Tuesday is often said to be the worst day of the week. Memories of the weekend have become but a distant feeling of joy, overrun by the misery of Monday. Similarly, the next respite is still 3 or 4 days off, and the midweek blues hang and fester as one sits or stands at their employed station.
At The Old Fire Station, we feel that this simply needn’t be the case! Each week, Tuesdays are dedicated to the kind of creatively explosive events that will rekindle your weekend imagination. We change Tuesday from a dour midweek hurdle to a wondrously fun midweek boost.
First Tuesday of the Month
On the first Tuesday of each month, we play host to the Oxford Improvisers, who take to the stage to wow you with their free form musical expressions. The shifting and flexible group consists of many different improvisers, so each session promises to deliver something different. Running through each performance is the notion that notated music, with its strict forms and rhythms, is a little bit restrictive and can often form a barrier between the performer and the sound. The Oxford Improvisers instead adopt a culturally and musically open approach to their playing, allowing for momentary interactions between the musician, the instrument and the audience to come out in their purest form.
Second Tuesday of the Month
The second Tuesday of the month sees battle-scarred poets and budding word-smiths clash in the tooth & nail melee that is Hammer & Tongue. Performance poets will endeavour to capture the attentions of the audience in an energised display of verbal cabaret. Hilarious, holistic and handstandingly fantastic all at once, Hammer & Tongue also hold an Open Poetry Slam to win a place in an end of season Grand Final. So do check the Arts at the Old Fire Station website for more up to date info. (Please also be aware that hammers are at no point to be wielded on any evening at The Old Fire Station.)
Third Tuesday of the Month
We have a new monthly event that will take place on the third Tuesday of the month, starting in January. Meeting Points is a platform in which various artistic practitioners are invited to work alongside professional dancers in an evening of shared experimentation. The creative attitudes of the dancers and the other artists will mingle and evolve live on stage. If you fancy participating then drop an email to meetingpoints@anadance.co.uk for more information.
Starting in February, our Scratch Night takes on a new shape in the form of a revolving focus on Comedy, Theatre and Dance. We felt that the varying genres deserved some space to breath and so the old Scratch Night will now come with a little more focus, meaning that the ideas shared will be that bit more delicious. For those not in the know, Scratch Night is an opportunity for local and regional performers to show their works in progress before a live audience. By attending one of these evenings, you will be helping to shape a future show, and your input and feedback will be warmly received. The first Scratch Night of the year will be on the third Tuesday of February (the 18th) and will be a space for testing Comedy. The evening will be supported by the brilliant Oxford based comedy group, The Dead Secrets. Check out the website or come back to the blog for more information on March’s Theatre Scratch Night and April’s Dance Scratch Night.
Fourth Tuesday of the Month
And, last but by no means least, the fourth Tuesday of every month will see the continuation of two excellent long running events. Short Stories Aloud continues where it left off, with professional actors reading award-winning short stories, and then answering questions about the tales whilst sharing cake with the audience. What’s not to like?
Playground returns February in its new slot of forth Tuesday of the month in the Shop. Participate in this involving, creatively geared platform in which artists and public can mingle, discuss projects and share ideas. It promises to be a collaborative space, so why not venture on in, meet like-minded people, and bounce ideas around from 25th Feb?
Find out more about all of the Tuesday events on our website – www.oldfirestation.org.uk/Tuesdays
Blog post by our volunteer blogger – Sam Stensland.