The dress rehearsal last night was AWESOME!

And I mean AWEsome!

We all knew we had a great show, none of us doubted it, but I have to say I was blown away by just HOW good a show we have on our hands here!

So many photos were taken that a flip-book could be made out of them, but a few have been added to this post and some will be on our FaceBook page.

Now, here comes the part where we here at Sustained Magic ask you a favour. And I’m not being cliché here but yes, I really do mean YOU.

If you haven’t got your tickets yet, why not book them right now? Either call 01332 255800 or visit Derby Live’s online Box Office.

If you have got your tickets, why not tell your friends on twitter, or facebook or text message or phone or even tell them in person.

If you have already seen the show and are reading this blog afterwards, why not tell the world what you thought, tell us what you thought, tell anyone and everyone about the show.

After a long day of phone calls, emails and website tinkering I thought someone should post a short blog to tell the world about the existence of Sustained Magic Role-Play.

I say a short blog as the last Election Debate is about to start and i want to see if they mention funding for The Arts.

Anyway, exciting times and lots of meetings to come, but for the real low down please check out our Role-Play section.

Welcome to the new Sustained Magic website and welcome to the new plan for the company. At a time when we hear all about the manifesto’s of political parties, it seems only proper that Sustained Magic should do the same. In the current climate, it is clear that to survive, you have to be creative with vision and with approach and that is why we at Sustained Magic have outlined key priorities to develop new theatrical ventures. First and foremost, Sustained Magic is a theatre company and we strive to use the collective and creative skills of all the team in order to make theatre. Sustained Magic supports and encourages the development of new plays, sometimes specifically for a theatre and other times more site specific. The theatre we make will have four focuses and will build on the successes of the last five years. First, we will continue to focus on Heritage projects such as the “Girl in the Window” and “Hawthorn” which have brought local stories back to life to new audiences and in new and non-traditional theatre spaces.  We will develop this work, focusing on new writing to take projects into theatres offering another and potentially different opportunity for people to engage with our work.

Secondly we will build on the work with young people to develop our partnerships with Erewash Borough Council and Leicester College. These partnerships will help develop new and innovative theatrical projects in and around the region and give young people a new opportunity to engage with the theatre industry.

Thirdly, Sustained Magic will continue to develop “Arts in Health” projects which use theatre as a method of exploring complex issues for families, patients and practitioners. This priority builds on another partnership with the University of Derby, who have commissioned and supported us in the development of “Judge Sylvia” – A Play About Mis-Diagnosing Osteoporosis.

The fourth and final priority for the company is transferability; transferability of creative skills, of knowledge and of opportunities to work. The “Sustained Magic Role–Play Initiative” will work with clients and practitioners to develop opportunities to use acting skills in a training setting for organisations. The “Sustained Magic Role-Play Initiative” working as an agency, again builds on strong partnerships to allow the company to offer work, regionally, nationally and internationally, supporting the actors as they develop and transfer their skills.

The reason we have set out these priorities is simple, we want to create theatre which means something to people, that touches the worlds of our audiences and engages them.  The new www.sustainedmagic.com website is a prime example of our mission, with the BLOG which allows people to comment on the work we do, suggest new ideas or just ask questions. The company is now on more social networks than ever before, again allowing people the opportunity to follow and connect with the company and our work. The site hosts updates and an archive of the PROJECTS we have done, allowing other creative practitioners, artists or participants to understand the work we do.

So this site and this opening BLOG message sets out who we are, what we do and sets our agenda for the next few years. I hope you enjoy the future projects and using the website to connect with us as Sustained Magic embarks on a prosperous new five years.

Matt Green