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A Welsh theatre company has made the shortlist of the 2022 ‘Fantastic for Families’ awards which showcases the best in UK creative provision for children and older audiences.

Taking Flight Theatre, a company of Deaf, disabled and non-disabled performers, is the only Wales based company to be nominated.

The company made the shortlist under the ‘Best Family Arts Activity’ category for its innovative co-production ‘The Curious Case of Aberlliw’, along with LAS Theatre.

Teaming up as the national lockdowns came to an end, Taking Flight and LAS created an app-based hybrid event in a bid to offer an engaging, inclusive, cultural experience for family audiences which were not yet feeling safe to get back to the theatre in a post-pandemic world.

The app helped families re-engage with each other and nature, using tech in a positive way to stimulate family interaction. The app was available in English and Welsh, with both languages supported by BSL sign language and captioned videos.

Responding to a mission brief from ‘The Department of Strange Events’, participants were called up to solve puzzles, find clues and go adventuring, using the app in the great outdoors at Llyn Llech Owain, Cross Hands and Bryngarw Country Park.

Agents

Once signed up, the participants became ‘agents’ for the Department of Strange Events and they received a time slot and a mission brief which could either be accessed on their own phones, or on tablets loaned by the company.

This year the project developed further, allowing for the integration of a live opening show with actors on site interacting with families throughout their experience. The event toured Wales between April and August, on tour and as part of the Summer of Fun initiative.

Revealing the shortlisting announcement on Twitter, the company said: “The cat is out of the bag! We are over the moon that we made the cut this year @fantasticforfam Out of adversity and all that. Much love to @LAStheatre @matts_graphics @awen_wales & @TheatrauSirGar without whom we would never have put the colour back in #Aberlliw.”

The cat is out of the bag! We are over the moon that we made the cut this year @fantasticforfam. Out of adversity and all that. Much love to @LAStheatre @matts_graphics @awen_wales & @TheatrauSirGar without whom we would never have put the colour back in #Aberlliw https://t.co/I3q9apVk41

— Taking Flight (@takingflightco) September 23, 2022

Disabled talent

Taking Flight says it aims to make bold, unusual theatre productions with Deaf, disabled and non-disabled performers, performing in unusual, out-of-the-way places as well as traditional theatre spaces.

By running inclusive professional training courses & mentoring schemes for people who identify as Deaf or disabled and are looking for the next step into a career in theatre, or to develop existing skills & build confidence, they nurture the next generation of disabled talent, both on stage & behind the scenes.

Taking Flight is just about to launch it’s latest production, ‘Road’ by Jim Cartwright (The Rise & Fall of Littlevoice) in a new accessible imagining of the play, relocated to the South Wales Valleys.

LAStheatre’s practice centres around participatory performance, working alongside communities to playfully develop a vocabulary to ignite and stimulate important conversations.

The company also toured the popular Rascally Diner around Welsh venues as part of this year’s Summer of Fun activities.

Ceremony

Winners will be announced on 16 November 2022 in the free online awards ceremony.

More information about the other categories and companies who made the shortlist can be found here and information about organisations that are in the ‘Fantastic for Families’ directory can be found here.

The south Wales valleys are known for their tight-knit and strong communities, now a new BBC Wales show, Full House, explores one venue in the Rhondda Valleys at the heart of one of those communities and gets to know the people who visit there – Tonypandy‘s bingo hall Judges.

While the imposing building next to the railway station may not look much from the outside, Judges is a hive of fun activity on the inside. From grandparents and grandchildren, to work dos and parents escaping the night for a date, everyone and anyone can enjoy a night at this bingo hall.

But Full House, which begins on Friday, September 23 at 8.50pm on BBC One Wales, is not just about bingo, but it gives us a glimpse into the daily lives and stories of those who visit and as you’d expect, there’s some emotional stories to be found, including that of young tattoo artist, Tammy, who’s experiencing early menopause and a hard-working couple who run a cleaning business, inspired by the death of a someone very close to them.

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21-years-old, Tammy is a tattoo shop owner alongside her dad AJ, and Tammy has endometriosis.

Not currently able to work due to the pain endometriosis causes her, she says on some days she can’t get out of bed. She said: “I literally can’t remember the last time that I wasn’t in pain. I’m constantly drained and tired because I’m always just fighting against myself.”

Dad, AJ, is worried about her not being able to work. He said: “Since she hasn’t been able to come to work at all, I worry about her coping…being so young and fragile I worry about how she is going to cope being ill.”

Because of the condition Tammy has had to go into early menopause and became emotional while speaking about the possibility she might not be able to have children. She said: “The thought about not being able to have children it does…” and beginning to cry she said: “It’s horrible really thinking that maybe I’ll never be able to have a family of my own.”

Also at Judges enjoying a game of housie are Debbie and her wife Tina, who are treating their work team to a night out at the bingo. Debbie set up her cleaning business, which has gone from strength to strength, for a very personal reason.

Debbie explained she set up the business after her mother, who had a habit of hoarding, died and Debbie saw the effect this had on her, leading her to set up a cleaning business to help others in the same position.

She said: “I opened it because my mother passed away. My mother was a hoarder so my father asked me when she passed away if I would go in…because he just didn’t want to live in the clutter anymore.”

Debbie explained how helping her dad motivated her to open her own business. She said: “So I went in and I helped him and I’d seen how much it changed his life and how so much better he felt.”

“My mother was always immaculately dressed…people who lived in her street didn’t know my mother was a hoarder. You can’t really tell until you actually try to get through the front door.”

Debbie wants to help others, she said: “I’ve lived it…I’ve actually lived a hoarding life. I have got an understanding of how overwhelming it can be for clients. I’ll take them by the hand and help them be able to let go.”

While neither Tammy nor Debbie won at the bingo, Debbie did have some good news for her work team. They had made it through to the finals of the Welsh Business awards and are all planning on going to Cardiff for the awards ceremony.

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