‘Sweet Caroline’ needs the help of women footballers

If so, an award-winning arts project would love to hear from you.

We Make Culture recently won a Cultural Spring Bite-size Commission to produce an interactive, music-led performance for children and their families.

We Make Culture’s piece tells the story of ‘Sweet Caroline’ a young girl from Sunderland who is desperate to be a footballer and who teams up with her older neighbour to fulfil her dream.

Laura Brewis, founder and director of We Make Culture, explained: “It’s a story of discovering your talent, overcoming stereotypes, finding your team and having confidence in yourself.

“As part of the development of the piece, we’ve been working with sporting organisations and girls’ football teams in the city, including Washington AFC, North East Sport and the Foundation of Light.

“What we’d like to do is compare the differences between girls’ experiences of playing football now and in the past – so we’re really keen to speak to any Wearside women 60 or over who have experience playing football.

“Whether you were – or are – an amazing goalie or outfield player, loved going to the match, or you would loved to have played, but weren’t allowed, we’d love to hear from you. Similarly, if you have a family member who was a great player back in the day, we’d also love to hear your stories.”

If you do have a story tell, We Make Culture has arranged two story gathering sessions for you to drop into. The first session is at Back on the Map in Hendon on Friday, February 3 (1pm-2.30pm) and the second session is at Fulwell Community Library on Wednesday, February 8 between 10am and 11.30am. No registration is required.

If you have a story to tell, but can’t make either session, you can share your story online at https://forms.gle/bfRWzxikspNPdzio6  or you can contact Laura for a chat via laura@wemakeculture.co.uk.

The stories gathered will be used in songs and will help Laura develop the character of Caroline’s neighbour in the final piece, which will tour community venues in April 2023.

Laura added: “Sweet Caroline will be great fun, but will also have an uplifting message for audiences for families with children aged between four and ten.”

Sweet Caroline is one of four bite-size performances commissioned by The Cultural Spring.

The other three are:

·      Theatre Space North East and The Foodbank Generation Game. Jamie Brown, Associate Producer at Theatre Space North East, explained: “We’re already working closely with Sunderland Community Food Bank to highlight the huge problem of food poverty through a ‘game show’ theatrical performance. We want to shine a spotlight on the increasing dependency on food banks across the region.”

·      Woven Nest – Milk, Two Sugars. Liv Hunt, Co-Artistic Director at Woven Theatre, said: “Our immersive, multi-sensory show will be for older adults in care homes, hospices or community centres. The show will be performed one-to-one or in small groups in May across five venues which we’re working to identify.”

·      The Six Twenty – Redcoat. Mel Rashbrooke, Founder and Artistic Director at The Six Twenty, explained: “We’re working with Cozmic 3piphany a group that gives young LGBTQ+ people in Sunderland a voice. We want to work with the group to develop and adapt our one-man show Redcoat which has been touring north east venues. Redcoat is about identity and belonging.”

The Cultural Spring is looking to replicate the success of a similar project held throughout South Tyneside in 2018.