We’ve been working within Waltham Forest borough for over a decade, and brilliantly today we announced our initial programming and opening for Soho Theatre Walthamstow. We’ve got so much to announce over the coming months in the lead up to May, we thought we’d take a moment to look at a wee look at of what we’ve been up to in the borough these last 12months, and an overview of the activities and events you can expect as announced today.
Coming up:
Locally, to celebrate the opening, Soho Theatre Walthamstow will offer 15,000 tickets for £15 across the first year of shows – from May 2025 up to May 2026 – to those who live, work or study in the borough as part of Soho Theatre’s partnership with Waltham Forest Council. And incredibly, Waltham Forest absolutely came through this morning, snapping up our first release of £15 tickets faster than you can say Soho Theatre Walthamstow.
Other areas of creative engagement will include heritage building tours and cross-borough events such as a two-day film festival celebrating Walthamstow’s contribution to the world of cinema from 1800 – the present day (28th June & 26th July) curated by The McGuffin Film Society which returns to its home venue after a 22-year absence (more events and details to be announced soon).
Aligning with Soho Theatre’s mission to create new work, nurture creative talent and engage diverse audiences, will be a line-up of taster workshops, full-length Local Labs, In Conversation events, Write Night (playwrights drop-in sessions) and The Makers Lab (a programme for solo artists or small ensembles to devise innovative new work). Young people will be able to get involved through various schemes including the Primary Playwrights programme which supports young people (across five schools in the borough) to write their first play; the launch of Soho Theatre’s Panto Young Company, in partnership with Susie McKenna who will work with local performing arts schools; NT Connections which will give young people the chance to perform new work on stage by some of the UK’s most exciting writers and the continuation of Soho Theatre’s work with training programme Future Formed, with Waltham Forest Council, which supports access for young people into the cultural sector through training and paid placements in tech, producing and backstage.
Make sure you’re signed up to our Newsletter and socials for upcoming announcements, events and activities.
Meanwhile, let’s have a look at what we’ve been up to:
From teaching 10-year-olds to write plays, to supporting locals performing stand-up for the first time; we work with a huge range of local people and organisations. As it’s only January, here’s a wee snapshot of 2024 in the borough looked like…
FEBRUARY ’24
We kicked off February with a pilot 8-week comedy and theatre taster at the Mill Community Centre. A group of Waltham Forest locals came together to learn about playwriting, stand-up and sketch comedy, led by artist Benjamin Salmon with comedian Sikisa Boswick Barnes, in a guest session.
As February is LGBTQ+ history month, we worked closely with the phenomenal East London Out Project (ELOP), an award-winning LGBTQ+ mental health and wellbeing charity. Their support groups came along for some playwrighting workshops.
MARCH ’24
On World Theatre Day, we visited Wood Street Library with award-winning writer and comedian Fran Bushe, and Soho Theatre Creative Associate Pooja Sivarama. Together, they talked about turning personal stories into something a bit more interesting for the stage.
MAY ’24
At Lea Bridge Road Library, we held an event spilling the tea about the Serious Business of Comedy and Cabaret. Hosted by our Comedy Producer Lee Griffiths, audiences gained insight into the entertainment industry from drag artist Amrou Al-Kadhi and award-winning comedian Sikisa Bostwick-Barnes, as well as Soho Theatre Walthamstow programmer Jet.
JULY ’24
We were found hanging out in Walthamstow Library, for a Writers’ Lab taster session introducing locals to playwriting skills. All expertly guided by Writers’ Lab course leader, Sharmila Chauhan, who returned to her roots in Walthamstow.
AUGUST ’24
During our Edinburgh Fringe Experience callout, we were buddying up with emerging artists across Waltham Forest from Third Space.
OCTOBER ’24
Meet the Team is our monthly opportunity to have an informal chat about Soho Theatre Walthamstow and all its activities over a cup of tea or a pint – or a pint of tea. In October we welcomed our lovely neighbours to pop into our office in Hatherley Mews and The Collab for some bevvys and networking.
NOVEMBER ’24
Our playwrighting workshops with primary schools in the borough, Primary Playwrights, over two months culminates in professional actors performing a selection of the Year 6 student plays on one of our stages – cool, huh. Schools participating in 2024 included Yardley Primary in Chingford, Gwyn Jones Primary and Jenny Hammond Primary in Leytonstone, Edinburgh and Henry Maynard Primary in Walthamstow and Downsell Primary in Leyton.
DECEMBER ’24
Our year-long The Love Project in the George Mason Lodge – a theatre and writing-based initiative in collaboration with the NHS for patients living with dementia – wrapped up in a six week course facilitated by Chloe Todd-Fordham, and what an absolute delight it was.
JANUARY ’25
We’re currently having an absolute ball running Communi-Tea Theatremaker and comedy workshops at Good Shephard’s Studios in Leytonstone with their over 50’s.
We’re really looking forward to sharing more information with you about our creative engagement activities across the borough and at Soho Theatre Walthamstow over the coming months. Do come and have a chat with us at Meet The Teams in the meantime. Next one is Thursday 30 January from 6pm at The Collab – check our socials for more details.
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