New stretch target
We need to raise a lot for this show, the stretch target would allow us to work with a wider creative team, roll out more workshops and start to plan a wider tour.
To get new play Lynn Faces to Edinburgh Fringe & for activities around the play that encourage discussions around domestic abuse.
by Laura Horton in Plymouth, United Kingdom
We need to raise a lot for this show, the stretch target would allow us to work with a wider creative team, roll out more workshops and start to plan a wider tour.
I'm Laura Horton, a Plymouth based writer. Recently turning 40 I decided it was time to explore themes and ideas that had been in my head for a long time but that I'd been nervous to delve into. This is the biggest, daftest play I'll be presenting to date.
Lynn Faces is a semi-autobiographical performance about a woman who tries to find hope following the end of an abusive relationship by starting a punk band inspired by Lynn from Alan Partridge. The lead character in Lynn Faces, Leah, is nearing 40 and is convinced that starting a band will help her regain confidence before this milestone birthday, despite not being musically trained. Her friends reluctantly agree to perform alongside her. The play follows the band in real time as they muddle through this one-night-only gig.
I'd been writing for years, but keeping it to myself, then in my mid-thirties I started sharing my plays. I worked hard to get my play Breathless, about hoarding behaviours, off the ground in 2022, where it won a Fringe First. Despite some success, it's proving almost impossible to find funding and financial support. This Crowdfunder will support the development and presentation of the play and activity around the performances.
I'm keen to work with charities supporting people who have experienced domestic abuse. Running workshops exploring confidence building techniques through writing, as well as crochet workshops where participants are invited to crochet a square that will be made into the full-sized cow for the performance. I will also be asking people to nominate a name for the cow.
We will start a marketing campaign #LiberateLynn, to encourage people to submit selfies of their own Lynn Faces across social media, enabling me to build a visual archive of participant engagement across the country, which will be part of the play in each area. We'll also co-host post-show talks with local mental health professionals & charity partners to discuss the themes of the work.
The hope for the project is that audiences will be both entertained and educated through the performance and that the various entry points for engagement will provide easy access for involvement.
I would appreciate any support, however small.
Thank you.