Atching Tan has made a huge amount of progress over the past year. A whole new series of the radio drama has been written, recorded, and broadcast, capitalising on the talent of up-and-coming Gypsy/Romany/Traveller writers. We have started to amass the stories of Gypsy/Romany/Traveller people and prepare them for public accessibility. The education pack has undergone a change in direction but is taking shape most promisingly. Some museums and libraries seem most keen to collaborate with us in some way or another. And we've launched a new website.
2010 will, in many ways, see us building on the foundations of 2009. There will be the third series of the radio drama to write and record; we want to collate more stories from Gypsy/Romany/Traveller people; we want to expand on the education pack and create something more concrete; we want to consolidate our working relationships with other organisations. However, there are some new and exciting things to look forward to in 2010, for example our education programme of plays and workshops.
I'm looking forward to the new year and its new challenges. I hope that you'll be with me to experience them, too.
However you are set to enjoy the farewell to 2009 and welcome in 2010, whether it be a raucous party or a quiet evening at home, I hope that you enjoy it and I wish you a happy, healthy, and peaceful 2010.
- Daniela
Thursday, 31 December 2009
Monday, 21 December 2009
Getting creative
Hello All and welcome to my rather chilly kitchen. I hope that the snow hasn't been terribly disruptive or problematic for any of you. London hasn't been too badly affected, although I have participated in a couple of rounds of pavement ballet when on my way to the Tube. Fun for onlookers, I'm sure.
When I haven't been slipping and sliding my way to the station, I've been concentrating on RTC's 2010 education programme. We've created a range of performances and workshop sessions aimed at schools and community groups, which focus on different elements of the Gypsy/Romany/Traveller experience. The performances — some plays, some poetry — are based on the ideas of culture, discrimination, history, and identity; the workshop sessions that follow them explore these themes in greater depth and give participants the opportunity to discuss what they've seen and heard, both amongst themselves and with the Gypsy/Romany/Traveller cast. I've had the opportunity to produce some creative and thought-provoking educational materials and I'm looking forward to meeting the actors and getting their opinions early next year.
I've also met with our web designer to discuss the Romany Theatre Company website, and some changes that I want to make to it. It's not quite there yet, but I'll let you know as soon as it is.
If you celebrate Christmas, I hope that you have a peaceful and fulfilling holiday with those closest to you. If, like me, you don't celebrate Christmas, I hope that you have an opportunity to relax for a few days with people whom you love.
- Daniela
When I haven't been slipping and sliding my way to the station, I've been concentrating on RTC's 2010 education programme. We've created a range of performances and workshop sessions aimed at schools and community groups, which focus on different elements of the Gypsy/Romany/Traveller experience. The performances — some plays, some poetry — are based on the ideas of culture, discrimination, history, and identity; the workshop sessions that follow them explore these themes in greater depth and give participants the opportunity to discuss what they've seen and heard, both amongst themselves and with the Gypsy/Romany/Traveller cast. I've had the opportunity to produce some creative and thought-provoking educational materials and I'm looking forward to meeting the actors and getting their opinions early next year.
I've also met with our web designer to discuss the Romany Theatre Company website, and some changes that I want to make to it. It's not quite there yet, but I'll let you know as soon as it is.
If you celebrate Christmas, I hope that you have a peaceful and fulfilling holiday with those closest to you. If, like me, you don't celebrate Christmas, I hope that you have an opportunity to relax for a few days with people whom you love.
- Daniela
Thursday, 10 December 2009
Review of the year
The festive season is drawing nigh, and I've received a lovely summary of the year from the perspective of one of the writers and actors involved in Atching Tan - Damian Le Bas. I'll be around to let you know what's latest with me next week, but for now, it's over to Damian.
Work on the Atching Tan radio series happens in bursts, and everyone involved really looks forward to them. Like most Travellers I'm self employed and my work moves around a lot. So it's great to go to Cambridge every month or so and see some familiar faces. It gives life a bit of regular rhythm!
Please excuse me for embarking on a bit of a long blog: it's my first one here and there's a year's worth of great experiences to get through!
This year I'd been spending a lot more time on the project than the year before. As an untrained actor I was already thrilled to have got a really interesting part for Series 1 (playing the inscrutable Romany man Neilous Arkley). Series 2 saw the introduction of four new writers to the team, all from Romany backgrounds: Andrew and Kenny Lamb, Candis Nergaard, and myself. Acting in and writing for the series has given me a very personal attachment to it and I'll certainly be sad when it's all over. From the outset we worked with RTC director Dan Allum, who wrote the breakthrough Series 1 in its entirety, and with leading names in radio drama. One of our first sessions was with Kate Rowland, the BBC's head of new writing: this was my first real introduction to the complexities and craft of writing serial drama. From a writer's perspective, it's been a real challenge, but I genuinely think I've learnt more about engaging through writing than I did at university.
We analysed what makes great characters tick. Take Tony Soprano, for instance: he's an Italian-American, a father, a husband, a Catholic, a patient, a businessman, a charity patron, a sports fan, a film buff. But he's also a thief, a murderer, a liar, an adulterer, a racist, a homophobe, an extorter and a sociopath. That level of backstory and complexity is what leads an audience to invest time and empathy in a character.
Following this we embarked on the daunting process of mapping out the entire series with Dan Allum and BBC Drama's Charlotte Riches, who taught us masses about how to manipulate a storyline to the best effect, and to streamline it where necessary! As a result we lost a few popular characters from the first Series of Atching Tan, which was sad but I do believe it helped the storylines to move on.
