Birmingham Repertory Theatre’s building may be closed, but The REP’s creative team keep the conversation going with the launch of REPurposed.
REPurposed is The REP’s brand-new series of FREE conversations, insights, and masterclasses. A chance for artists, creators, actors, and audiences across Birmingham, the wider region and nationally, to exchange ideas, discover new skills, be present, ask questions, provide answers, and find out more about The REP.
These FREE, open conversations will be hosted on Zoom by The REP’s two-time Olivier Award-winning Artistic Director Sean Foley, together with Deputy Artistic Director Amit Sharma. From week to week, special guests from the theatre’s group of Associate Artists will also take part. The REP Associate Artists include actress Lorna Laidlaw (Doctors, Coronation Street), award-winning writer and actress Meera Syal, award-winning director and choreographer Drew McOnie and Debbie Isitt, writer and director of the hit films Nativity! and subsequent stage adaptation which premiered at The REP.
Sean Foley, Artistic Director of The REP said: “We’re delighted to announce REPurposed. This season of talks, seminars and artistic exchange provides our artists and audiences with the opportunity to engage with the life of the theatre through conversations with The REP’s creative team and Associates. It’s a chance to develop relationships and share common purpose within the theatre industry – in Birmingham, regionally, and nationally – and to explore together what the future can look like…”
The first REPurposed Zoom event on 2nd June, was sold out and saw 80 alumni from the REP’s groundbreaking artist development programme Foundry – together with artists from across the Midlands – contribute to the conversation. Led by Sean Foley and Amit Sharma, and joined by REP Associate Artists Selina Thompson and Tyrone Huggins, the 60-minute event provided a space for local artists to connect with the theatre during the continued closure caused by corona-virus.
REPurposed will take place on Zoom every Tuesday evening between 5.45pm-7pm. Each week will focus on a different theme, and participants are invited to sign up to as many as they want.
