A month to go before 100 Words Week
28 July 2007
A month ago we went to Beijing with the National Youth Theatre, and in a month’s time we start a week of 100 Words workshops and performances at Soho Theatre. We ran a similar project last year in partnership with the National Youth Theatre and writers from Soho. Every day we worked with around eight writers each morning who by lunchtime, had each written a 100 word play. These were rehearsed in the afternoon and performed each evening by National Youth Theatre members. Over the course of a week 40 writers were able to see their work on stage in front of an audience. This year, we’re strengthening the Chinese content by presenting 100 word plays written by Chinese writers which will be performed in both Mandarin and English alongside new plays generated each day by British writers.
As well as preparing for 100 Words Week, it’s been a month of writing evaluation reports and funding applications, and planning for a whole load of activity that will be happening from the autumn onwards. We’re busy planning return trips to Guangzhou and Shanghai to run 100 Words workshops in both cities for the first time. We’ve also been developing links in Norfolk, as we’re keen to integrate 100 Words into partnership working between schools in Caister-on-Sea and their counterparts in Xuhui District in Shanghai. Plus we’re starting to develop detailed plans for a major programme that will have a Beijing, London and online presence next year. Watch this space too for our new logo, designed by Neocha who are based in Shanghai (www.neocha.com).
