Hello loyal followers. Before we start: a huge thanks for the support you have shown to this project so far, especially to those of you who actively want to help! Your tokens of faith encourage me to continue down the long road towards building an English theatre for Brussels. I particularly want to thank Petrus, Hayk, Elena, Dorrie, Cedric, Kelly and, of course, Dot.
This is Update 5 from The Bridge HQ, now coming to you every 16th of the month. And things are hotting up…
Academy Summer Workshop, 23-27 August 2021
The Bridge Academy Summer Workshop will be The Bridge’s very first public activity and it is taking place Monday 23 August - Friday 27 August. It will be a blast!
The workshop will give a limited number of lucky 10-18-year-olds five days of expert tuition in acting, singing and dancing. They will also have a unique opportunity to try out fun new skills, such as puppetry and stage combat (you heard it here first - we have not yet publicly announced these masterclasses!). The week will culminate in a performance for family and friends. This will be full immersion in English; great for an end-of-summer refresher, especially if your child is under-confident in English.
Teachers to be announced soon but may include an award-winning theatre director, a West End musical director, and West End performers!
The Bridge is committed to widening access to performing arts education. We are therefore offering a limited number of full scholarships to children who want to attend but their parents would struggle to pay the fees. If you know someone who fits this category, please tell them to get in touch with me directly.
For details about the Summer Workshop, check out www.thebridge.brussels/summer-workshop.
Register your interest before 30 April to be eligible for a 10% discount.
What shows do you want to see?
Back in Update 2, which I sent out in November 2020 to the very early adopters among you, I asked for ideas for shows that you would like to see put on in Brussels. I got such a fantastic response back then that I thought I would try it again. So, if you know of a great play, musical, or other theatrical piece that you think we should do, let us know by leaving a comment to this post. You never know, your acorn of an idea could blossom into the big hit of Brussels in a few years.
Have you listened yet?
Are you still trying to understand what exactly is The Bridge? Then you need to listen to Episode 1 of our podcast How To Build A Theatre. In this 30-minute episode, I chat with London-based musician, Phil Wilcox, about my vision for The Bridge and why I believe Brussels needs a professional English theatre.
Episode 2 comes out on Tuesday 1 May when Phil and I will be discussing the concept of English theatres with Tom Dello (pictured below), who is the Artistic Director of STET, the Hague’s English Theatre. Don’t miss it!
How To Build A Theatre is available wherever you get your podcasts. New episodes come out monthly.
Like us? How can you help?
I personally truly appreciate all the offers of help and support that we get for The Bridge. As we evolve, our needs will be continually changing and we are not yet in a position to take on staff. Nevertheless, there are three concrete ways you can help.
Work with us!
Volunteer Social Media Officer: we are looking for someone who can commit around 4 hours per week to strategising and creating engaging content on social media. This is an opportunity to be part of a growing family, with employment opportunities further down the line. People from all backgrounds are encouraged to apply. Those interested should email info@thebridge.brussels.
Finance Manager: we are now beginning to put feelers out for this pivotal role. This person must have a thorough knowledge of the Belgian system and would ideally be trilingual (EN, FR, NL). Know someone who might be interested? Forward them this email!
Send us recommendations!
Accountants (ideally specialising in the arts sector) - we are looking for an accountant that speaks English to help us navigate Belgium!
Architects - do you know an architect in Belgium that would be interested in helping us find and, potentially, build a home?
Talk about us!
We are beginning to gain a critical mass of supporters. This is important as we seek to demonstrate to the authorities in Brussels that a professional English theatre is a necessary addition to the cultural life of Brussels for all its residents. Therefore, the number one best way to support us right now is to let others know about us!
Like us on Facebook (and invite your friends)
That’s all for this month folks. Thanks for reading,
Edward McMillan
Co-founder