In Development: OUR Public House

SYNOPSIS

Our Public House will be a 'state of the nation' theatre production exploring England today, reflecting who we are and how we talk about ourselves.  

Director Josephine Burton and writer Barney Norris are currently developing the script, inspired by speech-making workshops we’ve led across the country.

Partners

University of Birmingham
University of East Anglia
European Speech Writer Network

FunDERS

Arts and Humanities Research Council
Arts Council England
Three Monkies
The Generate Programme, National Theatre
Individual Giving

BACKGROUND

Speech! Speech! Workshops

The research and inspiration behind Our Public House began with a series of workshops across the country in 2023.

With our partners, Birmingham University and the University of East Anglia, we worked with diverse communities across England - including schools, women’s prisons, women’s and men’s social groups, political activists and deaf communities.

In the workshops, we supported participants in crafting and delivering powerful impactful speeches about things they felt passionate about and what they felt needed to change. The speeches were brilliantly diverse, ranging from a campaign for mushrooms campaigns, to increasing universal credit and rent controls, easy access to music lessons, improved special needs education and employer recognition of menopause. Their speeches provoked, persuaded and empowered.

Workshop Partners Included:

Arbouthorne Men’s Social Group, Sheffield Theatres, Manchester Deaf Centre, Theatre Royal Stratford East, Banbury and Bicestre College, Citizens UK, Brighton and Hove Chapter, Her Majesty’s Prison Styal, Manchester, Novus, St. Hilda’s East Community Centre in Tower Hamlets, Writers Block in Redruth, Cornwall, Underground Lights in Coventry and The Common Lot in Norwich.

Speak Out! Events

At a series of live events in Manchester and London, we brought together our workshop participants alongside activists, academics, politicians to present and explore speech-making's ability to provoke, persuade and empower.

“You leave feeling a connection to the community and empowered by the knowledge that speech can truly be one of the greatest tools society can unlock.” - A Young(ish) Perspective

Events included cultural historian Edith Hall, former speechwriter to David Cameron, Jessica Cunniffe, comedian Rinkoo Barpaga, youth worker and community activist Zara Manoehoetoe.

Podcast

Discover the complex process of translating our research into a tangible production by tuning into our podcast series ‘Our Public House’. Immerse yourself not only in insightful discussions but also in captivating snippets from the compelling speeches delivered by our participants.

Available on all streaming platforms.