Manchester’s Palace Theatre owners Ambassador Theatre Group have announced a new Creative Learning production arm created to inspire the next generation of local Theatregoers
Creative Learning Presents is a new model for presenting exciting, excellent quality, relevant productions for schools in communities including Greater Manchester, Liverpool and beyond. ATG Creative Learning will partner with the group’s award-winning production arm, ATG Productions, to enable performances for schools to be presented during the daytime underneath national tours, without compromising on design or presentation, and with affordable ticket prices (£8) for local schools.
Alongside the productions, schools are provided with pre and post show resources and our inhouse Creative Learning team will offer workshops in schools and at their venues to further enhance their experience. Each performance includes a 30 minute post show structured Q&A with the performers and creators of the show.
The inaugural production touring to five ATG venues including the Palace Theatre, Manchester is MACBETH by Out of Chaos. Out of Chaos are an award winning Sussex based theatre company whose shows have toured extensively in the UK, US, Europe and New Zealand. Their production of the Scottish play combines physical theatre with powerful text work, telling the story clearly with only two actors playing every part and providing all the drama, intrigue and madness of Macbeth in 80 high-octane minutes.
Alongside supporting schools to bring their students to ATG Theatres across the UK, Creative Learning Presents supports companies who have created work for small or middle scale touring to explore presenting work in larger venues alongside a commercial partner, providing learning for both parties and an increased awareness of the needs and requirements for a successful touring partnership.
Grace Cameron, Creative Learning Producer at the Palace Theatre & Opera House said:
“Since launching our Creative Learning programme in Manchester, we have been diligently working with our local schools to pioneer more opportunities for young people and the response to Macbeth has been wonderful. So many of us working in the industry today first experienced live theatre whilst in education; I am thrilled that this, and future Creative Learning Presents productions can further support important school visits to The Palace & Opera House through an affordable initiative, and that we can continue to powerfully impact the next generation.”
Richard Darbourne, Senior Producer ATG Productions, said:
“This project is at the heart of what drives us to make theatre in the first place – to find innovative ways to create work and inspire audiences. It is an exciting collaboration with Out of Chaos and across all ATG departments. The production department has been working on the staging and technical aspects of the tour, and we are working with venue teams, Group Sales, Programming, F&B, Creative Learning and Central Marketing on all aspects of promotion, ticket sales, educational resources and FOH. The response from schools has been phenomenal and we are confident that this is a strong, resilient, and much needed new model for future touring.”
Hollie Coxon, Head of Creative Learning & Community Partnerships, said:
“Creative Learning Presents is an exciting development for ATG’s Creative Learning programme, seeing partners come together to utilise the incredible resources available via touring productions as a platform for developing educationally relevant and outstanding mid scale theatre in the regions which directly furthers outcomes back in the classroom. The initiative is a response to ongoing dialogue with teachers and school leadership teams across the UK, as we all continue to react to the unfolding needs of schools and students, following the impact of the pandemic. It’s a thrill to work in partnership with the incredible Out of Chaos in presenting Macbeth for our first project!”
Macbeth is playing Liverpool Empire (Fri 26 Jan), Manchester Opera House (Fri 8 Mar), Theatre Royal Brighton (Tue 26 Mar), Milton Keynes Theatre (Fri 22 Mar) and Sunderland Empire (Fri 7 Jun).
Tickets for Manchester and Milton Keynes are close to sold out, with only a few remaining for Liverpool and Sunderland, Brighton’s tickets go on sale shortly; by the end of the tour we expect over 7,500 children and young people to have seen a performance in their local theatre.
