Scopitone outreach residency in Thetford and Gorleston
Friday 30 August 2013, by .
All the versions of this article: [English] [français]
Company Scopitone is preparing a ball for the Fête Franglais event in Thetford on Saturday 20th July 2013 and Gorleston (Norfolk) on 27th July 2013. However...two days before the Thetford event, they’ve lost their records!!!
The two artists of the French company set off on a mission to get any music or records from the local community so the ball can still be held!
Thetford
For Cédric Hingouët, Artistic director of the company, and Emma Lloyd, comedian, Thetford is the first time where they perform The Lost Ball, their new outreach project. It is rather ambitious to start with Thetford as La Fête Franglais is the first time that there has even been any artists performing in the streets.
But Scopitone is just happy to adapt to this context over the two days before the festival, creating opportunities for encounters between the artists and about 500 spectators overall, sharing a moment through games, discussions on the types of music that people listen to, life in Thetford, etc.
Records are not so much what the company got the most out of people (!), but their presence in town has enabled the community, a mix of unemployed young people, older people and families popping in after school) to meet street artists for the first time, almost "naturally".
Gorleston-on-Sea
Change of scene: Gorleston-on-Sea, small seaside resort adjacent to Great Yarmouth. Change of context too, as schools have broke up and the first tourists can be seen on the beach.
And it is a rather unusual setting for a show that Scopitone have chosen to hold their two outreach afternoons in the lead up to La Fête Franglais as part of the Cliff Top festival in Gorleston. Equipped with a record player (yes, they did save a few records!), they hold various "mini parties", here, on the beach. Tourists and locals are happy to share a dance!
For ZEPA 2 partner SeaChange Arts from Great Yarmouth, Scopitone has raised curiosity in Gorleston, and the company’s enthousiasm and approachable attitude certainly helped to get some of these beach-dancers and many more (600 over the 2 days of their residency) to come to the Saturday festival and discover other French and UK outdoor companies.
And finally...The Lost Ball!
Finally, the day of the ball has arrived in Thetford, and in Gorleston the week after - and the ball HAS gone ahead in both locations, with music (phew!), fog (in Gorleston!) and about 500 dancers overall (groovy!).
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