PILOT NIGHTS ARCHIVE:
April 2010
THE various spaces within A. E. Harris became the backdrop for PILOT Nights in April 2010. Music was provided by The Mellow Peaches.
FEATURED THEATRE-MAKERS
Graeme Rose
Greg McLaren
Kirsty Lothian
Mark Butcher
Needle & Thread
Stan’s Cafe
The Company Project
VENUE & CO-PILOT
Venue: A.E. Harris
Initially Stan’s Cafe took a vacated portion of the A E Harris & Co (Birmingham) Ltd. factory for a six week period to stage Of All The People In All The World. Audiences responded so enthusiastically to the venue and Stan’s Cafe liked it so much that talks were initiated between theatre company and metal fabricators with a view to securing the space for performance on a long term basis.
The ambition was for this space to a provide location for devising, rehearsing and presenting Stan’s Cafe shows and to become a focus for the development of an independent theatre scene within Birmingham. For its first two years AE Harris operated under significant subsidy from Stan’s Cafe. Any hire fees went to off-setting rent or improving the venue’s facilities.
In November 2010 Arts Council England recognised the contribution AE Harris makes to the local theatre scene and agreed to provide a degree of financial assistance. An agreement is in place with A E Harris that the venue can continue until the site is finally sold for redevelopment.
Co-Pilots Sam Fox, Jess MacKinnon & Paul Warwick
PILOT Nights is funded by Arts Council England and The Sir Barry Jackson Trust.
