Trowbridge Community Theater Project bringing people together

A new community theater project aims to bring people together by telling the stories that matter to them.

The Giving Community A Voice project runs 10-week workshops for teenagers and adults at Trowbridge Town Hall.

It will culminate in a production in September that will be a collaboration between theater professionals and community members.

The workshops were noticed by local writer Saili Katebe, who said it was “humbling” to hear what was important to people’s lives.

Pupils from Clarendon Academy, John of Gaunt School and St Augustine’s College are among those who took part in the project.

During the final session, before halftime, they participated in an improvisation workshop, with many of them describing the supportive environment as key to their enjoyment of the sessions.

CJ Turner-McMullan, who was part of the team running the sessions, said the teenagers taking part “never fail to surprise us”.

The team works with a “wide range of stories”, said Mx Turner-McMullan.

“They’re into anarchy, gymnastics, they’re into all kinds of things that we really didn’t expect.

“They are agents of chaos, every time we come in we think, what weird and wonderful things do you have for us this week?

“They certainly exceed our expectations.”

Local writer and performer Saili Katebe took notes on the workshops and will be responsible for the final script.

He described the community workshops as a “privilege”.

Mr Katebe said that as the sessions progressed, he noticed young people “taking ownership of the space” and hearing what they cared about in both “more overt and more subtle ways”.

Tessa Slack, Trowbridge Town Hall’s community and partnerships manager, said the plot of the final production would be a story that “the people of Trowbridge want to tell”.

The project is about building community and making theater accessible to everyone, she said.

“The stories that we can learn and share — it really feels like an opportunity to bring everyone together.”

The Giving Community A Voice project received financial support through a grant from Arts Council England and funding from Trowbridge Area Board.

Performances of the production are due to take place in Emmanuel’s Yard, Trowbridge, in September.