Welcome to our Trestle Arts Base 15 Festival Brochure! May 2017 sees Trestle Arts Base celebrate its 15th Anniversary. We are delighted that with the support of Arts Council England we are able to bring you a whole month of exciting events, performances and taster sessions, mainly free or for £5. Whatever your age, you are invited to come and explore Trestle Arts Base, whether you are a regular visitor or are coming for the first time, we would love you to see what we have on offer and tell us what you think Trestle could provide for the local community. Our 15Festival brings together some of the best new theatre, dance and film alongside amazing backstage experiences, taster classes and family events. The 15Festival runs from the 1 – 31 May. Full details are available here, but be sure to follow us on twitter @trestletheatre #15FEST or look at www.trestle.org.uk for the latest updates and special offers! Trestle staff are genuinely excited to meet local people - everything on offer has a chance for you to join in, but you can also come and observe. We look forward welcoming you to Trestle Arts Base.
A Taste of Trestle
15Festival Launch Monday 1 May, 2pm - 5pm | FREE Join us as we launch the Trestle Arts Base 15Festival. We have a wonderful afternoon of FREE events and backstage experiences where you can learn about the workings of a real theatre and catch a glimpse of how Trestle Theatre Company operates.
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The launch of the Trestle Arts Base Exhibition
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Trestle Mask Making Demonstration
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Workshops in trying on Trestle Masks
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Arts and Craft Activities
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Guided Tours | Experience the Past and Present of Trestle Arts Base with the Keeper of the Stories An exhibition all about the former Hill End Hospital site Open rehearsal of Trestle Theatre Company’s new show Jekyll and Hyde Performance of Jekyll and Hyde | 5pm
*Bring your festival flyer with you and sign up to our mailing list to receive a free hot/cold drink (non-alcoholic)
Emily Gray Artistic Director Trestle Theatre Company
A Gomito Theatre & Polka Theatre Coproduction
Chester Tuffnut
Saturday 6 May, 1.30pm & 3.30pm 50mins | Interval, followed by Meet the Puppets All Tickets £5 (additional donations welcome) Meet Chester, the treemole on a Woodland escapade! For everyone aged 2 and over. Chester Tuffnut isn’t your ordinary treemole – in fact he is one of a kind! Chester likes wearing jumpers and sitting in his armchair, but most of all he loves adventure! It’s been so long since the curious creatures in Woodland have had any excitement, they’ve forgotten how to have fun. Luckily, Chester is on hand to save his new friends from boredom and bring laughter back to the forest. Join Chester as he encourages everyone to have at least one adventure a day, in an action packed story full of imaginative antics, told with humour, music and playful puppetry. This is a story about discovering new places and making friends, a celebration of individuality and togetherness. You can also have your very own adventure, with the chance to meet the Woodland creatures and explore their dens after the show. “Woodland puppet drama for little adventurers” – The Guardian 2017 sees Gomito Celebrate 15 years of creating work and Trestle is delighted they are returning to Trestle Arts Base for the third time.
Sunday 7 May: History Walk with Highfield Park Trust plus Out of Sight, Out of Mind? Exhibition Flute recital | 3.45pm | FREE
I, Daniel Blake | 6pm | 15
Tickets: FREE (but must be reserved in advance) In association with The People’s Assembly 100 mins | UK | Director. Ken Loach Ken Loach returned from retirement to deliver this impassioned drama which courted controversy and captured the zeitgeist. Daniel Blake (Dave Johns) is a middle-aged carpenter out of work following a heart attack and in need of assistance, but who finds himself unable to navigate the impersonal, impenetrable world of corporatised welfare in 21st-century Britain. Frustrated and abandoned, Daniel befriends single mother Katie (Hayley Squires) in a similar situation. Both are marginalised by society and the government, but their friendship might just help each other get out of their rut. Ken Loach has spent a distinguished career railing against capitalist indifference, bureaucratic incompetence and burning injustice, but he was supposedly handing over to the next generation following his 2011 film Jimmy’s Hall. Instead he was inspired to make a dramatic return, following the welfare cuts and societal changes that took hold in Britain shortly after his departure.
15Festival Family Funday
Presented by Lost Dog Dance
Today we celebrate some the wonderful classes and activities that are on offer at Trestle Arts Base throughout the year. Come down take a taster and be surprised by what’s on offer!
Wednesday 17 May, 8pm 80mins | Interval, followed by Q&A All Tickets £5 (additional donations welcome)
Saturday 13 May, 10am – 5pm | FREE*
Paradise Lost (lies unopened beside me)
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Creation Station Taster Session | 10am – 11am
There is a possibility that God made everything because he was terrified of doing nothing.
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Pilates Taster Session | 11.30am
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Guided Tours | Experience the Past and Present of Trestle Arts Base with the Keeper of the Stories | 12pm & 3pm
Here is a re-telling of the story of the beginning of everything inspired by Milton’s Paradise Lost – told through words, music and the easily misunderstood medium of dance.
