MEDIA RELEASE

Kilter Theatre presents Roots REPLANTED 

An allotment tour of love and vegetables, adapted for each new site!

The University of Bath’s ICIA (Institute for Contemporary Interdisciplinary Arts) has once again commissioned Kilter Theatre to pioneer at the cutting edge of sustainable theatre practise. This September Kilter will embark on a low-carbon tour, adapting last year’s runaway success, Roots, for four new allotment sites in Bristol, Bath and beyond in September 2010.

Roots sold out at the Bath Organic G roup Community Allotments in the 2009 Bath Fringe Festival. Oliver Langdon, Joint Director of Kilter, said “last year’s show was so successful in inspiring people to explore their relationships with food and the land that we had 75% of audiences committing to more sustainable behaviour there and then.”

Roots Replanted’s playful and engaging characters guide audiences on a gentle promenade journey down the bean-rows to investigate food-security in the fast approaching post-oil world. In 2009, participants, aged 8 to 80, followed the action, planting seedlings and eating nettle soup. According to the Metro review (*****) it was “theatre at point blank range”.

Caroline Garland, Joint Director of Kilter, said, “We are on a mission to not only inspire sustainability with the content of our shows but to create a sustainable theatre practise for ourselves. Audiences travel from far and wide to see us and these journeys contribute heavily to our carbon footprint.  This year we have decided to scatter the seeds of change more widely by devising a sustainable touring model so we can travel further afield. We will travel on foot, bicycle and public transport to craft four bespoke productions in one month.”

As usual the company will use recycled props, sets and costumes and all performances will take place in the open air, without electric lights or amplification.  Some scenes will shelter in the company’s trademark set, created entirely from recycled materials found on each site.

Even elements of the script will be found on site as Kilter will host a series of public sessions for people to contribute anecdotal reminiscences about their local site. “It’s invaluable to Kilter that the community get involved,” said Oliver. “The shed will be a focus point, with work from a local artist exhibited during performance weeks to encourage day-time visitors”.

Roots Replanted is being supported by Arts Council England Grants for the Arts and Quartet Community Foundation.

Kilter’s previous work with ICIA: As part of the Bath Fringe Festival, Kilter staged Back on Track along the Bath Bristol cycle-track in 2008. Audiences followed on bicycles as Kilter performed en route, inspired by stories of the old railway path. In 2007 they presented Remote Patrol in Bath Abbey Cemetery, Widcombe, where their promenade performance brought a forgotten wilderness to life.

Tickets are priced at £9 (Concessions £7) and are on sale from ICIA’s Box Office 01225 386777 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              01225 386777      end_of_the_skype_highlighting
 
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For further information please contact Matthew Austin (press) on 07989 500732 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              07989 500732      end_of_the_skype_highlighting
Or Ollie Langdon (Kilter) on 07980 882010 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              07980 882010      end_of_the_skype_highlighting

Notes

1. Listings details

Tour dates:

Performance Times for all sites: Thurs to Sat at 7.30pm, Sat & Sun at 2.30pm

2 – 5 Sept
St Werburgh’s City Farm, Boiling Wells, Bristol BS2 9YJ

9 – 12 Sept
Hampton Row Allotments, Bathwick, Bath BA2 6QS

16 – 19 Sept
Peasedown St John Community Farm, Dunkerton Hill BA2 8PJ

23 – 26 Sept
Bloomfield Allotments, Bear Flat, Bath BA2 2AB

Advance booking advisable via ICIA Box Office 01225 386777 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              01225 386777      end_of_the_skype_highlighting
Ideal for all ages from 12 upwards.

www.bath.ac.uk/icia · www.kiltertheatre.org

Community Contribution:
Kilter are inviting local people to share their history and interest in food by joining them to an open meeting at each allotment site during their rehearsal period. All welcome.
Tues 27 July, 7pm
St Werburgh’s City Farm, Boiling Wells, Bristol

Sun 8 Aug, 2pm
Hampton Row Allotments, Bath

Tues 17 Aug, 7pm
Peasedown St John Community Farm

Tues 24 Aug, 7pm
Bloomfield Allotments, Bath

Kilter Theatre Workshops:
Kilter will also be running free theatre workshops after the Roots Replanted tour. The company offers 25 places to those who want to find out about Kilter’s process. It is open to all - the only requirement is to know the company’s work. Book via ICIA, various dates & venues in October. Check www.kiltertheatre.org for more details.
Kilter’s website for details.

2. Kilter’s Mission
Kilter is a sustainable theatre company that includes experienced theatre practitioners and professionals in the field of sustainable development. They specialise in creating site-specific, devised theatre that engages audiences in issues on the environment, social justice and English heritage in Bath and surrounding area.  www.kiltertheatre.org
             
3. Praise for Kilter’s work

Remote Patrol 2007:
"That's fringe theatre! ... spectacularly atmospheric. It wasn't preachy; it dealt primarily in images, leaving you to make what you wanted of them. Magic”  ****
Venue Magazine

"A great project in a relevant and great site!"
Kate Cross, Artistic Director, the egg, Theatre Royal Bath

Back on Track 2008:
"Do yourself a favour and book a ticket”
Bath Friends of the Earth

Roots, 2009:
“The performance succeeded admirably in the difficult task of being provocative without being preachy, witty and amusing without being flippant, and highly entertaining without once trivialising the underlying issues. I am pleased that B&NES Arts Development were able to support Kilter in creating Roots. This is precisely the kind of relevant, developmental creative work that public money should be spent upon.” Peter Salt,  B&NES Arts Development

“It is rare to find a piece of live entertainment that is completely unique, but Kilter's breathtaking piece of site-specific theatre is refreshingly original and a real slice of bohemian magic...seamlessly delivered...superbly crafted... delightfully portrayed. From the moment the experience began, we felt like Alice, falling down the rabbit hole, as we planted flowers, dug up maps and ate delicious nettle soup in a Hansel and Gretel house made almost entirely from junk found in the area. This was such an intimate and organic piece of contemporary art that the audience left the allotments with an experience that will last long after the trees have shed their leaves. Highly recommended.”
Bath Chronicle

4. ICIA at University of Bath
Supporting Artists & Commissioning Work

ICIA invests in a number of innovative artists, performers and musicians – from the start of an idea to its final realisation. It nurtures long-term relationships, supporting research and development, and commissioning new pieces of work. The University of Bath is one of the UK’s leading universities, with an international reputation for quality research and teaching. View a full list of the University’s press releases: http://www.bath.ac.uk/pr/releases