We’re very excited about getting involved with the first Wells Theatre Festival. We want to support organisations that bring art to local areas and make it accessible to the community. Everyone has to start somewhere and every company and event has been through that process. When we were starting out we were grateful to all those who offered us a hand and helped us learn how to run an outdoor theatre company. For that reason, we always want to return the favour to those who are starting out. Our experience will offer a lot for this first time festival, to engage with audiences and show how great it is to have this brand new festival in Wells.
The importance of community involvement in Theatre
We’ve toured to rural areas in the UK and seen how powerful community involvement in the arts can be and what it does for the local residents. For one, it gets people talking to one another and working with their neighbours. It’s not just children involved in making and engaging with art, but their parents, grandparents, relatives and friends too. It’s a valuable method of sharing art and bringing everyone in the community together to share, enjoy, and live in a unifying way.
Why young people should experience Shakespeare
There are so many phrases, techniques, terms and quotes that come from Shakespeare. Many of us, young and old, use them and yet aren’t aware they come from Shakespeare. We have all learned so much from his writing, whether we’ve chosen to study his work or not. Everyone should get to know Shakespeare, not for the sake of Art, but for History, English Language and Literature and social skills. At the same time, young people should just ‘study’ Shakespeare. They need to see it performed well and have a go at performing it themselves to understand what the text means. The great Sir Ian McKellen once said ‘The plays weren’t written to be read, they were written to be spoken out loud and acted.’
How live theatre inspires
We focus on outdoor theatre because it gives more opportunities for non-theatre goers to engage with theatre outside of the usual indoor setup. Many people still believe that theatre isn’t for them for a variety of reasons. We present drama outdoors and transform familiar spaces into playful, energetic, fun locations. People then see another side to theatre that they wouldn’t necessarily acknowlege. For passers by to stumble upon the colourful visuals of a remarkable set, or hear the calling and singing of performers accompanied by live music changes perceptions about Theatre. People are naturally curious to find out what’s happening when they see a familiar space look very different. This helps change the perspective of theatre for people, showing that art is for anyone and everyone and accessible to all. We want inspire and engage at the Wells Theatre Festival and get more people involved in the Arts!
The Fabularium presents Reynard the Fox. Engaging outdoor theatre for family audiences of all ages, using The Fabularium’s unique aesthetic, strong imagery and all performed on their traditional wooden cart. It will feature storytelling, puppetry, original live music and The Fabularium’s bespoke animal headpieces.
You can book tickets here on We Got Tickets.
