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A very important aspect of the Federation's services is the publishing of a quarterly newsletter called CUES!
Cues! is distributed to all member societies, as well as a wide range of individuals associated with theatre and just as importantly, the local press across Greater Manchester. It keeps Amateur Theatre in touch with the world, but more importantly, the world in touch with Amateur Theatre.
It includes editorials, news, reviews, articles, advertisements ... basically anything that our members need to communicate to our readership.
Until recently Cues! has always been distributed by post but as most of you reading this article will know by now that this service is to be partially discontinued.
From now on a hard copy of Cues! will be snail mailed to the Hon. Secretary of each member society and all other copies will be sent by email. So....to that end, if you wish to receive an electronic copy of Cues! would you please register (link on your left) in order that we can include you on our newsletter database. Thank you.
In addition Cues! will be published on this page of the website and will also be downloadable from this page in pdf format, so, hopefully there should be no reason why you can't obtain a copy of Cues!
The editor is always looking for info about our members, so if you have something to say please get in touch with
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
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Please click here if you wish to download the April 2010 (pdf format) and print off a hard copy of Cues! Newsletter.
Please click here if you wish to download the New Year 2010 (pdf format) and print off a hard copy of Cues! Newsletter.
Please click here if you wish to download the November 2009 (pdf format )and print off a hard copy of Cues! Newsletter.
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| January 2011 Newsletter 2 |
Helping To Put A little Drama Into Yor Life! |
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Hopefully you have all now received the previous Cues! outlining the outcome of the Open Forum at Tyldesley Little Theatre in November last year. There is obviously much to think about and we shall be in touch shortly with our proposals. We also fully intend to hold a Spring Open Forum and as soon as we have the date and venue we will advise you accordingly.
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If you have received this electronic newletter successfully we urge you to forward it to the members of your society and anyone else that you think may be interested. The more like minded people that receive it the better. If you have received this newsletter via someone else and would in future like to receive it directly, please go to the Cues! page of the website and from there you will be able to register your email address which will ensure that you receive Cues! first hand. Equally, if you feel that there is no need for your society to receive a hard copy of Cues! do please let us know, we are as keen as the next person to save forests and postage. Many thanks to the several societies that responded to our previous email asking you to let us know if your society no longer wished to receive a hard copy of Cues! Another forest saved! Thank you.
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Forward Me
Forward Me
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The Birdhouse Fund is a Manchester charity set up by local women to help disadvantaged women across Greater Manchester make a new start – be it through, training, skill development, community projects or simply setting themselves up in new, safe surroundings. www.birdhousefund.org
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Our Hon Sec is Directing For Charity
The Birdhouse Fund Presents V-Day
THE VAGINA MONOLOGUES
Directed by Sue Mooney
At The Great Hall, Manchester Town Hall
TUESDAY 8th MARCH 2011 7.00pm
Tickets available from: www.birdhousefundvday.eventbrite.com
also at
At Heald Green Theatre, Motcombe Grove
Off Styal Road, Heald Green, SK8 3TW 0161 436 5000
SATURDAY 5th MARCH 2011 7.30pm
Ticket payment is a donation to the Birdhouse Fund
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Your diary dates! You can now enter these in yourself, it's very simple and it keeps everybody informed about who is doing what. It also provides the opportunity to enter a link to your society's website which has to be good. Please take advantage of this facility if you haven't already done so. Further to several requests for the diary dates to be attched to Cues!.........your wish has been granted, Please see attached PDF document. Also the five most recent diary dates are now displayed at the top of the home page of the website.
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The website now has an advertisement section and this works for both wanted and items for sale. This is perfect for advertising unwanted props, costumes, scripts and conversely it's ideal if you are looking for cast for a production, a particular costume or maybe some technical help etc.Placing an advert is simple, but if you are in any doubt please see the attached PDF document. We are very keen that you use this facility so please give it a go! |
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The Full Length Festival
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As you will already know from our previous January 2011 newsletter we have distributed a questionnaire to all Society Hon Secs in order to ascertain how we can hopefully come to a mutual agreement about redesigning the Full Length Festival. If you are an Hon Sec reading this and you have not received the questionnaire in the post by the end of this week (29th January) please reply to this newsletter requesting a copy. Thank you. At the end of the day we will always come down to the same problem and that is one of adjudicators, so if anybody out there thinks this may be for them then please get in touch so that we can arrange for you to shadow our current adjudicators and then you can get an idea / flavour of what is required and then decide if this is an avenue you would wish to pursue. We shall also be actively seeking the recruitment of new ajudicators. Also, as we always say, if anybody out there has any ideas / suggestions as to how we can "solve" this problem then please get in touch, we would be delighted to hear from you. Think it is also fair to say at this point that GMDF are not the only AmDram organisation to be facing this problem. |
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.The 51st One Act Festival will be held at the home of Summerseat Players in June 2011. The dates are 6th - 11th June at The Theatre Royal, Smithy Street, Ramsbottom, Bury. BL0 9AT and the adjudicator will be Martin Roche. Paul has alreadys sent out out full details and application forms in Cues! earlier this week. All details and application forms are also available on the website in the Festivals section.
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Database..............have you had any changes of officer at your society recently? If Yes, please downlaod the database form from the website, it's on the Member Organisations page, you simply download it, complete it online and return to us, thank you.
