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Wivenhoe and Rowhedge launch BLM IN THE STIX.

(main photograph credit – Jake Harvey and Rebecca Lowden instagram@sunflower.and.spider) #Activists from either side of the Colne have been succesfully organising a campaign to fight racism in rural communities. The launch of the programme took place last Saturday in Rowhedge and Wivenhoe. Media coverage of the event can be found here: Guardian online: https://bit.ly/3fFyToD , BBC Look East. https://bbc.in/3io6gOB , Colchester Gazette and Colne Radio. For all the latest media coverage see here (updated regularly) The first of our resources: our introductory leaflet aimed at white people who want to support #blm outside cities. To create real change, we need everyone to commit to becoming anti-racist. If you’d like the pdf or print version to share, please email blminthestix@gmail.com. pic.twitter.com/g4cWbbvw0T— blminthestix (@blminthestix) August 11, 2020 BLM IN THE STIX is about connecting rural communities together, sharing resources and supporting each other. To kickstart the campaign is putting together an entry level guide for white people in rural areas to help them take action against racism – to move from being not racist to anti-racist. The ultimate aim is work with similar groups collaboratviely across the country to develop a larger toolkit and more resources (already from Saturday’s launch there is interest from groups in Falmouth, Deal and several Councils across Suffolk and Norfolk). For all the latest resources see here The launch included this brief and powerful performance by writer and performer A L Kennedy “So what I’m hoping is that I can be an ally, a visible ally, then …

Maria Marten – trapped in music

It’s a funny business being a theatre producer right now. One moment I’m feeling positive and upbeat, the next I’m focusing on the futility of it all. I’m reaching out to colleagues across the industry with words about art and creativity and a new future, whilst they are battling for survival, trying to keep people’s jobs alive and much-loved organisations open. As one wrote to me today ‘we will absorb when we come up for air’ . This is not a happy time. I say all this as I’ve been pulling together a fresh tour for The Ballad of Maria Marten, Eastern Angles and Stephen Joseph Theatre’s critically acclaimed show written by Beth Flintoff which I produced in February 2020. A show we hope – Covid willing – to retour in Autumn 2021. Seeds have to be sown! As I’ve worked I’ve taken the opportunity to revisit a wee spotify play list I made when I originally worked on the show (listen here). Music has this remarkable ability to keep focus going, and energies up – and so it has been today! Listening again to these interpretations reminded me of the post I wrote for the EA blog about how Maria’s history (but not necessarily herstory) has been preserved in song. It remains one of the most popular murder ballads in the English tradition. She first appeared on a broadside ballad as early as 1828 (a year after her murder) published by James Catnach a Berwick on Tweed born printer …

A fresh look..

Having resisted for rather a long time I have finally succumbed to a new brand for Matthew Linley Creative Projects. Big thank you to Emma Martin Arts Marketing and designer Rebecca (Bex) Pitt for going on this particular journey with me!

A creative challenge for the young people of Wivenhoe!

Off the Rails has just taken delivery of LOTS of rainbow coloured paper – both A2 (really big) and A3 not quite so big!) size! That’s because we want to create a new exhibition on Platform 2, so that the key workers and others having to use the trains right now have something bright and cheery to look at while they are waiting for their train.So we have a little call out for any budding artists out there who’d like to help us brighten their days with some art! The brief is simple….We’d like you to draw, paint or collage a picture that either… *Says a big thank you to our keyworkers… *Is a picture of hope for the future… *Or does both those things! We’d also love you to hide a rainbow in your picture somewhere so passengers can play “where’s the hidden rainbow” whilst they wait for their train! For info: A3 card will be displayed PORTRAIT (long edge at the sides) with 4 images per frame A2 card will be displayed LANDSCAPE (that’s short edges at the sides) with 2 images per frame If you’d like to be part of the exhibition, you can order some card by emailing me at linleymatt@gmail.com or message me via the Off the Rails facebook page! Let me know how many pieces you want and what size, and I’ll happily cycle round and drop the card off. And when you’re done you can let me know and we’ll arrange collection, and …

