Another semester, another lockdown… But we’re back and ready to get creative. In light of the current restrictions, it won’t be a surprise to many of you that things yet again have to be done a little differently, and indeed virtually, this coming term. For the first time in many years we regrettably feel that the MIFTAS (Manchester In Fringe Theatre Awards Season which usually has around 7 or 8 plays showcased across Manchester), will simply not be able to go ahead as it usually would this semester. That said we hope to grow and put more energy into the Shorts season when restrictions, hopefully, ease in semester 3 and instead for semester 2 focus on more small opportunities such as Workshops, Monobox @Home and our brand new Honey Pot!
We hope you’ll find opportunities within this to engage with your creative energies and come together with others!
Workshops
One of our key aims this term is to expand our workshop programme. We’ll be doing biweekly workshops facilitated by our committee in which we’ll provide a creative space to discuss and explore various things! We are also hoping to bring you a couple of guest workshops with experts in the business which will be announced at a later date! More details will be revealed soon on our social media about the guest workshops so make sure you are following our instagram and facebook.
Note to Members: This is your season and your society, if you feel like there is a gap in the workshop timetable that you want filled please get in touch with our Accessibility Officer and we will respond to your feedback. We will also be putting out some instagram stories over the next couple weeks to give you a chance to respond and tell us your thoughts over at @uomdramasoc !
Committee Run Workshops
Sun 28th Feb – 4pm: Writing and Performing your own Poetry run by Access Rep Cecilia Alfonso-Eaton
w/c 8th March – Directors Play Session: run by Co-Presidents Natalie Hillman and Sophia Fouladi
This play version of a Book Club will give members an opportunity to discuss a text as well as pitch their own ideas and get feedback from their peers. We are giving you the chance to pick between two texts to read and share your thoughts on in the session. (Plays tbc)
w/c 22nd March: Monologue Sharing Session run by Programming Officer Ted Walliker and accompanying committee members
Missing acting? This session will give you the chance to bring along a monologue to workshop with peers, perform to a group and get feedback!
Monobox @ Home
Having had to delay the in-person Monobox recordings last semester, we decided to give our performers the chance to record their pieces themselves in the comfort of their own homes. Our ‘Monobox @ Home’ series will bring you 2 performances per week, to watch online, and will feature original monologues/poems written by our members. We look forward to showing you what our performers have created!
Released on Mondays and Fridays.
Launch date: 1st March
Socials
This semester we’re planning to dial up the socials as much as possible… we miss you and your wonderful faces! Whilst we may be confined to our screens, we have some fun ideas to bring everyone back together!
Including but not limited too… a Fringe-inspired quiz, Pub Crawl 2: the reenactment, zoom play screenings and much more! Most importantly, we want to hear from YOU and what YOU want! Socials are, after all, about engaging with as many people as possible! So, if you want to get even more involved, we’ll be popping some polls on instagram to get a little more insight into what (online) events tickle your fancy!
Cannot WAIT to see you all again soon!
Our Brand New: HONEY POT !!!
Honey Pot means those of you who want to find a way to put on a show/project this season can still come and pitch to us. Every MONDAY 4-5pm (starting w/c 22nd Feb) you have a chance to book one of 2, 30 min sessions with co-presidents Natalie and Sophia as well as Programming Officer Ted. In this session we’ll listen to your pitch, ask questions, give feedback and discuss whether it is something we can support. The aim is that you will be able to self-produce your projects but with a little funding and marketing support from us.
If you want to get involved simply email writing.umds@gmail.com (and copy in president.umds@gmail.com) before 5pm on a Friday to get booked onto a Monday session for the following week. In this email please send a rough outline of your pitch (so we can get a little familiar with it beforehand).
Mancunian X Drama Soc Opportunity
We’re teaming up with the Mancunian in a new and exciting project to create a space for members who are interested in writing opportunities. You will be working closely with the Mancunian editing team for support and guidance so you don’t need to be a pro to get involved.
Why get involved:
– Priceless experience in writing for/about theatre.
– Opportunities to see new shows that have arrived in Manchester.
– Have your opinion heard and read by many.
– Write for an award winning student newspaper.
– Learn how to write about theatre and get you work published!
What are we looking for:
Due to COVID we have branched out beyond writing reviews and now, more than ever, writers have scope to write whatever they want about theatre. It is definitely a chance to get creative. Here are just a few styles of articles that you can write…
– Reviews – we get given (or we can request specific) press tickets from Manchester theatres. We also review student plays, which is a great way to encourage more to come watch student work. You can spend a lovely evening watching a new show and then write a short review which will be published in the next week’s issue.
– Opinion pieces – if there is a specific topic or area surrounding theatre that you feel passionate or want to learn more about, this is the perfect opportunity to explore and share it. It can be whatever you want, we welcome anything!
– Profile piece – if there is a particular person in the wonderful world of theatre that you are interested in write about them! It can be anyone from Jez Butterworth to your friend you were in a show with last year.
If you are eager to write but have not written an article before or are unsure about it, not to worry! That is what the section editors are there for, we are here to help on whatever you need, whenever you need and with any query. We will help you on how to write, format and style an article. But it is super easy once you get the hang of it!
How:
– Join the Facebook group – Mancunion Theatre 20/21 Contributors.
– You can get in contact with either Jamaal Iqbal or Dolly Busby via Facebook messenger.
– Email theatre.mancunion@gmail.com.
– Via Instagram @mancuniontheatre/ @jaydarcy7/ @dollybusby.
We have section meetings every Tuesday at 6:00pm on zoom – the link is posted each week on the Facebook group.
– In these meetings we discuss articles already written and potential ideas for upcoming articles.
– It is an open and inclusive space where all are welcome. We create a community of writers that share and discuss ideas about our shared love of theatre.
We would really love your contribution to this theatre section. It is honestly a great opportunity to try your hand at something new and gain invaluable experience in writing for the media.
Finally …
We hope you are as excited as we are for these opportunities and that we’ll see your faces virtually throughout this semester. In the meantime, keep an eye out on our instagram where in the next couple of weeks we’ll be asking to hear your thoughts on our stories AND we’ll have some LGBTQ+ History Month content coming your way.
Best wishes,
2020/21 Drama Committee x
UOM Drama Soc 