In June the Romany Theatre Company journeyed down to the Arvon Foundation's Totleigh Barton manor house in Dorset. The creative writing course was led by playwright Nell Leyshon and director Indhu Rubasingham, both acclaimed in their fields. As well as hearing and performing eachother's material, we had the privilege of reading Romany poet David Morley's latest collection aloud for the first time. Too many great laughs and insights were had that week for me to attempt to write down here.
In July it was finally time to record Series 2 of Atching Tan in Cambridge. Everyone was excited about the prospect of recording the whole series over five days, where for series one we'd met occasionally to record episodes before they aired. There was a lot of material to get through but it gave everyone a real chance to engage with their own and others' characters.
I loved seeing other actors taking scenes I'd written in directions I wouldn't have thought of. I've got to admit it gave me a swell of pride to see these scenes come to life and work dramatically. BBC director Fiona Kercher directed the series and managed to keep everyone's creative juices flowing while working to a very tight schedule. She and Charlotte were on hand all week to offer us fine dramatic advice with a smile and a cup of tea!
I'd spent several days writing one scene in particular, a confrontation between two Romany men, Jobie Buckton and Neilous Arkley. This scene might well have a modest audience but I felt a great responsibility in writing it. Romanies have generally only been portrayed in conflict with non-Romanies: here, I had the golden chance to show people what might actually take place when two Travellers with lots at stake are forced into a corner together. I particularly enjoyed performing the scene with Dean Loveridge, and Dean tells me he rated the writing in it which means more to me than any outside review!
I've singled out that one experience but everyone did a great job on the series and I could honestly go on for pages and pages. I still haven't fully absorbed the privilege of working on the first ever realistic drama series about Romanies.
Through my work with RTC I've been involved with a new play, Shraddha, which premiered at the Soho Theatre this November, and at the moment I'm just trying to get as much experience I can in drama. I'm still closely involved with the Company and looking forward to some exciting stuff in the near future!
- Damian
Work on the Atching Tan radio series happens in bursts, and everyone involved really looks forward to them. Like most Travellers I'm self employed and my work moves around a lot. So it's great to go to Cambridge every month or so and see some familiar faces. It gives life a bit of regular rhythm!
Please excuse me for embarking on a bit of a long blog: it's my first one here and there's a year's worth of great experiences to get through!
This year I'd been spending a lot more time on the project than the year before. As an untrained actor I was already thrilled to have got a really interesting part for Series 1 (playing the inscrutable Romany man Neilous Arkley). Series 2 saw the introduction of four new writers to the team, all from Romany backgrounds: Andrew and Kenny Lamb, Candis Nergaard, and myself. Acting in and writing for the series has given me a very personal attachment to it and I'll certainly be sad when it's all over. From the outset we worked with RTC director Dan Allum, who wrote the breakthrough Series 1 in its entirety, and with leading names in radio drama. One of our first sessions was with Kate Rowland, the BBC's head of new writing: this was my first real introduction to the complexities and craft of writing serial drama. From a writer's perspective, it's been a real challenge, but I genuinely think I've learnt more about engaging through writing than I did at university.
We analysed what makes great characters tick. Take Tony Soprano, for instance: he's an Italian-American, a father, a husband, a Catholic, a patient, a businessman, a charity patron, a sports fan, a film buff. But he's also a thief, a murderer, a liar, an adulterer, a racist, a homophobe, an extorter and a sociopath. That level of backstory and complexity is what leads an audience to invest time and empathy in a character.
Following this we embarked on the daunting process of mapping out the entire series with Dan Allum and BBC Drama's Charlotte Riches, who taught us masses about how to manipulate a storyline to the best effect, and to streamline it where necessary! As a result we lost a few popular characters from the first Series of Atching Tan, which was sad but I do believe it helped the storylines to move on.
In June the Romany Theatre Company journeyed down to the Arvon Foundation's Totleigh Barton manor house in Dorset. The creative writing course was led by playwright Nell Leyshon and director Indhu Rubasingham, both acclaimed in their fields. As well as hearing and performing eachother's material, we had the privilege of reading Romany poet David Morley's latest collection aloud for the first time. Too many great laughs and insights were had that week for me to attempt to write down here.
In July it was finally time to record Series 2 of Atching Tan in Cambridge. Everyone was excited about the prospect of recording the whole series over five days, where for series one we'd met occasionally to record episodes before they aired. There was a lot of material to get through but it gave everyone a real chance to engage with their own and others' characters.
I loved seeing other actors taking scenes I'd written in directions I wouldn't have thought of. I've got to admit it gave me a swell of pride to see these scenes come to life and work dramatically. BBC director Fiona Kercher directed the series and managed to keep everyone's creative juices flowing while working to a very tight schedule. She and Charlotte were on hand all week to offer us fine dramatic advice with a smile and a cup of tea!
I'd spent several days writing one scene in particular, a confrontation between two Romany men, Jobie Buckton and Neilous Arkley. This scene might well have a modest audience but I felt a great responsibility in writing it. Romanies have generally only been portrayed in conflict with non-Romanies: here, I had the golden chance to show people what might actually take place when two Travellers with lots at stake are forced into a corner together. I particularly enjoyed performing the scene with Dean Loveridge, and Dean tells me he rated the writing in it which means more to me than any outside review!
I've singled out that one experience but everyone did a great job on the series and I could honestly go on for pages and pages. I still haven't fully absorbed the privilege of working on the first ever realistic drama series about Romanies.
Through my work with RTC I've been involved with a new play, Shraddha, which premiered at the Soho Theatre this November, and at the moment I'm just trying to get as much experience I can in drama. I'm still closely involved with the Company and looking forward to some exciting stuff in the near future!
- Damian
Friday, 4 December 2009
Atching Tan website
After a great deal of hard work from Jane and our web-design company, custardfish, the Atching Tan website has gone live. Jane is understandably delighted with the outcome, and I think that she has every reason to be proud of it.
