SAVVY creates unique and accessible theatre projects for youth and community groups in Sutton, Croydon and the surrounding boroughs. The company has a number of regular groups that explore on a wide variety of theatre techniques from Puppetry and Mask work, to Shakespeare and Stage Combat.
SAVVY also runs a mentoring scheme for young people in applied theatre and stage management. Past students have found places at Central School of Speech & Drama, Rose Brueford and RADA. Later this year SAVVY will be spending time with ‘Mind The Gap’ Theatre Company to look at setting up a project model to enable adults with learning disabilities to take part in this mentoring scheme also.
Aside from the regular groups, the company also runs number of community-based projects. In the past these have included events such as the Giant Puppet Project (in collaboration with Emergency Exit Arts), the National Theatre’s Connections Festival and the Sutton Youth Drama Festival which for three years provided a weekend of workshops with professional practitioners from companies such as Shakespeare’s Globe, Albert & Friends Instant Circus and Graeae Theatre.
CAREW MANOR SHARED HERITAGE TALES PROJECT
SAVVY Theatre Company spent twelve months working with pupils at both Carew Manor and Wandle Valley schools, using music, drama, film and related arts to discover the wonderful Tudor history of this Grade1 listed building. This project was supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund.
Over the course of the year the pupils at both schools:
- learnt what it took to become a knight through professional sword fighting workshops
- set up a jousting tournament by the Orangery Wall
- photographed ghosts in the Manor’s vast underground cellars
- explored, composed and re-mixed Tudor music
- visited Hampton Court and discovered its architectural (and other) links to Carew Manor
- researched the Tudor history of England and the relationship between Henry VIII and Nicholas Carew
- re-enacted moments from Nicholas Carew’s history and filmed his untimely death by beheading
A website has been produced, showcasing the work produced and the history discovered: www.carewmanorproject.co.uk
In addition to some general information, the site also contains links to the pupil’s films, copies of their re-mixed Tudor-inspired music, a photographic tour and a variety of teaching resources on Carew Manor and the Tudors.
In addition there is an ‘Accessing Your Heritage’ resource pack available to download providing a variety of drama-based activities designed to unlock history in the classroom.
