Students’ fight to take to the stage
STUDENTS are set to protest against proposed cuts to the arts by putting on a series of plays this weekend.
Drama and performing arts students at the University of Bedfordshire have set up a local performance of national event Theatre Uncut, which is taking place at Southwark Playhouse in London this week.
Sam Turton, who is in his second year studying theatre and professional practice at the Bedford campus, has organised four of the plays to be performed on Saturday by university students.
He said: “I think it’s really important that we get involved because this is our future careers that they are proposing to make cuts to.
“Theatre Uncut is a national protest, and we have taken four of the eight plays being performed at Southwark. Each one has an underlying message about different things that are happening in the world at the moment.
“We were hoping that we could get at least one MP to come along as well or members of the council, but unfortunately nobody has really got back to us about it, which is a bit of a shame.
“We also plan to have a discussion about the cuts, proposed both nationally and locally, after the performances, so it would have been nice to have an MP to listen to that.”
Sam and fellow students Alex Mckay and Kerry Culling who have helped organised the event, feel the biggest cut locally to the arts is the proposed closure to the Civic Theatre.
Alex added: “Bedford is such a great place for theatre shows, but people just don’t know about it. The Civic Theatre was great for small theatre companies, but it just wasn’t used enough.”
The event on Saturday is taking place at 7.30pm. It is free, but places are limited. Email Tuczemskyi@hotmail.com to book your place.
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Weather for Bedford
Tuesday 29 May 2012
Today
Cloudy
Temperature: 12 C to 19 C
Wind Speed: 9 mph
Wind direction: North east
Tomorrow
Light showers
Temperature: 12 C to 21 C
Wind Speed: 9 mph
Wind direction: South west
