Power Point notes
slide 1: Title page 'Polka Theatre
Slide 2: About the Theatre:
Polka Theatre started life as a puppet touring company in 1967 under the Artistic Directorship of Richard Gill. The theatre venue (formerly the Holy Trinity Halls in Wimbledon) opened on 20 November 1979 and was the UK’s first theatre venue dedicated exclusively to children. The opening was marked with a Gala performance attended by Queen Elizabeth. Over 90,000 children visit Polka every year to be involved in fun exciting theatre. Their aim is to “ strive to spark the imagination, stir the emotions and fuel a sense of discovery in all children.” By 1983 Polka was regularly programming and producing productions aimed specifically at children under 5 in its studio space, known as the Adventure Theatre. The Adventure Theatre hosts in house productions and visiting productions from the UK and overseas. Over recent years Polka has developed its Early Years work for children aged from 6 months.
Slide 3: Their facilities:
Inside the theatre there is two multi- purpose spaces available for use, first the Adventure Theatre and the Main stage one a 300-seat main auditorium and the other a 70-seat studio dedicated to early years performances. They also have a wide range of other facilities including a café, a playground and a foyer filled with toys, book and dressing up clothes.
Slide 4: The productions/programs they run:
The plays shown offer adaptations of popular stories and subjects relevant for younger audiences. Participation from the children is the core of their work they encourage children of all ages to engage with their are programs through holiday workshops, term-time groups, after-show events, free storytelling and more. Many schools often visit the theatre for workshops and use the online free resource packs. They also have a something called the Curtain Up scheme which makes some schools eligible for free tickets. Another example of one of their programs is the ‘falling up’ program; this is designed to help children who are having difficulty at home or school.
Slide 5: Polka Lab
They have recently started a new program called PolkaLab with its aim to help companies and artists produce innovative and groundbreaking children theatre. They support three companies/ artist a year to research new productions for children. They provide them with £1,500 of financial support, mentoring, research and a week with a rehearsal room to help them develop their project. When picking what company keep in mind The gaps within the theatre for Young Audience Sector so often pick companies led by:
● Work led by disabled artist
● Work led by name artists
● Work created specifically for an early years audience. (Under 6’s)
Slide 6: Examples of there work
https://youtu.be/lKsT_-gYlGU 
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