Skate boarders lured to the theatre
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Skate boarders are being lured to the theatre with free tickets and the chance to win a limited edition skateboard deck.
Theatre company Cheekish Productions is teaming up with Exeter Northcott and local skate shop The Boarding House to celebrate the one year anniversary of Arts Council England's A Night Less Ordinary free theatre ticket scheme which offers free tickets to under 26s at selected theatres throughout the country.
Cheekish Productions’ Eschara and Shoot/ Get Treasure/ Repeat is a provocative double bill of plays about war and terrorism by Cheekish artistic director Phillip Whiteman and one of the most controversial voices in British theatre, Mark Ravenhill.
Whiteman explains why he wants his play to connect with skaters. "Being a skateboarder has been a huge influence in my life. Skateboarding is about taking risks and trying something new; this is the kind of work Cheekish want to pursue,” he says.
“Skaters will definitely relate to this work. Theatre doesn’t always attract skaters. It certainly didn’t when I was starting out, but the more I learnt I understood how similar they are. The exhilaration you get from live performance matches that of that dream trick down an 8 stair hand rail. Theatre can have a power that matches no other. So, starting with skaters, I want the world to know that theatre is still alive.”
Both decks have been hand made by skateboard manufacturer A Third Foot and hand painted in Cheekish Productions artwork by artist Joseph Loughborough.
Arts Council England, South West Executive Director Chris Humphrey said:
‘I love this novel way of encouraging a different audience to go to the theatre. For some of these young people, this may be their first trip to thetheatre and I hope that this performance will inspire them to make many more trips.’
To claim free tickets and be entered in the prize draw, skateboarders should visit The Boarding House, 132 Fore Street, Exeter and pick up an A Night Less Ordinary registration form.
Eschara and Shoot/ Get Treasure/ Repeat runs at Exeter Northcott from Weds 17 to Sat 20 February at 8pm. Tickets are priced £10 to £16, with half price concessions available. To book tickets call the Box Office on 01392 493493 or visit www.exeternorthcott.co.uk
Exeter Northcott is one of a number of venues throughout the country which offer free theatre tickets for under 26s through A Night Less Ordinary. Venues include:
Plymouth Theatre Royal; Venue Cornwall – more than 65 venues across Cornwall including Hall for Cornwall, Sterts, The Tolmen Centre, Acorn Arts Centre, Helford & Mylor Theatres and village halls and other small venues throughout Cornwall with the Carn to Cove rural touring scheme; and Take Art! – performances in village halls and other small venues throughout Somerset.
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For media enquiries
John Holmes at Exeter Northcott on 01392 223991 or email j.k.holmes@exeter.ac.uk
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Arts Council England champions, develops and invests in artistic and cultural experiences that enrich people’s lives. We support a range of activities across the arts, museums and libraries – from theatre to digital art, reading to dance, music to literature, and crafts to collections. Great art and culture inspires us, brings us together and teaches us about ourselves and the world around us. In short, it makes life better. Between 2011 and 2015, we will invest £1.4 billion of public money from government and an estimated £0.85 billion from the National Lottery to help create these experiences for as many people as possible across the country. www.artscouncil.org.uk