Raddlesham Mumps Activities for Young People

The team behind the Raddlesham Mumps are currently making their new show. And we need your help! More precisely we need your young peoples help! Here we all are in our online rehearsal room We want you to think about Old Mother Redbeard. One of the main characters in the story…but because of this lock down we cant go and find her, we cant go and see where she lives. But we do know she lives deep in the heart of the forest. So we would love you to draw us a map which takes us to her home, deep in the forest somewhere that has never been discovered. And we’d like you in your map to show us the obstacles that Luna and Atom have to overcome in getting to Old Mother Redbeard. We’d love you to draw the map in any way you like – you can use pictures or words – and the last thing we want you to do is to tell us what the truth is that the children discover when they finally get to where Old Mother Redbeard lives. Here we are again talking about some of the things we think we know about Old Mother Redbeard:- , Send your maps and drawings to funnilwicklimb@gmail.com – we cant wait to see them! You can also find some more Raddlesham Mumps themed activities over on our web pages. There are digital versions on the MBD site here https://www.mbd.limited/education and downloadable worksheets on the Raddlesham Mumps …

A letter to Oliver Dowden, DCMS Secretary of State

Dear Oliver I watched your press conference today with real interest and genuine concern. I do not envy the position you find yourself in and I thank you for all the work you are doing on our sectors behalf. These are unprecedented times. In my industry (theatre) we are losing skilled freelancers by the day, and established organisations by the week. Seemingly every new week brings the news that what was our worst-case scenario has become our best. No wonder then The Guardian has printed an editorial today that.theatre is on the brink whilst James Dacre (AD at Northampton Theatres) writes in The Times ‘My theatre is in financial intensive care’. So hurrah for a task force that will consider how the industry will and can survive. How it will find creative, crowd-free ways to navigate coronavirus. Your task group is hugely talented. It’s also old (average age 55 ish I guess), predominantly London and feels very big institution focused. Every week I have the privilege of spending a day working with the producers of the future at East 15 (the Southend Campus of the University of Essex). Each week we are joined by an industry leader who the student’s question. Each week one of the team asks ‘is theatre dead’. The real answer to that question…post Covid19…sits not with those industry leaders, nor I’m afraid with your task force (as brilliant as they are). It sits with them. Our future rests with the artists, the producers and the innovators …

The Mystery of the Raddlesham Mumps is nominated for two saboteur awards

We’re very excited to announce that Murray Lachlan Young’s THE MYSTERY OF THE RADDLESHAM MUMPS has been nominated for not just one, but two SABOTEUR awards this year. We’ve been nominated for BEST SPOKEN WORD SHOW and BEST COLLABORATION. The awards are by public voting, and voting is now open, so if you would like to support us do vote here. The Saboteur Awards are a staple element of the UK’s independent literary scene. Year upon year, the awards celebrate writers, performers & publisher’s personal achievements from the last twelve months in the industry. Through a round of public votes, the awards pride itself on putting forward winners chosen by the public, rather than by a board of peers. These nominations come at a particularly key time for us. It’s just over a year since we first opened the show at the Lakeside Theatre (University of Essex). Since then the show has been performed some 30 odd times to audiences of over 3,000 with our digital elements (the soundtrack, the VR, the tablet game, and so on) reaching a further 4,300 people. Of course, right now we would have been on tour with the show – but Covid 19 has sadly put our plans on hold. However, if you’ve not seen the show yet you can listen to our studio album free of charge here As well as being nominated for Best Spoken Word Show its brilliant to have been nominated for Best Collaboration in recognition of the fact that …

Help us make the new Murray Lachlan Young show – Iffly Sney and the Tandlesham Nook

