New community play celebrates women’s cricket’s first inclusion in Commonwealth Games.
Join Birmingham-based theatre company Women & Theatre as they celebrate women’s cricket being part of the Commonwealth Games for the first time.
Bringing together community performers from across Birmingham and Sandwell, A Thousand Threads features vibrantly choreographed live performance, set to a unique soundscape of words and music. A Thousand Threads is presented as part of the Birmingham 2022 Festival.
Developed from local research, the piece explores broad themes about women and girls’ lives and aspirations, both on and off the pitch.
Janice Connolly BEM, Artistic Director of Women & Theatre said: “Ever since the news that the Commonwealth Games were coming to Birmingham in 2022, Women & Theatre have been plotting and planning to bring a new community production about women, girls and cricket to audiences across Birmingham and Sandwell.
“We’re really excited to bring this ambitious theatre production to audiences which is the third in our women and sport trilogy. We are also proud to be working with Deaf Explorer to ensure that performance is accessible to D/deaf audience, participants, and artists, by integrating BSL and captioning into performances at MAC.”
Raidene Carter, Executive Producer at Birmingham 2022 Festival said: “What better way to celebrate women’s cricket being introduced to the Commonwealth Games than with this wonderful Women & Theatre project – one of 10 sports themes commissions in the Birmingham 2022 Festival programme where sport and art are intertwined to tell stories that will inspire fans of both. Audiences can expect to be bowled over by this one!.”
Make sure you catch this chance to see rival teams from the Athena League: the Spinners and the Weavers bowl, bat, and field their way to victory!
Each day of this four-day cricket match takes place in a different outdoor community space across Birmingham and Sandwell with final performances of the whole series at Midlands Arts Centre.
Part of this performance will be listened to through headphones. There will also be BSL and captioned video available for D/deaf and hard of hearing audiences. A standalone audio experience will be available via podcast and listening stations.
A Thousand Threads is at Selwyn Rd Playing Fields Sunday 15th May, Ward End Park Sunday 29th May, Uplands Manor Primary School, 19th June and Midlands Arts Centre 15th-17th July for more information and to book tickets visit here.