Do you identify as Disabled or Neurodivergent? Ever wanted to learn how to write jokes, perform comedy or play tour guide for a museum or art gallery? Well have we got news for you! And by news we mean an exciting creative opportunity.

 

Woah! 

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Supported by The Lowry, Salford and BBC Comedy Grants, Cultural Comedy Tours are delighted to offer a programme of free workshops and a performance opportunity for those looking to get started in the world of comedy.  

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Between Sunday 1 October and Sunday 15 October, participants will take part in free workshops learning how to write and perform comedy and developing material to become a hilarious tour guide in an alternative group tour of the L.S. Lowry collection at The Lowry. 

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This introduction to performing and creating live comedy is perfect for those who have never performed before or have only just started. Over the two weeks you will work with professional comedians to develop a piece of the tour lasting up to 5 minutes, inspired by or responding to the L.S. Lowry collection and gallery. 

 

You will need to be available for the following dates and times: 

 Sunday 1 October, 2pm – 5pm: Group workshop at The Lowry, Salford  

Sunday 8 October, 2pm – 5pm: Group workshop at The Lowry, Salford 

Monday 9 or Tuesday 10 October, 6-8pm: In-person or online 1-1 sessions  

Wednesday 11 October, 6-8pm: Group workshop at The Lowry, Salford 

Friday 13 October, 6-8pm: Group workshop at The Lowry, Salford  

Sunday 15 October, 11am – 4pm: Cultural Comedy Tours performance at The Lowry, Salford 

 

What do you get? 

As part of this pilot project, you will take part in a series of group workshops led by a professional comedian with expertise in writing comedy from a disabled perspective, as well as receive support and mentorship from the producers at Cultural Comedy Tours to develop your performance.  

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Each participant will receive £120 to help support travel costs and time, and there is an additional budget available to support any access costs. 

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There will also be a presentation from the BBC Comedy team on routes in as a writer for their television and radio production, as well as advice and guidance on next steps in pursuing live comedy. 

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And you will be part of a brand-new comedy tour at The Lowry in Salford! Presenting your creative interpretation of the L.S. Lowry collection to an audience in a unique surrounding alongside the rest of the group. 

 

Eligibility and Access information 

This opportunity is only open to applicants living in the Greater Manchester area.  

This project will require participants to create and perform a short piece of work within a 2-week period supported by Cultural Comedy Tours and a Professional Disabled Comedian.  

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This will be performed to a public audience on the afternoon of Sunday 15 October  

• The Lowry, Salford is a theatre and art gallery which has won awards for their accessibility. To find out more about their spaces and access to galleries you can visit their navigating the building page here and we have uploaded videos of the gallery space walk throughs you can see here.

• All in-person sessions will take place at The Lowry in Salford, which is a short, flat distance from the Media City tram stop and has a multi-story car park with a large number of accessible spaces 100 yards across the road. Information on how to get to the venue can be found here . 

• In this pilot project there is a budget to provide reasonable adjustments and support access costs for participants, and we want to hear from you how we can best support your participation. Please include as much information as you can about what you need in your application.

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To sum up, you will be required to: 

• Devise up to 5 minutes of a comedy performance. This could be with jokes, songs, character comedy, physical theatre or props. Any funny interpretation is welcome! 

• Attend workshops at The Lowry, including introduction and visit to the gallery, a rehearsal ahead of the performance and the date of the performance. 

• Attend the other workshops through video call or in person. We can also provide interpretation for these as required by participants.

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How do I apply? 

Applications are open from now until Friday 22 September 10am, and we will let successful participants know no later than Monday 25 September.

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As part of your application, please outline in 250 words why you’re interested in this opportunity, telling us about your experience with live comedy, museums, art galleries and yourself! 

In your application, please let us know what access support you require to help support you to take part in this project. This is not part of the 250 words or recording limit. 

 

If you would like to have a look at the application form before completing it online, you can download the Word.docx or viewing a large print here

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You can also apply with a video/audio recording no longer than 5 minutes. Please send a link to where we can view or download your application to admin@culturalcomedytours.com 

We plan on running similar events again in the future, if you’d like to hear about further opportunities or events please follow our socials and let us know if you’d like to sign up to our mailing list.  

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