About Us Mission Statement
Founded in Bristol in 1986, Show Of Strength is a professional theatre company.
SOS has identified three key strategic aims for the period 2012-15, and these are:
1. To commission and produce new theatre that engages and
involves the diverse communities of Bristol and South West England
2. To identify, encourage and showcase new and emerging playwrights from Bristol and the South West of England
3. To use spaces and venues that are not normally used for theatre to encourage diverse and engaged audiences.
These core aims are underpinned by the following objectives:
• Working with individuals and communities to develop new writing by new writers.
• Working with professional writers to encourage and develop the work of less experienced writers.
• Creating work opportunities for South West theatre professionals, particularly actors and writers, through our programmes of work
• Developing theatre for people that is performed in non-theatre settings (shops, community venues and high streets) and free to access.
• Developing theatre by and for people that encourages interaction and pride of place for the community (through outdoor theatre and theatre in retail units and high streets).
• Working with cultural providers, the business sector, and other regional partners to maximise the reach and impact of the Show of Strength experience.
• Strengthening the Show of Strength brand and developing innovative partnerships through association with major Bristol, regional and, where appropriate, national and international activities.
• Developing web site resources that include an online script facility. That allows access to over 100 new writing pieces developed by us and our writers.
• Taking our work and developing new work in other cities and towns in the south west.
• Providing value: through low core costs so funding investment is used for high quality production rather than office and core staff costs
Through these aims and objectives we serve our mission goals:
• Engage with the ‘genus loci’ of the areas we work in, our writers create local stories about local people for local people –and performed by locally based theatre professionals.
• Develop, find and promote intimate, unusual and accessible performance spaces and areas for theatre that’s “close enough to touch”.
• Engage with the public, producing cutting edge theatre that audiences return to again and again.
• Provide workshops and performances that are free for participants and audiences with completely open access.
• Develop and produce highly accessible material, much of it by non-professionals and first time writers.
• Combine work by established writers with national and international profiles alongside work by non professional and first time writers developed in our free workshops.
• Respond to invitations to work with other professional arts providers.