Theatre Professionals > Exchange For Change

Year One 2009 • Year Two 2010 • Year Three 2011

Half Moon is committed to developing new artists and new plays for young people which reflect the diversity of our community. Exchange For Change, a three year artform development project, funded by the Paul Hamlyn Foundation is a product of this commitment.

The aims of Exchange For Change are:

•  to develop emerging artists, particularly those under-represented in the sector
•  to encourage established writers to write for young audiences
•  to create new challenging and relevant productions for the theatre for young people sector
•  to encourage debate within the sector

Each year Half Moon will work with emerging artists from a variety of artforms and an experienced writer new to the age range. The group will follow a programme of development and exchange, working with a range of artists from different backgrounds, undertaking specialist training and participating in facilitated workshops with the target age group. The resulting scratch performances / rehearsed reading will be showcased at an annual one day festival accompanied by discussions and provocation.
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Year Three 2011
Age focus 8 - 12 year olds.

We are now planning for Year Three of Exchange for Change.
Further details tbc
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Year Two 2010
Age focus: teenagers.

This year's Exchange For Change has drawn to a successful close. The festival day was a great opportunity to showcase the pieces that the ensembles and Courttia had created. We're very grateful to all the delegates who attended from across the theatre sector, particularly the panel members Lyn Gardner, David Lane, Zena Edwards and Half Moon's Youth Theatre members.

In 2010 three brand new cross-artform ensemble companies formed and presented scratch performances of new shows they had created for teenagers. The artists had input from teenagers from schools and groups in our local area.

The 2010 artists and plays were:

Glass Knickers
Lissia Fraser - digital media artist
Jacqueline Johnstone - contemporary dance athlete
Conrad the Scoundral - MC/producer

This ensemble produced a piece exploring male attitudes to women, in particular a brother and sister relationship.
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Frag-mENTAL
Amberin Huq - visual artist
Sean Graham - theatre artist / choreographer
Marv-Ill - beatbox/ MC

Set in twisted game show state of mind, this ensemble explored identity - what makes you who you are.


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The Closer I get the Distant I am
Vipul Bhatti - dance artist
Tamsin Kayembe aka Concise One - lyricist
Nick Tyson - musician

A physical piece looking at how young people communicate and how they find release.


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Look To The Sky
by Courttia Newland

A new play which challenged the stereotypes that young people face in a piece of writing full of lyricism.


The rehearsed reading featured actors: Pedro de Sousa, Ayesha Antoine, Divian Ladwa and Kim Hardy.

You can download the booklet with further details of Exchange For Change 2010 here.

However do contact us if you would like more info:
020 7265 8138 / exchangeforchange@halfmoon.org.uk
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Year One 2009

Age focus under 7's.

Year One of Exchange For Change .worked with artists from a wide range of backgrounds who participated in research and development and gained valuable insight into producing theatre for the very young, which was new to many of them.

The 2009 festival day was held at Half Moon's building in Limehouse on July 16 2009, it was attended by theatre professionals from across the country. Patricia Cumper (CEO/Artistic Director Talawa Theatre Company) and Karena Johnson (CEO/Artistic Director theBROADWAY Barking) were visiting speakers on the day, leading the provocation session.
Click here to download a pdf of the delegates booklet from 2009.

Rip, Fold, Scrunch
Chris Elwell (Half Moon director), Jesal Patel (dancer), Gauri Sharma Tripathi (choreographer), Ayanna Witter-Johnson (musician) and Maria Thomas (actor).

After a successful run at Half Moon in early 2010 Rip, Fold, Scrunch is now planning a national tour in Spring 2011.
click here for more information about the show and tour.

The Magical Adventure Of Spud & Plum
James Grant (composer), Temujin Gill (choreographer), Wai Yin Kwok (designer), Angela Michaels (Half Moon Associate Director) and Megha Sharma (actor).

* Breaking news*
The Magical Adventure of Spud and Plum has been booked to be part of Half Moon's 2010/2011 season. The play will be redeveloped ahead of the revival and has been renamed Plum And Pickle, click here for more information.

Moon And Genie
Established Writer Tanika Gupta

We are in talks to develop this piece into a full commission, watch this space!

Exchange For Change Year One was documented by video artist Nick Pilton. This was made possible by funding from the Centre for Excellence in Training for Theatre (CETT) at Central School of Speech and Drama. The resulting film, which documents the developement process and joureny of the artists, will be used by CETT as a tool for vocational performing arts training and learning.

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