2007 saw us produce our first community passion play. Working with young people from a given community towards a site specific public performance of both a contemporary and traditional passion retelling; the In Yer Face passion is a large scale production.

The Passion provides a major arts provision and faith based project for all the community, involving In Yer Face training a community cast of non-professional actors in bringing text from Matthew’s Gospel alive, onto it’s feet, onto a stage, into the community.

Running parallel to this traditional retelling of the Gospel of Matthew, In Yer Face perform a contemporary understanding of the message behind this Easter story, ultimately, the two complimentary stories find their resolution in each other, communicating ‘The Greatest Story Ever Told’.

Churches/Churches- together interested in hosting a community passion project would need to take responsibility for the following:

• Churches together to organize and financially fund a week’s residency of In Yer Face Christian Theatre Company in one local High school to work with 15 young people (year 10 preferably) off school time table for a week. Or alternatively, Churches together to assemble a cast through the community, and book a venue to rehearse the project during the nearest half term break. Churches together must ensure there is a credible cast to work with prior to the first day of rehearsals. All in all 25 (within the same week) hours worth of rehearsal time is essential for the community/school cast.
• Churches to liaise with The Message and In Yer Face in identifying a suitable public area to host the performance.
• Churches together to organize permission, planning, risk assessment with the local council and Police.
• Outdoor public performance area needs access to electric power for PA system etc. (NOTE: In Yer Face CANNOT provide a generator).
• Churches Together to organize stewarding team, follow up work in engaging with the community.
• Churches Together to publicize the event locally, through local press, media etc.

Previous Passion projects:

Good Friday 2007 saw In Yer Face successfully deliver Tameside’s first regeneration passion project. Engaging 3 local High Schools, Tameside Police, Tameside council, Tameside multi-faith panel, as well as advertised through BBC radio 2, BBC Manchester and local press.

The performance was produced in partnership with Ashton Churches together, and was hosted by The Major of Ashton. With a main stay of 500 members of the public packing out the local market square, the performance was triumphed a success by the community, the council and churches together alike.