Newbold Legacy Trust has awarded Theatre of the 7 Directions (T7D) a generous grant that will support an extensive range of activities benefiting people who live around Moray, especially Forres.
As a socially conscious Scottish charity, we at T7D are working with the Newbold Legacy Trust to use this grant to increase diversity on our courses and to nourish local talent.
The grant includes the provision of three funded places on our 2024 Ecotheatre Summer Camps in Findhorn – two places for those aged 15-19, and one place on the adult Summer Camp.
“The Newbold Legacy Trust is pleased to support the Theatre of the 7 Directions by awarding a grant to cover costs for the implementation of their 2024/2025 ecotheatre programmes including ecotheatre courses for children and adults, summer camps and ecotheatre performances associated with the programmes.“
Newbold Legacy Trust (NLT) Trustee Anne Skene
The NLT financial support will enable the Theatre company to increase the impact it can make in the Forres area, allowing it to reach more people to deliver an alternative way to see life, respond to life’s difficulties and build self-esteem. The ecotheatre programmes will offer creative experiences that generate emotional and social wellbeing and opportunities to develop effective responses to difficult life situations.
“The fund will allow the courses to be offered in Forres from October 2024 to September 2025. The ecotheatre company hope this new platform will develop solid roots in the Forres community so that future funding can be sought from local business sponsorship and relevant national organisations.”
Much of the grant money kindly provided by Newbold Legacy Trust will be spent on reaching out to the Forres community. Performances, family ‘artist hunt’ days, and participatory opportunities will start to appear in Forres between Autumn 2024 and Spring 2025.
These will include TheatreQuest programmes at Transition Town Forres for children and adults, with 1 in every 8 places being fully-subsidised. TheatreQuest programmes involve fun activities, educational workshops and devising sessions that culminate with a final public performance.
Devising theatre is the process whereby actors with the aid of a director improvise scenes together, which when polished and put together form a final story.
Speaking of the Newbold grant, T7D founder & Artistic Director Laura Pasetti said:
“I’m extremely grateful for this most generous funding as it gives us the opportunity to root ourselves in Moray, and especially Forres, working with local communities. The work of ecotheatre is all about working with communities to restore and strengthen a sense of community.”
Newbold Legacy Trust is an independent grant-making trust that supports voluntary and community groups operating mainly in the Forres Academy catchment area. They support many local organisations such as Dance North Scotland, Film Forres, SwimABLE Scotland and ReBOOT.