Adam Strickson
Teaching Fellow in Creative Writing
MA, BA

Images clockwise from left; Bullfinch 'sculptural weaving' by Adam, Oakwell Hall, Birstall, 2007, Seafood Parade (Bridlington, 2008) - Seafood Procession, Green Angel (Leeds, 2010),The Cage (Hull, 2008).

Biography

Adam is a poet, theatre writer and director. For thirteen years (until 2002), he was director of Chol Theatre, the pioneering inter-cultural company based in Huddersfield and led projects throughout the north of England and in Bangladesh. He has written plays for the Oldham Coliseum, Peshkar Productions and an acclaimed trilogy for Burnley  Youth Theatre.

Two collections of his poetry have been published; he has been Poet in Residence for Ilkley Literature Festival and Schools’ Poet in Residence at Bridlington Poetry Festival. He is lead artist for Wingbeats, an ambitious music-theatre project in the East Riding inspired by London 2012.

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Research Interests

• Opera and music-theatre adapted from Japanese theatre forms and films
• The collaboration between poet-librettist William Plomer and composer Benjamin Britten
• Poetry as a self-reflexive tool for the analysis of performance processes
• Developing theatre and writing from contemporary life stories
• Intercultural theatre, with an emphasis on UK connections with South Asia

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Research Group

Practitioner Processes

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Current Teaching

PGT:  Tutor for MA  Writing for Performance and Publication: module leader for ‘Writing for Stage and Screen’, Individual Project, Research Project.

UG: Intercultural Theatre (2nd year PCI Elective), Major Dissertation

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Current Roles

Teaching Fellow in Creative Writing (.4)

Personal tutor for Years 1 & 2 UG and MA Writing students

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Supervised MA and PhD students

Individual supervision for most MA Writing for Performance and Publication students for Individual Project or Research Project modules.

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Publications

Dec 2010: Tear up the Lace, second full length poetry collection, edited by Nicholas Bielby. Published by Graft Poetry (Leeds)

November 2010: Featured writer in Moving Worlds, Ten Years Forward, A Celebration, published by Moving Worlds at School of English, University of Leeds. ISBN 978-0-9553060-9-9

May 2009:  Featured writer in Sama Ghazal Salaam UK, UK Poetry rooted in Persian, Arabian and Islamic writing traditions.  Published by electraglade. ISBN 978-0-9551307-7-9

May 2007:  We reckon we could rule the world.  A  non-fiction book documenting innovative arts and media projects with young people, commissioned by the Academy for Sustainability & Integreat Yorkshire for Yorkshire Forward

October 2006:  Interland (Six Steps Underwater).  A  collaborative publication with 5 other writers from Yorkshire and Finland.  Published by The Poetry Business (Smith/Doorstop)  The book was launched at the Ilkley Literature Festival (Oct) and the Vaasa Literature Festival, Ostrobothnia, Finland (Nov).  Information and excerpts at www.intland.net  ISBN 1-902382-81-1

September 2006:  Wuthering Heights. A  script adaptation of Emily Bronte’s work as a graphic novel; a collaboration with the British Nigerian artist, Siku.  Launched at the ‘Radical Brontes’ Festival in Haworth and Bradford. ISBN 0-946657-25-4

July 2005:  England Once More (The life, death and unexpected return of Joseph Priestley). Educational play for Leeds and Philadelphia, filmed & published by the Priestley Society. Performed in Morley, Birstall, Leeds and Manchester; July 2005, July 2006.

July 2005:  Major contributor to Writing Renewal 2.  (The Flowering of Frizinghall) 
Government Office for Yorkshire and the Humber.  Book and web.  ISBN 09534831-6-2     
         
May 2005: An Indian Rug Surprised by Snow, a full-length poetry collection, edited by Shane Rhodes.  Published by Wrecking Ball Press (Hull). www.wreckingballpress.com
ISBN 0-903110-25-4.  Accompanying reading tour and workshops: May 2005 – November 2005, including festivals in Leeds, Huddersfield, Harrogate, Birmingham, Nottingham, Cheltenham, York and Ilkley.

April 2004:  Stories in a Suitcase: looking back and looking forwards with the people of Ravensthorpe.  Kirklees Metropolitan Council. Co-editor and contributing writer (poetry and prose).  ISBN 0-900-74683-1.

July 2003:  Major contributor to Writing Renewal 1.  (Looking Ahead: the everyday life of a Traveller child). Government Office for Yorkshire and the Humber.  Book and web.  ISBN 09534831-5-0

May 1990: The Story of Ushar: strategies for multi-lingual storytelling. Bradford Education Authority.

