About us

Engage2Stage began as a participatory project called Engage in September 2017. The project was a collaboration between Extant (the UK's leading performing arts company for Visually Impaired people.), Bury society for blind and partially sighted people and the Met (theatre), Bury. Over the year long project Visually impaired participants along with sighted volunteers participated in workshops covering scripted and devised work, movement, physical theatre, vocal coaching, characterisation and much more, all of which were facilitated by trained theatre practitioners. Engage came to an end in July 2018 with a showcase performance of extracts from Shakespeare's Macbeth. However, participants wanted the good work to continue so with the continued support from Extant, The Met theatre and Bury blind society, Engage2Stage was able to become an independent constituted community group on 18th December 2018.

In the early part of 2019 Engage2Stage's work was recognised with an RNIB award nomination in the business/organisation category. Although we did not win, it was an honour just to have been in attendance at the awards evening amongst people and organisations making such a positive impact on the lives of Visually Impaired people in the North West and beyond. We were also thrilled to celebrate alongside our very own facilitator Elizabeth Wainwright who won an award in the Media and Arts category at the event.

You don't have to have had any experience in performing arts or acting to be a member of Engage2Stage. In fact for most of our members this is the case. What makes us so diverse and unique are all of skills and talents that our individual members bring to the table. Over the last few years we have worked with and alongside Visually impaired musicians, actors, writers and poets. We try to combined many of these art forms in the work we produce. Whilst we encourage all members to take part we recognise that being in the spotlight on stage isn't everyone's cup of tea. From front of house to fundraising ,backstage and voluntary roles there are plenty of off-stage roles for our members to fill.

Engage 2 stage group photo standing together on grand staircase at the met everyone smiling at camera

Our Team

Anthony Gough

Chairperson

Anthony is a visually impaired actor, theatre maker and workshop facilitator. Manchester born and bred, he graduated in 2015 with a first class hons BA in Performing Arts from the University of Bolton. He has since worked on a number of projects in a variety of roles. Not long after graduating Anthony was invited to shadow Director Chuck Mike during the rehearsals of "Unsung" at the Everyman theatre. Since 2017 Anthony has facilitated workshops for Engage2Stage, Extant, RNIB, Oldham College and the University of Bolton. In 2018/19 he was one of eight VI actors from across the UK to be part of Extant's Pathways training program in its founding year. This culminated in a showcase at RADA studios in April 2019. As well as acting, Anthony is passionate about theatre access and has a keen interest in forms of alternative and creative approaches to access within theatre. He was a recipient of the Tim Gebbels Bursary which enabled him to produce a sensory theatre R&D project and explore alternative forms of access. As of 2010, Anthony is also a member of the Greater Manchester SLC (Sight Loss council).

Tracey Marno

Treasurer

Tracey is the Chairman of The Bury Society for Blind and Partially sighted people, is on the board of directors at The Bury Met Theatre. and was delighted when the opportunity to bring both of these organisations together came along. Tracey is passionate about making theatre that is accessible for Visually Impaired actors and audiences alike. As such Tracey is a very proud member of Engage 2 Stage.

Frances Duncan

Secretary

Fran has built a portfolio of experience working in adult learning and within the voluntary sector. This led to her participating in a number of community arts projects in Cleveland and North Yorkshire before moving to her current home in Lancashire. Since moving her passion and commitment for community based arts projects and volunteering has continued. Fran joined Engage 2 Stage after becoming a volunteer for Bury Society for Blind and Partially Sighted People. Her interests in the arts span Drama, Literature, film and music.

Elizabeth Wainwright

Lead Facilitator

Elizabeth is a visually impaired professional actor. Having film and stage credits under her belt she found her part time role as a Participation Project Coordinator for Extant (the UK's foremost Visually impaired theatre company) enabled an opportunity to build projects to connect VI people with regional theatres in the North West. From one of these established connections; The Met Theatre, a regional theatre in Bury and the local visually impaired community, Engage2Stage emerged. This group has gone from strength to strength and attracts members form all over the North West. Elizabeth provides regular weekly support by facilitating rehearsals and providing training in basic acting techniques to members. This has raised their personal growth - some of them have gone on to further training supported by Extant, RADA, Shakespeare's Globe and the BBC. In 2019 Elizabeth was the recipient of an "Excellence in the Arts & Media" award from the RNIB. She is currently finishing a tour of "The Lost Words" and continues to work on and develop Engage2Stage projects and performances.

FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Engage2Stage

Engage2Stage is a non-profit constituted community group set up in December 2018. We deliver performing arts projects that are both accessable and engaging for local blind and partially sighted people. We do this through a variety of workshop and rehearsal sessions that often lead up to some form of showcase or performance.
Where are you based?

Most of our workshops, rehearsals and performances take place at the Met, Bury, which is located in Bury town centre on Market Street and is a short walk away from Bury Interchange bus and Metrolink station. For further details on how to find us please visit our contact us page.
When do sessions take place?

Most of our sessions take place on Mondays (during school term time) between 4:30 an 6:30pm.
Do you have to be Visually Impaired to join?

Not at all, aproximatly two thirds of our group have some form of sight loss. The other third is made up of sighted members and sighted volunteers. Our sighted members play a vital role not only in terms of our project delivery but also by adding to a diverse melting pot of creativity. By including sighted idividuals we feel that we are in a better position to promote sight loss awareness and inclusivity.
Are there age limits to who can join?

We do have a lower age limit of 18, however anyone who is above this can join.
Do I have to have any acting or performing arts experience?

Not at all. Most of our members have little or no experience in performing arts before joining us. We encourage all to join, which is why we do taster sessions, where you can ask questions and participate at your own pace or even just observe a session taking place.
Do you have to pay to join?

We do ask those who can to pay a subsidised contribution of £2 per week. This helps towards running costs such as venue hire and facilitation. This is a voluntary payment and we do not discriminate those who cannot pay, so do not worry if you cannot afford it, you are still welcome. Please note that this payment does not apply to your first session with us as we class it as a taster session. There may be some instances and specific events where the contribution does not apply, if and when this is the case you will be given prior notice.
Can I pay my subsidised contribution online?

At the moment we can only accept cash payments, however we are looking at ways to simplify making payments, which will hopefully include a method of online payment in the near future.
What form of access can you provide if I am Visually impaired?

All of our sessions are designed with access in mind and are planned and deliverd by professionals who have trained in the disability arts sector. We have a number of volunteer trained sighted guides in attentance at every session, who are there to assist you, from moving around the space to assisting with reading scripts and line feeding.

The venue where we base most of our work, The Met, Bury is a very accessible venue that can be accessed by bus, tram or car and is a short walk from Bury interchange. Staff at the venue have a high level of awareness training. The venue is also guide dog friendly. Most of our sessions take place in the box studio which is on the ground floor with ramp access at the theatre's front entrance.

If travel is a worry we have volunteers who can meet you at a number of Manchester city centre tram stops and transport hubs. Please use our contact us page to enquire about our travel assistance.

If for whatever reason we are working away from our base at the Met or visiting another venue for an event or show, please be rest assured that this will take place only when the venues in question have been assessed for access provision.
If I join will I have to perform on stage?

Whilst we encourage even our volunteers to take part in our workshops in some way, this may not translate into performing on stage. This very much depends on a number of factors including the requirements of the production itself and how comfortable an individual may be. We understand that being on stage can seem a daunting place, which is why our sessions are designed to help overcome this at your own pace. Ultimatley if the stage isn't for you then we have a number of production and backstage roles that you may prefer such as stage management and assisting our director.