We’ve teamed up with local artist and diversity champion Josh Breach to deliver a new city project, celebrating mums and female voices of all ages.
‘Wearing Mum’s Makeup’ is an innovative community project for mums across the city, which will culminate in a new model for telling their stories in an entertaining and popular format. The project is part of a new collaboration between New Theatre Royal Portsmouth, Josh Breach, Farnham Maltings and the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation to explore new methods of creating popular and accessible theatre in the UK.
Lexi Walsh, Programme Manager at New Theatre Royal said, “It’s a community project that doesn’t guess at what the outcomes might be, but is shaped by mums for mums. There are three stages, with each stage being bigger and reaching more mums than the last. We’re making it really accessible, working with Family Hubs and providing childcare so mums can more easily get involved.”
“This all started when I felt like I needed to make a show for my mum, and has developed into a project creating a whole new vehicle for all the mums who keep our city ticking. As a Buckland boy, I’m passionate about doing this across the city, not just in the South of the island where most activities already happen. We’re creating a new vehicle for mums to express attitudes, beliefs and preoccupations.”
– Josh Breach, ASSOCi-8 Artist of the New Theatre Royal
Also involved in this project is Portsmouth based artist Donna Carter who said: “There’s a frustration that too many arts projects draw on existing audiences. We look forward to joining some dots on this project, particularly through the Family Hubs. It’s important that everyone can take part in Portsmouth’s contemporary cultural journey.”
Wearing Mum’s Makeup runs from September 2019 until March 2020.