The website is designed to offer people access to materials that the Atching Tan project has produced. There are links to the radio show, which means that you'll be able to keep up with the story, and when we have completed the reminiscence project and the education pack, these materials will be available to download. As the project is not yet complete, the website still has areas that aren't complete either, but there is a great deal of information already there and it would be great if you took a look.
I have continued to work on the education pack and enjoyed meeting with some young Gypsy/Romany/Traveller last week to discuss how they would like to contribute to the project. I've asked them to think about what they would like other people their own age, but who aren't from Gypsy/Romany/Traveller backgrounds, to know about their lives. I'll be meeting with them again later in the month to talk about this some more, and hopefully make a recording or two.
I hope that you have a wonderful weekend. It was my birthday in the week, and I'm having a party tomorrow, so I'm quite excited!
- Daniela
The website is designed to offer people access to materials that the Atching Tan project has produced. There are links to the radio show, which means that you'll be able to keep up with the story, and when we have completed the reminiscence project and the education pack, these materials will be available to download. As the project is not yet complete, the website still has areas that aren't complete either, but there is a great deal of information already there and it would be great if you took a look.
I have continued to work on the education pack and enjoyed meeting with some young Gypsy/Romany/Traveller last week to discuss how they would like to contribute to the project. I've asked them to think about what they would like other people their own age, but who aren't from Gypsy/Romany/Traveller backgrounds, to know about their lives. I'll be meeting with them again later in the month to talk about this some more, and hopefully make a recording or two.
I hope that you have a wonderful weekend. It was my birthday in the week, and I'm having a party tomorrow, so I'm quite excited!
- Daniela
Friday, 6 November 2009
Progress with the education pack
I hope that you have been enjoying the guest entries on the blog, recently. I like being able to offer you some different perspectives on the work that we do here at the Romany Theatre Company; after all, the Atching Tan project is so varied that it deserves for others to be able to tell you what they are doing.
If you happen to be at all interested in what I've been up to — aside from continuing to nurse my very poorly Achilles' tendon — I completed the first draft of the teachers' notes, which will be used to support the education pack, last week. I celebrated this achievement with a cup of tea, because the teachers' notes have been something that I've worked on for quite some time now. For the majority of the writing process I seemed to function on the 'write a paragraph; delete a paragraph' principle, which is not entirely conducive to creating a coherent piece of work. Mostly, I struggled with the depth to which the information I included needed to go. How much was too much? It couldn't be too cursory and neither did it need to be a thesis. But, I think I've struck the right balance, so I'm rather pleased with myself.
Since then, I've been listening to the first batch of recordings from the reminiscence strand of the project and determining which elements of them are going to be included in the education pack. I've found people talking about the changes that they have experienced in their lifetimes particularly interesting, as well as their hopes and fears for the future. More than anything, I hope that these recordings are able to convey to people that Gypsy/Romany/Traveller people are people like any other. They have their own culture, yes, but they are flesh and blood, and breathe the same air and walk the same earth as all of us. We're all just people.
Jane has been working very hard with a group of volunteers and a web designer to produce the shiny new Atching Tan website. As soon as it is up and running, I'll let you know so that you can take a look. I'm really excited to have a website that is dedicated to the project, where the reminiscence interviews can be stored and people can access the education pack. When it is completed, of course.
If you went to a fireworks display last night, I hope that you were suitably awed. If you're going tonight or tomorrow, I hope that you are suitably awed.
- Daniela
If you happen to be at all interested in what I've been up to — aside from continuing to nurse my very poorly Achilles' tendon — I completed the first draft of the teachers' notes, which will be used to support the education pack, last week. I celebrated this achievement with a cup of tea, because the teachers' notes have been something that I've worked on for quite some time now. For the majority of the writing process I seemed to function on the 'write a paragraph; delete a paragraph' principle, which is not entirely conducive to creating a coherent piece of work. Mostly, I struggled with the depth to which the information I included needed to go. How much was too much? It couldn't be too cursory and neither did it need to be a thesis. But, I think I've struck the right balance, so I'm rather pleased with myself.
Since then, I've been listening to the first batch of recordings from the reminiscence strand of the project and determining which elements of them are going to be included in the education pack. I've found people talking about the changes that they have experienced in their lifetimes particularly interesting, as well as their hopes and fears for the future. More than anything, I hope that these recordings are able to convey to people that Gypsy/Romany/Traveller people are people like any other. They have their own culture, yes, but they are flesh and blood, and breathe the same air and walk the same earth as all of us. We're all just people.
Jane has been working very hard with a group of volunteers and a web designer to produce the shiny new Atching Tan website. As soon as it is up and running, I'll let you know so that you can take a look. I'm really excited to have a website that is dedicated to the project, where the reminiscence interviews can be stored and people can access the education pack. When it is completed, of course.
If you went to a fireworks display last night, I hope that you were suitably awed. If you're going tonight or tomorrow, I hope that you are suitably awed.
- Daniela
Friday, 23 October 2009
Atching Tan series two - available on airwaves and internet streams near you!
We're delighted to announce that Atching Tan is now being broadcast across East Anglia on BBC local radio stations.
15:15 Mondays - BBC Radio Three Counties
20:00 Wednesdays - BBC Radios Cambridgeshire, Essex, Northampton, and Suffolk (and a repeat on Three Counties, for good measure)
17:45 Sundays - BBC Radio Norfolk
If you missed series one, you can always listen again!
- Daniela
15:15 Mondays - BBC Radio Three Counties
20:00 Wednesdays - BBC Radios Cambridgeshire, Essex, Northampton, and Suffolk (and a repeat on Three Counties, for good measure)
17:45 Sundays - BBC Radio Norfolk
If you missed series one, you can always listen again!
