We are very excited to announce the new Affordable Theatre Programme from Open Source Arts!
This series of events take live theatre shows performed by grassroots artists and livestream them through our new state of the art broadcast studio – all for a Pay As You Feel ticket of entry!
The first show in the Affordable Theatre Programme will be with Jenny Sais Pas streamed on 28th Feb 2021.
Supporting grassroots artists
What is possible whenever grassroots artists are given the chance to flourish and shine?
Open Source Arts works closely with individuals working and creating in the grassroots performance community in the city. We have been acutely aware of challenges that artists have been facing in the sector as a result of Covid-19 and a country in lockdown. These theatre shows allow us to work in a bespoke way with emerging performance artists in the city to develop their platforms and share their art.
The Affordable Theatre Programme gives grassroots artists the opportunity to access high level tech and equipment to platform their work to the highest quality it could be.
High quality broadcast
The broadcasts themselves will be recorded, edited and streamed through the new ‘broadcast quality’ equipment that Open Source Arts gratefully received through support from the Arts Council’s Cultural Recovery Fund as well as the West Yorkshire Combined Authority’s recovery scheme. It allows us a creative hub in Leeds, Yorkshire to produce an online performance platform for DIY artists that operates at the same level of quality as top end industry practice but with a much lower price for entry for audiences to enjoy.
This new kit gives grassroots artists in the area the ability to access the highest level of video recording equipment on the market at a low level of cost, and develop skills within live-stream and video recording practice that will create pathways to employment in this quickly expanding part of the sector.
Our Affordable Theatre Programme gives artists the opportunity to produce their work to a high standard and at broadcast level quality.
Skills and training
Upskilling the community, and applying creative solutions to build resilience in the arts sector has always underpinned all of the work we do at Open Source Arts, and we are really excited to be taking this ethos into our work with online platforms in the future. Live streaming and broadcast are areas of practice that are emerging more and more in the sector, and having this hardware at our disposal is a really special opportunity to boost grassroots activity in a covid safe way and provide pathways to professional employment for artists by holding training sessions with the equipment – as well as putting on fantastic shows!
Theatre at a low cost
Tickets are on a Pay As You Feel basis to watch the Affordable Theatre Programme show. This allows you to access and be inspired by these performances whilst removing the barrier of a high ticket cost.
All contributions are shared between the artist and Open Source Arts to support a sustainable arts sector in Leeds!
A lower ticket price means more people can participate in the theatre!
This Is Not A Burlesque Show
The first show in the Affordable Theatre Programme; This Is Not a Burlesque Show, has been written and devised by leading local artist and academic, Jenny Sais Pas, and will be going out live from the venue on the 28th of February at 7:00pm. A mixture of script, poetry and autobiographical writing, This is not a Burlesque Show is an intimate, playful stage show which uses cabaret to explore experiences of love and sex whilst living with a mental illness. It won’t be one to miss!
We are really excited for Jenny’s show, and exploring the possibilities the new equipment can provide for furthering our work in supporting and platforming artists. Having a range of such high quality pieces of kit in the grassroots is a really, REALLY special opportunity – we can’t wait for you to see it!
