Outreach The Space Between Us Programme The Space Between Us Programme Sign Up Here The Space Between Us Programme began as a pilot project in 2017 and was born out of the desire to bring together a group that crossed generations, from all sides of society and developed a creative platform to have conversations, explore histories and devise theatre together. This project culminated in a performance, We All Have Stories, as part of the Young Company New Routes Festival, July 2018, in Chickenshed’s Rayne Theatre. The response from participants and audience supported the belief that the processes involved in this project could be of benefit in a range of environments where social cohesion was a goal, so it was at this point that ‘The Space Between Us’ pilot project evolved into a flexible outreach programme which encourages individuals to come together to explore their personal stories and experiences in a safe, supportive space through performing arts. Taking ideas and outputs from initial conversational sessions and workshops, an emotive and thought-provoking piece of theatre is developed that prompts society to think about that ‘Space Between Us’ and how community can be a catalyst for improved social cohesion and mental wellbeing. Using this framework, the particular route and focus of any specific project can be tailored to respond to the priorities of any partner organisation or participant group. Getting involved with this project has been the most inspiring, uplifting experience I have had for years, it has made me feel alive again - The Space Between Us Participant, 2017/18 Get Involved! There are so many opportunities to meet people of all ages, be creative and form friendships when you join the Space Between Us Community. Gladrags Society Get your Gladrags on and enjoy glamorous afternoons of live music, dance and entertainment. Enjoy our suave intergenerational band ‘The Ten Bob Notes’ as they take you back through the decades, meet new friends of all ages, and enjoy dressing up for a right posh afternoon out! Sign up to become a Gladrags member today and get your name on the VIP list before word gets out. Remember... it’s our secret! Dance Space Have you got a hidden dancer inside you? We are forming a brand new dance company inviting people 50+ to join! Come and learn to choreograph and move beautifully together. All sessions will be accessible, joyful and friendly. No experience required. Saturday Splinters A series of free workshops led by and for our intergenerational community. Visual arts, song writing, creative writing, dance, drama, film making. Sign up to be a SBU member and come along. Intergenerational Theatre Project Sign up now to be involved in our brand new Space Between Us Intergenerational Performance Project. A piece will be devised by our community, involving music, drama, dance, visual arts and creative writing. We also have café socials and musical theatre workshops. Cafe Connect A brand new series of socials led by our Space Between Us Community. Watch out for upcoming dates and activites. Become a SBU Volunteer Our community is always looking for volunteers, let us know if you have time to spare to support or lead some activities. Want to get in touch? For further information please contact Rachel Yates, Creative Director of The Space Between Us Programme, [email protected] GET IN TOUCH Living Letters Living Letters is an inspirational letter-writing project, bringing together vulnerable and isolated older people with members of our Young Company. Would you like to participate? Or do you know someone who you think would benefit from some extra correspondence each week during this time? Find out more Space Between Us Videos Below is a selection of videos from The Space Between Us Programme. The Pilot Project 2018 SBU Programme Trailer These Hands Tracking the Years Something Changed Living Letters Photo's of The Space Between Us Projects Liminal Space The Barbican, Apr 19 100% Chance of Rain Chickenshed, Mar 19 Lewisham Creative Aging Festival Oct 19 Participant Feedback "Thank you for making me believe my age is not my ability, I have found new depths and I am delighted, this project has brought joy back into my life" "It’s taken me back. I remember that. And I remember how that feels. And I am determined to feel like that again and I feel like that in this show… And I haven’t felt like that… in many years. I couldn’t put a price on that." "I just wanted to say that was one of the most inspiring and moving things that I have ever seen. And I’m going to leave tonight thinking a lot about how I feel about myself. So thank you so much." "I just wanted to say how much I was blown away by the wonderful collaborative and moving performances of all the stories, confidences and thoughts shared by everyone over the past year - brought to life. The trust shared was palpable and so moving." "This opportunity is just something I didn’t think would ever happen to me." "Being with each other and performing together gives you confidence and if you feel confident and there are people around you supporting you, it works." Outreach Feedback "A massive thank you for your work yesterday to make our Community View a success. People were really engaged throughout the event, and left with lots of smiling faces! I hope this will be the start of future possibilities!" - Beth Warnock, Community Engagement Manager Barbican, Guildhall School of Music & Drama "Well done to Rachel Yates whose workshop was absolutely outstanding. To hold a room of so many people in such an active and receptive way was really something to see. It was a true privilege to be in the room and see that amount of skill and energy so well communicated." - Hector Dyer "It was very special to see you run that workshop and the constant sense of creativity and joy you fostered in the room. We're so grateful to you for all the preparation and the dynamic way you led everyone through that space, 3 hours and everyone was absolutely loving it! We were all saying how amazing it is to be part of a workshop where the experience of the participants is so clearly thought through - the timing, constant pace of involvement and supportive environment had such a fab effect on what came out of it." - Liminal Space "It was genuinely one of the warmest, smoothest and most well-integrated workshops we've ever taken part in so we totally doff our caps to you. It felt like a really inclusive and encouraging atmosphere and the group really had a chance to properly engage with each other without ever feeling under pressure to perform or being made to contribute anything that they didn't feel comfortable with - and the variety of stories and perspectives that came out of that was really beautiful. It was honestly an exemplary session and a total pleasure to take part in." - David McDonagh– Flourishing Lives Recent News Chickenshed are delighted to announce the continuation of The Space Between Us Programme for two more years with thanks to the National Lottery Reaching Communities Fund. Partners: Bromley By Bow Centre, Flourishing Lives, AGEUK Enfield, Barchester Healthcare, Onside Advocacy Read more Something Changed In 2020, Chickenshed launched a new theatre project for people in their 30’s and 40’s, celebrating how things can change when we make connections, when we close the space between us. Using lyrics and music of the Britpop era as inspiration, the creative process will involve movement, drama, writing and storytelling, drawing on its participants lived experiences to devise an original pieces of theatre. View the Something Changed Portal Read BUPA Report Supported by: