Space to Learn

Nimble Fish has just been green-lighted to create and produce Space to Learn, an arts-led exploration of non-traditional teaching and learning spaces in Southend. The project is being supported by Royal Opera House Creative Partnerships and the Southend Education Trust and will involve work with multiple artists and schools.

We're really excited about Space to Learn, as it is a natural successor to the Learning Town Project, that wonderful bit of site-responsive, learning-focused, arts-led madness that we undertook last spring and summer. What the projects have in common is a desire to stretch the parameters of where and how we learn, and looking at novel ways to use the arts and arts-based creative practice to make that happen. Space to Learn will begin in the spring and we'll keep you posted as it develops.

Burning Out at Pulse Festival '10

We're thrilled that our production of 'Burning Out', performed by Katherine May from her novel, has been picked up by this year's Pulse Festival, which will run from 27 May through 12 June. Our dates and venue are still being finalised, but we'll let you know the details ASAP. There's a lot of other stuff happening right now with The Re:Authoring Project, our joint undertaking with Katherine, and you can stay tuned here or check out the project blog for details.

Reminisce Awhile...

From Sept – Nov 2009 I worked in partnership with Epic Arts as a facilitator delivering workshops to patients with AIDS who were currently being treated and elderly patients who were stroke victims. Using stimuli such as ration books, songs from the 40s and images we worked with patients emphasising the value of their memories and past experiences. One of the most striking things I will take away from this project is the value of simply talking. I felt very privileged to hear stories about school or family, Christmases and the houses they grew up in, deep personal memories that were of great significance to each participant; a stolen kiss with an American GI during the war, fond memories of sweets after Sunday School but my favourite came from a patient explaining how he met Sir John Betjeman whilst working as a reporter for the BBC. Apparently, Betjemin walked straight past him, took two lumps of cheese out of each suit pocket and said to the bartender “Where’s the port?” - by Samantha Holdsworth

New decade, new possibilities

We're very excited about where Nimble Fish is heading in this new yet-to-be-branded decade. New creative collaborations are underway, both community-based and otherwise, and several original works are in development as well. Expect a website revamp, too.

For now, have a look at the latest thinking behind Re:Authoring, our ongoing project with writer Katherine May. Having successfully rolled out an exciting reimagining of Katherine's first novel, BURNING OUT, we're now preparing to both take that performance to new venues and engage more writers in the Re:Authoring process. We'd love to hear what you think about our Re:Authoring 'manifesto', whether you're a writer yourself, in the arts generally, or just interested in the subject.