, Sarah Nottingham, Tauhid Pasha and James Wakefield

Half Moon Young People’s Theatre Ltd is a registered company in England & Wales (2479179). Registered office: 43 White Horse Road, London E1 0ND. Registered Charity 1010192. This brochure is printed using the environmentally friendly waterless printing process and is Forest Stewardship Council certified (FSC®).