About us
CCS was formed in 2012 to promote storytelling in all forms, from prose writing to spoken word, and through theatre shows incorporating archive film, photographs, live music and storytelling. CCS initiates projects that engage with communities giving a creative platform to their stories and shared histories.
CCS has produced the stage productions ‘Turning the Tide’ and ‘Turn and Face the Strange’ which over the past 8 years have played sell-out performances to audiences of over 17,000 people. In 2022 McNidder and Grace published ‘The Mick Ronson Story-Turn and Face the Strange’ based on the stage show of the same name. With a foreword by Midge Ure, the book has attracted countless endorsements and highly positive reviews.
The company has led numerous workshop programmes on story gathering and creative writing. Between 2014-16 CCS partnered with Freedom Festival on ‘Freedom to Tell Tales’ and ‘Word on the Street’ delivering a programme of storytelling workshops to encourage local people to write and perform their own stories during Hull’s annual Freedom Festival. In 2016 the company worked with Hull Libraries to establish a city wide oral history project ‘Untold Hull’. With additional story-gathering and creative writing workshops linked to its stage productions, CCS has undertaken over 220 workshop sessions involving 1600 attendances attracting 700 participants.
CCS Director Rupert Creed has over 40 years of professional experience producing, writing and directing stage plays, leading workshops in drama, creative writing and storytelling, and offering consultancy support in all areas of storytelling. He has written and directed over 20 professional stage plays and specialises in documentary theatre forms and large cast community plays. He is a published author, broadcaster for Radio 4, and was Producer with the BBC between 2002-2005. He is an Associate Artist with Hull Truck Theatre and was Director of their community theatre group Act 111 between 2014 and 2020. He is the writer of ‘Made in Hull’ the opening event for Hull City of Culture 2017. For all productions and projects, CCS work with a regular team of skilled creatives in design, film production, lighting design, music and drama.
CCS has received arts funding from Arts Council England, Hull City of Culture 2017 and Hull City Council. Partners include Hull Culture and Leisure, Freedom Festival, Hull College, University Quarter, Britcab, Hilton Doubletree, Wyke Sixth Form College, Wilberforce Sixth Form College.
In 2022, the company received a Northern Enterprise Award for Best Cultural Heritage and Theatrical Entertainment Production Company, and Director Rupert Creed was awarded Freelance Director of the Year.
