Escape from Lockdown will be your theme

Regular tourists to Sussex, Heartbreak Productions are asking for short stories from 8-14-year-olds on the theme Escape from Lockdown.
David Fawbert PhotographyDavid Fawbert Photography
David Fawbert Photography

They will choose eight of them to turn into short films.

Maddy Kerr, executive director, Heartbreak Productions, said: “We strongly believe that keeping young people engaged creatively is more important now than ever before. That's why Heartbreak Productions, with the support of Arts Council England, has developed an exciting, topical project aimed at inspiring the UK’s creative youth.

“We have devised a multi-media story-telling competition for KS2/3 children called Tell My Story, in which we ask the children to respond to the stimulus Escape from Lockdown.

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“Children who would like to participate can submit creative work as: written word, music, video, visual art. We at Heartbreak will choose 8 pieces (2 from each category) to develop into 5-minute films with the help of the children.

“The children whose work has been chosen will be involved with the creative teams developing their films via video chat and will have the valuable experience of seeing the process from start to finish.

“The 8 films will be premiered online on September 11. This project is ideal for budding storytellers, film-makers, music-makers, and artists, and we feel it is very important at this time, that all children who may be experiencing trauma and other feelings that they are struggling to identify, be given an exciting and unique opportunity to express themselves.

“Children are our future. And our future theatre-makers/audience. The effects of this current crisis may have permanent impact on their emotional development, ability to interact and make art happen – therefore any platform we can provide for them to create is fantastic.

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“We’re very excited about Tell My Story and look forward to working with the 8 winners – good luck and hope you can be one of them! Huge thanks to Arts Council Covid-19 Emergency Fund for giving us this opportunity.

“Entries are open from June 8th-21st and must be submitted via the Tell My Story page on our website www.heartbreakproductions.co.uk.”

Heartbreak Productions has been touring the UK bringing unique outdoor theatre experiences to audiences from Penzance to John o’Groats for nearly 30 years.

Their regular haunts in Sussex are Borde Hill Garden, Brighton Open Air Theatre, The Royal Hippodrome and the Weald and Downland Living Museum.

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“We usually tour three or four shows a summer, including a classic, e.g. Pride and Prejudice, a Shakespeare, and a family show. The last five years or so we have been touring adaptations of David Walliams books. Our shows are always presented slightly differently, set in alternative settings and usually incorporate some improvised audience involvement. They are great fun and a provide a terrific atmosphere for a summer evening’s entertainment. We are really disappointed not to be heading out this summer.”