Trestle, the St Albans based mask and physical theatre company, is to expand its highly acclaimed mask making business, backed by a programme of workshops and performances. Participatory and performance work for 11 - 25 year-olds will be Trestle's priority. A year of consultation, reflection and restructuring followed Arts Council England's decision not to award National Portfolio funding to Trestle.
The Company has reviewed its mask making business and will be taking the creative stimulus of Trestle’s work with young people and physical storytelling theatre into its mask resources and workshops. Driven by the last five years of international influences and cross-cultural collaboration, Trestle aims to take the masks in a new direction, with the offer of digital and live resources to support training, participation, and performance.
In the next year, Trestle will enjoy working with its new partners, looking for innovative ways to fund new performances and inviting young people to experience and shape the Company’s work. Trestle continues to have a good relationship with the Arts Council, who have a vested interest in the lottery funded Trestle Arts Base.
In the past year, Trestle has consolidated a number of strong international and local partnerships and been nominated for two awards; the Peter Brook Empty Space/Equity Ensemble Award and a prestigious local award, the details of which will be released shortly. Trestle has also been successful in securing funding from two Local Councils; St Albans District and Islington, where Trestle is in a partnership developing Platform, the new youth arts hub at Hornsey Road Baths.
Trestle will launch its new website on Thursday 29th of March at 12 noon. We hope that you will be able to join our Artistic Director Emily Gray, live on Twitter and Facebook to share your feedback on the new site and Trestle’s new focus, one year on from the Arts Council Cuts.