OUTREACH

Throughout the past ten years benchtours has been involved in a wide range of education and outreach projects. These have included large-scale community performances, residencies, workshop programmes and discussion forums; have involved people of all ages and all abilities; encompassed work in community centres, colleges, schools, day centres, mental health projects, youth theatres & arts centres; and operated on both a national and international scale.

benchtours' most recent outreach work has included The Invisible Man a large-scale mixed ability community project which toured East Lothian in 2006 and 3 disability arts projects which are participating in SAC's new Partners programme. This two year scheme will provide three artist residencies in installation, film and music, co-ordinated by benchtours and run in conjunction with community groups in East Lothian. It will provide over 250 local people with learning disabilities with the opportunity to participate directly in the arts.

Previous projects include: Mayhem and the Milennium Festival funded Moon over Musselburgh, in collaboration with The Brunton Theatre; the schools education project, Jabberwocky, as audience development for Alice; three major arts and disability performance projects, Explorers, Miles To Go! and Finders Keepers, in collaboration with The Lemon Tree, Aberdeen; ; devising and street theatre performance projects with The Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama; workshop programmes for severely disabled young people at Oaklands Special School Edinburgh; and performance workshops in conjunction with the company's major touring productions.

Have your say.

"benchtours make a powerful appeal to a theatre going constituency they have created themselves."
The Scotsman

"Theatre as it should be - a communal, passionate, imaginative celebration of life in all its facets."
Edinburgh Guide on Mayhem

"Everyone on stage is given a role that pushes their ability without ever over-exposing them. And it has to be said that the whole thing works big style."
Edinburgh Evening News on Mayhem

"Your expertise in drama and indeed drama training is a valuable learning opportunity for adults with learning disabilities as it gives them a feeling of worth and self-confidence that we have found hard to match and indeed achieve in other group activities. Long may your input continue!"
David Rowse (S.D.S.O., Mansfield Resource Centre)

"We were never treated like students, but as part of a professional ensemble. The whole experience was really exhilirating."
Yvonne Gallagher (Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama)

"It was refreshing to see an excellent piece of theatre from a community education project, supported and resourced throughout the creative process."
Jacqueline Mckay (Arts Education Co-ordinator, Aberdeen City Council)

"It was great fun and I can't wait to do it again."
Andrew Russell (participant Finders Keepers)

benchtours is keen to discuss any possible future initiatives in this area and remains totally committed to fully accessible work of the highest possible standard.