Dodgy Clutch Theatre Company is based in the northeast of England and has been in operation for over 20 years. Formed originally as a partnership between Elaine Beard and Ozzie Riley in 1982, the company has over that time worked with a growing number of freelance artists who share their belief that theatre can be an enjoyable and enriching experience, accessible to everyone. We work collaboratively to produce new work in a popular form of visual theatre, which combines the different theatrical elements of music, dance, performance, mime and puppetry. We have a core team of specialist artists including musicians, performers and visual artists and we draw from a wider pool of artists who work in the region (and sometimes outside). Training and development is a key aim and it is inherent in our team structure that skills are passed on and shared. This process affects both the artists who are part of the team for the project, and also any members of the community we are working with. In particular the company has a commitment to involving young emerging artists working alongside those who are more experienced, thereby adding to the wealth of skills and expertise held in the region. Our three key areas of work are: Large scale outdoor site-specific eventsWe are currently concentrating on developing our site-specific work in the rural and urban landscape, using popular forms of culture to open up new ideas and new perceptions of our surroundings. The work is project based, cross art form and is developed with artists who are leaders in their field and in partnership with existing national and regional bodies. That more people in the northeast region have their experience of theatre in non-traditional venues - and that mostly outdoors - as opposed to inside conventional theatre spaces is a very significant statistic and is central to the work and philosophy of Dodgy Clutch. One of our aims is therefore to enhance the quality, standards and value of the work and therefore make it more rewarding to its expanding audiences. Indoor and Outdoor Touring ProductionsDodgy Clutch has produced and will continue to produce smaller scale shows for touring both to indoor venues and to festivals. We are committed to making the arts exciting, enjoyable and accessible to a wide audience. Our philosophy is to bring the arts into a very public arena and all three areas of our work do this in different ways. Touring Productions, particularly street theatre shows, often take shows direct to a non-arts audience or to places where access to a theatre may otherwise be difficult. Education and Community ProjectsDodgy Clutch has always worked in schools and with community groups on projects to develop creativity in performance. In 2004 this work has expanded through the opportunities provided by Creative Partnerships to develop longer term projects in schools. Other partners have included The Sightlines Initiative, The Hexham Abbey Festival and The Alnwick Garden. Dodgy Clutch – History of WorkElephant UK Tour - Feb to May 2008 Advent at Alnwick - December 1st, 8th & 15th 2007 Winter Wonderland & Africa at Christmas, Kielder - Nov/Dec 2007 QE2 Celebrations - September 2007 Siesta Frog Fiesta, SIRF - August 2007 Baltic 5th Birthday Celebration - July 2007 Alice in Wonderland, Mowbray Park 50 Years, May 2007 Sew, Grow, Cook & Eat - April 2007 to present day Jamie Allen Touring Show, March/April 2007 National Holocaust Memorial Day - Jan 2007 Winter Wonderland, Kielder - Nov/Dec 2006 Advent Trail, Alnwick Garden - Dec 2006 Mad Hatters Tea Party, Alnwick Garden - Oct 2006 Tyume Valley Education Project - 2006 World Culture Summit Opening - June 2006 Elephant - 2006 Winter Wonderland, Kielder - 2005 Heritage Skills Fair NNPA, Wallington - 2005 Elephant - 2005 Sage Gateshead Opening Weekend - Dec 2004 Winter Wonderland, Kielder - 2004 Annual Lantern Parade, Wallington Hall - 2004 Hexham Abbey Festival - 2004 Elephant Show & Sunburst Multicultural Day, Saltwell Park, Gateshead - 2004 Elephant Educational Project, Creative Partnerships Tees Valley - 2004 Fire & Fountains, Street Theatre, Creative Partnerships Durham & Sunderland - 2004 Tall Stories, Alnwick Gardens - 2003 Annual Lantern Parade, Wallington Hall - 2003 Hexham Abbey Festival - 2003 Gardens of Delight, Manchester International Arts - 2003 New Year's Day 2003: Outdoor celebratory event in Saltwell Park, Gateshead Fantastic Follies, Wallington Hall. Summer-Autumn 2002 Wallington Hall 'Blackberry Time'– 2001 When the Owl Flies, Leeds Millennium Celebrations – 2000/01 An Elephant called Slowly –1995/2000/2001 Singapore’s ‘Our Town Story’, Singapore International Children’s Festival Sunderland’s Day in the Dome ‘ Our Town Story’ – 2000 First Words – 2000 Turning the Tide – 2000 Tall Stories and Forest Giants, Kielder – 2000 Geordie Giants, Newcastle Millennium Celebrations – 1999/00 We are the Stars, Newcastle Millennium Celebrations – 1999/00 She Thinks She’s a Fish – 1999 Street of the Moon – 1998 The Pier Show – 1994/97/98 The Dunham Manticore Follies, Dunham Massey – 1995 Press Ganged - 1995 Get out o’ town – 1995 Bud – 1994 Ten Ways to Fly – 1992/93 The Magical Mooglamoosh - 1992 Dragon Fire Masquerade – 1992 The Enchanted Pudding – 1990/91 Gateshead Flower Festival, Cock a Hoop - 1990 Dunce and Crafty by Peter Mortimer – 1989 Doris Dumpling by Peter Mortimer - 1988
We are a visual theatre company, and as artists we love the challenge of creating new work drawing on theatrical and visual metaphors. On our site you will find lots of images and some short presentations that illustrate our creative work. This covers three main areas:- Spectacular Events • Touring Productions • Education and Community Projects Please take a look around and let us know what you think. We would love to hear from you. Dodgy Clutch acknowledges financial support from Arts Council England, North East. Dodgy Clutch is an equal opportunities employer |
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