Represent Lost In Mozart, Big'up Society

God willing, my play Lost in Mozart is going to run at the Edinburgh Fringe during August, and now because of a very generous grant from the Arts Council England in response to my third attempt at (virtually) the same application, I'm very excited to say that Lost In Mozart will also be gracing an as yet undecided London theatre in either October or November!

Lost In Mozart is an urban musical centring on two teenage photography students who form a powerful friendship across the warring postcode territories of the South Kilburn, and Mozart estates. The play is driven by grime rap lyrics, and by classical music courtesy of the lead character's secret obsession with the symphonies and concertos he uses to soundtrack an urban landscape many dismiss as bleak, but in which he perceives majestic beauty. It will be a spectacular show with live urban and classical music blended with stunning photography. In the coming weeks I'll share with you the audition, rehearsal, and design process until we've put the whole show together.

Arts Council England don't fund anything north of the border though, so we're still haemorrhaging our own savings to fund the 20 performance run in August at the Fringe. Not that it won't be worth every penny of course, but it would be lovely if some of you were to take pity on us, starving and sleeping rough for the sake of Art...

And that's where WeFund enters the picture

WeFund is a 'crowd funding' initiative based on funders leaping on board in response to incentives that money simply cannot buy, visit our WeFund page to frolic among the goodies on offer, including CDs and scripts signed by the creative team, and my pledge to write you a personal short story in return for your support.

The model is very 'Big Society', and I genuinely hope that crowd funding initiatives such as WeFund are the future for arts funding as well as for charitable works and projects that seek to relieve poverty and suffering; it asks us lay aside our doubts, greed, and cynicism, and to contribute with whatever we are personally able to sacrifice in the name of the bigger picture and greater good. So come on, represent Lost In Mozart, Big'up Society.