Dave Rogers (23)

Artistic Director / Musician / Performer / Script and Song Writer Dave is a member of the Banner Theatre and works as a singer, performer, scriptwriter, songwriter and researcher. Over the last 40 years he has created, or has helped to create, well over 50 Banner productions and 400 songs. Dave is also a long-time political activist and campaigner. Banner’s Artistic Director for over twenty years, is the only remaining founder member in the company. In 1973, along with his mentor Charles Parker, Dave Rogers was a founder member of Banner Theatre and quickly became their resident songwriter. Charles Parker, incidentally, had found earlier fame working with Ewan MacColl and Peggy Seeger to create the BBC's award-winning series of programmes, Radio Ballads. Following the folk tradition as espoused by that series, Dave's songs are about his own community - the real people who worked in the factories, mines, steelworks and sweatshops of late 20th century Britain. In particular, they tell of their struggles, injustices, disputes and tragedies. Dave is responsible for a book: 'Singing the Changes - a collection of 85 songs which he wrote for the Banner Theatre group between 1974 and 2001.