Theatre, video and sound workshops for all are launched to help tell Octopus Story - the year-long Portsmouth arts project

Working with leading experts from the fields of theatre, video projection and sound, participants will have the opportunity to get hands on and help develop the octopus’s story which will be told in Portsmouth Cathedral in November.

The workshops are taking place at Groundlings Theatre on the weekend of July 9 and 10.

Roy Hanney, Octopus Story’s creative director, said: ‘This is an opportunity to learn from some of the best people working in the arts at the moment.

‘The half-day workshops will take place Saturday morning, Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning. Participants don’t need any prior experience and will get the chance to learn and play with equipment and techniques.’

The project is Inspired by the Octopus Medicine poems by Becci Louise, and looks at Portsmouth’s relationship with the sea.

The theatre workshops, run by Joe Hufton who has previously worked for Secret Cinema, will allow people to understand what goes into making immersive theatre and create mysterious encounters for the audience.

The sound workshops, run by producer and multi-instrumentalist Rusty Sheriff, will give participants equipment to record atmospheric soundscapes.

The video projection workshops will allow people to play with light, video and images under the expert tuition of local artist and digital storyteller Thomas Buckley.

Each workshop will run three times across the weekend, each focusing on a different part of the octopus’s story.

People can pick and choose how they want to be involved which could include a full weekend immersed in one of the workshops, attending one session of each workshop or coming along to one or two sessions.

The workshops are open to everyone aged 16 or above. Tickets are £5 which includes refreshments.

Octopus Story wants everyone to be able to take part so if you want to be part of it but can’t afford it then please email [email protected] for free tickets.

Tickets can be purchased from eventbrite.co.uk/e/octopusstory-creative-discovery-weekend-tickets-366737350287.

Octopus Story is funded by Arts Council England and sponsored by Portsmouth-based arts consultancy Articulate Sage.