- Daniela
Thursday, 15 October 2009
Actor's eye view
I promised that I'd get some of the actors to tell you about recording Atching Tan. This week, I'm handing over to Rachel Drazek, who plays Solona, a new character in series 2.
I first became involved with The Romany Theatre Company as part of The Origins festival which took place earlier this year. Although I am not from a Romany background, I am interested in the culture, wanting to learn and understand as much as possible, including why so much prejudice exists. With Polish heritage and a love for all things traditional and folk, it seemed somehow appropriate to be cast as Solona – a young Eastern European Romany Gypsy.
I was delighted to be asked to be part of Atching Tan and had great time recording it. After listening to the first series in pretty much one sitting I was keen to see how things would develop in the following episodes and how Solona would fit in. As a young woman, brought to England as part of the sex trafficking racket, it seemed vital that we dealt with her storyline sensitively and appropriately. This was certainly achieved I think, allowing her to exist as a three dimensional character and also giving some insight into similarities and differences of Roma across Europe. As an actress it was a great challenge to play someone from a completely different culture, background and history. It was nice also to use some Romany language in the script, as well as to consider my character’s attitudes and feelings.
For me, part of the interest in the project comes from its wonderfully collaborative nature; it was great to know that some of the episodes had been written by some of the actors and that some of these were first time writers, but moreover that all were Romany. It felt vital to the integrity and honesty of the project. Considering the writing was split among a number of different writers, it surprised me how well this worked; each episode, whilst having its own individual writer’s style and voice, fits into an over-arching picture.
To work in such a rich and varied cast and production team was great for me. Not having done the first series and not being Romany, I was initially a apprehensive about my role and how others would take to me playing Solona. As it turns out the cast were incredibly welcoming and warm. Even if the police weren’t: the readiness of the local Cambridge police to check up on what we were doing was hugely insightful for me. I realised that the attitude towards Travellers in the area was something normal and expected by many of the cast and crew.
Recording on location in trailers was great fun, and hopefully successfully adds to the flavour of the series. The whole recording process for radio was totally new to me, and therefore a huge learning curve, for which I am very grateful. Rehearsing and recording with such a quick turnover was really good practice for my skills as an actress and has given me a taste for the nature of radio work – which I have discovered I really enjoy and want to do more of.
To me it seems the project is now in a very good place to look at how to move forward. I’m excited to hear feedback on this series, and then see how this feeds into whatever may be created for the third stage…hopefully producing a version of Atching Tan which can be aired on a national station.
- Rachel
I first became involved with The Romany Theatre Company as part of The Origins festival which took place earlier this year. Although I am not from a Romany background, I am interested in the culture, wanting to learn and understand as much as possible, including why so much prejudice exists. With Polish heritage and a love for all things traditional and folk, it seemed somehow appropriate to be cast as Solona – a young Eastern European Romany Gypsy.
I was delighted to be asked to be part of Atching Tan and had great time recording it. After listening to the first series in pretty much one sitting I was keen to see how things would develop in the following episodes and how Solona would fit in. As a young woman, brought to England as part of the sex trafficking racket, it seemed vital that we dealt with her storyline sensitively and appropriately. This was certainly achieved I think, allowing her to exist as a three dimensional character and also giving some insight into similarities and differences of Roma across Europe. As an actress it was a great challenge to play someone from a completely different culture, background and history. It was nice also to use some Romany language in the script, as well as to consider my character’s attitudes and feelings.
For me, part of the interest in the project comes from its wonderfully collaborative nature; it was great to know that some of the episodes had been written by some of the actors and that some of these were first time writers, but moreover that all were Romany. It felt vital to the integrity and honesty of the project. Considering the writing was split among a number of different writers, it surprised me how well this worked; each episode, whilst having its own individual writer’s style and voice, fits into an over-arching picture.
To work in such a rich and varied cast and production team was great for me. Not having done the first series and not being Romany, I was initially a apprehensive about my role and how others would take to me playing Solona. As it turns out the cast were incredibly welcoming and warm. Even if the police weren’t: the readiness of the local Cambridge police to check up on what we were doing was hugely insightful for me. I realised that the attitude towards Travellers in the area was something normal and expected by many of the cast and crew.
Recording on location in trailers was great fun, and hopefully successfully adds to the flavour of the series. The whole recording process for radio was totally new to me, and therefore a huge learning curve, for which I am very grateful. Rehearsing and recording with such a quick turnover was really good practice for my skills as an actress and has given me a taste for the nature of radio work – which I have discovered I really enjoy and want to do more of.
To me it seems the project is now in a very good place to look at how to move forward. I’m excited to hear feedback on this series, and then see how this feeds into whatever may be created for the third stage…hopefully producing a version of Atching Tan which can be aired on a national station.
- Rachel
Friday, 9 October 2009
More about Arvon
Back in July, Sinead wrote about the week that she spent on the Arvon writers' retreat. Whilst I've been away on holiday and also out of action owing to injury - such an exciting life I lead - Dean, one of Atching Tan's writers and actors, also penned a piece on his experiences at Arvon. Dean, it's over to you...
This was my second trip to Arvon. It was very different, in many ways, to
last time. For one thing, I knew the tutors and this helped me to get into the work much quicker.
It is a very nice environment and on both occasions I was able to focus on the task that was given us because there are no distractions. As a writer, I found the isolation a great help. I was more disciplined and able to learn, from Nell and Indo, how to keep my mind on track when other thoughts can so easily distract you. The skills they teach are not just for the ideal world of Arvon, but for life at home. I can honestly say that much of what I have learned I have been able to apply at home, even though I have four children and an hectic life schedule.
