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The new Nottingham University Samworth Academy building will be the stage backdrop for a unique theatrical experience this weekend, the day after its official opening by Olympic champion, Dame Kelly Holmes.
People living near the new £24 million Academy in Bilborough, may have noticed curious goings on in the streets around the new building over the past few months… ladies walking around carrying strange signs and other bizarre characters. But on Saturday all will become clear as an unusual piece of community theatre to celebrate the new Academy starts to unfold.
Nottingham-based Community Theatre team, Hanby and Barrett, have a University-funded residency in Bilborough with a remit to use the arts to bring different parts of the community together. Saturday’s performance is the culmination of a trilogy of shows based in Bilborough and featuring aspects of local life over the past two years.
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The Academy is opening its doors to the local community and the wider city from 2pm until 5pm on Saturday. There will be guided tours of the new Academy complex which features state-of-the-art teaching spaces and facilities.
Then at 7.30pm an unusual piece of community theatre will start to unfold in front of the Academy with a large local cast featuring pyrotechnics and film sequences.
Writer, Andy Barrett, said: “This is our third show for the University in Bilborough, and whereas the other two have been about looking backwards this one is about the future. It's probably one of the most challenging shows we've created to date in terms of its use of film and pyrotechnics, but it's also one that has had a huge amount of local involvement. We don't want to give too much away but we're sure it'll be enjoyed by all that see it. It's very, very unusual.”
Julian Hanby, producer for the project, said: “Working at such a new building has had its problems, mainly due to the fact that access has been so limited while it's been a building site! But the cast and crew are rallying round and things are really taking shape. The staff at the Academy have been very helpful too, and the evening looks set to be hugely memorable for both the audience and participants alike.”
The Academy’s Principal, David Harris, is starring in the play. He said: “I think it is going to be a truly incredible evening — something that may cause you to view the area in which you live in a totally different light. I urge you not to miss it!”
Professor Di Birch, governor of the Academy and NUSA Project Director on behalf of the University, is also appearing in the play. She said: “'There can't be many governors who get to know the people living near their school like this! The youngest members of our cast are still at primary school, the older ones have retired, but we have all had great fun working with Hanby and Barrett and being part of the first ever production at NUSA”.
The event is free and no ticket is required, just turn up on the night at The Nottingham University Samworth Academy (formerly William Sharp School), Bramhall Road, Bilborough, Nottingham NG8 4HY.
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Notes to editors: The University of Nottingham, described by The Times as Britain's “only truly global university”, has award-winning campuses in the United Kingdom, China and Malaysia. It is ranked in the UK's Top 10 and the World's Top 75 universities by the Shanghai Jiao Tong (SJTU) and the QS World University Rankings.
The University is committed to providing a truly international education for its 39,000 students, producing world-leading research and benefiting the communities around its campuses in the UK and Asia.
More than 90 per cent of research at The University of Nottingham is of international quality, according to the most recent Research Assessment Exercise, with almost 60 per cent of all research defined as ‘world-leading’ or ‘internationally excellent’. Research Fortnight analysis of RAE 2008 ranked the University 7th in the UK by research power.
The University’s vision is to be recognised around the world for its signature contributions, especially in global food security, energy & sustainability, and health.
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