HOME THEATRE (UK)

• Call out for 30 London residents to host 30 bespoke theatre performances in their homes on Saturday 17 October.
• Application deadline Friday 21 August.
• Since the project started in 2013, Home Theatre has also been performed again in Brazil, and will happen in South Africa, Birmingham and London throughout the autumn.
• International symposium to take place at Theatre Royal Stratford East on Monday 19 October to explore and examine theatre which takes place in people’s homes.

Theatre Royal Stratford East is calling upon the general public to get involved in an exciting and ambitious project, this autumn. After its huge success in 2013, Home Theatre (UK) is back for the second time to grace the homes of London residents, half of whom will not be regular theatre goers. Theatre Royal Stratford East is looking for 30 new homes around London to play host to 30 new bespoke, one person performances. Applications from London residents wishing to take part in the project are being accepted until Friday 21 August.

During the week leading up to the performance the 30 artists will take inspiration for their stories from the host of the home they will be performing at. On Saturday 17 October hosts will be encouraged to invite an audience of friends and family to see the performance, for free. After this, hosts will be asked to provide refreshments, over which thoughts and experiences can be shared about the performance.

Home Theatre (UK), which this year is generously being funded by The Gulbenkian Foundation and The Gibbs Charitable Trust, first took place in London during 2013 and is being produced again by Theatre Royal Stratford East in partnership with Festival Internacional de Cenas em Casa. Since 2013, Home Theatre has happened again in Brazil. Throughout autumn the project will also expand both internationally and nationally in Birmingham, produced by the Birmingham Repertory Theatre and South Africa, produced by the South African State Theatre.

Kerry Michael, Artistic Director of Theatre Royal Stratford East said: “Since 2013 we have been working on Home Theatre, which is all about opening up theatre to new audiences in innovative ways. I am delighted to confirm that with the aid of funding from The Gulbenkian Foundation and The Gibbs Trust, the latest installation will happen this October and once again we will be bringing 30 theatre makers into 30 homes across the capital and creating bespoke new theatre experiences. We are proud to be leading the global Home Theatre movement, as more performances are being created in this way in Brazil and South Africa, as well as closer to home in Birmingham and we will be bringing international artists together to discuss this in more depth with our Home Theatre Symposium on Monday 19 October.”

Performance artist Suhaiyla Hippolyte who staged one of the performances in 2013 said: “Home Theatre was one the most intense weeks of my life. Making a show in just a few days for someone that I didn’t know was daunting but at the same time really pushed me as an artist. Performing in an intimate place like someone’s home was a new and very rewarding experience. It was great to be involved in a project where I could use all of my talents collectively, as I’m a spoken word artist and actress.”

Leytonstone based Daniel Tuffour, one of the hosts who volunteered to take part in the project 2013 said: “I’m so glad that I took part in Home Theatre. When Saturday arrived, I didn’t know what to expect. My performance artist really captured my story in a way which I would never have thought was possible. The performance had everything I wanted to see. She sang, acted and took me and my friends on a roller-coaster of emotions. I’d definitely do it again.”

All 30 performances will then be broadcast on stratfordeast.com on Saturday 31 October and Sunday 1 November.

Following the 30 performances on Saturday 17 October, Theatre Royal Stratford East will host a symposium exploring and examining theatre happening in people’s homes on Monday 19 October, with Home Theatre being one of the case studies. During this day international artists involved in the project in Brazil, South Africa, Birmingham and London will be invited to contribute their experiences alongside other practitioners who also have produced work which has been performed in homes. In addition, potential new Home Theatre practitioners will be invited to find out more about the project. The day will aim to encourage peer to peer learning between all these industry professionals through examining different ways of working and looking at the artistic and political motivations behind producing this work.

During the symposium a variety of master classes and workshops will be delivered by some of the practitioners who are already part of the international Home Theatre collective, along with other individuals who deliver theatre in people’s homes.

The day will end with a panel discussion featuring representatives of the different international Home Theatre countries and regions, as well as other industry professionals who will have the ability to offer an exciting and original perspective on Home Theatre. This discussion will be broadcast live on Theatre Royal Stratford East’s website www.stratfordeast.com. The symposium will end with Home Theatre being launched nationwide in 2016.

Theatre Royal Stratford East is calling out for artists who have a history and interest in making theatre in people’s homes to contribute to the day. The theatre also encourages practitioners who would like to find out more about the Home Theatre model to attend the day.

Members of the public wishing to take part in this exciting project can find out how to apply by visiting Theatre Royal Stratford East’s website: www.stratfordeast.com/hometheatre or by emailing hometheatreuk@stratfordeast.com to request an application form. The deadline for those interested in taking part in the project is Friday 21 August.

Artists interested in attending the symposium should e-mail hometheatreuk@stratfordeast.com.