LynchPin is in the midst of Phase 1* of a terrific and challenging project that has already received funding from Arts Council England and elsewhere.  Please read on...

What’s the Project?  consider this…, is a bold and original piece of theatre on the subject of forgiveness created by Guildford-based Lynchpin Productions Theatre Company. This exciting new project brings together dialogue, song, original music, movement, film and real-life narratives to explore this challenging topic. The play follows a chance meeting and subsequent dialogue between two strangers, the fabulous and mysterious storyteller, Canta Dora, and the world-weary vagabond, Pews. Interwoven into this dialogue are stories from The Forgiveness Project, a global charity that collects true stories from around the world exploring issues of reconciliation and conflict resolution. 

What’s special about consider this…? It employs an exciting multi-disciplinary form to lift these stories off the page and incorporate them into a theatrical event that will expand the conversation around the topic of forgiveness to a wider audience. It promises to be an absorbing experience, engaging audiences at the level of intellect and feelings, sound and vision, reason and ethics. Each performance also features talk-back sessions with guests working in the field of restorative justice and reconciliation, including Marina Cantacuzino, founder of The Forgiveness Project; Don de Silva from Initiatives of Change UK; and Amjad Saleem from The Cordoba Foundation. 

LynchPin has a great track record of taking on challenging subjects and stimulating participation, dialogue and debate. Their play Cloning Mary Shelley explored the ethics surrounding cloning and received excellent reviews from critics as far afield as Canada and the Czech Republic. Their monthly rehearsed ScripTease rehearsed readings regularly feature readings of plays in association with Guildford Group Amnesty International focusing on human rights issues. Last year, their production of The Women of Lockerbie, by Deborah Brevoort, explored the daunting emotional journey involved in surviving tragedy and is still being talked about by Guildford audiences.  Consider This… has already received funding from Arts Council England , Guildford Borough Council, the Irene Prestwich Trust, Initiatives of Change UK Opportunities Fund, the Phyllis Konstam Memorial Fund, and Westminster Productions. This is the first time LynchPin has sought outside funding, and we are delighted that this project has stirred such enthusiastic support.

We are so close to reaching our budgetary and matching-funds goal and you can help. Through CrowdAid, a grass-roots crowd-funding website, we are seeking to raise an additional $4k to ensure the Research & Development  (Phase 1*) of this production goes forward.  We hope you will sponsor us and donate at one of five levels of support. See the CrowdAid website for full information of how you can contribute to this very timely production, and where you can follow the real-time progress of donations.

*Phase 2 and 3 will concentrate on further development and touring.