Curve & De Montfort University continue strategic cultural partnership with new projects for 2021
Curve and De Montfort University (DMU) have today announced plans to continue their strategic partnerships throughout 2021 with a number of new projects.
DMU are currently sponsoring the Made at Curve production of The Color Purple - At Home, which is now streaming online until Sun 7 March, in association with Birmingham Hippodrome.
The university’s DMU pride events have moved online and as part of this, a digital production of Rob Ward’s Conversations will premiere. The show takes a fresh look at the challenges of the last year and the new battle lines drawn in the fight for LGBTQ+ equality.
Directed by Julia Thomas, the new drama features performances from Ryan Anderson (West Side Story, Curve), Darren Bennett (West Side Story, Curve), Rosie Fleeshman (Narcissist in the Mirror, UK tour), Reece Lyons (Overflow, Bush Theatre), Londiwe Mthembu (Extremisim, Soho Theatre), Corinna Powlesland (Grease, Curve) and Esme Sears (The Wizard of Oz, Leeds Playhouse). Conversations is now available to stream for free until 27 February.
Professional teams at Curve will also work with DMU performing arts students on Federico Garcia Lorca’s poetic tragedy, Blood Wedding. The show will be directed by Curve’s Birkbeck Trainee Director Jennifer Lane Barker and will be staged remotely by a company of Drama BA (Hons) students from the university. It will be available to stream online between 27-31 May.
Curve’s Chief Executive Chris Stafford and Artistic Director Nikolai Foster said: “De Montfort University’s support of Curve has always been phenomenal and even as our theatre doors have remained closed for almost a full year, our partnership with DMU is as strong as ever. We are proud to be partnered with an institution which shares our commitment to our communities, enhancing educational experiences and providing unique opportunities for everyone to create and access culture.
“We’re thrilled to be uniting this year for a diverse range of work, from The Color Purple – at Home to Rob Ward’s new play Conversations (part of this year’s digital DMU PRIDE programme) and our annual co-production - this year Tanya Ronder’s stirring adaptation of Lorca’s Blood Wedding - featuring a talented cohort of students. Whilst we still can’t be together in person, it’s inspiring to see such innovative responses to the challenges of these times. Theatre is all about collaboration and we proud to work alongside DMU, one of this country’s greatest educational institutions.”
Tickets for productions of The Color Purple – at Home, Conversations and Blood Wedding are available to purchase online now here.
