The decision to start a family is an emotional one, a hope for many wishing to expand their own family units and ensure their own legacies in turn. The confrontation however of child loss and abortion life altering realities faced by women globally, yet quietly navigated. Highlighting the heaviness of the impact of these realities – writer, director and producer Lauren Melinda talks about Oscar 2026 qualifying short film Before You, a film painting an intimate portrait of a couple navigating the quiet grief that follows a decision rarely spoken about in public, yet carried by so many in private. Lauren tells us more about exploring this sensitive topic further, collaborating with Planned Parenthood Federation of America and what she’s learned from creating the film.
The trustees and chair of Stockroom, formerly Out of Joint, announce the theatre company’s formal closure. This follows the loss of its Arts Council of England National Portfolio status in April 2023.
The remaining assets of the company will be donated to the new writing touring theatre company Paines Plough, who will continue Stockroom’s work of supporting and championing new writing. The remaining royalties accrued from Stockroom’s past work are being transferred to The Writers Guild of Great Britain and their Writers Welfare Fund.
Mark Powell Chair of Stockroom says –
“After trialling a new writers room business model and exploring other partnerships, Stockroom’s outgoing trustees are confident that in Paines Plough & The Writers Guild of Great Britain we have found exemplars equally committed to writing and writers. Both organisations share our common goal of nurturing the valuable creative talent that fuels the nations stages. Not every theatre company can live forever. Change is essential and healthy in the theatre sector to keep our practise and programmes vital. We know this pair of beneficiaries will take the spirit of Stockroom’s brief life into the future.”