Dr Dawn Harper Announced As Ambassador For The Barn Theatre

Dr Dawn Harper, medical professional and star of Embarrassing Bodies, has been officially announced as the newest ambassador of Cirencester's Barn Theatre.

Dr Dawn joins a line-up of Barn Ambassadors that includes This Country's Daisy May Cooper, director and choreographer Jerry Mitchell and Poldark's Heida Reed.

Dr Dawn said of her new ambassadorship, "The first time I came to the Barn, it was like the West End had arrived in the West Country! I feel so privileged to have such an amazing place on my doorstep and the more I learn about the work that goes on behind the scenes, such as introducing young people to the theatre who wouldn't usually have the opportunity or access, the more I fall in love with the Barn. So, I am utterly delighted to be joining the team as an ambassador and am really looking forward to getting involved and making a difference".

The NHS, Emergency Services & Armed Forces Fund

Dr Dawn has also shown her support for the Barn Theatre's pay a ticket forward campaign to raise money to thank people in the NHS, Emergency Services and Armed Forces working on the front line during the coronavirus pandemic. The funds, which will be matched by theatre, will cover free tickets for them to see a show once the theatre reopens.

Dr Dawn said "Working on the NHS frontline, especially at the moment in the heart of the coronavirus pandemic, I know just how much acts of kindness and appreciation really matter. The Barn's emergency services ticket scheme is such a fabulous initiative and one that will mean so much to a lot of people. Thank you the Barn"

On launching the new campaign, Artistic Director Iwan Lewis said "We want to do our bit to recognise the huge effort the NHS, Emergency Services and Armed Forces are making to deal with this latest crisis and as such when these extraordinary circumstances are behind us to celebrate these efforts with a visit to the Barn for a great evening of entertainment."

Since launching in 2018, the Barn Theatre has gained national recognition by producing 12 Built By Barn shows to upwards of 80,000 audience members and being awarded The Stage Awards' Best Fringe Theatre of the Year Award 2019. Their contribution to the local community stretches further than just the theatre with large scale outreach programmes, school workshops and collaborative projects around the centenary of the First World War, the 'record-breaking' Cirencester Human Poppy, and The Cirencester Advent Festival that have enhanced the well-being of the community and draw thousands of visitors to the town.

The theatre has also worked extensively with disadvantaged communities working with charities including Cirencester Housing for Young People (CHYP) and Age UK Gloucestershire.

The Cotswold theatre recently launched their live streaming service, Behind The Barn Door, gives access to entertaining, fun and informative content for the local community. The service launched with a Q&A with Cotswolds MP Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown, in collaboration with The Cirencester Chamber of Commerce.

Giffords Circus favourite Tweedy the Clown will star in a new children's entertainment mini-series called Tweedy's Lost & Found, where every Wednesday at 12pm viewers will join the clown as he adapts to his new life working at the local Lost & Found. The series will be live streamed to the Barn Theatre's Facebook, YouTube and Twitter accounts.

The Barn Theatre (registered charity no. 1174253) have launched a donations campaign, SAVE OUR BARN, via their website and social media platforms.