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ActNow Academy | Children can try out a drama class and watch a showcase | 12.30pm & 4pm
A show for anyone who has ever created anything (a child, a garden, a paper aeroplane) and then had to watch that wonderful thing spiral out of control.
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((BOUNCE))TM St Albans Taster Session | 1.30pm – 2pm
***** A heavenly new take on Milton (The Evening Standard)
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Figure Drawing with Life Drawing St Albans | 4.30pm – 5.30pm
****A triumphant gallop through the story of creation (The Guardian)
*Bring your festival flyer with you and sign up to our mailing list to receive a free hot/cold drink (non-alcoholic)
Co-commissioned by The Place and Battersea Arts Centre with further commissioning support from Bath ICIA University. Developed with support from The Point, Eastleigh and South East Dance. Supported using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England.
More information about all our regular classes and events can be found at www.trestle.org.uk
Divya Kasturi Company presents
Echo from the Past
MÓTUS Dance ADJUSTMENTS 517
Saturday 20 May, 7pm All Tickets £5 (additional donations welcome)
Sunday 21 May, 6.30pm All Tickets £5 (additional donations welcome)
An odyssey through the compositions of soulful Saint Thyagaraja. (1767-1847)
MÓTUS is a celebration of all forms of Dance. The Company aims to engage anyone and everyone in a diverse programme of dance opportunities. On May 21 MÓTUS will team up with Trestle Arts Base to bring one of their renowned Work In Progress platforms to St Albans.
Divya Kasturi presents a solo Dance work featuring live classical musicians. The performance includes the stunning South Indian dance and music forms of Bharatanatyam and Carnatic music. Divya will be joined by musicians from India including vocal, percussion, and string instruments. Come and be captivated by the delights of these international performers and have the chance to ask questions and interact with them after the show.
Photo courtesy- Simon Richardson (Thanks to Akademi)
Four dance companies will be selected to each share a brand new piece of work, never seen before. The focus is on innovative work for small spaces that explores health and well being in interesting ways. After their 15-20 minute performance, each dance company will receive feedback from a panel of arts professionals including Eddie Nixon (Director of Theatre and Artist Development at The Place), Divya Kasturi (Artistic Director and Founder Divya Kasturi Company), Adam Towndrow (Executive Director and Producer, C-12 Dance Theatre), Emily Gray (Artistic Director, Trestle Theatre Company) and MÓTUS’ Artistic Director Helen Parlor. Discussions will be chaired by the charming and experienced Chris Bradley (Assistant Director, MÓTUS Dance) and the audience will be asked to comment on the performances. We hope to hear from people with no knowledge of dance everyone is welcome! www.motusdance.co.uk. Photograph: Robert Clark Dance | Happiness Project
An evening with Nina Conti
Tuesday 23 May, 7pm 60mins | Interval, followed by Meet & Greet Tickets from £25 (additional donations welcome) Trestle is delighted to announce that award winning actress and comedienne Nina Conti is our new Patron. Nina will be coming to Trestle Arts Base for a Festival Gala Fundraising Evening on 23 May. Over the past year, Trestle has been making masks for Nina to use in her shows and on this evening she will use all her Trestle masks and create a unique and intimate improvised performance at Trestle Arts Base. Nina has won a British Comedy Award, stormed Live at the Apollo, Russell Howard’s Good News, Sunday Night at the Palladium, and made a BAFTA nominated film - all without even moving her lips. She began her career as an actress at the Royal Shakespeare Company, before the genius and anarchic theatre director Ken Campbell inspired her to become a ventriloquist. In 2008 she won the prestigious Barry Award at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival for her solo show Complete and Utter Conti. In 2010, Talk to the Hand had sell out seasons in Edinburgh, London, Melbourne, the Sydney Opera House and New York. This evening is about raising funds to help improve Trestle’s beautiful building and ensure it continues to serve the local community for another 15 glorious years. Tickets for Nina Conti’s Gala Fundraiser go on sale at 7pm on Saturday 6 May.
Proto-type Theatre presents
A Machine They’re Secretly Building
Saturday 27 May, 7.30pm 60mins | Interval, followed by Q&A All tickets £5 (additional donations welcome) “I want you to know what’s happening…” From what might be a news desk, an office, a bedroom, a bunker under a mountain or a theatre, two people – reporters, senators, freedom fighters, or just… well… concerned citizens like you – think about what it is to speak up, speak out, blow the whistle and lift the veil. A Machine they’re Secretly Building charts a course from the Top Secret secrets of WWI intelligence (via the moon, 1972’s Chess World Championships, a disco in Oklahoma and the cafeteria at CERN) through to 9/11, the erosion of privacy, Edward Snowden and to the terror of a future that might already be upon us. A Machine they’re Secretly Building is about how we got to the point where our governments are spying on us and how that’s changing who we are. “Intelligent agitprop… a eulogy from the end of history” – Audience response “Think Adam Curtis meets Chris Thorpe meets Proto-type!” – Audience response
www.proto-type.org | #AMTSB
To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar
Sunday 28 May, 6pm | PG-13 | 1hr 49mins Tickets: FREE (must be reserved in advance) Elite Manhattan drag queens Vida Boheme (Patrick Swayze) and Noxeema Jackson (Wesley Snipes) impress regional judges in competition, securing berths in the Nationals in Los Angeles. When the two meet pathetic drag novice ChiChi Rodriguez (John Leguizamo) — one of the losers that evening — the charmed Vida and Noxeema agree to take the hopeless youngster under their joined wing. Soon the three set off on a madcap road trip across America and struggle to make it to Los Angeles in time.
