Over the past six years (with some interruption from Covid) I have been making creative work under the banner of Pockets Theatre. This period has seen an eclectic portfolio of theatre, workshops, residencies, scratch nights, and more. From primary school drama sessions focusing on fairtrade and sustainability, to performances sharing the queer histories of Leeds in the basement of a historic shopping centre, I’ve followed my nose to exciting partnerships, funding opportunities, collaborations, and tried to respond to the world around me, and the times as they change. Now, as the coronavirus pandemic lifts its grip on the country, it’s time to distil this work into a form that can last and have equally lasting impact. I have reformed Pockets as a CIC, and over the coming months I'll be looking to craft a more cohesive identity, ethos, and output.
The work will continue to be socially engaged and rooted in Northern communities. We will continue to work in non-traditional theatre spaces, striving to strike a balance between commitments to communities and responding to the world as it changes around us. We will also seek to drive positive social change. Over this coming year we will look to develop a financial model that generates some stability for the company, without compromising on creativity or our values. We will also look toward a programme of performance, a programme of participation, and ways we can share this expertise with partnerships beyond the theatre sector.
We will work to be a non-hierarchical organisation. This means important decisions are taken collectively, and everyone who works with us will be paid the same (based from the national average income of £38,600 PA). We seek diversity of representation in the work we share, the people we work with, and the art we platform.
The work will:
o happen in non-traditional spaces
o be socially engaged
o take risks
We will spend Spring and Summer of 2022 planning, seeking out funding for projects, and establishing a cohesive identity for the company moving forward. We may start early work on some initial projects in this time, but nothing with a public facing output yet. For example, we might work with a writer to being developing ideas for a new play. Once we are ready, we will deliver a relaunch event in early 2023. This will be an event in and of itself, a performance or workshop for example, with the relaunch attached. We will also relaunch the company on other platforms, with a new website, social media presence, and press involvement.
From this stage onwards, we will continue to be responsive to opportunities as we find them, or as they find us. In the past this has seen fairtrade workshops in schools, or sharing the queer histories of Leeds in the basement of the Corn Exchange. Through the company values, aims and objectives, we will be able to deliver a programme that is cohesive and aligned with the identity of the company.
We will probably start small, and this is a part time endeavour, but I am super keen to hear from anyone who might want to collaborate or be a part of this journey.
Sam.
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