Ocho
How a theatre project changed lives
In September 2016, Lucy Riley, a drama teacher at Archbishop Sentamu School in Hull set up The Spotlight Scholarship programme to help gifted and talented pupils from within the school to further reach their potential. The school lies in the 16th most deprived area in the U.K. and pursuing a career in the arts for any of these pupils can seem unachievable especially as many pupils are lacking in self-belief. Pupils are selected for the scholarship due to their outstanding talent and are afforded an additional 75 minute lesson on their timetable to develop their performance skills enabling the school to tackle more advanced techniques and bring in industry professionals to conduct workshops. At a time when the arts are continually facing cut backs in schools this programme is extraordinary and unique. In order to launch the scholarship, Lucy approached Jane and John who done previous drama work in the school. It was decided that Jane would write and direct a play with music and songs which would play to the strengths of the Spotlight ensemble.
The Play
“Ocho” tells the story of eight men from Hull who went to fight in the Spanish Civil War and was told to Jane by Gary Hammond, percussionist with The Beautiful South. Gary was raising funds to build a memorial to these men and seeking a platform to make people aware of the sacrifices they made. Thus the two ideas came together. Jane worked with local historians and relatives of the eight men to weave together this fascinating tale, not only of the men but of the wives they left behind. Beginning in Hull in 1936 and set against the background of the Depression, the play evokes memories of picnics in East Park, the tannery, the docks and the joy of washing day! Facing the challenge of unemployment and the rise of Fascism, James Bentley and Robert Wardle decide to take a train from Paragon Station in Hull and travel to London, through France and over the Pyrenees on foot to fight with the International Brigades in Spain. They left behind, their wives; Kitty and Maggie and three small children who despite the struggles of the time remained optimistic and hopeful for their husband’s return.
The Ambition
It was important from the start that the young people involved in this project be given the chance to work alongside industry professionals in order to produce something of professional standard which would give them pride and belief in themselves and raise their game. Unfortunately the project failed to achieve funding from the City of Culture 2017, but rather than be defeated a fund raising campaign was launched with the hope of not only being able to perform the piece in Hull but to take it on a small tour around the region in order for the cast to experience performing in different professional spaces. The ultimate ambition was to be able to take it to Barcelona. Through John’s connections as a Fellow at Liverpool John Moore’s University, we were able to organise taking the play to the prestigious Institute of the Arts in Barcelona. In order to achieve all this, we needed to raise twenty six thousand pounds to pay for the student’s travel and accommodation.
Jane Thornton wrote and directed the play for free, Dave Rotheray of The Beautiful South (Don’t Marry Her, Marry Me, I Need a Little Time) along with Liam Foster and Gary Hammond gifted the music. Lucy Weller, designer (National Theatre, Royal Court) did us an amazing design and many other creatives worked for free or for vastly reduced fees. Inspired by the talent of the amazing young cast the project was also lucky enough to receive funding and help from some amazing Hull firms and individuals including Hudgell’s Solictors, Sewells, Lord Prescott, The John Godber Company, Hull City Council, The Unite Union, The European Union of Women, and many more. With all this generous support we managed to reach our target.
On the 10th July 2017, after sell out performances in Hull and on tour (with standing ovations at every venue) the cast left Leeds Bradford Airport for Barcelona and performed to a full audience at the institute of the Arts.
“A revelation: story, music and level of engagement of a talented teenage cast. Stunning student performances of great assurance"
— Clare Brennan theatre reviewer for The Observer
The Legacy
The Ocho project was remarkable by any standards. Firstly, it helped a group of young people celebrate their own culture and connected them to people in their community that had an important story to tell. By working with the families of the men they came to value, appreciate and sometimes question the sacrifice made by these men. They forged a strong connection to them and their remaining families. At each performance a bucket collection was held to help fund a permanent memorial to the ‘Brigaders', resulting in us being able to make a donation of approximately £2,000. It was emotional day in 2019 when the memorial was finally unveiled in the centre of Hull. Many of the cast attended and felt very proud that they had helped the families to finally have some closure.
Secondly, not only did the students continue to grow and find confidence, but their skill levels and interest in the theatre had also expanded in all directions. This is exemplified by the exceptional number of places that that members of the cast have secured at leading drama schools and universities. Immediately after the performance in Barcelona the principal Giles Auckland Lewis was so impressed that he immediately offered two of the cast members; Elle Ideson and Corey Rylands full scholarships to study on the BA Acting Course. Such scholarships have never been offered before.
The Success
With their new-found confidence and self-belief many more members of the talented 17-strong cast decided to apply for drama school and university places. For the majority of them they are the first members of their family to go to university. In December we remounted the play in Hull and invited the Principal of the Academy of Live and Recorded Arts London and the North, another leading drama school, to see the performance. He was equally as impressed as Giles and offered places to the entire cast to attend the acting foundation course without the need to audition, along with a number of scholarships and funded places on the BA acting course. Scholarship students will be taking up the following places in September 2018, 2019 and 2020:
Tom Gallagher: BA Acting Academy Live and recorded Arts
Kurtis Ford: Awarded fully funded place on ALRA Acting foundation course
Elle Ideson: Awarded Scholarship Institute of the Arts Barcelona, BA Acting.
Beth Murrell: Liverpool Institute of performing Arts BA Community Drama
Aleesha Neill: Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts BA Community Drama
Natalie Wharram: Liverpool Hope University BA Drama and Music
Alex Leger: Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts BA Community Drama
Jade Farnhill: The Hammond School.BA Musical Theatre
Corey Rylands: Awarded scholarship Institute of the Arts Barcelona, BA Acting. (2019)
Prince Gandifere: Awarded scholarship to study Acting at Central School of Speech and Drama
Katherine Gilroy: Awarded scholarship to study on BA acting course ALRA (2019) Summer school LIPA 2018.
Kazmia Kara: ALRA -awarded scholarship to study on BA acting course (2020)
Lauren Jefferson : Manchester Metropolitan University - BA Journalism.
Other members of the cast went on to study non Arts subjects at university.
In December 2018 Ocho and the Spotlight Scholarship was awarded the Hull Daily Mail Golden Apple Education Award for innovation in the Arts.
