My name is Tony Coult.
In 1971, I visited my friend who was working at Interplay, a community arts project recently started up in Armley, in Leeds. I worked as a volunteer and then joined as a company member.
This website is an invitation to contact me.
If you were involved with Interplay from 1970 to 1980 (later decades get their chance later!), either as an artist/worker, or as a parent, or as a volunteer, or a child who played at and with Interplay and saw the shows and joined in the games, I want to hear what you have to say about your Interplay experience. Eventually your memories will become part of an online archive that will help in the teaching of future generations of Applied Theatre workers, street theatre performers, cultural interventionists, and game-players.
Can You Help?
The Simple Bit.
I need to create a database of people who have been involved with Interplay from its beginnings to approximately 1980.
"People who have been involved" means not only people who were founder members or company members, but anyone who contributed to the work, who helped fund or sponsor it, and anyone who worked as a volunteer.
Most important, I want to be in touch anyone who took part in the work as a child, as an "audience" member, as a participant in any of the company's activities, especially in Leeds, or anybody with any contact at all.
Please email your contact details, a very brief outline of your involvement with Interplay, and also any contact details (email addresses preferably) of anybody else you think might be helpful to me. My email address is on the left.
The Really Interesting Bit
 
I would like to meet and record an interview with you
This material will be transcribed, but the sound recording (edited if desired) would also, with your permission, be made available publicly. I'm after your personal memories, your feelings and your ideas about Interplay. I am not just looking for nostalgic memories, though those are valuable. If you have critical thoughts about what you experienced, I'm happy to receive those too. The idea is to create a whole picture of a company and its work responding to the particular circumstances of the 1970s (not that different from today, some would argue...)
If you aren't available to record, I would still like to offer you the chance to contribute by writing something in a questionnaire.
IN 2010, INTERPLAY will be 40 years old. Since its founding by 5 graduates it has moved through decades of political and social change, cycles of difficulty and success, and a veritable diaspora of artists, workers, volunteers and clients (such a bureaucratic word that - enjoyers of its services...?).
It has not moved geographically very far at all. There may be a tiny handful of companies that match it for longevity, but none that I know of that still work successfully in the same community that gave it a first home. Still based in Armley in North West Leeds, the DNA of 1970 Interplay is still active in today's company, and I hope that this project will help put 2010 into dialgue with 1970...
I do hope you can help with the project!
Seed funding for this project was provided by The Centre for Excellence in Training for Theatre at the Central School of Speech and Drama, and by Human Rights Aid (London)
TC
Please note - this website, its content and any opinions therein, are not related to, nor approved by, Interplay Theatre as currently operating in Leeds. Details of their excellent work can be seen here
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