June 1985:  Horse and Bamboo, A Theatre of Narrative Painting. Dartington Theatre Papers, The Fifth Series, edited by Peter Hulton. ISSN 0309-8036


A selection of professionally produced scripts 

Green Angel, an opera adapted from a novella by Alice Hoffman, January 2011 (Schools of PCI and Music, Dare Partnership, ACE)

A Burlington Tale. Live performance and broadcast play commissioned by Integreat Yorkshire and Bridlington Old Town Association, funded by Yorkshire Forward, April 09 

Raining old women and sticks/Mae’n burw hen wragedd a ffyn.  Tri-lingual play (English, Welsh, Punjabi) for North Wales Stage (Bangor)/Theatre in the Mill (Bradford).  5 person, full length middle scale touring piece, toured by a professional cast in Wales and England, February - March 2006. 

All plugged in and nowhere to go.  Opening play for the new purpose built million pound Burnley Youth Theatre. Cast of 32 young people aged 12 – 19, June 2005. 

Not a lot of fish, a youth theatre play for Peshkar, as part of Contact Theatre’s ‘Contacting the World’ project, linking with Black Fish Theatre, Karachi. Oldham/Manchester, July 2004.

Gods, Monsters and Body Ironing, a play about a Kurdish refugee from Syria for Burnley Youth Theatre. Performed 2004 & 2005 in NE Lancs and the South West.  DVD available.

The Ghost Lesson, a multi-lingual play commissioned by Chol Theatre in collaboration with Bradford International Festival.  Premiere:  Bradford Alhambra Studio, June 03 and cross regional autumn tour, including London and Newcastle: Sept – Nov 03.

Dancing with Razor Blades, a play commissioned by Burnley Youth Theatre, performed by young men, aged 15 to 23, from different cultural backgrounds.  Premiere:  BYT, June 03, prior to tour and National Association of Youth Theatres’ Festival (July 03).                                                                                                           
The Beautiful Violin, full length musical play based on traditional Bengali love story.
Commissioned by the Oldham Coliseum and Peshkar Productions: 2001.
Nominated for Manchester Evening News Best New Play Award, 2002.

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Projects

Some recent writing projects

June 10. Schools’ Poet in Residence, Bridlington Poetry Festival

April – July 2010.  ‘Step away before be explodes’, dramaturge and drama adviser for Manasamitra on this play and film about young people and extremism in Batley and Dewsbury    
                                                           
August 09 – July 10.   Writer and editor of exhibition, ‘Fieldhead Past And Present’, Safer and Stronger Communities, Kirklees MC.    
                                                                                                                             
March 10. ‘Green Angel’.  Writer and producer for part 1 of this chamber opera, composed by Lauren Redhead, New Stages, School of PCI.  

Jan  09. ‘Drawing Oradour’.  Poetry commission for Holocaust Memorial Day, Kirklees MC.    
             
Oct 08 – Dec 08.  ‘Johnny’s Allerton Yards’.  Animated film with poetry about the hidden yards and corners of Northallerton, commissioned by Integreat Yorkshire and funded by Yorkshire Forward.

April – June 08.  ‘Burlington Dreams’.  DVD film and poems about people in Bridlington Old Town, commissioned by Integreat Yorkshire and funded by Yorkshire Forward.

Jan 08.  ‘These eyes’.  Writer of performance piece based on testimony of a Sudanese ex child soldier.  Collaboration with composer Emma Nenadic and percussionist Tom Merry. Commissioned by Kirklees MC for Holocaust Memorial Day Event, Huddersfield Town Hall.

Aug 07 – Jan 08.  ‘The Cage’.   Writer and producer for installation, performance and film about child slaves in the UK and EU for Sixth Forms; 2008 Abolition of Slavery festival. Commissioned by Aimhigher Humber in collaboration with the University of Hull.

March 07 – Oct 07.  Competition director and book editor for Aimhigher Humber year 10 writing competition, ‘A box full of after’, in collaboration with the Beverley Literature Festival.

June 06 – March 07.  ‘Going out in Boston’.  Community writing residency and publication of illustrated stories and poems as a set of drinks mats and place mats for Boston, Lincolnshire.  Commissioned by Blackfriars Arts Centre, with funding from ACE, Boston Borough Council and Lincolnshire County Council.

March 2006 – Nov 2006.  Poetry performances at the Huddersfield, Derbyshire, Leigh and Wigan, Ilkley and Vaasa literature festivals; at Nidderdale Festival & at Newcastle Lit and Phil.

May – July 2006.  ‘Creative Heights’.  Creative writing workshops and script with four Colne Valley Junior Schools, performed at the Lawrence Batley Theatre, Huddersfield, July 5th 06. A  collaboration with Satellite Arts.

February 2006 – May 2006.  ‘Matters of the Heart’.  Writing workshops with South Asian residents in Halifax; editing of illustrated, multi-lingual booklet and commissioned poetry for The Square Chapel Arts Trust.

April 2006.  ‘Tales’.  Commission from Alchemy: 3 stories for the ‘Prelude’ exhibition linking contemporary South Asian Art and the permanent collection at Cartwright Hall, Bradford.

