Jabberwocky Market is coming, by Stan Hodgson, Aug 2013

Hello, I’m Stan Hodgson. I’m an actor and theatre maker, Darlington born and bred. I’ve been working professionally in the North East for little under a year, and I’ve already been fortunate to meet a wealth of artists, actors, producers and writers working in the region and promoting it.  My theatre company Windermere Productions started in the Darlington Arts Centre, and as a member of NORTH, Northern Stage’s resident young company, I’ve seen how important it is to have theatre in and about the region.

To a lot of people, Darlington is a town you simply travel through. The platform at the station or the turn off on the A1 is quite often all that anyone sees. Battersea Arts Centre recognised and related to that. They think that Londoners view them in the same way that the country views us. That’s why they’ve entered into a partnership with Luxi to produce the Jabberwocky Market: a  theatre festival (3-6 October) taking place across a host of venues in the town.

We’re bringing you some of the most exciting theatre and spoken-word artists working in the country, including Kate Tempest’s epic rap/poetry show “Brand New Ancients”, Paper Cinema’s astonishing interpretation of Homer’s “Odyssey” using live cinema and puppetry and Polarbear’s absorbing exploration of story-telling “Mouth Open, Story Jump Out” for children and families.

But the Jabberwocky Market is set for more than just hosting an exceptional array of talent from London – it’s about sharing and showing what Darlington has to offer. It’s celebrating the town and communities that make it. Our stall in the covered market is going to host a wide variety of “pop-up performances” from regional groups and artists. There’ll be local vendors at the venues, workshops and exciting opportunities for everyone in the town, young and old.

As a lifelong resident of Darlington, it fills me with pride that this is taking place in the town. I think it is going to be a really significant event for the town, and give Darlington a rare chance to shout about its achievements.

We’ll keep you posted on all the developments, and bring you the latest news on tickets, offers and more.

In the meantime, get in touch with us on our facebook group, our twitter page (@JabbMarket) or via the Luxi website, for more information.

Stan Hodgson is an Assistant Producer for Jabberwocky Market.