Rapture by Pink Sky - New LGBTQIA+ Production

Overview

Rapture is a piece of interdisciplinary theatre for three performers; staging radical self-expression and it's limits within the contemporary queer community. The work centres gender non-conforming identities, explores the politics of polyamory and the intersections between queerness and mental health for young people.

The play is the debut production of Pink Sky, a collective of artists from diverse backgrounds bringing their crafts together to create formally innovative theatre shows. The opportunity afforded by a three week production at the Pleasance brings creatives from across the arts into a mainstream theatre building, expanding their horizons by making their careers as individual makers more sustainable.

Synopsis

"The city cringes at the soft wound of our open hearts as we spill our souls onto the pavements and rise aglow into the morning."
Rosy, Tommy and Kit are clued-up, kinky and queer as f*ck - until safe spaces fracture and identities start to shift. As events in the present bring past traumas bubbling to the surface, the bonds within this chosen family must shudder and transform if they are to survive.

What will the money be used for?

- All funds raised via this individual giving campaign will go straight towards essential Production Costs involved in the creation of the work. Pink Sky is a non-profit company, we invest all funding directly into our projects.

- We have submitted an application for a National Lottery Project Grant to the Arts Council, and need to raise Match Funding for our Production Costs in excess of the budget requested via ACE - all projects that receive public funding need to source a minimum of 10% of the total budget of their project.

- The Company is committed to Fair Pay on the Fringe across this project; all our artists will receive fixed Fees or Wages benchmarked as a baseline to Industry and Union-led standards. 

Access & Outreach Strand 

Work covered by fundraising for the Project includes:

-  3 BSL-interpreted performances for d/Deaf and Hard of Hearing audiences, we will work with an LGBTQIA+ interpreter - paid as a baseline in accordance with rates suggested by the National Union of British Sign Language 

- 2 Relaxed Performances designed to include those frequently marginalised by mainstream 'theatre etiquette'; one 'Quiet' show & one 'Noisy' show, both with an Open Door Policy

- 2 free workshops for local young people focused on devising queer work, developing their artistic voice and educating on pathways into creative careers 

- 1 Digital Stream of a Performance with Creative Captioning to increase access to contemporary queer work to those based outside of London/who are otherwise unable to attend in-person showings

Who is the work for?

Aimed at Londoners aged 16-45, the project speaks to the LGBTQIA+ and d/Deaf communities, those in Recovery and sexual assault Survivors, actively developing audiences from counter-cultural drag, burlesque & sober spaces.

Rapture extends beyond mainstream queer work in its bold centring of gender non-conforming identity and safe representation of kink; it develops the skills and voices of nightlife artists new to theatre, delivering excellence by cross-disciplinary co-creation.

Testimonials

On Pink Sky's Launch Event:

- "A safe and exciting artistic community! Welcoming. A lovely queer hug." - Performer

- "An extremely safe space to try on new things, we were able to see so many different disciplines from the Arts Industry in one event" - Participant

For more information and all updates on our work, please support us on Instagram & Twitter:

• @PinkSkyTC
• @PinkSkyTC
• Pleasance Show Page