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| Courses. This was mentioned at the Open Forum. We are very keen and willing to organise courses but as with all these things it's a two way street and we need your support. So.......have any of you any ideas / suggestions as to what sort of courses you would like to see us organise? can you help with the organisation? have you been to any fantastic courses recently that you would like to see GMDF put on? Please get in touch. |
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Warehouse Space I own a fairly large very secure warehouse storage facility, 7000sq ft plus an office area, canteen and toilets, on Bloomfield Road, Farnworth, BOLTON BL4 9LP
It was rented over the past couple of years by a local furniture charity, Bolton Community Transport, however they moved out just before xmas as they found a much larger building to consolidate all their goods and offices.
I would like to rent it out once more, maybe to a charity or for use as storage facility/workshop, if possible on a flexible monthly contract, I am negotiable on the rent too. It is a great space and such a shame that its currently unoccupied. The location is very safe as the building is in the middle of a gated fenced site next door to Build Base Builders Merchants.
Please feel free to call me for further information or if you may know of anyone who may be interested please feel free to pass on my details. My mobile number 07901667000
Thanks Loretta Fox
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Arts On The Move, is a company providing drama resources, information and support who has just been in touch with the GMDF. More details are on the home page of GMDF website.
The Arts On The Move website - www.artsonthemove.co.uk - contains a huge range of drama and theatre-related information, much of it completely free!
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| Contributions to Cues! Has your Society got some news that you would like included in Cues!? Maybe you have a special event coming up, maybe you've won the lottery and you're about to sail off into the sunset. Whatever it is we would be delighted to hear from you. |
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| January 2011 Newsletter |
Helping To Put A Little Drama Into Your Life! |
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First of all may we wish you all a somewhat belated, happy, healthy and peaceful 2011.
Apologies for the lateness of this newsletter but various bouts of 'flu in various quarters have taken their toll. However, we are now back on track and have lots to tell you about the Open Forum which Tyldesley Little Theatre kindly hosted for us in November last year.
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The Full Length Play Festival
As expected the Full Length Play Festival was top of the list for discussion. We were asked how Societies make the decision to select which 3 productions can be adjudicated. This question was passed to Denise Soussi (WGRS) to answer. She responded that they simply select the productions “out of a hat”.
A lively debate then followed about the unfairness of the selection procedure. Some Societies have withdrawn from the Festival as they feel that they could not select 3 productions to the satisfaction of their members.
The general concensus was that the 3 production entry was not satisfactory. It was explained by Sue Mooney (Hon Secretary) in great detail the reasons for taking this action to limit the number of entries to three in the first place. The members present were appreciative of this explanation and some constructive suggestions were forthcoming. It was agreed that the Full Length Play Festival will be looked at with a view to including all productions that a Society wishes to enter. This could mean the end of Sections A, B, and C as we know it. This can only be possible with an increase in the number of adjudicators prepared to commit to working September to May and attending an average of 35 productions. We explained that we have been actively seeking more adjudicators and details of the failed Adjudicator Workshop in May / June last year were explained by Jason. It was agreed that we will continue to actively pursue the appointment of additional adjudicators. Sue Mooney emphasised that for the Festival to work we must have the support and commitment from all Societies. To this end it was agreed that in the New Year a questionnaire would be sent to all Society Secretaries and Chairmen. This will be to get a firm commitment to the Festival and to ascertain the number of entries that would have to be distributed amongst the available adjudicators. Once details are received from each Society a working party will consider how to set up the Festival to meet the requirements of the Societies entering. The Spring Forum will be used to launch the new Festival. A questionnaire has been sent out to all the Hon Secs and Chairs and the Board very much looks forward to receiving your prompt replies in order that we can get cracking with what will hopefully be a mutually beneficial reorganisation of the Full Length Festival. If you have not received the questionnaire bythe end of this week please conact us and we will send you a copy.
Festival Costs
We were asked if adjudicators needed a script for each production they adjudicated. Ian Hornby (adjudicator Section C) commented that he did not always require a script as he had a knowledge of most plays being performed or had access to a script. For the time being scripts will still be required by the adjudicators. Members were reminded that scripts were available from DAW, Lancashire Libraries, and LTG all have a script service.
There were no plans to increase the fees for entry into the Full Length Play Festival. Whilst we can still appoint non-GODA adjudicators fees would remain constant.
One Act Play Festival
The host Society would be asked to make a contribution to the success of the Festival by local advertising and promoting the event through their patronage and members. The Festival is to be promoted by the increase of in house publicity and marketing. Brian Lawson (adjudicator Section A) commented that he mentions entering the One Act Play Festival at each of his visits to a Society.
Courses
Comments were raised that there were no courses available. It was mentioned that these had been organised in the past with little or no support from member societies. We informed the meeting that the GMDF could arrange any type of course that a Society would like to host. Meg Bray has offered to host a course specifically for youth in voice production.
Online Ticketing
We were asked for any contacts in this field. Enquiries will be made and this topic will be covered in a future Cues. Anyone with direct experience would be invited to share their experience with the members.
Awards Night Dinner
There were several comments that this was an enjoyable event. More attention to detail in the presentation of the on screen material was neede. This was noted.
The end of evening dancing needs to be promoted.
Tyldesley Little Theatre were thanked for their hospitality at what was a very informative evening for all concerned. We hope to repeat the process in the Spring with updates of the Full Length Festival and any topics that the membership wishes to discuss. Suggestions from the evening will also be discussed at future Board meetings.
So there you have it folks, plenty of food for thought all round. We shall be discussing all this at our next Board meeting and will be back in touch with you with our thoughts and suggestions. In order not to make this Cues! a marathon reading session it will finish here and a further Cues! will follow very shortly.
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If you wish to unsubscribe to Cues! please reply to this email and put Unsubscribe in the subject line or log onto the Cues! page on the website and click on the unsubscribe option. Thank you.
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