The house and grounds are wonderful and I found myself walking and exploring everywhere. It is an environment so relaxing and peaceful the only way I can describe it is ‘other worldly’. The people are nice, too, and everyone helps and mucks in at meal times with cooking and setting the table. It is a real family environment and you soon make friends. I loved it there and will go whenever I get the chance. The experience is unique.
Thank you for having me, good people of Arvon, and I hope to see you again.
- Dean
This was my second trip to Arvon. It was very different, in many ways, to
last time. For one thing, I knew the tutors and this helped me to get into the work much quicker.
It is a very nice environment and on both occasions I was able to focus on the task that was given us because there are no distractions. As a writer, I found the isolation a great help. I was more disciplined and able to learn, from Nell and Indo, how to keep my mind on track when other thoughts can so easily distract you. The skills they teach are not just for the ideal world of Arvon, but for life at home. I can honestly say that much of what I have learned I have been able to apply at home, even though I have four children and an hectic life schedule.
The house and grounds are wonderful and I found myself walking and exploring everywhere. It is an environment so relaxing and peaceful the only way I can describe it is ‘other worldly’. The people are nice, too, and everyone helps and mucks in at meal times with cooking and setting the table. It is a real family environment and you soon make friends. I loved it there and will go whenever I get the chance. The experience is unique.
Thank you for having me, good people of Arvon, and I hope to see you again.
- Dean
Wednesday, 16 September 2009
Radio series recording week
From 3 to 7 August the whole of the second series of the BBC/RTC radio drama, Atching Tan, was recorded. To attempt to do this in just five days was a major undertaking, but with everyone's hard work and enthusiasm for the venture, it all came together really well.
The Gypsy/Traveller parts were, with one exception, all played by Travellers, some of whom were experienced professional actors and some totally new to acting; all other parts were played by professional non-Traveller actors.
A total of five locations were used for the recording. They included a field by the side of the road, a recording studio, the car park of a derelict pub, and a small private trailer site. The fifth location was down a quiet country road with a bye way off it; one of the Gypsy actors had pulled a family-owned trailer onto this, which was used for the recording of several scenes. This attracted the attention of some ‘concerned locals’, who telephoned the police and as a result, some members of Cambridgeshire Constabulary attended a recording session. When one young Officer made his enquiries, two members of the production team produced their BBC passes and said that they were recording a radio drama. He responded, ‘That's fine, the locals get a bit jumpy if they think it's Gypsies!’ It was an indication that the Romany Theatre Company still has much to do to counter this sort of prejudice!
Side by side with the recording of the radio drama, another project was unfolding. Dan was leading a group of young teenage Travellers making a documentary about the process of recording Atching Tan. This involved them devising interview questions for the actors, BBC staff, and the sound recordist. It also involved some skilful juggling to ensure they could interview everyone without delaying the progress of recording the radio series itself. It was great to see this lively bunch of teenagers working so enthusiastically on their project.
I spent the week with the actors and recording crew helping out with the running of the production. My role mainly involved driving actors and crew between the various recording sites and their B&B; making sure everyone was fed, and ‘loaning out’ my car for the actors to spend time in, in between scenes, particularly when it was raining!
My car saw a lot of action, being used alternatively as the police sergeant's car, the venue for an illicit sex scene, and a sex trafficker's car! I'm sure the retail value of my car has now increased substantially!
I also had the opportunity to be an ‘extra’ in a few scenes. The derelict pub car park doubled as a school play ground, so I got to run around and make playground noise with a few others, shedding a good few years to become a school girl again. At the private trailer site I was an ‘extra’ in a fight scene, which was great fun and really got my adrenalin going!
I thoroughly enjoyed my Atching Tan week, between clocking up several hundred miles driving, there was time to get to know both actors and crew, have a laugh, and witness history being made. Roll on series three!
- Sinead
The Gypsy/Traveller parts were, with one exception, all played by Travellers, some of whom were experienced professional actors and some totally new to acting; all other parts were played by professional non-Traveller actors.
A total of five locations were used for the recording. They included a field by the side of the road, a recording studio, the car park of a derelict pub, and a small private trailer site. The fifth location was down a quiet country road with a bye way off it; one of the Gypsy actors had pulled a family-owned trailer onto this, which was used for the recording of several scenes. This attracted the attention of some ‘concerned locals’, who telephoned the police and as a result, some members of Cambridgeshire Constabulary attended a recording session. When one young Officer made his enquiries, two members of the production team produced their BBC passes and said that they were recording a radio drama. He responded, ‘That's fine, the locals get a bit jumpy if they think it's Gypsies!’ It was an indication that the Romany Theatre Company still has much to do to counter this sort of prejudice!
Side by side with the recording of the radio drama, another project was unfolding. Dan was leading a group of young teenage Travellers making a documentary about the process of recording Atching Tan. This involved them devising interview questions for the actors, BBC staff, and the sound recordist. It also involved some skilful juggling to ensure they could interview everyone without delaying the progress of recording the radio series itself. It was great to see this lively bunch of teenagers working so enthusiastically on their project.
I spent the week with the actors and recording crew helping out with the running of the production. My role mainly involved driving actors and crew between the various recording sites and their B&B; making sure everyone was fed, and ‘loaning out’ my car for the actors to spend time in, in between scenes, particularly when it was raining!
My car saw a lot of action, being used alternatively as the police sergeant's car, the venue for an illicit sex scene, and a sex trafficker's car! I'm sure the retail value of my car has now increased substantially!
I also had the opportunity to be an ‘extra’ in a few scenes. The derelict pub car park doubled as a school play ground, so I got to run around and make playground noise with a few others, shedding a good few years to become a school girl again. At the private trailer site I was an ‘extra’ in a fight scene, which was great fun and really got my adrenalin going!
