Curve continues support of Midlands artists with Resident Creatives programme

• Submissions now open for Curve’s artist development programme for local theatre-makers
• 18-month scheme embeds theatre-makers within the Leicester theatre and includes minimum £1,000 payment towards participation

Leicester’s Curve theatre is continuing its support for Midlands theatre-makers as applications open for the second wave of Curve Resident Creatives, the theatre’s artist development programme.

First launched in 2021, the Curve Resident Creatives (CRC) scheme supports and develops theatre-makers by providing opportunities to work on and learn from the theatre’s own productions, as well as platforms for their work, free rehearsal room space and additional support from Curve’s team members and wider network.

The first cohort of Curve Resident Creatives included dance company Centre for Indian Classical Dance, Producer Max Emerson and writer Rob Ward of Emerson and Ward, theatre company The Gramophones, choreographer, movement director and practitioner Stacey McCarthy, dancer and choreographer Si Rawlinson and composer, lyricist and writer Jude Taylor. Curve will maintain long-term relationships with all previous Resident Creatives, who will now become alumni of the scheme.

Talking about her experience as a Resident Creative, Stacey McCarthy said:

“My time as a Curve Resident Creative has been brilliant. I’ve felt completely part of the theatre’s fabric with opportunities to work as a choreographer and movement director for Curve productions such as THE OWL WHO CAME FOR CHRISTMAS, and MY BEAUTIFUL LAUNDRETTE. I’ve delivered workshops to share my own knowledge and skills, also collaborating with other Curve Resident Creatives. It’s also been really rewarding to work as a Community Ambassador for Curve, helping to engage even more local people with the theatre’s work.”

Resident Creative Jude Taylor said:

“The last few years as a Curve Resident Creative have been invaluable for my career. Opportunities to be mentored by experts in the industry, to work alongside other local artists, and to practically share work at Curve have enabled me to develop significantly as an artist, even leading to opportunities to work on Made at Curve productions which have gone on to tour the UK. It will be great to see a new group of local artists step into the next CRC cohort and to see where their journeys take them next.”

The second cohort of Curve Resident Creatives will be closely associated with the theatre for an 18-month period, receiving tailored training, mentoring and networking opportunities, contributing to Curve’s creative work, education and outreach programmes, access to free rehearsal room space and tickets to selected productions at Curve. Each Curve Resident Creative will also receive a fee of at least £1,000 towards their participation, with additional payments for any workshops or classes delivered, or any work commissioned by the theatre.

Applications to become a Curve Resident Creative are currently open until Monday 27 October at 10am. Curve is calling for submissions from all Midlands-based theatre-makers, including writers, performers, producers, directors, dancers, theatre companies and beyond to get in touch.

Curve’s Associate Director Cara Nolan said:

“The aim of our Curve Resident Creative scheme, as well as finding and nurturing the incredible local artists of the Midlands, is to build a creative community of theatre-makers who can collaborate with each other, teams at Curve, our partners and wider network.

“We’re so proud of the achievements of our very first intake of Curve Resident Creatives and know they’ll be closely connected to Curve throughout their careers. Looking to the future, we’re excited to see who will be part of our next group, so if you think this could be the right scheme for your next step, please do get in touch!”

An informal online information session on the programme with Curve’s Associate Director Cara Nolan will be held on Wednesday 8 October between 7pm and 8pm.

To find out more about the Curve Resident Creatives programme, including details on joining the online information session and how to apply to the scheme, visit www.curveonline.co.uk/artists/resident-creatives/ or email artistdevelopment@curvetheatre.co.uk.

Lead image: AIDY THE AWESOME by Curve Resident Creatives The Gramophones. Photography by Pamela Raith