By: Chris Baker, Digital Content & Media Producer
October 2022
It’s been 12 months since I began the TRP Stories project.
For anyone who’s not familiar with it, TRP Stories is a series of videos and articles which capture people’s pathways into engaging with Theatre Royal Plymouth, looking at the role the arts has played in their lives.
Whether it’s participants of our Engagement & Learning projects, local playwrights and practitioners, or long serving members of staff, I’ve tried to speak to a wide variety of people whose lives have been positively influenced by the organisation.
Of course, TRP is so much more than the shows on our stage. It reaches wide into Plymouth’s communities and so it’s been my job to try and highlight this. We sit down and chat informally for around half an hour. I then set to work at transcribing the interview, pulling out quotes and editing a video for social media.
TRP Stories was one of the first projects I began working on when I took up the role at the theatre in the Autumn of last year. Since then, I’ve spoken to 15 people, all of whom have had very different encounters with TRP.
For some, the theatre has helped them gain confidence or find a sense of belonging, for others it’s helped them discover a love for theatre or break into the industry. It’s been important to highlight this, as everyone’s feelings towards the theatre are unique.
I’ve really enjoyed working on the TRP Stories project these last 12 months. Chatting to people about how TRP has had a positive impact on their lives is always so interesting.
If you want to look back on TRP Stories, you’ll find them all at theatreroyal.com/stories and I’ve put together a special highlights video: