March 2023
HAVE YOU MISSED OUT?
Or were you there?
March has been another busy month, the building has been filling with people in person and virtually for rehearsals, shows, events, and more! Read on to find out what you’ve missed!
First up Gillian interviewed Richard about the history of streaming at Accidental - spoiler, it’s older than you’d expect! - in the latest in our behind-the-scenes mini-doc series we are doing this year.
March
External Events
The streaming gang have had a busy old month, with a day filming at the Strand Cinema up in East Belfast with the Ulster Orchestra, filming for Phil Kieran's new album launch.
The stream team also filmed some vox pops around the Imagine Festival launch at the Grand Central Hotel before getting into streaming it proper. So they've been out and about a fair bit!
Second Floor
Our regular Salsa Belfast Style group had a social to celebrate Mayte, their teacher's birthday, with music, food, and dancing up in our rehearsal room. Sounds like they had a fantastic time!
New Qi Gong classes have started in the Rehearsal Room weekly, run by Fiona Jennings, which must be a calming way to spend a Tuesday morning.
We also had Bruiser theatre company up there doing a day of auditions for an upcoming production, and lots of nervous actors waiting in the Book Bar before they went up! We looked after them, don't worry.
Alongside these were our usual range of workshops, classes, and events, from Figure This life drawing to Repeat Meisner acting classes, tango and swing dancing classes - we've got it all happening in this building!
First Floor
Cinemagic were back using the Book Bar again this month to film some interviews; we've welcomed some new office hot desking users to the back office, and the NI UFO society had a meeting in the Book Bar.
We also took some promo photos for Murder She Got Wrote Off using the Book Bar's white pull-down screen as a backdrop, for the group’s drinking game show based on the famous TV detective show.
Our monthly membership event Never Seen It Film Club happened in the Book Bar, this time showing But I’m A Cheerleader (1999) as a matinee, followed by a lovely discussion of the film.
Theatre
As well as shows like Murder She Got Wrote Off, and our regular Sunday Improv, Cosmic Jam, and Handmade Music events, we've had some more special things happening in the theatre this month. Bloomfield School's drama GCSE class came in to perform their pieces in front of the external examiner with the benefit of the professional stage hopefully bolstering their confidence. Fingers crossed they all did well!
Cosmic Jam this month briefly featured our very own Marty Price playing keyboard (first two pics) as well as a load of other talented musicians giving it a go on stage, jamming away!
Iranian Night was back once more with a celebration of Now Ruz, Iranian New Year, and performances from the santoor, drums, piano, singers, and dancers, as well as lots of interesting facts about traditional celebrations, and food to take home. An amazing night - we hope to continue celebrating Iranians and other cultures with more of these events.
Linus Karp was back after last year’s extravaganza How To Live A Jellicle Life with another great show - Diana: The Untold And Untrue Story, which involved drag, puppets, and a great soundtrack. Here’s Linus and Joseph being interviewed live about the show.
And Diana is still available On Demand, if you missed all the fun!
And the Imagine Festival started in earnest with multiple shows per day in our theatre (as well as all the others across the city). We've enjoyed a podcast from the BBC Red Lines gang, panel discussions with Lesley Riddock on Scottish Independence, talks about social media as a political tool, and more!
Basement
Online Imagine events have included a chat with political and environmental activist George Monbiot talking to our office friend Alan Meban, and the one and only Noam Chomsky dropping in online as our headline act.
You can find all of the online and hybrid events on the Imagine Festival Youtube channel.
The Vault (or basement) has had some upgrades this month too. The team built a new travelling rack for outside recording, and installed a couple of lighting bars in Studio One to help light future recordings more easily.
