From the 16th March Omnibus Theatre has been, along with theatres across the country, closed until further notice. Since then our small team have been tirelessly devising new methods to reach our audiences, our communities and the artists we work with.
Omnibus Theatre Online, a new digital platform packed with theatre to enjoy from home, has taught us how to stage a scratch night on Instagram live, broadcast improv shows on YouTube, host festivals on Zoom and the list keeps growing. So far this content has clocked up over 10,000 views from the safety of our audiences living rooms.
Our commitment to enriching the lives of young people has been reshaped for lockdown with LunchBox, a new project in collaboration with Lambeth schools to provide a daily packed lunch to the children of those families most in need, prepared lovingly by Gena and Kitty, and delivered via bicycle by team of dedicated volunteers.
This Summer we kicked off a socially distanced version of Routes, our free theatre programme for local 5-11 year olds which runs six times a year. This programme was launched in the summer of 2018 in response to alarming reports from local teachers of children going without lunch during the school holidays.
We also launched Story Circle, a new scheme in partnership with Age UK Lambeth. Writer and storyteller Sally-Pomme Clayton leads online creative writing sessions giving participants a route to connection with storytelling. We hope to be able to host these stories in our theatre when we can safely re-open.
Following recent government guidance we are thrilled to open to doors of our Café Bar. The safety of our team and visitors is a priority and, until we are able to present a full artistic programme in our theatre, we hope to use our building to support the communities and artists we have built relationships with. Please do get in touch with us you want to find out more or have any suggestions.
As a small independent theatre and a registered charity these projects would not be possible without the incredible support we receive from our members, community, audiences and local organisations.
To all who have rallied to our cause throughout this uncertain time, giving donations, resources, volunteered time or cheering words of encouragement on social media – it is through your support and generosity that we are able to continue this work. Thank you!
