Declaration
UK Tour: May – July 2017
Declaration examines the faces we wear to fit in and what happens when we are forced to declare our differences. Developed in consultation with medical professionals, ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder) and mental health support groups, Declaration challenges stereotypes with a curious, comic and candid look at ADHD, mental health and diagnosis in the 21st century.
Instinctive, curious, bold and bouncy, Sarah is a mighty proud square peg which wouldn’t be such a problem if the hole wasn’t so damn round. Her childhood Doctor thought it was sugar. Her current Doctor thinks its ADHD. Sarah still feels different, so what will a label do? Will it change the way you see her and the way she sees herself?
With autobiographical storytelling, comedy, and conversations with audiences, Declaration takes you on a vibrant and daring adventure that asks you to roll around in your weirdness, make a hat out of it and dance.
Writer and performer Sarah Emmott comments, I’ve always felt different, but never wrong. The older I got, the harder it became to juggle everything and I wasn’t coping as well as I was pretending to. I’ve known a lot of people who have battled with their mental health; you never know what happens behind closed doors, so I want to open mine, invite you in with a warm welcome and declare that I’m not ok, with hope that we might be able to talk about it together.
Diagnosis of adult ADHD isn’t straight forward and Sarah discovered that you often need to be living in the extremities of the condition to receive any sort of support. This production seeks to
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show that adult diagnosis can be complex, frustrating and isolating, exploring how it changes the way people are viewed by society and the relief and grief that comes with it.
Declaration also seeks to challenge the mainstream media image of ADHD – ADHD isn’t just a ‘naughty child’ tearing round a supermarket, it can be a 31 year old woman trying desperately to get it together and get to work on time. Declaration follows Sarah’s journey from childhood to present day, offering a rare insight into how ADHD impacts at different stages of a person’s life.
Sarah was shortlisted for ‘Best Actress in a Studio Production’ at the Manchester Theatre Awards for her performance in Declaration.
The production is presented in partnership with the ADHD Foundation – who work to improve emotional well-being, educational attainment, behaviour and life chances through better understanding and self-management of ADHD, ASD and related learning difficulties.
Declaration has been developed with The Lowry. Touring In Association with Oldham Library and the ADHD Foundation. Funded by Arts Council England. Supported by The Granada Foundation, Action Oldham, NHS City Health Care Partnership Foundation, Fowler Smith & Jones Trust.
Running time 70 minutes
Box Office Tickets are available from individual theatre box office
See www.artwithheart.org.uk
Twitter @artwith_heart, #ADHDeclaration
Written, created and performed by Sarah Emmott
Written, created and directed by Rachel Moorhouse
Movement Director Deborah Pugh
Performance Dates
12th – 13th May Live @ Oldham Library – Friday 7.30pm, Saturday 2.30pm
Greaves Street, Oldham. OL1 1AL
www.oldham-council.co.uk
16th May Saltburn Community Hall – 7.30pm
Windsor Road, Saltburn by the Sea, TS12 1JW
www.saltburnarts.co.uk
17th May Hartlepool Town Hall Theatre – 7pm
Raby Road, Hartlepool, TS24 8AH
www.hartlepooltownhalltheatre.com
19th May The Witham – 7.30pm
3 Horsemarket, Barnard Castle, County Durham
www.thewitham.org.uk
23rd May Alnwick Playhouse – 7.30pm
Bondgate Without, Alnwick, Northumberland. NE66 1PQ
www.alnwickplayhouse.co.uk
24th May ARC – 7pm
Dovecot Street Stockton-on-Tees TS18 1LL
www.arconline.co.uk
27th May The Civic Barnsley – 7.30pm
Hanson Street Barnsley S702HZ
www.barnsleycivic.co.uk
1st June Brentwood Theatre – 7.30pm
15 Shenfield Road, Brentwood Essex CM15 8AG
www.brentwoodtheatre.co.uk
7th June Cast – 7.45pm
Waterdale, Doncaster, DN1 3BU
www.castindoncastle.com
10th June Harrogate Theatre – 7.45pm
Oxford Street Harrogate HG1 1QF
www.harrogatetheatre.co.uk
14th June Action Transport Theatre – 7.30pm
Whitby Hall, Stanney Lane, Ellesmere Port, Cheshire, CH65 9AE
www.actiontransporttheatre.org
21st June Square Chapel Arts Centre – 8pm
10 Square Road, Halifax HX1 1QG
www.squarechapel.co.uk
24th June The Lowry – 8pm
The Lowry, Pier 8, Salford Quays, M50 3AZ
www.thelowry.com
28th June Bishop Auckland Town Hall – 7.30pm
Market Place, Bishop Auckland, Co. Durham, Dl14 7NP
www.bishopaucklandtownhall.org.uk
29th June Arts Centre Washington – 7.30pm
Biddick Lane, Fatfield, Washington
www.artscentrewashington.co.uk
1st July The Black-E – 7.30pm
1 Great George Street, Liverpool, L1 5EW
www.theblack-e.co.uk
Sarah Emmott
Sarah Emmott is a queer theatre-maker, writer, performer, facilitator and producer who often explores humanity through love, justice and the line between tolerance and acceptance. Her solo production The Speed of Dating toured with sell out runs and award winning Secret Diaries toured nationally co-presented by The Lowry and Contact.
Her interactive micro-works including Kiss my Heart; 1-1 storytelling project about love in a small pink tent, From me to you; an interactive spoken word piece on trams, and 100 Deeds exhibited at People’s History Museum and Museum of London.
Acting credits include Theatre: Belgrade Theatre Coventry and Manchester International Festival. TV: Small World (Film 4/BSL Zone), Fresh Meat (Channel 4) and Lost In Austen (ITV).
Art with Heart
Art with Heart are inquisitive arts adventurous making Performance, Participation and Education projects from their home in Salford. Associate Artists at The Lowry, they create meaningful artistic experiences that support personal and collective growth to instigate social change.
They focus on encouraging and engaging women, young people and isolated communities in the arts, are passionate about diversity and committed to providing accessible artistic experiences using grassroots research and development. They provide platforms for voices and stories that are often untold. A Queer led company, they work extensively within the LGBTQ+ community. Compelling, compassionate and candid, their work is created with humour, hope and a lot of heart.