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Fresh Works

SCRATCH NIGHT BRINGS LOCAL WRITERS’ WORK TO LIFE IN DONCASTER

Published 12 May 2022 at 5:25pm

Cast in Doncaster recently held its hugely popular Fresh Works Scratch Night, supported by the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority Arts & Culture Fund.

The event gave 10 up-and-coming writers the chance to have their work performed by professional actors, in front of a live audience.

Each writer was given a 10-minute slot for their work to be performed, whether that be poetry, theatre or music. All theatre pieces were directed by local director, Daljinder Singh.

'Arts at the Arms’, a performing arts organisation that focuses on developing new talent in the Yorkshire region, helped with the programming for the event and two British Sign Language interpreters were in attendance to interpret the scripts and music for the benefit of some members of the audience.

Lauren Townsend, Fresh Works Project Producer, said: “It was fantastic that this event was able to go ahead supported by the South Yorkshire Mayor’s Arts & Culture fund. It just showed what an incredible amount of emerging talent there is in our region.”

Local writers included:

• Catherine Taggart, with an 18-verse duologue poem, tracking Doncaster’s history and heritage from Celtic times to today.

• Esmay Harrison Jenkins, a 12-year-old singer/songwriter from Doncaster, who wrote ‘Misty Meadows’ during the lockdown and is fundraising to perform at the Journey to the World Scout Jamboree in South Korea in 2023.

• Julie Charlesworth, who wrote a play called ‘Last Looks in Armthorpe’. It is a monologue, featuring an old man waiting in his deceased neighbour’s house for her son to arrive, reminiscing on what he sees as he stares out of the window.

• Frank Colley, who produced a collection of poems.

• Brogan Morris, who wrote ‘The Nuclear Option’. This is a short monologue about a couple who escape their urban lives and rediscover themselves at the end of the world. • John Wolf, who produced ‘COP-OUT 26,’ a collection of poetry on the theme of climate change, focusing on creatures and habitats affected, sites at risk locally from HS2 and the interconnectedness of humans and the universe.

• Sarah Clough, who wrote ‘The Tipping Point,’ a play focusing on what happens when your last chance is up.

• Michele Beck, who provided a collection of poems in a Doncaster voice.

• Jeremy Fletcher, who produced a play in the form of a monologue, called ‘Happy Friday, They Say,’ which focused on the evening of the Fishlake Floods in 2019.

• ADMT – aka Adam Taylor, who has been billed as one of the newest offerings of talent in the North of England. He wrote a couple of songs that encourage people to stand up, be proud of their background and believe in their dreams.

Some of the participants on the programme were part of the Scriptworks scheme, which includes monthly masterclasses developing a 30-minute script for beginners and experienced writers, funded by the South Yorkshire Arts & Culture fund.

Each of the 10 writers on this programme were given £100 towards supporting this work and their continued development.

Kate Brindley, Project Director for Arts, Culture and Heritage for South Yorkshire MCA, said: “It is fantastic to see the great work that is being produced by these local writers in Doncaster, with the support of the Arts & Culture fund. The £1m funding was introduced to help local freelancers and art and culture organisations to generate more cultural events, activities and projects. There is a wealth of creative talent in South Yorkshire and these writers have certainly done themselves proud.”

For more details on arts events in South Yorkshire, visit www.south.yorkshire-ca.gov.uk

For events taking place at Cast in Doncaster visit https://castindoncaster.com/

For details of Arts at the Arms visit: https://artsatthearms.com/

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Last Updated: 12/05/2022

Published In: Arts, Culture, Heritage