About this time last year we were in final rehearsals in Colchester for The Mystery of the Raddlesham Mumps (our first performance was at the Lakeside Theatre in Essex on 11th April) Now we are beginning the process of making our new show together IFFLY SNEY AND THE TANDLESHAM NOOK – and we’re looking to recruit a team of young Creative Agents to help that develop the story. Could that be you/your child??? Ideal for the curious child, whose interested in words and language and / or who has a wild imagination! The project should be a great stimulus for creative writing and thinking as well as encouraging storytelling and design skills . Sign up for you and your child to help us make Iffly Sney and the Tandlesham Nook ‘Soaked in atmosphere…..six year old Hilda gives it 10 out of 10: a really hilarious show’ The Guardian on The Mystery of the Raddlesham Mumps Iffly Sney and the Taddlesham Nook is a new folktale-inspired show telling the story of brother and sister Atom and Luna and their quest through a magical forest in the company of Iffly, the kindly giant and the mysterious Old Mother Redbeard. In order to tap into the minds of future audiences, Murray and our fab creative team are looking for youngsters aged 7+ to assist in the creative process. The idea is to involve children in both the making of the new show …….. “It’s a brilliant project,” said Murray Lachlan Young, “the …

Listen to the whole of The Mystery of the Raddlesham Mumps for free

In isolation? Looking for something to listen to with your children? Or with anyone for that matter – perfect listening for anyone aged 7 to 107 Disappointed to hear that we’ve had to postpone performances of The Mystery of the Raddlesham Mumps in Ipswich, London, Scarborough, Hull, Brighton or Oxford? Well we have something for you….. ‘It was incredible…8 year old mesmerised, parents also mesmerised. LOVED IT. Go’ Jo Fletcher Cross Throughout the period of UK isolation we’ve made The Mystery of the Raddlesham Mumps audio book available free of charge. You can listen in here:- ‘THIS! THIS! See this! Young, old and everyone before, after and inbetween! @MurrayLYoung’s latest masterpiece (and he’s had a few). ‘ Matt Everitt (BBC 6 Music) We hope you enjoy it! And if you do please share with friends and family leave a comment on twitter (@crispinclumps @murraylyoung) , on facebook or on instagram Go and play the prequel of The Mystery of the Raddlesham Mumps online too – just head to Google Play store and search Raddlesham Mumps! Or if you have an Oculus Go head to the Go store and search Raddlesham Mumps Help support our artists even more by heading to Arun’s band camp to buy some of his other incredible music, or why not consider buying the book The Mystery of the Raddlesham Mumps complete with beautiful illustrations by Julie Verhoeven book a ticket to see the show when this awful virus has left us ‘This absolute gem’ Kate Labno …

The Raddlesham Mumps buzz blog

Here’s just some of the incredible feed back we’ve had so far from the tour of The Mystery of the Raddlesham Mumps ‘It was incredible…8 year old mesmerised, parents also mesmerised. LOVED IT. Go’ Jo Fletcher Cross ‘Just seen the beautifully staged #RaddleshamMumps at @WiltonMusicHall with @ijoeallen being utterly brilliant & the fiercely clever @MurrayLYoung delivering in fine style’ Marcus Brigstock ‘THIS! THIS! See this! Young, old and everyone before, after and inbetween! @MurrayLYoung’s latest masterpiece (and he’s had a few). ‘ Matt Everitt (BBC 6 Music) ‘Murray Lachlan Young is one of our greatest children’s writers as far as I can see’ Barbara Pierson, Artistic Director, Lakeside Theatre’ ‘This absolute gem’ Kate Labno ‘Pure genius – utterly exhillerating from start to finish. Smiled from ear to ear in wonder and awe of its and your brilliance. It should be on the curriculum. A must see for all’ Victoria Grant ‘Hillarious and gripping storytelling’ Ginni Manning ‘Fabulous show!’ Jordi M Asher What a night! Congratulations team #RaddleshamMumps – you sure know how to entertain an audience of all ages. – Aldeburgh Jubilee Hall ‘Great script/poem, very comedic, very gothic, an all round great tale!’ Finn T Just breathtaking. The writing, the direction, the music, the costume, the pace, every detail was extraordinary….GO GO GO see this show ‘So cleverly written and performed, and lovely to hear the laughter from the little people in the audience. Reminded me of reading Dr Seuss to mine’ @Lynz0075 ‘As someone who doesnt really ‘do’ theatre I’m …