Production Shot by Nick Rutter
A SPID Theatre production performed in the Bush Attic space
Helena Thompson is an award winning writer and the Artistic Director of S.P.I.D. Theatre. Helena’s credits include The Burning Tower (BBC Radio 4), iAm (which was nominated for an Offie award), Arthur’s World (published by Oberon, performances of which sold out at Bush Theatre in 2015) and High Above the Sky, an animated film which won the ITV First Light award). She studied scriptwriting under David Edgar at Birmingham University.
Mel Cook is an experiential theatre maker. She has created festival work for Latitude, Glastonbury, LIFT, and Hide & Seek, and developed site-sympathetic work for Shunt Vaults, BAC, V&A, and The Lowry. She is Associate Director for SPID and Coney. Mel has been a finalist for the JMK, ITV, C4, Arches, Bankside, and Leverhulme directing awards. Credits include Southwark Playhouse, Arcola and Finborough.
The award winning charity S.P.I.D. Theatre (Specially Produced Innovatively Directed creates high quality community theatre on council estates. Since 2005, they have championed the value and voices of social housing. Their work dramatising West London estates’ heritage has featured on BBC, ITV, London Live and in the national press. Prizes include Time Out Critic’s Choice, Fringe Report’s Best Outreach Company and ITV First Light Best Film Award.
S.P.I.D. are based in the historic Kensal House estate 10 minutes from Grenfell Tower. The charity campaigns to ensure the victims of the Grenfell fire are not forgotten. They advocate against the destruction of social housing, champion investment in council estates and fight to improve rights for those who live and work there. S.P.I.D. has recently negotiated a 25-year lease of their community theatre in Kensal House council estate. They are proud to announce having raised £1.4million to refurbish this neglected, Grade II* listed space, thanks to funding from the Mayor’s Good Growth Fund and Big Lottery’s Reach Communities.
