13 - 29 May
The People's Cabaret: Workshops
Tuesday 17 May, 7pm
What is a protest song? Where did it come from? What could it be today? The People’s Cabaret workshops will see artists Luke Styles and Jessica Walker work closely with participants across Norfolk to explore the history, ideas and uses of protest songs.
Luke and Jess brought the first iteration of The People’s Cabaret to NNF21. Now working with participants in Diss and Sheringham, they will create a new set of protest songs, relevant to the challenges of our lives here and now in Norfolk. In a series of in-person workshops, which will take place from May 2022 onwards, participants will have the chance to develop ideas and lyrics for their own protest song, and contribute to a new set of songs to be written in collaboration with Luke and Jess for performance at NNF23. Participants will also have the opportunity to perform as part of a People’s Chorus in a performance of The People’s Cabaret at NNF23.
Workshop 1
The Corn Hall, Diss, Tuesday 17 May, 7-9pm. This event has been postponed. A new date will be announced in due course.
The first workshop will include an introduction to the protest song, and set the context for the project and the new songs.
• A presentation on the historic context of the protest song as a form, and a discussion about some famous protest songs
• A guided listening session on contemporary songs and classic protest songs from the 1920s to the 1960s
• Further details about the music and lyrics Luke and Jess created for 2021’s performances, and suggestions for new themes
Workshop 2
The Corn Hall, Diss, Tuesday 19 July, 7-9pm
- Discussion of issues local and global across the political and cultural spectrum, and what role protest can play. Luke and Jess will gather testimony to inspire their new set of songs
• Breakout groups to develop these themes through creative tools and writing, thinking about structure and communication through song
• Sharing and workshopping of participants’ ideas and writing
Workshop 3
The Corn Hall, Diss, Tuesday 6 September, 7-9pm
- Reading out of gathered testimony and ideas from the previous workshop, and how these will be included in new songs
• Work-in-progress sharing of participants lyrics and songs, plus further creative writing time and discussion
• Feedback and next steps for the song-writing and community involvement in the People’s Chorus
The workshops are free to join and will be taking place at The Corn Hall in Diss. They will also be running the same workshop in Sheringham Little Theatre, click here to find out more.
To book a place on the workshops, please email peoplescabaret@nnfestival.org.uk.
Important information
Get a taste of some protest songs
Jessica Walker
Alongside her busy career as both cabaret artist and opera singer, Jessica has been devising, performing and writing new work, both alone and in collaboration with others, since 2010. Forthcoming projects include a new performance piece for Royal and Derngate theatre, and a new piece for British Youth Music Theatre, as well as two commissions for Lichfield Festival. Her last three writer/ performance projects were the New York Times Critic’s Pick at the Brits off Broadway Festival, New York.
Luke Styles
Luke Styles is a composer, published by G. Schirmer/ Music Sales. He was the first Glyndebourne Young Composer in Residence, represented by IMG Artists, and the first composer in residence at the Foundling Museum since Handel. Luke’s operas have been performed on the Glyndebourne main stage, and at Covent Garden by the London Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of conductors such as Vladimir Jurowski. He has recently completed his first Australian opera Ned Kelly which premiered to critical acclaim at the 2019 Perth Festival.
Tickets: This is a non-ticketed event
Image credit: Masthead © Paul Harrison