Sid Vale Community Productions

Supporting community performing arts projects in Sid Vale East Devon

About our groupThe SVCP’s approach is to portray, through community and voluntary effort, aspects of the culture and history of the Sid Valley in East Devon through live dramatic performance. This involves the local community, especially, where appropriate, young people.Annual events:Twice yearly originally written street theatre plays, performed in Sidmouth on St Georges Day and during Folk Festival. These draw enthusiastic audiences from locals and visitors.Short plays with local themes written by group members have been performed at Sidmouth Sea Fest a local festival celebrating coastal life.
Major Staged ProductionsSVCP have produced the following highly successful productions2012 Elizabeth & Mr Hunter a play about poet Elizabeth-Barrett Browning’s years in Sidmouth. 2018 A Painful Duty Sidmouth during WW1 which followed the story of 2 local families and included the Sidmouth Town Band. Both plays were written and researched by members of the groupSeveral One Act Plays written, produced and acted by members of the group won awards at the Exmouth One Act Play Festival
During Lockdown
A socially distanced silent movie ‘Covid & St George’ was filmed and a local community cast performed 'When Covid caught Father Christmas', filmed individually. Both written by SVCP members and hugely popular on social media during CovidSustainability
Properties, scenery and costumes are often sourced from the local recycling centre or charity shops, then re-cycled, stored for future use or donated to other local organisations. This enables low cost, environmentally sustainable productions.StorageCurrently all scenery, props and costumes are stored at members residences and garages. Ideally we would like to rent a space providing storage and space to construct and paint scenery. SVCP are willing to share storage space with another organisation to share costs.
Sharing resourcesOur audio equipment e.g. speakers and radio microphones are hired out or offered free of charge to local organisations. Support to Other Local GroupsSVCP support the Sidmouth Traditional Mummers by providing Public Liability insurance and expenses. The Mummers perform a traditional play, written in 19th century, twice annually at Folk Festival and Christmas. SVCP also support the rejuvenation of traditional Giant making, a folk tradition which has been largely lost. Two have already been made and appear on St. George’s Day and at Folk festival. It is hoped that others will be constructed for use promoting Sidmouth events.
Future ProjectsSVCP hope to produce another major dramatic event in the form of a play depicting the Sid Valley during WW2, latest 2025. This will involve considerable cost but will once again involve the local community, local schools and highlight local history in an enjoyable and educational manner.
Fund RaisingApart from staged productions, a major fund-raising event was an annual Burn’s Night Supper with entertainment but activities have been curtailed by Covid restrictions, resulting in a serious drain upon finances. Other events include coffee mornings.We rely mostly upon ticket income and street collections and members of the group are often out of pocket because of the high cost of costume and venue hire, scenery and props.
Websites Sidvale Community Productions (jimdofree.com)
Sidmouth Giants: sidmouthgiants (jimdofree.com)

Volunteers needed

Construction and painting of 12 foot giants

What your gift could provide

£210

Annual Public Liability Insurance

£700

Scenery, costumes and props for a small stage production

£5,000

Annual rental for storage and construction unit