In association with
The Roses Review Spring 2019
Welcome...
we will set a date shortly for a social event so all our members can get to know our new board.
A very Happy New Year to you and welcome to the first Roses newsletter of 2019.
Over the years, I have managed a number of venues experiencing substantial reductions in their funding and repeatedly I have been amazed at the creativity and resilience of the arts and those that love, work in and support them. Though no longer in receipt of ACE funding, we remain committed to their values of arts for all, inclusion, diversity and promoting new works and artists. Having run venues in London, Wales and Bristol the contribution theatres make to their communities is invaluable, drawing in visitors, increasing employment and promoting safer neighbourhoods – in 2017, the UK’s cultural and creative industries made a record contribution of £1billion for the first time to the national economy showing significant and continued growth. Culture also brings all ages together – there is also ongoing overwhelming evidence of the positive links between the arts and wellbeing, particularly in the older generation and these areas will continue to strongly form our values and mission. With creative subjects increasingly being withdrawn from the national curriculum it is also vital that The Roses continues to give young people the opportunity to perform and participate in arts activities and we will continue to run our own Youth Theatre Company.
This marks six months since I took up post as Director! It has been a busy winter season putting in place plans for this year and beyond – as well as, of course, producing our annual panto. I have been made to feel very welcome by the Roses and wider Tewkesbury community. However, I joined just weeks after the theatre had received the news that it would no longer receive core funding from Arts Council England (ACE), despite only months before being told it would for the period 2018 – 2021. This was quite a blow and a disappointment, as it was also for the other venues who also received the same news including the Bike Shed Theatre in Exeter and Liverpool’s Everyman Theatre. For us, this represented a loss of funding of £85k per annum for the next 3 years - ACE have supported us a with a smaller transitional grant through 2018 but from 2019 we will be entirely dependent on our own fundraising and the support of our patrons and friends. We have a great staff team supported by an enthusiastic team of volunteers – a number of new trustees were also recruited over the summer to continue to support the management team. We continue to have a close working relationship with Tewkesbury Borough Council with a new lease signed over the summer and I look forward to ensuring that the Roses is a key asset for the town. A number of new trustees joined the board in September – Colin Smith, Nick Wilkes, Eleanor Teasdale, Jessica Brewster, Maurice Gran and Gerald Hawke will be bringing their energy to the board and their biographies are available on The Roses’ website. After 5 years committed service, Keith Norton stepped down as Chair and Suzy Hillier also stepped down as a trustee in December - we would like to thank them both for all their hard work and wish them both well. I am delighted to say that Gerald Hawke and Jessica Brewster have been appointed the new Chair and Vice Chair respectively and
Booking Dates Booking dates for this brochure are as follows:
Patrons: Monday 18 February Friends & Seat Donors: Thursday 21 February General Public: Monday 25 February There are plenty of events within this brochure that are brand new to sale. Highlights include: • • • •
All films from late March onwards (pages 25 - 33) The Bohemians Queen tribute (page 10) Ballet Cymru’s Romeo a Juliet (page 19) Events further ahead in 2019 (pages 20 - 21)
Following the success of last year’s panto, I am delighted to announce we will continue to produce Tewkesbury’s very own pantomime which this year will be Peter Pan! A firm favourite across the generations, it will be the first time JM Barrie’s story will have been performed in The Roses’ history and we cannot wait! We will be going on sale very soon so keep an eye on the website so you can ‘hook’ your tickets early! As always, we are very grateful to all our friends, patrons, volunteers and supporters – thank you. We will soon be planning another social event where I hope you will be able to join us and I can update you on the exciting plans we have for 2019 and beyond!
Hannah Kester Director
JUST ADDED!
Andre Rieu: Shall We Dance? This year André Rieu invites you to put on your dancing shoes for his spectacular 2019 hometown concert from Maastricht.
Saturday 27 July 7pm Sunday 28 July 3pm
A B C £20
Backstage Pass
Shirley Grant
Most of you will know Shirley... but for our new members, this is the lady you will soon know a lot better!
More Than A Theatre
In her introduction, Hannah talks about the importance of venues like The Roses to their local communities. Here we share a glimpse of the many activities that happen within the theatre away from the stage... Monday Writers A small group who meet weekly to write and critique each others work. They formed years ago as a result of an arts in mental health project that The Roses ran in conjunction with the NHS. That project is long finished but its legacy has continued.
K2Togs
Our knitting group often feature in articles within this newsletter as a result of their colourful projects. They originally formed to knit a beanstalk back in 2013 (if you were around then you won’t have been able to miss it snaking around the building); and once that project was complete they carried on meeting every week. The group now numbers over 40 active members and continues to craft colourful displays for the theatre, most recently our wonderful poppy cascade.
Groundworkers Shirley, what’s your role at The Roses?
I have two... on one hand I’m Customer Relationship Manager and on the other I’m Box Office Manager. The two roles are intrinsically linked.
What is your favourite part of the job?
My face-to-face role with our customers, ensuring that everyone receives excellent customer service and that their experience with us is always enjoyable from the greeting to the farewell. And my colleagues of course.
Once a month, The Roses hosts a meetup of groundbased workers from the local community, who share resources, information and experience in order to work more effectively for the community. The Roses also benefits from this.
The Roses’ Choir
Established around 2 years ago, The Roses’ Choir meets weekly, filling the theatre with uplifting song. Many members then stay for a coffee or to see the film immediately afterwards. For many members, the choir has brought friendships as well as new-found confidence.
Milestone School
Every week, pupils from Gloucester’s Milestone School visit The Roses so they can learn in a different environment.
And your least favourite?
Arts Awards / Duke Of Edinburgh Awards
Where would you like to see The Roses in 5 years?
Bingo
Letting our customers down, especially when it is not our fault.
I would love to see The Roses thriving and self-sufficient with minimal reliance on additional funding, offering more outreach to our local community through creative, productive and educational workshops, making us a centre of excellence for the arts that Tewkesbury wants to shout about.
How would you improve The Roses if money was no object? I would buy Bishop’s Walk, close Sun Street, knock down the whole lot and build a new Arts Centre from scratch ensuring we had a face on the High Street and free parking.
As part of The Roses’ Youth Theatre offering, we support both the Arts Award and Duke Of Edinburgh Award schemes. The Roses’ regular Monday bingo group has become a popular social highlight. People often stay long after the game is over to catch up on the weekly gossip.
Craft Group
A perfect example of one group creating another; several members of The Roses’ choir stay on afterwards to craft together with a coffee and cake.
If you’d like to start a group at The Roses do get in touch! We’d be delighted to hear from you.
Staff Picks
How do you switch off from work?
I lose myself in a crochet project or good drama. My 3-year-old Granddaughter also keeps me very busy!
Finally, what are you most looking forward to in 2019? Positive change, however that presents itself.
Patrick Bliss
Film Programmer
“Of all the films in this brochure, Burning is the one I’m looking forward to most because of the amazing reviews. It’s intriguing!”
Kate Shaw Box Office
“After the success of the film Bohemian Rhapsody, I can’t wait to hear the music live with The Bohemians on 18 April!”