Class Assembly Legacy: an audio series by RTYDS

‘’My journey as an artist has been quite a rollercoaster. And so, you get to the point in your career where you’re just like ‘people take this so seriously but there are so many other important things going on right now’. And it kind of touches on the humour and the tragedy of what it means to be an artist. And sometimes you have to be able to take the piss out of yourself in order to realise that you know, yes it might mean everything to you right now, but also just think about the rest of your life and the bigger picture and the rest of the world out there.’’ - KamalArt is a Fart is commissioned by Regional Theatre Young Director Scheme as part of Fair Play a national project tackling socio-economic inequity in theatre.Creative team:Written and performed by Kamal KaanDirector: Caitriona ShoobridgeProducer and Sound Designer: Anishka SharmaComposer: Hugh SheehanMix Engineer: Nigel AppletonMarketing and graphic design: Holly Adomah

‘’I've dealt personally with the benefits system for my whole life. I've watched it affect family members, friends. I've seen the terrible situations that it gets people in, and I've seen the terrible rhetoric around people who rely on benefits. Calling people scroungers, calling benefits handouts and things like that. And anyone who's ever been on benefits will know that they are not a handout. The benefit system is a bureaucratic, never-ending rigmarole, and anyone who's ever been on them understands that - and I wish everyone did.’’ - FelixScrounger is commissioned by Regional Theatre Young Director Scheme as part of Fair Play a national project tackling socio-economic inequity in theatre.Creative team:Written and performed by Felix MuftiDirector: Caitriona ShoobridgeProducer and Sound Designer: Anishka SharmaComposer: Hugh SheehanMix Engineer: Nigel AppletonMarketing and graphic design: Holly AdomahOriginally commissioned by 20 Stories High as part of Class Assembly: Northwest

‘’I’ve been full-time freelance for four years now, and I’m entering mid-career so there’s this tricky expectation that I’m having with myself of how I should perceive my trajectory and my career to be in terms of sustainability and stability, and it just doesn’t feel like the expectation, the reality is meeting up. It is really quite hard.’’ - NicoleIn and out the Money is commissioned by Regional Theatre Young Director Scheme as part of Fair Play a national project tackling socio-economic inequity in theatre.Creative team:Written and performed by Nicole JosephDirector: Caitriona ShoobridgeProducer and Sound Designer: Anishka SharmaComposer: Hugh SheehanMix Engineer: Nigel AppletonMarketing and graphic design: Holly Adomah

‘’I was thinking about class as a cultural signifier and what is the culture of class. And I think one of the things that is different is the resolution of issues and problems and how to stand up for yourself and self-advocate. And thinking about the times where it’s gone wrong for me and almost being given permission by this commission, I guess, to realise that there’s actually nothing wrong with the way that I approach things. It’s the cultural way I was raised and for me to resolve issue and conflict in someone else’s way is to betray my own cultural experience.’’ - Daneka Gobshite is commissioned by Regional Theatre Young Director Scheme as part of Fair Play a national project tackling socio-economic inequity in theatre.Creative team:Written and performed by Daneka EtchellsDirector: Caitriona ShoobridgeProducer and Sound Designer: Anishka SharmaComposer: Hugh SheehanMix Engineer: Nigel AppletonMarketing and graphic design: Holly Adomah