I thoroughly enjoyed my Atching Tan week, between clocking up several hundred miles driving, there was time to get to know both actors and crew, have a laugh, and witness history being made. Roll on series three!
- Sinead
Thursday, 10 September 2009
Atching Tan series two - ready to go!
After what must have been an exhausting week in and around Cambridge, the second series of Atching Tan has been recorded. I wasn't there for the recording, I was revelling in the seclusion of my London base, researching more Romany history, but Sinead will be filling you in on all the gory details and amusing anecdotes of the week soon. If we're really lucky, we might even manage a guest slot from one of the actors, too.
The series is currently under the metaphorical editorial knife, what with things being digitised now, reels of tape don't need to be cut, but it is being made ready for airing. Later this month we'll be holding a listening event for members of the BBC and other journalists to give us their opinions on the series. What people have to say about the series is very important - we need to make something to which people are going to want to listen, whether they are members of the Romany or settled community. If we're going to break down barriers and increase positive communication the radio series has to be right.
I don't have broadcast dates for the series yet, but I will pass them on as soon as I do.
Right now, my time is being spent organising the listening event, so I've not been researching in the British Library for the past two weeks. I'm meeting with the lovely people from Traveller Education Services in Cambridgeshire and Suffolk next week to discuss the development of the education pack. I think that I've made good progress with it over the summer, but it has a long way to go yet.
If you're back at school, university, or work after the summer break, I hope that it hasn't been too much of a shock for you. Catch you soon.
- Daniela
The series is currently under the metaphorical editorial knife, what with things being digitised now, reels of tape don't need to be cut, but it is being made ready for airing. Later this month we'll be holding a listening event for members of the BBC and other journalists to give us their opinions on the series. What people have to say about the series is very important - we need to make something to which people are going to want to listen, whether they are members of the Romany or settled community. If we're going to break down barriers and increase positive communication the radio series has to be right.
I don't have broadcast dates for the series yet, but I will pass them on as soon as I do.
Right now, my time is being spent organising the listening event, so I've not been researching in the British Library for the past two weeks. I'm meeting with the lovely people from Traveller Education Services in Cambridgeshire and Suffolk next week to discuss the development of the education pack. I think that I've made good progress with it over the summer, but it has a long way to go yet.
If you're back at school, university, or work after the summer break, I hope that it hasn't been too much of a shock for you. Catch you soon.
- Daniela
Thursday, 27 August 2009
A quieter week
It's just after 16:oo and I'm in the British Library, surrounded by books covering Romany poetry, song, and recipes. I hadn't thought to include anything in the education pack that concerns traditional Romany food until I stumbled across a compilation called Medicines, Music and Meals by Robert Dawson. Given my particular interest in food and cookery, it's all the more strange. That aside, food is so often a defining feature of a culture and it might be worth asking some of the people whom we are interviewing what food they think of as being Romany.
A key element of the pack that I have wanted to include from its inception has been information on Romani. As I've been familiarising myself with Romany history, I've also been learning more about the evolution of Romani as a language. Romani has been key to charting the origins and migration of the Romanies, you see. Not having any mention of it in the pack would be entirely remiss, so earlier this week I began making enquiries as to how best to approach this. Nothing has come of it yet, but hopefully I'll have some responses soon.
Really, it has been a quiet week for me, immersed in books, punctuated by the odd visit to a website. Maybe next week there'll be more to report.
- Daniela
A key element of the pack that I have wanted to include from its inception has been information on Romani. As I've been familiarising myself with Romany history, I've also been learning more about the evolution of Romani as a language. Romani has been key to charting the origins and migration of the Romanies, you see. Not having any mention of it in the pack would be entirely remiss, so earlier this week I began making enquiries as to how best to approach this. Nothing has come of it yet, but hopefully I'll have some responses soon.
Really, it has been a quiet week for me, immersed in books, punctuated by the odd visit to a website. Maybe next week there'll be more to report.
- Daniela
Thursday, 20 August 2009
Meeting museums
It has been a good week so far, and seeing as it is Thursday lunchtime and I'm having lunch opposite the British Library, I'm fairly hopeful it will continue that way.
On Monday I met with Lisa, the Collections Manager at the Museum of East Anglian Life at Stowmarket, to discuss how Atching Tan could contribute to a new exhibition the museum is planning. Although it is early days, we're hoping that some of the interviews that we're conducting with members of the Gypsy/Romany/Traveller community in East Anglia can be used to support the displays that they are creating about lesser known elements of life in East Anglia.
Gypsies, Romanies, and Travellers have a long history in East Anglia, but much of it is silent, so the museum is hoping to draw it out - along with the stories of other group of people who have lived on the margins of society - and make it more widely appreciated.
If we can combine artefacts with the words of people associated with them, it will make it all the more powerful. Just think how much more resonant it is to hear someone describing the people in a photograph than it is to read dry facts about them.
The new exhibition is part of a larger development at the museum, so it is going to be some time before we can enjoy it, but I'm really positive about what we might achieve together here.
I was also pleased to speak with Ely Museum, who have taken an interest in the education pack that we are developing. I'd better get back to library and write some more of it so that I have something to show to them!
Catch you next week!
- Daniela
On Monday I met with Lisa, the Collections Manager at the Museum of East Anglian Life at Stowmarket, to discuss how Atching Tan could contribute to a new exhibition the museum is planning. Although it is early days, we're hoping that some of the interviews that we're conducting with members of the Gypsy/Romany/Traveller community in East Anglia can be used to support the displays that they are creating about lesser known elements of life in East Anglia.
