Get ready for girl power
THIS new show and workshop will super-power girls and their grannies.
Aidy the Awesome is an aerial theatre show about eight-year old
Aidy who discovers she is a superhero after her grandmother tells her a secret - all women in their family have super powers. Aidy and her awesome granny embark on an adventure that will turn their worlds upside down.
Aimed at three to eight-yearolds and their families, the show intends to highlight to young women that they too can be strong, resilient and empowered.
Hannah Stone, director and creative producer of Aidy the Awesome said: “This is an aerial theatre show with a strong narrative. We will develop it to perform both indoors and outdoors with an all-female cast of four, including an older female aerialist as the Grandmother, as we want to promote the idea that age is no barrier.
“According to the Guardian, children’s media and books are packed with gender stereotypes: princesses waiting for Prince Charming, fairies dressed in pink, and heroic characters that are almost invariably male. So we are keen to explore stories in which girls are protagonists in alternative feisty, funny and strong roles. We want to break down the princess archetype and offer young girls different role models to aspire to.”
The Gramophones have received almost £60,000 from Arts Council England and the Lottery’s AWA fund to put on the new show.
Part of the funding will be used to create a series of participatory, intergenerational, free workshops with grandmothers and grandchildren (five to 12-year-olds) at
Nottingham Playhouse and other venues. The workshops will explore how females are represented in stories, and importantly, how they’d like to be represented, breaking down the ‘damsel in distress’ and ‘little old lady’ stereotypes and building strong relationships between different generations and communities.
■ The first workshops will run from Saturday, November 30, until Saturday, December 14, at Nottingham Playhouse. To get involved, contact Hannah Stone, co-artistic director, 07929 168436, gramophonestheatre@googlemail.com ..
■ Aidy the Awesome will tour next year appearing at Lakeside Arts, Nottingham, on Sunday, July 26, 2020 (Box office: 0115 846 7777 www.lakesidearts.org.uk/) and Déda in Derby on Friday, July 31, 2020 (Box office: 01332 370 911 www.deda.uk.com/).