Arc Community Players The Final Curtain: Blog 36

'The end of a melody is not its goal: but nonetheless, had the melody not reached its end it would not have reached its goal either. A parable.'

 -   Friedrich Nietzsche

Friedrich Nietzsche

Good morning.

I had to stay overnight at a hotel last night and I woke up this morning without the familiar things I normally have around me. This means having to adapt my blog writing ritual, and I left my earphones at the office to boot! Hotel rooms are pretty soulless places, especially in these big chains. But I guess they serve their purpose. I am in a Faure Requiem mood this morning, and I realise just after I have put on the album that it is an appropriate accompaniment. 

Banjo of Doom by Clifford Oliver

Last night was a significant one. It was the very last performance of our Arc Community Players Group in its current incarnation. The group was created in 2008 with funding from the Arts Development Department in Barking and Dagenham. It was funded initially for 3 years and its ambition was to bring together people from all backgrounds and ages to work together purposefully in making theatre. The idea is that this process and the end product break down barriers to understanding, builds new and strong relationships and is fun. 

Our three years of funding specifically for this project ended in 2011, however thanks to an ongoing funding stream we were able to sustain and maintain the project for a further 2 years. The group is a strong collective of people who have found a space for heart and imagination at Arc. Of course all projects are ultimately time limited, and this one managed 2 more years than its original plan. Theatre has a way of offering us beginnings and endings over and over again, in its microcosmic mirror to life. My objective for this group in my original funding proposal was that it should be self sufficient and sustainable when the funding ran out, and I believe this group of people will want to make it so. There will be opportunities for applying for further funding for similar initiatives going forward. 

As well as writing all the last 5 shows, Olly has led this group for the past two years with excellent project management support from Josh and direction from Cat, which she has done voluntarily. The Banjo of Doom is the last show Olly has written for them with original music. It was profoundly touching to watch the group take their places on the floor at the Malthouse and begin with their opening song 'Our street'. There was a real sense of joy and sadness simultaneously tonight in our studios. The space is imbued anyway with all the performances that have happened there over the past 5 years, and last night's performance captured the essence of all of these too. 

Unfortunately I was only able to see the first three quarters of the show before I had to leave, so missed what I imagine were the emotional goodbyes. I am sad that I wasn't there. I do know in my heart though of course that every ending leads to a new beginning. 

Today Natalie, Theresa and I are off with four of our girls from the Finding the Words programme to meet Jon Snow at ITN. The girls will sit in the control room and watch Jon present the Channel 4 News live and then have their photo taken with Jon our new Patron.  This will be so exciting for them.

Have a good one!

'There is no real ending. It’s just the place where you stop the story.'
― Frank Herbert