b-side Festival returns to Portland this year for 10 days of art in unusual places and a multitude of talks, events and activities that explore the intriguing Isle of Portland. This year b-side festival will be supporting The Royal Manor Theatre’s Sponsor a Seat campaign in a rather special way!
Bristol based performer Tom Marshman is offering seat sponsors the chance to have their story made into a short live performance. This is a unique opportunity to support The Royal Manor Theatre by sponsoring a seat, and receiving a bespoke performance celebrating your special chair with all proceeds going directly to the theatre.
Ten lucky people could have their personal stories transformed into a live performance by Tom to be performed at The Royal Manor Theatre as part of the b-side Festival in September 2014. Local Portland girl Storm Wallace is just one of the lucky few to be taking part, b-side Festival nominated Storm following her tireless community work on Portland during the recent storms that hit the Island.
b-side Festival Producer Sandy Kirkby said “There was so much focus on Portland during the recent severe weather and we were following the ‘action’ as it happened on Facebook and twitter. Storm’s name kept cropping up and we could see her galvanising locals to clean the beach, help local people affected by the storms and much more. We want to celebrate local community heroes like Storm and this is a rather unique way to do it - now there will be a seat named in her honour at the theatre as well as The Storm Wallace story live on stage! “
If you think you would like to sponsor a seat and see your or a loved one’s story performed live onstage, you can call in and meet Tom Marshman who will be talking about his Royal Manor Theatre project alongside other b-side artists on March 4th 7pm at Jacksons Gallery, Fortuneswell, Portland.
If you can’t make the evening but you would like to get involved in the sponsor a seat project, please contact producer@tommarshman or call b-side festival’s Sally Watkins 07974 698526 only 10 people can take part, so be sure to act fast!
Editors Notes:
- b-side Festival is funded by Arts Council England
- b-side multimedia is an artist-led organisation, which works with, and commissions artists to make new site-responsive work revealing the marginal, often forgotten and less commercial aspects of Dorset’s coastal towns and communities. A biennial festival in Weymouth and Portland showcases the work of the organisation.
- The next b-side Festival takes place on Portland between September 5th and 14th 2014
- For more info on b-side: www.b-side.org.uk
For all press enquiries and photo opportunities please contact:
Sandy Kirkby producer@b-side.org.uk 07770 856 253