Performance and Writing Archives
Playwrights, novelists and theatre companies captured through their process, practice and performance histories.
Bill Mitchell Archive
The Archives & Special Collections Service holds the personal papers of Bill Mitchell (1951-2017) Artist, Theatre Designer and pioneer of Landscape Theatre.
This Collection contains records relating to Mitchell's training at Wimbledon School of Art along with his creative work for Key Perspectives, Theatre Centre, Kneehigh and Wildworks. Preparatory records for individual productions include sketchbooks and drawings relating to the technical and aesthetic design of sets and costumes, alongside notebooks, storyboards, design books and research materials.
The Collection also contains scripts, photographs, promotional materials and press cuttings for many of the shows on which Mitchell worked throughout his career.
This Collection is an invaluable resource for those interested in theatre design or the work of Kneehigh and WildWorks or for those just wanting to know more about the creative processes and work of this talented artist, designer and theatre pioneer.
Photo Credit: Steve Tanner
Archive details
- Materials from this Collection are available to view by appointment with us in Archives & Special Collections on Level 0, the Exchange.
- Cataloguing on this collection is in progress. For updates please check our Archive catalogue.
- We also hold related Collections such as the records of Cornwall's Kneehigh Theatre and WildWorks Theatre.
- Potential users may find it beneficial to undertake preparatory research prior to a visit. Suggested resources are available at Archives & Special Collections: Introductory Reading.
- Interested parties may also wish to consult the WildWorks website or visit Bill's Attic a creative space and resource for all artists hosted by FEAST
For further information please contact us at archives@fxplus.ac.uk
Kneehigh Theatre Archive
Photo Credit: Kneehigh Theatre
From their earliest days performing in village halls and local schools, this varied Collection documents all aspects of Kneehigh’s work up to their most recent international productions. Records include production managers' files, press and publicity materials, scripts and an extensive range of photographs.
The industry and creative processes which influence Kneehigh’s work are recorded in the funding applications and reports contained in the Archive, along with many recordings of The Company’s performances. The work of photographer Steve Tanner, who has worked extensively with Kneehigh, is also well represented.
This Collection is of particular interest to students of theatre at A level, undergraduate, and postgraduate level, as well as being available to members of the public who enjoy Kneehigh’s work and simply wish to know more.
Archive details
- Materials from this Collection can be viewed by appointment with us in Archives & Special Collections, Level 0, The Exchange.
- We are currently cataloguing this Collection. For updates please check our Archive catalogue.
- For online content from the Kneehigh Archive check out the website This is Kneehigh
- We also hold related Collections such as the Nick Darke Archive, the Bill Mitchell Archive and the records of Cornwall's WildWorks theatre.
- Potential users may find it beneficial to undertake preparatory research prior to a visit. Suggested resources are available at Archives & Special Collections: Introductory Reading.
For further information please contact us at archives@fxplus.ac.uk
Nick Darke Archive
Nick Darke (1948-2005) was a Cornish writer, playwright, fisherman and filmmaker. He wrote 27 plays in 28 years – an impressive body of work which continues to be performed all over the world.
The Nick Darke Archive contains research materials, notebooks and draft manuscripts for these plays, along with promotional material, reviews, photographs and correspondence. Nick’s work for radio, television and film are also well represented, as are his interests in Cornish environment, industry and history and his work with Kneehigh Theatre. The Collection also documents Nick’s interests beyond Cornwall, including his work on the Nicaraguan Civil War, The Slave Trade and with Thames Lightermen.
The Collection offers an outstandingly broad range of uses; not only do these records give a fascinating insight into Nick’s own writing process and the subjects he was passionate about, but it is also invaluable to those seeking inspiration for their own creative work.
Photo Credit: Steve Tanner
Archive details
- Materials from this Collection can be viewed by appointment with us in Archives & Special Collections, Level 0, The Exchange.
- Cataloguing of this Collection is currently in progress. For updates please check our Archive catalogue.
- Potential users may find it beneficial to undertake preparatory research prior to a visit. Suggested resources are available at Archives & Special Collections: Introductory Reading.
- Darke's published work and many of his radio programmes are also available, as are his two films, The Wrecking Season and The Art of Catching Lobsters through the Library catalogue.
- More information about Nick Darke's life and work is available via nickdarke.net and Falmouth University's Nick Darke Award.
- We also hold related Collections such as the records of Cornwall's Kneehigh Theatre.
For further information please contact us at archives@fxplus.ac.uk
Patrick Gale Archive
Patrick Gale is the author of the Emmy Award-winning BBC Drama, Man in an Orange Shirt along with novels such as Notes from an Exhibition, A Perfectly Good Man and the Costa nominated A Place Called Winter.
This Collection features a wide range of materials relating to Gale's novels, including manuscript drafts (written in hard copy, pen-and-ink form) research materials, editors notes, book jackets and publicity materials. The Archive also holds a large amount of previously unseen material, including the never-made 'third episode' of Man in an Orange Shirt, unpublished short stories and commissioned sitcoms and scripts that never made it to the screen. Gale's early career as a literary journalist is also well represented.
The Collection has a broad appeal, but is of particular interest to professional writers, would-be novelists and journalists, screenwriters, designers, those interested in gay literature or representations of Cornwall in novels along with anyone wishing to learn more about Gale's work.
Archive details
- Materials from this Collection are available to view by appointment with us in Archives & Special Collections, Level 0, The Exchange.
- This Collection is listed on our Archive catalogue.
- Potential users may find it beneficial to undertake preparatory research prior to a visit. Suggested resources are available at Archives & Special Collections: Introductory Reading.
- Patrick Gale's novels along with Man in an Orange Shirt and other titles featured in BBC's 2017 Gay Britannia season are available via the Library catalogue.
- More details of Patrick Gale's life and work can also be found on his website.
For further information please contact us at archives@fxplus.ac.uk
WildWorks Archive
Formed by Bill Mitchell in 2005, WildWorks has a reputation for distinctive site specific work, not just in the Company’s home county of Cornwall, but in diverse locations around the world.
The Archive contains extensive workbooks from key WildWorks personnel that document the fascinating artistic processes that influence their work, along with press and promotional material, photographs, reviews and evaluation reports relating to the full range of Wildworks productions.
The Collection is of particular use to those studying the process behind WildWork's distinctive landscape theatre approach, as well as those with an interest in the communities with which WildWorks have collaborated. Fans of WildWorks who simply wish to 'get behind the scenes' are also welcome.
Photo Credit: Steve Tanner
Archive details
- Materials from this Collection can be viewed by appointment with us in Archives & Special Collections, Level 0, The Exchange.
- We are currently cataloguing this Collection. For updates please check our Archive catalogue.
- We also hold related Collections such as the Bill Mitchell Archive and the records of Cornwall's Kneehigh Theatre.
- Potential users may find it beneficial to undertake preparatory research prior to a visit. Suggested resources are available at Archives & Special Collections: Introductory Reading.
- Interested parties may also wish to consult the WildWorks website for more details of previous and current work.
For further information please contact us at archives@fxplus.ac.uk
Need help?