Gypsies, Romanies, and Travellers have a long history in East Anglia, but much of it is silent, so the museum is hoping to draw it out - along with the stories of other group of people who have lived on the margins of society - and make it more widely appreciated.
If we can combine artefacts with the words of people associated with them, it will make it all the more powerful. Just think how much more resonant it is to hear someone describing the people in a photograph than it is to read dry facts about them.
The new exhibition is part of a larger development at the museum, so it is going to be some time before we can enjoy it, but I'm really positive about what we might achieve together here.
I was also pleased to speak with Ely Museum, who have taken an interest in the education pack that we are developing. I'd better get back to library and write some more of it so that I have something to show to them!
Catch you next week!
- Daniela
Wednesday, 12 August 2009
Searching for stories
August is always a quiet month whilst most of the world, or so it seems, goes on holiday. I've taken this opportunity, given that I'm still working, to research some of the materials that we will use in our educational pack. I'm really excited about the educational pack, and the vast range of resources that we are planning to include in it: stories, poems, maps, photographs, recordings, anything, really that we think can be used to help educate people about the Gypsy/Romany/Traveller community. I think this could be something extraordinarily valuable for use in schools, museums, and libraries and go a long way to breaking down barriers of misunderstanding.
And I'm getting to spend time in the British Library researching for it.
Okay, I admit it, I'm a geek and I love libraries. On Monday I was reading through books published in 1899 looking for traditional Gypsy and Romany folk tales. I've requested some even older books of poetry and folk tales for my next trip there. This is some kind of heaven for me.
Of course, I'm also hoping that some of the interviews with members of the Gypsy/Romany/Traveller community happening in one the other strands of the project are going to reveal some stories and poems, too. The strong oral tradition of the community gives me a great deal of hope for this, actually. What I'd really like to be able to do is show some links between folk tales told amongst different societies. Demonstrating similarities between different groups of people is an important step towards community cohesion.
If you happen to see me on the first floor of the British Library, do come and say hi. Quietly, obviously.
- Daniela
And I'm getting to spend time in the British Library researching for it.
Okay, I admit it, I'm a geek and I love libraries. On Monday I was reading through books published in 1899 looking for traditional Gypsy and Romany folk tales. I've requested some even older books of poetry and folk tales for my next trip there. This is some kind of heaven for me.
Of course, I'm also hoping that some of the interviews with members of the Gypsy/Romany/Traveller community happening in one the other strands of the project are going to reveal some stories and poems, too. The strong oral tradition of the community gives me a great deal of hope for this, actually. What I'd really like to be able to do is show some links between folk tales told amongst different societies. Demonstrating similarities between different groups of people is an important step towards community cohesion.
If you happen to see me on the first floor of the British Library, do come and say hi. Quietly, obviously.
- Daniela
Thursday, 9 July 2009
Introducing...
You've heard from me, and you've heard from Sinead, you know that Dan exists, Jane and CJ are the other two members of our crew; but what do we do?
Dan is the Project Director. He founded RTC and is in overall control of how we operate. He dreamed up the idea behind Atching Tan, he applied for funding, he wrote the first series of the radio programme, he brought together the team. It's all down to him, really.
If there's a greater woman behind every great man, then CJ is the woman behind Dan. She's our Administrator. What this lady doesn't know about a spreadsheet isn't worth knowing. She ensures that we're in the right places at the right times, and that our bills are paid. Truly, without CJ, we'd fall apart.
Jane is the Project Co-ordinator and is the vital link between us and our partner organisations. Jane's role means that she gets to meet a lot of people. She meets potential volunteers who might want to get involved with Atching Tan, and she meets other groups with whom we might be able to work. Yes, Jane's a people-person.
Once volunteers are involved in the project, Sinead keeps in touch with them and supports them through their time with us. She's our Outreach Worker. It means that she spends a great deal of time haring around East Anglia. I'm exhausted just thinking about it.
Finally, there's me. I'm the Project Manager and I, ehm, manage the project. In reality, I do a lot of different things. I handle our press, PR, and communications activity, I'm heavily involved in the education strand (in another life I was a teacher), and I try to make sure that we all know what our targets and deadlines are, and that we meet them.
That's how the Atching Tan jigsaw fits together, but of course there are many other people who lend their time and skills to it. I'm sure you'll hear more about them, or even from them, as the project progresses.
- Daniela
Dan is the Project Director. He founded RTC and is in overall control of how we operate. He dreamed up the idea behind Atching Tan, he applied for funding, he wrote the first series of the radio programme, he brought together the team. It's all down to him, really.
If there's a greater woman behind every great man, then CJ is the woman behind Dan. She's our Administrator. What this lady doesn't know about a spreadsheet isn't worth knowing. She ensures that we're in the right places at the right times, and that our bills are paid. Truly, without CJ, we'd fall apart.
Jane is the Project Co-ordinator and is the vital link between us and our partner organisations. Jane's role means that she gets to meet a lot of people. She meets potential volunteers who might want to get involved with Atching Tan, and she meets other groups with whom we might be able to work. Yes, Jane's a people-person.
Once volunteers are involved in the project, Sinead keeps in touch with them and supports them through their time with us. She's our Outreach Worker. It means that she spends a great deal of time haring around East Anglia. I'm exhausted just thinking about it.
Finally, there's me. I'm the Project Manager and I, ehm, manage the project. In reality, I do a lot of different things. I handle our press, PR, and communications activity, I'm heavily involved in the education strand (in another life I was a teacher), and I try to make sure that we all know what our targets and deadlines are, and that we meet them.
That's how the Atching Tan jigsaw fits together, but of course there are many other people who lend their time and skills to it. I'm sure you'll hear more about them, or even from them, as the project progresses.