Jan – Feb 2006.  ‘Arking Back’.  3 short plays for performance by young people.  Commissioned by Slaithwaite Moonraking Festival.                                                                                                                                     
October 2005 – February 2006.   Writer’s placement with Birmingham Repertory Theatre. June 2005 – January 2006. 

‘Double portraits’. Scripting and directing a 45 minute DVD linking Holocaust Survivors in Yorkshire with refugees and asylum seekers.  A Kirklees Community History Service project, funded by KMC and Yorkshire Museums and Archives Council.  Shown at Huddersfield Art Gallery, Jan – March 2006.  Shown at The Guildhall, The Quayside, Newcastle upon Tyne, Jan – March 2007, Brent Cross Shopping Centre, Barnet (North London) Jan - March 2008, Dewsbury Museum June - October 08, Ripon Cathedral, Jan – Feb 2010, Huddersfield Art Gallery Jan – March 2011  

July – November 2005.  Poet in Residence for Ilkley Literature Festival. 

May – August 2005.  ‘The Wooden Horse’:  Reading, writing and visual arts residency with young Travellers in Shipley.  A ‘Bookscape’ project for Booktrust, funded by Paul Hamlyn.

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Editorial Work

Jan 07 – March 08.  ‘Your Story’.  Life writing workshops and compiling and editing 2 book publications (‘True Colours of Gilroyd’ and ‘Life Turns Around’) with community groups in Barnsley.  Commissioned by Signposts, Sheffield.


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International Presentations

Theatre work and presentations in Denmark, Finland, Luxembourg, Belgium, France, Bangladesh, India & Israel including working as a writer/director on commissions from European Cities of Culture, the Akko International Theatre Festival, the Commonwealth Games (2002) and international NGOs.

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External Activity/ Professional Links

Lead artist for Wingbeats: EKT project in which PCI and the University of Leeds are a delivery partner.

PCI rep for NAWE (National Association of Writers in Education).

On steering group of Huddersfield Town of Sanctuary and advisor/mentor for Manasamitra
and CIDA.

Member of Script Yorkshire and NALD.

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Education and Career

Education

2007 onwards                 

Currently in year 4 of a part-time practice-based collaborative PhD at the University of Leeds (Opera North, Schools of PCI and Music) in ‘Adaptation and libretto in collaboration with the composer’, looking at adaptations from Japanese theatre and film in relation to the portrayal of our contemporary relationship with war and disaster. Supervisors:  Dr Kara McKechnie (Principal Supervisor,             School of PCI), Professor Rachel Cowgill (Liverpool Hope University), Dominic Gray (Opera North)

2002 MA in Poetry (Critical and creative writing) at the University of Huddersfield.

1998 D32 & D33 RSA assessment qualification for NVQs in creative and participatory arts, Manchester Training and Enterprise Council.

1980 BA (Hons) Theatre Language, specialising in Writing for Performance, Dartington College of Arts. 



Career

Theatre and participatory work, to October 2002

Chol Theatre      Artistic director, 1989 – 2002  

Co-founder and artistic director of this pioneering intercultural performance and participatory arts company, taking Chol from a small neighbourhood arts project in Huddersfield to a revenue funded, nationally and internationally recognised full time company. Six multi-lingual professional touring performances and over seventy arts projects with schools and community groups in Yorkshire and the North-West.  Projects in Bangladesh, India, Denmark and Poland.

Selection of Projects with Chol

The Little Room of the Big Questions: 1998 – 2000

A  magical touring classroom looking at children’s lives and languages in Pakistan, Bangladesh, India and the UK. We worked with over 1000 children aged between 5 and 15 on associated visual arts, writing and media projects.

Rajpathe Badsha Lear (King Lear on the Street):  1997
A  multi-lingual play and accompanying workshops for secondary schools and general audiences in Bradford, Calderdale and Kirklees investigating links between Bangladesh and Yorkshire.

The Riches of the Living Green:  1995
A  multi-lingual map and three month programme of environmental arts workshops in schools and nurseries for all children and young people in the Savile Town and Thornhill Lees area of Dewsbury.

The Seashore of Worlds: 1990 – 1992
Organised in collaboration with Thornton Lodge Nursery, Huddersfield.  A two year programme of story telling, community festivals and creative arts with parents and children.      

Story Box: 1988-90           
Artist in residence (story telling) in multicultural First, Middle and Secondary schools, developing multi-lingual storytelling in Bradford and  Keighley   

Freelance 1985 – 89   

Work for Satellites, Village Arts (Cleveland), Theatre of Shadows, Horse and Bamboo Theatre, Welfare State, The Theatre of Public Works and as an artist in residence in schools:  touring performances, creative arts projects, community residencies and educational projects in all types of schools, including an extensive programme of work with children with learning disabilities.

Horse and Bamboo 1982 – 85           
Performer, workshop leader and community projects director for the company, working in schools, hospitals, arts education centres and on rural tours throughout England and Scotland.

Frost and Fire Theatre 1981 - 82
Co-director of this community theatre company working with schools and community groups in West Cornwall.

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