Alfie James Productions

Alfie James Productions is a not-for-profit performance company, With a serious interest in producing performances and creating community projects which explore issues affecting society and to promote positive social change. We aim to produce regular performances, offer creative workshops, produce short films and to develop our own research studies.

Our Core Aims:

1. Regularly produce theatrical performances and short films.
2. Use performance techniques including storytelling to explore issues affecting society and to promote positive social change.
3. Research and develop new and old performance techniques.
4. To foster and promote new writing.
5. Inspire others and to develop creative arts within the local community.
6. Develop Heritage projects which develop history skills and bring history stories alive through performance techniques.

How are we run?

Alfie James Productions was first set up in December 2015 as a small not-for-profit unincorporated group which was governed by a shared constitution. As part of the groups continued ongoing development the group have decided to apply for charity status in 2020.

Our Trustees meet regularly and hold a yearly AGM Meeting in December of each year.

Our people:

We work with a range of different artists, organisations and members of the public. Actors taking part in both paid and voluntary capacities have normally been auditioned or invited to take part. Involvement in any of our artistic community projects confers membership. Our Actors and members are at the heart of what we do. We work with them to develop both our own artistic aims as well as offering opportunities for them to develop their skills in a professional capacity and encouraging them to grow as artists within their chosen field.

Funding

We would like to thank all our funders for the support they give us making our work possible. Creating and running projects and developing high quality performances can often be very expensive and so we appreciate every penny. The work of raising money for these productions, and for all the workshops and community theatre projects goes on constantly. We are always looking for sponsorship and funding and if you would like to support our work then please do not hesitate in getting in touch with us.

We have continued to gain funding regularly from the Heritage Lottery Fund, Arts Council, Ministry of Defence and local town councils / Community Foundations and from the Tesco's Bags for Life.

Public & Employers Liability Insurance:

Our Public Liability and Employers Liability Insurance is covered by Stagesafe Insurance under Graham Sykes Insurance.

About us

What we do:

We currently produce around six productions a year around Essex, Suffolk and London. Each production focuses upon exploring specific social issues, developing performance techniques and aim to support positive social change. We work with a range of emerging Artists and organisations supporting their artistic development whilst sharing our practices and learning from our peers. We also create and develop community theatre projects using performance techniques to support local people and developing new artistic skills. So far, we:

-Produce regular theatrical performances.

-Work in partnership with the Black Dog Theatre Creation and Puppet Soup Theatre Company.

-Run the Acoustic Lounge which supports the development of local songwriters and musicians.

-Created the History Alive Project which is designed at using performance techniques to inspire others to learn about their local heritage and to bring historical stories alive on stage.

-Support our local Armed forces by producing a community arts event to celebrate the Armed Forces Day.

-Currently developing the “Story Box Theatre Project” which is designed at exploring oral storytelling and Remanence Theatre whilst working with older members of the community.

-Currently developing our Access for All project which aims at developing strategies to make theatre and arts accessible for all.

-Currently developing our own research articles to share what we have learnt in our development.

With each project we try to focus upon developing ways of developing our existing and new audiences. (Including our performers and those attending our performances)

Artistic Quality and Development:

Alfie James Productions aims to explore, develop and apply performance techniques to explore social issues and to promote positive social change. We are committed to developing our artistic quality through our projects by:

-Developing partnerships with artists and performance companies to support our continued development.

-Identifying and exploring different performance techniques.

-Encouraging our participants/Artists to learn and to develop new artistic skills.

-Encouraging and supporting the development of local emerging artists.

-Developing existing and new audiences through our Public Engagement strategy.

-Exploring ways of making our performances accessible to all.

-Raising awareness of social issues affecting society using performance techniques.

Supporting and engaging the local community:

Alfie James Productions is committed to supporting the local community by developing opportunities to use performance techniques to raise awareness of social issues and promoting positive social change. We aim to develop new artistic skills and support local emerging artists to develop their work further. We aim to explore ways of making performances accessible to all.

We offer:

-Community theatre projects using performance techniques to support vulnerable adults.

-Developing and nurturing skills.

-An Arts for All policy, developing ways of making our performances accessible to all.

-Performances/projects which promote positive social change.

We are currently writing our 2020 Artistic Quality and Community Development Plan and this will be available to download shortly.

Our Development Plan 2022-2023

As part of our development plan In 2022-23 we plan on developing our group in the following ways:

1. ARTISTIC DEVELOPMENT: Continue developing opportunities to collaborate with other artists. / Organisations.
2. ARTISTIC DEVELOPMENT / SUPPORTING SOCIAL ISSUES: Explore the use of puppetry and masks as a performance skill and as a device to support people with poor confidence and mental health issues.
3. ARTISTIC DEVELOPMENT / SUPPORTING SOCIAL ISSUES: Explore the use of music and movement as a performance skill and as a devise to support people with poor confidence. Look at the idea of developing the "On Pointe Community Project"
4. FOSTERING NEW WRITING: Create a new Writers Circle where writers can support each other's development and develop opportunities to share their work publicly,
5. ARTISTIC DEVELOPMENT: Create Pride Theatre Productions supporting artists who identify as LGBTQ + and raising awareness of issues affecting the LGBTQ + community.
6. ARTISTIC DEVELOPMENT: Collaborate with Artist Sophie Weaver to further develop the Ruptured Duck Project by forming a new community group which encourages disabled and non-disabled adults to work together through performance.
6. SUPPORTING SOCIAL ISSUES: Continue developing The Story Box Community Theatre Project - running both existing groups in Epping, Wanstead and developing a new project in Kelvedon and Suffolk.
7. FOSTERING NEW WRITING: Offer opportunities to support emerging Writers to have their work performed.
8. RESEARCH: Identify ways of making theatre more accessible for people on a low income and those with disabilities.
9. HISTORY: Continue running our Legacy Theatre Projects developing links with local historians, museums and library services.
10. ARTISTIC DEVELOPMENT / SUPPORTING SOCIAL ISSUES: Continue to produce performances regularly which raise awareness of issues affecting society.
11. ARTISTIC MANAGEMENT: Look into the possibility of employing an Assistant Creative Practitioner and a Marketing and Development Manager on a fixed term contract.
12. ARTISTIC MANAGEMENT: Explore the prospect of applying for larger funding over longer timescales under the ACE's new projects.

Get in touch

To contact us please email us at: alfiejamesproductions@gmail.com