- Daniela
Thursday, 2 July 2009
A week in the Devon countryside
In June, Sinead and seven volunteers from RTC went to Devon for a week-long writing course. Here’s what she had to say about it…
From 8 -13 June I joined seven volunteers from RTC on a writers' course run by the Arvon Foundation. The course was held at Totleigh Barton Manor, an unspoiled and ancient house set in the beautiful rolling green hills of the Devonshire countryside.
It was one of those special weeks that, without wishing to sound clichéd, felt like a life changing experience and I feel other participants would echo this. There was a wide divergence of experience within the group - from those who'd never written before but had wonderful stories to tell - to other young writers involved with the BBC writersroom. All were able to come together and under the skilful tutelage of Nell Leyshon and Indhu Rubasingham, work productively, and make great progress in their writing.
On Thursday evening we were very privileged to have a reading from Romany poet David Morley, who visited as a guest speaker, and to hear him recounting stories of his extraordinary childhood.
On Friday morning we read to David from his latest work, Circus Poems, a series of dramatic monologues, some only concluded in recent weeks. I think for both David and the group it felt like a very special occasion.
On Friday evening, at the end of the course all the participants staged a performance/ reading of selected pieces of work written during the course of the week which they performed for Indhu and Nell, Dan Allum, our two hosts at Totleigh Barton, and a
visiting funder of the Arvon Foundation. The pieces included a scene from a play and dramatic monologues and were of a high standard. One participant, a talented musician and singer, put another participant's poetry to music and sang this.
The week was also a great social occasion for everyone, an opportunity to get to know each other better and most evenings involved everyone singing or playing music together.
For anyone interested in developing her or his writing as a career or hobby, I would strongly recommend a writers' course run by the Arvon Foundation.
- Sinead
From 8 -13 June I joined seven volunteers from RTC on a writers' course run by the Arvon Foundation. The course was held at Totleigh Barton Manor, an unspoiled and ancient house set in the beautiful rolling green hills of the Devonshire countryside.
It was one of those special weeks that, without wishing to sound clichéd, felt like a life changing experience and I feel other participants would echo this. There was a wide divergence of experience within the group - from those who'd never written before but had wonderful stories to tell - to other young writers involved with the BBC writersroom. All were able to come together and under the skilful tutelage of Nell Leyshon and Indhu Rubasingham, work productively, and make great progress in their writing.
On Thursday evening we were very privileged to have a reading from Romany poet David Morley, who visited as a guest speaker, and to hear him recounting stories of his extraordinary childhood.
On Friday morning we read to David from his latest work, Circus Poems, a series of dramatic monologues, some only concluded in recent weeks. I think for both David and the group it felt like a very special occasion.
On Friday evening, at the end of the course all the participants staged a performance/ reading of selected pieces of work written during the course of the week which they performed for Indhu and Nell, Dan Allum, our two hosts at Totleigh Barton, and a
visiting funder of the Arvon Foundation. The pieces included a scene from a play and dramatic monologues and were of a high standard. One participant, a talented musician and singer, put another participant's poetry to music and sang this.
The week was also a great social occasion for everyone, an opportunity to get to know each other better and most evenings involved everyone singing or playing music together.
For anyone interested in developing her or his writing as a career or hobby, I would strongly recommend a writers' course run by the Arvon Foundation.
- Sinead
Thursday, 25 June 2009
This is us
We're the Romany Theatre Company. Have you heard of us? No? Oh, well, if you're sitting comfortably, I'll begin.
It all started back in 2002. Dan Allum, the company director, founded RTC - less of a mouthful than Romany Theatre Company - with the aim of bringing about a greater understanding between Romany people and the settled community. The Romany community can be badly misunderstood by those who aren't a part of it, and suffer from terribly negative views. We want to change that. We try to do it through drama and arts - appropriate for a group of people with such a rich and diverse cultural history with a focus on story-telling - but also through education.
So far, we think we've done okay with theatrical productions such as Our Big Land and The Boy's Grave, but now we've embarked on a really ambitious project. It's called Atching Tan, which means stopping place, or place where fires are lit, in Romani. It's a multi-strand project that spans three years, has five members of staff, and is funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund. It involves a radio series, learning modules, and an education pack for schools. And lots of volunteers and supporters.
The radio series is aired across the eastern counties by the BBC. The first series went out between October and December 2008. (If you missed it, you can always listen again courtesy of BBC Radio Suffolk.) Series two is currently being written ready for broadcast in autumn 2009, and series three will go out in 2010. The actors are a mixture of Romany and non-Romany; some are professionals, but for many, this is their first taste of drama. It's similar for the writers, too, some of whom are novices. We're not just excited about this, but proud as well.
The idea behind the learning modules is that we can offer qualifications to people who otherwise might not be able to gain them. There are five different modules, which all tie-in with the Atching Tan project: radio skills, reminiscence skills, creating an information archive, research skills, and first steps into the classroom.
It's probably fairly obvious how the radio skills module ties-in with Atching Tan, but what about the others? Well, Romany people are great story-tellers, and we wanted to capture some of their personal stories and put them somewhere that they can be heard and used to educate. That's why there're reminiscence and archiving courses. We plan to record about 100 people's stories and make them accessible via the web and museums and libraries. The research module is going to support this element of the project. As for the education module, that links to strand three of Atching Tan.
So that we can contribute more to the communities around us, and help others to understand more about Romany people, we're producing an education pack, too. We're very grateful to Cambridgeshire and Suffolk Traveller Education Services, who have given us their time, experience, advice, and support to get this started. Hopefully, the final product will be ready by summer 2011.
So that's us, and what we do. We'll be seeing you around the intergoogles.
- Daniela
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