Story Tent Spectacular
Wednesday 31 May, 1.30pm - 3.30pm All Tickets: £5 (additional donations welcome) Two hours of interactive storytelling and craft making fun for half term! A Story Tent session with lots of extra time for fun , creating our own stories, making puppets and story worlds to play with. All ages welcome. Weather permitting, we’ll be outside, or in the theatre if too chilly or wet. Please book in advance for this special Story Tent to round off Trestle’s 15 Celebrations.
Taking Part Taking Part, Trestle’s creative learning and participation programme, is reaching out to more people than ever before. We run regular theatre workshops, professional training, community projects and events for all ages and abilities. Workshops take place at Trestle Arts Base, across the UK and internationally. Trestle Masks Trestle theatre masks are playful, they transform performers and transfix audiences. With a mask on you have the freedom to explore your world through another’s eyes. They are worn from Brazil to Singapore, Canada to Australia and are unique in their universal usage in mask theatre and performance. Hire Our Venue Trestle Arts Base is a 100-year-old chapel, beautifully converted into a lively performing arts centre. Situated in the tranquil setting of Highfield Park, just five minutes from St Albans city centre by car, this unique venue offers fantastic facilities for all occasions. Whether it is a concert, workshop, business meeting or birthday party, our experienced staff can help you plan and deliver the perfect event. Classes and Workshops As well as offering a fantastic programme of shows and events, we also host a wide range of workshops, classes and community shows for adults and children. For more information about all our regular classes, please visit www.trestle.org.uk
Exhibitions at the Gallery Café
Getting Here
The Gallery Café is open for submissions throughout the year, if you are interested in exhibiting please email gallery@trestle.org.uk for more information. The Gallery Café is open during Trestle Arts Base’s normal working hours.
By Car Trestle Arts Base is 10 minutes drive from St Albans City Centre, signposted from the A1081 and A1057, and 10 minutes from Junction 22, M25. Free car parking is available directly outside the venue. (If using a Sat Nav please use the following postcode AL4 0FJ).
Venue Information How to Book: t: 01727 850950 w: www.trestle.org.uk Opening Hours Trestle Arts Base and the Box Office are open: Term Time Only- *Holiday Periods May Vary Mon 9.30am – 12.30pm | 3.30pm – 8.30pm Tues 9.30am – 7.00pm Wed 9.30am – 7.00pm Thurs 9.00am – 12.00pm | 3.30pm – 7.00pm Friday CLOSED Sat 9.00am – 2.30pm Sun CLOSED – (excluding festival events) The Box Office is also open one hour prior to performances. Outside of these opening hours Box Office enquiries will be dealt with through the Trestle Arts Base Office.
By Train Trestle Arts Base is two miles from St Albans City Station and can be accessed by taxi, bus or a 25 minute walk. By Bus Take the S1/S2 Uno university bus service from St Albans City Centre or Stop B at St Albans City Station, alighting at the second stop on Drakes Drive. Alternatively, take the 655 Uno university bus service between Hatfield and Borehamwood, or the S7 Uno university bus service, alighting at Ashley Road or Hill End Lane.
Ticket Discounts Trestle Arts Base 15Festival has only been made possible through the support of Arts Council England. Tickets have been priced to be as inclusive as possible, however if you feel you are able or the quality of the shows/ events are worth more than the standard ticket price please do donate via the booking link or in person over the course of the festival. Trestle is a charity that receives no regular funding and all proceeds will go to support the building and the work we create. Access Trestle Arts Base is fully accessible with ramp access, lift and adapted toilet. Guide and hearing dogs are welcome. Please enquire at the Box Office or see www.trestle. org.uk for full details and all terms and conditions.
Help Support Trestle Trestle Theatre Company is a registered charity that relies on donations and sponsorship in order to carry on our programme of events and classes. If you would like more information on donating or sponsorship opportunities please contact clare@trestle.org.uk or call 01727 738408.
01727 850950 | www.trestle.org.uk | admin@trestle.org.uk Trestle Arts Base, Russet Drive, St Albans, AL4 0JQ | @trestletheatre #15FEST www.facebook.com/TrestleTheatre