Community Programme Open Pitch What is open pitch? At New Perspectives we believe that theatre is all around us and we acknowledge that there is creativity in everyone which is why we created the Open Pitch programme. Through Open Pitch we support unique individuals to tell their extraordinary stories. Each year we showcase unheard voices by supporting two first-time artists across the East Midlands’ helping them to shape and share their idea creatively. Since launching Open Pitch in 2021, we have guided, nurtured and supported the development of six unique stories. Find out more about each of these unique and inspiring projects below. Previous Open Pitch Projects Black Diamond Dancers by Susie Brighouse We supported the script development for a debut play written by Derbyshire resident Susie Brig. Set in the 1960s and 80s, Black Diamond Dancers follows a group of female friends in a jive club with the backdrop of the miner's strike and political tensions at the time. As part of the Open Pitch process, Susie has had months of support from Participation Director and writer Jayne Williams to form the first draft of the play and a series of script development days over three months with five actors and New Perspectives' Artistic Director Angharad Jones to support Susie in the completion of her first script. The Road to Zandra by Mark Preston/Miss Zandra “The Road to Zandra was full to the brim with heart, truthfulness and sequins. What an inspiring project Open Pitch is!” Written by New Perspectives’ Participation Director Jayne Williams and directed by Artistic Director Angharad Jones, The Road to Zandra follows the true story of Nottingham road repairer turned drag queen Mark Preston. In 1999, after struggling with his mental health and considering taking his own life, Mark travelled to Blackpool and was entered into a drag competition by his friends to distract him. He won the competition and since then has used his drag persona Miss Zandra to raise almost £400,000 for charity. Performed by former New Associate Jack Burrows, Worksop-based femme fatale Suga Phoenix and Miss Zandra, The Road to Zandra had a two-night run at Squire Performing Arts Centre in Nottingham, bringing many audience members to the theatre for the first time. “Extremely emotional. Laughed, cried, giggled and wept all within 30 seconds.” The Songstress by Donna Briscoe-Greene Based on the life and experiences of Donna Briscoe-Greene, The Songstress is a short film about what defines us and what it’s like to be in the entertainment industry as a Black woman. The Songstress was written by New Perspectives’ trustee and self-proclaimed ‘accidental poet’, performer and writer Ravelle-Sadé Fairman, performed by Donna herself accompanied by her niece Rashilah James and Ravelle-Sadé, and filmed by Ian Dearman of Scruffy Whippet Media. A Life in the Day of a Pretend Lighthouse Keeper by Bob Sea-Dog Created by Bob Sea-Dog who started doing impressions at the age of four, A Life in the Day of a Pretend Lighthouse Keeper follows the pretend lighthouse keeper living alone in his pretend lighthouse! Complete with dreams of a pretend futuristic 1950s style kitchen, daily pretend patrols of the local pretend coastline audiences were welcomed into an absurd and often doodled world... A Life in the Day of a Pretend Lighthouse Keeper featured performances from Andy Ashley, Jayni Lee, Chris Lewis-Jones (accordion), and Daisy Dearman, as well as the creator Bob Sea-Dog himself. The performance was filmed by Ian Dearman of Scruffy Whippet Media. Miss Sherwood Forest by Ann Hill The anarchic tale of the tree who auditions for Miss Sherwood Forest. Mansfield resident Ann Hill has written a script with feminist themes, brought to life through the illustrations of Nottingham based Artist and Animator, Sophie Johnson-Hill of SoJo Animation. At 86-years old, Ann became a published author for the first time with a copy of her book in the British Library. Elsie Tanner Knew My Nanna by Caroline Beeson Spence "A brilliant story, historical and colloquial with a performance by a naturally talented storyteller. Caroline really grips her audience. 5 stars." Elsie Tanner Knew My Nanna shares the relationship through correspondence between Caroline Beeson Spence’s no-nonsense Nanna and Coronation Street star Pat Phoenix. The story talks of a family secret, twists and turns along the way and the strong connection with many women of that time and the strong Northern Women of Coronation Street. Elsie Tanner Knew My Nanna was performed by Caroline Beeson Spence in December 2021 at New Perspectives in Nottingham, The Albert Room at Cleethorpes Library and The Courtyard at Freeman Street Market in Grimsby. "It wasn't just about family friendship, it was about womanhood across the class divide. The connection between working class women whose lives were different because of circumstance. Beautifully written and exceptionally delivered." Open Pitch is kindly supported by The Garrick Charitable Trust and The D'Oyly Carte Charitable Trust Banner image: The Road to Zandra (2023). © Scruffy Whippet Media