MONDAY 4 OCTOBER | 10:00 – 12:00
Breakfast at Tara Theatre
Kick-off Cultivate with coffee and pastries in our cafe. The Tara Theatre team will be there to welcome you into our lovely building and tell you first hand about the great opportunities we have coming up this Autumn and further into the future. Use this opportunity to come say hello, pitch us an idea or just come for the lovely pastries and coffee.
No booking required
MONDAY 4 OCTOBER | 19:00 – 20:00
In Conversation with Vinay Patel and Nish Kumar
A live ‘in conversation’ event at Tara Theatre between writers and friends Vinay Patel and Nish Kumar discussing how their practices have shifted over time.
Vinay Patel has written for Doctor Who for the last two years (including episodes Demons of the Punjab and Fugitive of the Judoon). For stage Vinay wrote the beautiful An Adventure at the Bush Theatre, Sticks and Stones for the Paines Plough Roundabout and his debut play True Brits.
Nish Kumar is a critically acclaimed comic, writer, author, and host. In 2020 during the Coronavirus pandemic Nish created and starred in a new series Hello America for the short lived American streaming platform Quibi. Nish has created many successful shows for stage including It’s In Your Nature To Destroy Yourself and Long Word, Long Word, Blah Blah Blah, I’m So Clever.
WEDNESDAY 6 OCTOBER | 14:00 – 17:00 (SOLD OUT)
Writing Scenes and Plays with Atiha Sen–Gupta
Led by British playwright and screenwriter Atiha Sen-Gupta, this is a 3-hour long workshop that will delve into the drama of everyday life to create dynamic scenes. Atiha has written for television programmes such as Skins and Holby City and was writer-in-residence for Theatre Royal Stratford East in 2016.
Limited to 10 spaces.
WEDNESDAY 6 OCTOBER | 19:00 – 20:00
In Conversation with Pooja Ghai and Abdul Shayek
A live ‘in conversation’ event between Pooja Ghai and Abdul Shayek who will be talking about the joys and challenges of being a leading theatre director in the UK.
Pooja Ghai recently directed 2020 here at Tara Theatre and was Associate Director of Theatre Royal Stratford East from 2015 to 2017 and is the Co-Chair for Artistic Directors of the Future (ADF). Pooja is a director, dramaturg, actor, producer, mentor and agent for change.
Abdul Shayek is Artistic Director of Tara Theatre and was previously the founding Artistic Director & CEO of Fio, an international theatre company based in Cardiff and the only Asian, Black and ethnically diverse-led theatre company in Wales.
THURSDAY 7 OCTOBER | 10:00 – 13:00
Intro to Lighting Design with Rajiv Pattani
Led by lighting designer Rajiv Pattani, this workshop is the ultimate, comprehensive guide on creating a lighting design, taking you through the whole process from start to end. Rajiv has worked as a lighting designer and technician for theatres such as the Bush Theatre, Unicorn Theatre and Hampstead Theatre.
Limited to 10 spaces.
THURSDAY 7 OCTOBER | 19:00 – 20:00
In Conversation with Amaka Okafor and Balvinder Sopal
A live ‘in conversation’ event between two leading female actors of stage and screen in the UK today.
Amaka Okafor has acted in many groundbreaking productions for the stage including Robert Icke’s production of Hamlet, Stef Smith’s Nora: A Doll’s House and Michael Longhurst’s production of The Son.
Balvinder Sopal is known for playing villain Suki Panesar on EastEnders, and she has many years of experience on stage including the 2019 UK Tour of My Beautiful Laundrette and Black Teeth and Brilliant Smile at Freedom Studios.
FRIDAY 8 OCTOBER | 10:00 – 13:00
Producing 101 with Nisha Oza
Get inside the ‘Independent Producing with an inclusive ethos’ mindset with Nisha Oza through a set of practical activities. Make sure you bring along an idea for a project or production with you! Nisha is a Creative Producer and Co-Founder of The Lot Productions.
Limited to 10 spaces.
FRIDAY 8 OCTOBER | 18:00 – 19:30
The Listening Space and South Asian Theatre Network
A space for theatre professionals to come together for informal networking. This is the space to meet people to create teams, find potential mentors or find a pathway into the industry in a relaxed environment.
We will then move on to discussing the report on creating a South Asian theatre network written by Shreela Ghosh following industry consultations. We will email the report so that people who sign up to attend can share their immediate responses to the report and what they want to see happen next.
