Everyman studio theatre presents ‘international week’

A 'night in the Orient' and a Bollywood event will feature in a week packed full of cultural performances, starting on 21 February.  Cheltenham Borough Council and the Everyman theatre have teamed up to offer the interactive shows as part of international week.

This is the first year that international week has taken place at the Everyman and if it's successful, it will be incorporated in to the full programme from next year.  Its purpose is to attract new audiences to the theatre, with the entertainment provided by members of Cheltenham's diverse communities.

The week begins with 'Bollywood night' which will include an opportunity for the audience to take part in a Bollywood dance workshop.  A 'night in the Orient' will be presented by the Chinese community, to include Ribbon dancing and a Tai Chi workshop.  The week will finish with a Polish theme, with a presentation about the history of Poland and a discussion followed by a short play about one man's refusal to abandon children in an orphanage.  All of the events last for an hour and a half with traditional food served during the break, thanks to local restaurants including Spice Lodge, Jadlo Polskie and the Mayflower.

Zareen Ahmed capacity worker for Cheltenham Borough Council said:  ''This is a wonderful example of partnership working between the public, private and voluntary sectors.  It could not have been achieved without the support of the volunteers who have given up so much of their time to plan, promote and participate in this event. I hope people will come along and enjoy these unique events.''

Camille Cowe, head of lifelong learning for the Everyman Theatre said: "The response from the community has been fabulous, from the ladies of Sahara-Saheli womens' group cooking food, to pupils from the Mandarin School rehearsing their ribbon dance.  We hope this paves the way for more community partnerships with the Everyman in the future."

Tickets cost just £2.50 and are available at the Everyman box office, call 01242 572573.

For media enquiries, contact: Katie Sandey, communications team leader, telephone 01242 775050, email [email protected]

Full programme

Bollywood night
Monday 21 February, 6pm

Dhallywood night
Tuesday 22 February, 6pm

A night on the Orient
Wednesday 23 February, 6pm

A night in Poland
Thursday 24 February, 6pm

Thanks goes to the following organisations for their support:

BBC Gloucestershire
Mayflower
Spice Lodge
Cheltenham Ambassadors for People and Services
Chinese children and parents' association
Jadlo Polskie
Village and community agents
Sahara-Saheli