Chicken Shed

Chicken Shed

The first time I every knew of a place called Chicken-shed was when I saw their show Peter Pen on TV, I was 8 year old. I loved the show and really wanted to be a part of the theater. I applied but there was a long waiting list.

One thing I like was a lot of children and people got the chance to perform with all different abilities. The next time I heard of chicken shed was when I heard the song I am in love with the world, which went in the UK chat at number 14. I really love that song it showed all different age group singing together. I always knew there was something special about this theatre group.

I got a place on the BTEC course when I was 18. I so Glad I got the charge to go there. Chicken shed work in an inclusive way with everyone, everyone is welcome no matter what their ability is. When you’re at Chicken shed you get the chance to work with children and people with all different needs and the change to perform in their show. . Is amazing what they have achieved.

This year their celebrating having been going for 35 years. This all started in 1974 when Mary Ward and Jo Collins were given an old chicken shed performance space were it got its name chicken shed. Mary and Jo wanted to change theatre and include everyone with a desire to perform no matter on his or her ability or back-ground.

Their Children Theatre in the 80s are our teachers today I Admire them for staying in the theatre for all there life Chicken shed is what they have created as children and now they are teaching us. They are teaching us how to create Theatre in an inclusive way and taking this on to other places we go to in our lives.

Today there have the largest children and youth theatre running workshops for over 600 people and education courses for over 100 students. They now have other sheds around the country Harringate shed and a shed in Blackpool, they now a shed in Russia. I think its great more people are taking on chicken shed way of working and its open up to other places to work in an inclusive way.