Birmingham REP launches online programme

REP Reloaded is a five-day a week digital programme that will run 'across the summer term until mid-July' according to the theatre.

Regular digital content and videos will be sent out to eight local schools - Billesley Primary School; Braidwood Trust School for the Deaf; Hillstone Primary School, Shard End; Robin Hood Academy, Hall Green; Percy Shurmer Primary School, Highgate, Welsh House Farm Community School, Quinton, University of Birmingham Secondary School and Peter’s Hill Primary School, Stourbridge.

The content will enable students to tell digital stories through drama, learning adventures, storytelling, drawing, devising and writing plays.

Children will submit responses to the challenges which can be shared via school blogs, websites and REP channels. The REP will also provide access to British Sign Language (BSL) workshops.

Gill Sparrow, head teacher at Hillstone Primary School said “I am so impressed with the digital offering, REP Reloaded.

"It has meant that we have been able to continue our engagement with the arts for our pupils, specifically our strong links that we have with The REP.

"When we went into lockdown our REP artist in resident, Bhavik Pharma, offered to create digital workshops for us.

"They are such an innovative approach; I love the idea of the 'navigator ' who guides the child through the drama.

"They are very engaging and children will definitely want to participate. They will form part of our weekly offer in the Hillstone virtual School."

For youth theatres, REP Reloaded provides The Young REP, one of the longest running youth theatres in the country, with an opportunity to participate in digital workshops hosted by professional directors at The REP, including Artistic Director Sean Foley.

The workshops will cover acting for screen, performing puppetry, devising, improvisation, monologues and creating plays.

As part of Shifting The Dial, a national scheme to strengthen the mental wellbeing and skills of young black men, the programme offers Lightpost Theatre Company an opportunity to continue to create new plays of social and historical significance.

The scheme aims to develop a Birmingham-based group of 300 young men who feel 'mentally stronger and healthier for their engagement in a wide range of cultural activities'. The theatre company’s activities will continue online.

Also available through the REP Reloaded, The Coronavirus Time Capsule will provide The Young REP with the opportunity to join thousands of other young people to record videos of their experiences during the pandemic which will be edited by the theatre and included in a national cumulative weekly video time capsule.

You can keep up with the latest time capsules here.

Artistic director of The REP, double Olivier Award-winner Sean Foley, said: “I’m delighted to be able to be part of our nationally recognised Creative Learning team at this time.

"Everybody at The REP has worked hard to develop and deliver a programme of engaging digital content for REP Reloaded.

“This new venture is typical of the groundbreaking work of The REP - we’re not open for performances, but we are continuing to create theatre in many ways – remember, it’s ‘Only The Interval’”

As well as youth theatre provision, The REP will be streaming a selection of previous REP productions online, offering remote play-reading sessions for families and community participants.

For those interested in further information about REP Reloaded, contact alex.summers@birmingham-rep.co.uk in the Creative Learning team.