Visit to The Mission Theatre of Deputy Mayor, Councillor Kumar and Councillor Dine Romero

Councillor Romero, Artistic Director Ann Ellison, and Councillor Kumar outside The Mission Theatre.

Ann Ellison BEM, Artistic Director of Next Stage Theatre Company and The Mission Theatre, was delighted to welcome Deputy Mayor, Councillor Dr Yukteshwar Kumar and Councillor Dine Romero, Councillor for Southdown, Cabinet Member for Children and Young People, Communities and Culture to The Mission Theatre on Wednesday 23rd June. The councillors were meeting with Ann following Next Stage’s successful Community Asset Transfer (CAT) bid for The Mission Theatre. The CAT was awarded to Next Stage at the Council call-In meeting on June 14th when any objections to the CAT were overturned. Next Stage has been awarded a 99 year lease at a peppercorn which enables the company to continue its care and refurbishment of the 250 year old Grade II listed building in which the theatre is housed and will also see the company expanding its community work in BANES.

Councillor Kumar had been interested when, as a member of the call-in scrutiny panel, he had heard Ann speak at the meeting describing the cultural links Next Stage has established over the years through tours to the Stephen Joseph Theatre in Scarborough, QEH Theatre in Bristol, the Minack Theatre in Cornwall, the Jermyn Street Theatre in London’s West End and the Workshop Theatre in New York. Dr Kumar is particularly passionate in his beliefs that cultural exchanges can break down barriers and open up international friendships and collaborations. He wanted to discuss with Ann an initiative which could see Next Stage Theatre Company touring to India and China. Councillor Romero welcomed this initiative and was anxious to know in what ways she could promote and celebrate Next Stage’s work, not only internationally, but most importantly within BANES, its schools and student population and how best this city’s flagship amateur company and its home at The Mission Theatre can be used as a resource within the educational community.

The councillors watching the work of the ASE students.

Whilst visiting the theatre, Councillor Kumar and Councillor Romero were invited by Ann to watch a short piece of theatre performed by American students from the Bath-based Advanced Studies in England (ASE). This institution has liaised for the last seven years with Ann, Next Stage and The Mission Theatre using The Mission’s lovely auditorium for a period of 5 weeks each June and July when Summer School students from America enjoy drama workshops and theatre training, delivered by local practitioners. Most years the students have also watched the Next Stage summer production and taken part in Page-to-Stage workshops with Ann and some of the Next Stage actors. Principal Jonathan Hope said in support of Next Stage’s CAT bid:

Our ongoing collaboration with Ann Ellison and with Next Stage, and our regular use of the performance space at The Mission Theatre, have been crucial in enabling us to offer a raft of acting classes and learning experiences for theatre students who otherwise would not have considered studying with ASE in Bath.

Since 2014, for instance, we have run a 5-week summer school based at The Mission which draws aspiring thespians from across the Pond, and includes valuable interactive talks (and intercultural exchange) with the Next Stage company actors and directors. Our students and visiting faculty have thus been given invaluable insight into the workings of a community theatre, and shared fresh international perspectives with the Bath youngsters with whom they’ve met and collaborated. It is almost impossible to see how these courses could have been developed – and these talented US visitors brought to Bath – without the help of the dedicated team at The Mission.

Ann Ellison with Councillor Romero, Councillor Kumar, Mandy Horlock and the ASE students at The Mission Theatre.

Councillor Kumar and Councillor Romero were impressed with the quality of work delivered by the ASE students under the directorship of Mandy Horlock and enjoyed chatting to them and finding out more about their backgrounds and interests.

At the end of the two hour meeting, both councillors could well understand why Ann in her statement in support of the CAT made to the Council on June 14th had said:

On most days at The Mission, I know that members of the public who come through the doors to see a show will very often be transported by what they see and hear, frequently taking away with them memories, life-changing ideas and images that will stay with them forever. And all of this amazing creativity encapsulated and delivered in a small modest chapel building that has been lovingly turned into a thrilling place of theatre and performing arts.