News: Bridging the Gap expands

Bridging the Gap expands to create opportunities for Yorkshire and North East based theatre makers

A successful project which enables emerging professional theatre makers from the North East to develop and showcase new work, will now also welcome applications from Yorkshire based artists and companies.

A total of nine North East venues currently take part in the scheme, and York Theatre Royal has recently been added to the list of participating venues, making it the first Yorkshire venue to be part of the project. 

ARC Stockton

Developed by ARC Stockton, Bridging the Gap offers a two year package of multi-venue in-kind support to two selected companies, who then work with the venues to develop new productions before performing them to the public.

Since 2010, Bridging the Gap has enabled ten new productions to be created, including Daniel Bye’s How to Occupy an Oil Rig, Zoe Murtagh’s The Lamppost Petition and The Six Twenty’s FANS.

The 2017/18 project is split over two schemes offering an all-encompassing package to aid the development of the successful applicants work, including rehearsal space, a total of ten performances for each production, regular meetings with the venues involved, marketing support and much more, giving both companies or artists a platform to showcase their work fully in autumn 2018.

Annabel Turpin, Chief Executive of ARC, who coordinates the scheme, said: “Collectively, we are delighted that Bridging the Gap has enabled the creating of  outstanding pieces of work to be produced and performed in the North East, and we are now looking to see what talent can be discovered in Yorkshire too. This is a brilliant opportunity, and the addition of York Theatre Royal as the latest venue to support the project is very exciting, and shows how much the project has moved forward since its conception.”

To be considered for the project, artists must be committed to making contemporary theatre, be living and working in the North East or Yorkshire regions, must have professional theatre making experience having already produced at least one show and must financially self-support their production.

Over the years the scheme has expanded and the full list of venues taking part are: ARC Stockton, Arts Centre Washington, Gala Theatre, Live Theatre, Northern Stage, Sunderland MACQ, The Maltings in Berwick, York Theatre Royal and The Witham in Barnard Castle.

To date Bridging the Gap has supported:

Rabbit Damage: Wherever I Lay My Hat (2010)

INK Productions: Wanting for Anghus (2011)

Daniel Bye: Ash or How to Occupy an Oil Rig (2012)

Black Coffee Theatre: Found (2013)

Amy Mackelden: Retail (2013)

Encounter Productions: Choir (2014)

Northern Nomads: Butterfly (2014)

Camisado Club: You, Me and Everything Else (2015)

Zoe Murtagh: The Lamppost Petition (2016)

The Six Twenty: FANS (2016) 

For further details and information on how to apply, visit http://arconline.co.uk/get-involved/artists/opportunitiesor call 01642 525199.

Closing date for applications is at 10am, Monday 27 February 2017.