Function Factory actress and playwright, Yvonne Tennant, is among the 18 shortlisted for the art08 awards, the annual celebration of excellence and innovation in the arts across the north west.
Yvonne, who goes under the Equity name of Yvonne Pinnington, has been nominated for her work in providing free drama and music activities for young people in Pendle.
Yvonne formerly ran the “Bright Sparks”, Lancashire Children’s Fund funded arts project for Pendle Leisure Trust. When the Children’s Fund ceased to exist and the project ended, Yvonne was determined that the youngsters of Pendle were not going to lose out. She called in favours from fellow professionals and voluntarily set up two youth theatres (“The Fuse” and “Fuse 1318”) and Bright Fusion Samba Band and worked with parents to establish Fusion Community Arts in order to raise funds to make the groups sustainable.
Yvonne is surprised and flattered by the nomination which was made by some of the young people she works with.
"I was gobsmacked when I got the phone call," she says, "it was one of the very rare occassions that I have been totally lost for words. I am really proud of the young people that I work with and of their achievements but for them to do this, it is amazing."
art08 aims to promote and celebrate excellence and innovation in the arts across the north west and to recognise and reward those local groups, organisations and individuals who are creating truly inspiring and engaging work.
Entries were welcome from any field and any discipline from festivals to dance and from theatre to visual or combined arts, literature or music. There are five award categories and an overall £10,000 prize will be awarded for Outstanding Achievement in the Arts. There will be a special awards ceremony at Liverpool’s Novas Contemporary Urban Centre to announce the winners.
Aileen McEvoy, Interim Executive Director, Arts Council England, North West said: “We are delighted at the record levels of interest generated in art08, with over two hundred and eighty nominations received for the five award categories. The arts play a major part in the life of the region and art08 highlights the sheer diversity and range of great art that the north west is home to. art08 promises to be a fantastic event in which we will celebrate artistic excellence, innovation and energy as we recognise the strengths and the achievements of the arts in the north west."Now in its fifth consecutive year, art08 attracted a record number of nominations from the public and arts professionals across the globe, with votes received from as far afield as Cuba and Poland.
The shortlist was announced today by Arts Council England, North West, in partnership with the Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA).
Another Sell Out Show at Lancaster Castle 1st November 2008
Function Factory have just completed another sell out run of "Cold Light Singing" at Lancaster Castle.
The pre-halloween performances marked the company's fourth visit to the castle, where the 'real' Pendle Witches were imprisoned prior to their execution in 1612 and were sponsored by Moorhouse's Brewery, famed for it's Pendle Witches Brew, Black Cat and Blonde Witch beers. "It is really a rather strange experience, performing in the place where the people that you are portraying spent their final days." Says playwright / actor, Yvonne Pinnington. "Apart from the eerie connection to the women themselves, the staging of the performance is very different to how we do it in a conventional theatre space. Here, it takes on something of a promenade performance with the audience moving from space to space with the characters."
The company are now also offering a range of education workshops related to "Cold Light Singing". See our EDUCATION page for more details.
Pictured below Anne Redfearn (Yvonne Pinnington) is questioned by Roger Nowell (Christopher Garton)
Teaming Up With The Community
As part of our growing outreach activities, Function Factory have teamed up with Fusion Community Arts to facilitate free drama and music activities for children and young people in Pendle.
The company are now running youth theatre sessions for 8 - 18 year olds along with a Samba band for the same age group.
See our "Youth Theatre" and "Bright Fusion Samba" pages for more details.
