Of Our Own Making - Project
Hello and welcome to our Go Fund Me campaign.
We're Something Underground and with Of Our Own Making we're making theatre that asks fiddly questions about radicalisation, grooming into gangs, refugees, Brexit, Chilcot, the Iraq war, terrorism, tabloids & fear.
After years of young people being groomed into terrorist groups, drugs gangs, or Far Right groups, Award-winning Something Underground's new play “Of Our Own Making” (by Jonathan Brown) asks many uncomfortable questions, at renowned hub of diversity in London-based theatre, Tara .
Set against the Syrian refugee crisis, OOOM follows the plight of 4 seeming refugees and their journeys from the shores of Libya into the heart of Europe, and of one of them into the heart and bed, of an unsuspecting tabloid reporter; asking along the way, questions of the role of the Iraq war, the Chilcot enquiry, the tabloid press' demonising of immigrants to swing a Brexit, and a simplistic view of the radicalised or conscripted, from the media and politicians.
Parallel to the main plot we witness the online grooming of an isolated young boy, (username: Parsifal) watch his slow decline out of the hands of a society that has forgotten him, and into the hands of those who prey on this disenchantment.
Our Interview on London Live TV News
The Arts Council England-supported project, from award-winning Something Underground includes free workshops for teen boys in Wandsworth, which invite the young men to devise scenes, with movement director Helen Parlor (assistant choreographer opening ceremony of the 2012 Paralympic Games) with Artistic Director Jonathan Brown, and Mark Nightingale (Mentor for A Band Of Brothers .)
If the boys get to grips with the scenes, they'll perform alongside the professional production.
At Tara Arts we've Artistic Director Jatinder Verma (MBE... for services to diversity in theatre) and their stunning award-winning new theatre. Renowned international musician Dirk Campbell , (Harry Potter, The Mummy) provides the haunting music with ethnically relevant instruments. (Dirk has a profound knowledge of international music, and a deep connection to the region, being the father of Anna Campbell , the young woman killed in Rojave region of Northern Syria in 2018 having joined the YPJ (The Kurdish Women’s' Protection Force) fighting first IS, and then Turkish forces to the north.)
On the cast is Natali Servat ( the lead in “Nazanin's Story”, the play about Iranian detainee Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, longlisted for the Amnesty International 2017 Freedom of Expression Award.)
Our central image has been provided to us by mulit-award-winning photojournalist Loulou D'Aki .
We also have lovely actors Vincent Kerschbaum, Erin Elkin, & Hamza Siddique.
The beneficiaries:
Our expected 4-figure audiences who'll attend the show.
Attendees at our free theatre workshops, their families and friends.
Employment for wide range of creatives, (actors, directors, writer, movement director, musician, lighting designer, tech operator, SM, photographer, Project Manager, venue managers, marketing officers, FOH sstaff, venues, catering companies, printing companies.
What the funds will be used for:
This campaign is one vital part of our budget for a project that includes funding and in-kind funding from the several quarters, and we hope, including YOU.
The funds are used for many things: A list of how we are using funds donated can be found here:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/14qCZaxIiJf8DBNlxEjWo2urYt83Fvgun/view?usp=sharing
How soon we need the funds?
Now is good! We're ready to recieve your donations. Ourproject began on 1 November 2018 and will conclude with our final show at Tara Arts on 16th Feb 2019
What the support will mean to us?
Well... we've been working on this project since Autumn 2016 getting it to fruition. It's been a long road, and we've been gently steered by events toward making it possible to not only produce the play itself, a play that really asks us to find the humanity in all, (never mind who is demonised and who is demonising.) but also to work with young men who can both explore issues of vulnerability to online predators of all shapes, and can (with our guidance) devise great theatre scenes, and see them performed.
There's more about the road to where we've got to at this link:
Your donation (however large or small) will help to make all of this happen!
It's very exciting to be able to bring so many wonderful people together.
Of Our Own Making
“It takes a village to radicalise a child”
Written & Directed by Jonathan Brown
Something Underground
Best New Play Award, New Writing South 2012
Best New Play Award, (Shortlist) New Writing South 2013
Best Male Performer, Brighton Fringe 2013
Best Female Performer, Brighton Fringe 2014
Best Female Performer, Brighton Fringe 2013
Best Male Performer, Brighton Fringe 2007
Playing Tara Theatre, Earlsfield, Wandsworth, Jan 30th-Feb 16th
Rewards:
For a £5 donation ("Helping hand") Thank you email & Social media (twitter/FB/instagram) shout outs
For a £10 donation ("Leg up") As "Helping hand" + website mentions.
For a £15 donation: ("Good turn") As "Leg up" + programme mention.
For a £25 donation ("Rock"): As "Good turn" + 2-4-1 tickets.
For a £40 donation ("Angel") As "Rock" but proper boxed programme listing + copy of poster.
For a £50 donation ("Silver Angel") As "Angel" + signed programme + cast photo.
For a £70 donation ("Golden Angel") As "Silver Angel" + Behind the scenes tour of production + seats reserved.
For a £80 donation ("Diamond") As "Golden Angel" + Meet the cast & crew.
For a £100 donation ("Benefactor Angelis")
As "Golden Angel" + 1hr Acting/Mentoring class with JB, 2 free tix, free drink/nibbles at interval for 2.
For a £200 donation ("Supreme Benefactor")
As "Benefactor Angelis" but 4 free tix & free drink/nibbles at interval for 4:
To get in touch.... just click or tap the envelope icon next to our name on the campaign up at the top.
Thank you in advance for your generosity and support
We hope you'll come and see the play! More info: https://www.somethingunderground.co.uk/i-refugee-working-title/