LET ME BE. New short course for theatre-makers. Let me be that I am, and seek not to alter me. Quote from Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare. About Let Me Be. Let Me Be is a new digitally-delivered course created by 1623 theatre company and Graeae to develop your theatre-making skills. The course explores Shakespeare’s characters, your own stories, and how they relate in autobiographical performance. You will have the option to create a new piece of work-in-progress as a token of celebration, to share to a small and friendly audience. The course aims to foster a safe space to support creativity and artistic development for a new collective of Deaf, disabled and neurodivergent artists at any stage of their career. Who is the course for. The course is tailored to actors, directors, theatre makers at all career stages, no matter how much experience of Shakespeare or autobiographical work. The course is open to anyone over the age of 16 who is Deaf, disabled or neurodivergent. When does the course run. Tuesday 5 October 2021 until Tuesday 7 December, 11am until 1pm, online. When your place is confirmed, you are committing to attend the first five weeks. You then have the option to continue for a further five weeks which culminates in a sharing of your work. This ten week course is split into two stages to offer flexibility for those who may find long commitments challenging at this current time. How much does it cost. The course fee is five pounds and we do encourage your full commitment and engagement in the first five sessions. If you miss the first two sessions, we will need to offer your place to another person, in fairness to those who may be on a waiting list. This course is designed, delivered and administrated by disabled artists and great care goes into the coordination and ensuring the best provisions are offered. In return, your participation and intentions to commit to the first five sessions are appreciated. Where and how is the course delivered. The course will take place on Zoom across five weeks, so five sessions, with the option to continue onto the second stage beyond this for a further five weeks. Sessions will be practical and participatory. They will run for approximately two hours, with comfort breaks and work taking place in breakout rooms. You will be working with 1623’s Artistic Director Ben Spiller and Associate Artist Sam Becket Jr and Graeae’s Creative Learning Director Jodi-Alissa Bickerton. Each week, you’ll be required to do some preparation in advance of the upcoming session. This may include working in pairs or individually. We would suggest you would need to set aside approximately one hour of preparation time per week. Act One. Week One. Chat, Explore. What is your experience of Shakespeare so far. What do you want from this course. Which Shakespeare characters inspire you. Who is your alter ego. Week Two. Write, Respond. What would you put in a message to your alter-ego. How would your alter ego reply to your message. Week Three. Share, Edit. Share back your messages to each other. How could you bring together your message and alter ego’s response. Week Four and Week Five. Rehearse. What happens why you try out your editing ideas for real. Act Two. This is optional for those who are enjoying the course and wish to continue towards a scratch performance to a supportive, friendly online audience. Week Six. Share. How do you and other artists on the course react to your work so far. Week Seven and Week Eight. Refine. Which bits of feedback will help you take your work to the next stage. Week Nine. Scratch. Present your work as a collaboration with other artists, as a writer, performer or either. What is the vibe when you share your work in progress. Week Ten. Reflect. We all reunite. How was it all and what do you want to do next. Participants are required to attend as many sessions as possible to gain the most from the spirit and outcomes possible from the course. Access provision. All participants confirmed on the course will be asked to complete an Access Provision form, to assist us with addressing your individual access needs. Provision may include: captions/palantypist, British Sign Language interpreters, Access Support workers or information in Easy Read, Plain Text, Large Text or Braille. All sessions will include as standard: audio description, embedded captions by a professional palantypist, comfort breaks and information in Easy Read, Plain Text and Braille formats. Availability. There is a limit of twelve places available on this course. Booking enquiries close on Sunday 12 September 2021. How do I request a booking on the course. Write to us in an email or you can email us a voice or video message to introduce yourself. Please include: 1. Your full name 2. Your location (town/city) 3. Why you are keen to take part in this course 4. Anything else which helps us understand more about you and your creative practice or aspirations. Send to ben@1623theatre.co.uk by Sunday 12 September 2021. We will confirm if you have a place on the course by return email by Wednesday 15 September. It may be you are placed on a waiting list if we are over subscribed. Upon confirmation, we will ask you to complete an Access Provision form. We will also ask you to declare your commitment and intention to take part in the course, for our reassurance.