Warning: limited number of places!
Bookings for this workshop will open on March 17.
"Only the heart can see clearly. What is essential is invisible to the eye." This workshop pays homage to holding one's nerve when arriving in the realm of the unmeasurable, the elusive and the mysterious. Toby Thompson (poet and artist) and Kate Cross (director of the Egg Theatre) invite us to dive beyond everyday constraints to explore the invisible. A poetic reflection on authenticity in young audiences' theater, where art becomes the privileged mediator of human experience and the true voice of the child.
In this workshop, which fuses elements of live performance, creative writing, and imaginal meditation, we will ponder together but a few of the manifold meanings of friendship. With the tale of "Le Petit Prince" as our anchor, we will sail the star-scattered night skies of our psyches, stopping off on occasional asteroids along the way and extending the hand of friendship to whosoever there we meet. Join us for this gentle and generative contemplation of courage, compassion, creativity and wholeness.
Toby Thompson is a poet, performance artist and philosopher. With The Egg Theatre, UK he created two plays for young audiences: the internationally popular "I Wish I Was A Mountain", based on Herman Hesse's fairytale, "Faldum", and recently his brand new adaptation of "Le Petit Prince". Kate is Director of The Egg. She initiated building The Egg 20 years ago, alongside a team of young consultants aged between 8-16. In subsequent years she delivered radical schools and artist-led inquiries. After years of various approaches to inclusion, diversity and child's agency, Kate has, with Toby's help, returned to the root of the matter: art, as the only true witness to human experience.
Production Credits
Kate Cross - Director of The Egg, Toby Thompson - Poet, Writer, Performer, Sam Hamp
About the Artists
Kate Cross
Kate Cross MBE is Director of The Egg at Theatre Royal Bath. Starting in 1998 as Head of Education she worked alongside Theatre Royal staff and Board to create and build The Egg, a theatre for children and young people, which opened in 2005 and has since initiated flagship programmes such as "School Without Walls", "The Incubator Idea Development Programme" and "The Egg Assembly" online digital theatre training platform whilst producing work that tours nationally and internationally. Prior to Bath she was a community artist and playworker. Until 2024, she was Chair of ASSITEJ UK.
Toby Thompson
Toby was a school refuser who 'grew up at The Egg', joining the youth theatre and finding his place in a creative community. Toby epitomises the transformative power that engagement with the arts can have on the lives of young people. He is a previous Glastonbury Poetry Slam Champion who has written commissions for Royal Shakespeare Company, Royal Geographical Society, National Portrait Gallery and the cosmetics brand, Lush! His first TYA show, "I Wish I Was A Mountain", has been recognised for its excellence across the globe. The show has toured across England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland and appeared at five major international festivals, including the Dublin Theatre Festival, Edinburgh International Children's Festival, Baboro Festival and Brighton Festival, while winning the Victor Award for Best Theatre Show at Philadelphia's IPAY Festival in 2020, earning five-star reviews in national newspapers and securing subsequent dates across China (six months) and Canada (2024-25).
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TARGET AGE GROUP
18+ -
AGE CLASSIFICATION
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REASON FOR CLASSIFICATION
- Professional Content
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NAME
Studio MOD - Friche la Belle de Mai -
LOCATION
Friche la Belle de Mai -
DIRECTIONS
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MAP LINK
View Map -
ACCESSIBILITY INFO
All locations at La Friche are accessible to people with disabilities, in wheel chair in particular. Our reception teams are at your disposal to best answer your questions regarding your reception and movement in our spaces.
- Not Applicable