User:EDB

From the Potted Bio of ED Berman Written by Dr. Susan Croft of Unfinished Histories

“ED Berman MBE has had a huge impact on British theatre and the wider culture. He arrived in Britain as a Rhodes Scholar to Oxford (Exeter College) from Harvard in 1962. In 1968 he set up the charity, Inter-Action Trust, which in 1984 became Inter-Action Social Enterprise Trust. It has been the umbrella for all his activities which included a series of theatres, at least six theatre companies, innovative community festivals and seasons of plays, making print, radio,video and computers accessible to local communities, establishing the first City Farm and the National Federation of City Farms and Community Gardens (80 City Farms and hundreds of Community Gardens), NUBS-the first community architecture service in Europe, the first free Advisory service for other groups and charities and numerous other projects. Inter-Action commissioned the first community arts resource centre in Europe which was purpose-built on a bomb-site in Talacre Rd, West Kentish Town, London NW5, designed by Cedric Price (see picture). “Inter-Action influenced the Arts Council of Great Britain to set up a Community Arts Panel as well as having direct off-shoots in Milton Keynes and Leeds.

In 1985, ED and the Trustees decided to divide the charity into national and local functions, with ED and the senior Inter-Action members moving to the Royal Victoria Docks with the others staying in NW5, renamed ‘Interchange’. Later Interchange benefited from ED Berman’s contract with the Local Authority to realise £2m which it used to purchase Hampstead Town Hall. Parallel to this, Inter-Action bought two ships on the Thames in the City of London as its new national and international centre, opened by HRH The Princess Royal.

“In London from 1966 he continued his work on developing the theory and practice of inter-action games —the Inter-Action Creative Game Method--working with young people, actors and community groups in West London around Beauchamp Lodge and Notting Dale. He then began his development as a Playwright/Director Producer and Artistic Director. He created his first community theatre piece, Beowulf, staged on a barge in Regent’s Park Canal. Berman’s own first five plays were produced in 1967-68 by the International Theatre Club (The Mercury Theatre in Notting Hill). The group which formed around these plays decided to leave with ED and Naftali Yavin to establish two new companies within the newly formed charity, Inter-Action Trust, to be based in Chalk Farm and Kentish Town.

“ He has worked for all three main political parties including becoming the non-party political Special Advisor on Inner City Matters and the Voluntary Sector to Cabinet Ministers, Michael Heseltine and Tom King in the early 1980s. In the 1990s he became an Advisor in Russia to Minsters of the Economy, Youth and Labour. “Among other actions, he has been the Chairman of the Save Piccadilly Campaign (to stop the high rise office development surrounding Piccadilly Circus) and the action against JP Morgan to open their closure of a walkway/cycling path on the Thames Walkway on the Isle of Dogs. He continues to spend part of each year in India, advising on social enterprise projects, mainly with women, and environmental projects, especially water developments… “ED Berman’s major contribution to British Theatre and Community Arts/Action deserves further recognition.”

Email:susan@unfinishedhistories.com Web site: www.unfinishedhistories.com

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