Theatre helps us see our world in new ways. Stan’s Cafe has a +30 year history of creating groundbreaking, shape shifting theatre that explores and explains the complicated, overlooked or lost. In this presentation and conversation the company’s Artistic Director shares the company’s philosophy and approaches. Using examples of international and cross art form working, collaborations with academics and children, language stretched and subverted, dogged determination and hard work, he will reveal how, ultimately, it’s all about the beautiful relationship between form and content.

James Yarker co-founded Stan’s Cafe in 1991 after studying theatre at Lancaster University. He has directed all the company’s major productions, writing text when required. He co-authored Devising Theatre With Stan’s Cafe, published by Bloomsbury Methuen and may still be a Senior Honorary Research Fellow at the University of Birmingham.