What is Bitesize?
Bitesize is a theatre, dance, or music performance, that is co-created with local people as genuine partners in the shows. The performances are hosted in local community venues and are about people coming together and sharing food themed to the shows, giving time to meet and make new connections.
Bitesize 2024/25
We are thrilled to announce the next set of Bitesize commissions to tour South Tyneside and Sunderland, between May 2024 and March 2025.
Eight of these new commissions will tour South Tyneside and three commissions will tour Sunderland and South Tyneside. The commissions, from The Cultural Spring and The Cultural Spring Charity, are funded through the UK Shared Prosperity Funding (UKSPF).
The Bitesize commissions were chosen from a shortlist by a panel of Cultural Spring Community Champions and will be theatre, dance, or music performances. Each commission will include an element of sharing food and local people will play a leading role in creating the pieces.
The latest Bitesize commissions touring Sunderland and South Tyneside:
It’s a Kitchen Disco by Hannah Goudie-Hunter and Georgia Hill will collaborate and bring children’s book Kitchen Disco by Clare Foges and Al Murphy to life.
Here Be Dragons by Unfolding Theatre, a show for families, filled with music, fun and adventure will be performed on a pop-up stage made from reclaimed wood.
Grubbins Wood by Timbadash Theatre, is a sensory and immersive theatre show for young people with autism and/or complex additional needs.
The commissions touring South Tyneside are:
I Care, by Sharon Bailey, will be a show devised with young carers across South Tyneside exploring the experiences of unpaid and paid care-giving through audio recording, photography, digital film, collage and performance
Yarns from Hyem, by Hooley Theatre, will see four back-to-back short plays that are written, performed, directed and produced by North East talent. The plays will tell stories that are relatable, hilarious and heart- warming and reflect the richness of our region’s communities.
Sweet Caroline and the Football Boots by We Make Culture, is an interactive, music-led performance for children told via a script and original songs, written and performed by community musicians Ashleigh Lowes and Paige Temperley.
Pain in the Arts, by Theatre Space North East, is co-creating a theatrical performance exploring the ever-growing subject area of chronic pain - incorporating acting, music, stand-up comedy, poetry, and arts/crafts - co-created by (and featuring) members of the chronic pain community of South Tyneside.
Mixtape, by The Six Twenty, throws musical genres in a blender to create a highly entertaining show for friends and families to enjoy. Think pub quiz meets "Whose Line Is It Anyway” with a dash of karaoke sing–along, and you're getting close.
Bitesize 2023
Bitesize was a series of fantastic shows created by local musicians and theatre hosted by venues across Sunderland between April and June 2023.
Each show engaged local communities and groups to gather stories, recruit actors, create the soundscape or help build the set designs.
The shows were provocative, laugh out loud, interactive and most of all in a place that was local to you!
Scroll to find out more about our four fantastic shows.
The ticket price included sharing of food that is themed to the show….think Bovril and pies for football, slushies and sausage rolls for your trip to Bognor Regis!
To find out more about our Bitesize shows which took place in 2023 CLICK HERE.
This project is part-funded by the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.
The UK Shared Prosperity Fund is a central pillar of the UK government’s Levelling Up agenda and provides £2.6 billion of funding for local investment by March 2025. The Fund aims to improve pride in place and increase life chances across the UK investing in communities and place, supporting local business, and people and skills. For more information, visit UK Shared Prosperity Fund: prospectus - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
