Nottingham theatre company the Gramophones, which started in 2009, has changed its name to Rebel Sparks.
The company, which has performed at venues including Nottingham Playhouse and the city’s Lakeside Arts, has taken shows to Edinburgh as well as touring the length and breadth of the country.
Co-artistic director Hannah Stone said, “when we started 15 years ago, we were meeting in rooms above pubs, working for nothing and making DIY theatre in our evenings and at weekends. Our name came from the fact we toured with two antique gramophones that had been converted to speakers to play our music on.”
Co-artistic director Ria Ashcroft added, “we now want to put everything we’ve learnt to good use to ignite other artists’ creativity, particularly at a time when women and gender non-conforming artists are still not being paid equally. The name Rebel Sparks captures that exciting new energy and drive for change, and marks a new chapter for the company.”
Rebel Sparks has announced its first associate artist, Farrell Cox, a black British actress, aerialist, theatre-maker and solo performer. The company is now looking for two more female, trans or gender non-conforming theatre artists to join Rebel Sparks for a year-long attachment. The opportunity is open to writers, directors, choreographers and designers as well as performers.
Stone commented, “we’re excited to see who is out there that we don’t know about, and to hear what they might need from an independent company. We want to hear about the exciting theatre they want to make and how we can use our learning and experience from the last 15 years to help them.”
Further information about becoming an associate artists and a job description is available to download.