Another Route Fellowship, 2022 - 2023
This fellowship is built upon a spirit of internationalism and a shared understanding that the benefits of ensuring generosity, mutuality and collaboration are central to how we connect. This ambitious 18-month fellowship will take artists on a journey of dialogue, cultural exchange, building of relationships and creativity which will then transition onto the international stage.
This residency is live and as such constantly evolving. To honour this, the Another Route Fellowship page will act as a holding section with up to date news on the blog and represented here.
Embarking on the journey are a cohort of nationwide mid-career artists/artist-led companies (pics below), spanning multiple performance disciplines, will be supported by a new consortium of independent companies.
[Image description: 12 images in a 3 by 4 grid. 1, A figure in a desert holding a large object above their head. 2, An acrobat being filmed balancing. 3, A blonde woman surrounded by empty picture frames. 4, Five women in green tartan with red tights. 5, A man sat on a wooden beam speaking into a megaphone. 6, A headshot of a woman wearing a green party hat against a pink background. 7, A woman leaping on a stage with an audience in the background. 8, A woman holding out a microphone with bubbles in the air in front of a black background. 9, A figure walking in a city scape dragging a hand along a wall. 10, A wheelchair user shouting with a man playing guitar in the background. 11, A man in loose white clothes dances on a busy stage. 12, Two women in white trouser suits with gold accessories pose against a red background].
Together we cover disciplines ranging from ensemble theatre creators Figs In Wigs, political and fringe performances Sh!t Theatre, experimental circus Revel Puck Circus, solo and autobiographical theatre maker Demi Nandhra, to performance artist Alisa Oleva, as well as myself, all bringing a wealth of experience and insight into the creative process and unique ways of reaching audiences. This feels like a powerful cross-section of talented artists, all keen to advocate for one another whilst projecting their own practise across the globe.
Each artist/company is given a mentoring from international artists. Our mentors will inform and guide us, taking time to learn our individual, unique practises, probing how we develop work and engage audiences, challenging our perception of what is possible, supporting us to dream big. Mentors will also guide us through the practical element of touring beyond the UK helping us network with international partners. An important aspect of this will be connecting with partners who share themes, interests, ethics and ways of working. This will ensure we can stay true to our practise whilst respecting cultural differences and diversity.
My assigned mentors, Quarantine (NPO), ‘make original theatre, performance and public events with and about the people who are in it. Whatever form it takes, our work begins and ends with the people in the room’. Just this concept from Quarantine resonates so strongly with my ideals and values. I am excited to learn more about how Quarantine make quality experiences and conversations, engaging audiences on a meaningful level with ‘non-performers’ being integral to the creative process: ‘we've collaborated with a shifting constellation of artists, performers and people who've never done anything like this before’. Quarantine applies the notion that everyone is an artist.
Alongside the mentoring sessions, there will be three Labs as punctuation marks where the entire cohort will have a chance to be together and learn from each other’s experiences giving us all opportunities to explore other artistic cultures and open dialogue with a range of artists and programmers:
· Residential lab in England,
· Internationally renowned venues in Europe.
The fellowship’s conclusion will be the exciting stepping-stone of a two-week residency with international partners, yet to be connected with.
As well as one-to-one sessions with Quarantine, the program will enable conversations with the consortium of UK independent performance companies led by Forest Fringe, Total Theatre Network and Artsadmin and supported by 1927, Action Hero, Candoco, Coney, Forced Entertainment, Gecko, The Javaad Alipoor Company, No Fit State Circus, Stan’s Cafe, Tania El Khoury & ZU-U; complemented by the wealth of experience and ideas my fellow artists bring through in-person labs and online conversation.
The project is supported by Arts Council England, The British Council and Jerwood Arts.
For a more personal and playful reflection, check out the blog about this residency here