Northern Stage has announced the five companies and individuals who will be part of its new NORTH professional support scheme, which will provide tailored support throughout the year to create a new piece of work. This includes a week of R&D time in the theatre’s Byker rehearsal space, a day with Associate Director Mark Calvert to support the R&D process and six essential skills workshops throughout the year, covering finance, fundraising, marketing, producing, participation and technical theatre.
The two individuals are Caroline Liversidge and Ruth Mary Johnson and the companies are Blowin’ a Hooley, Jake and Andrea and Bonnie and the Bonnettes.
Caroline Liversidge, a founding member of North East devising ensemble Camisado Club, regularly performs with The Six Twenty and Mixtape Theatre as well as being a solo performer. Her show A Living has toured around the North East and visited a number of festivals, including the Prague Fringe.
“I’m thrilled to have been chosen for this brilliant opportunity,” she said. “The world of self-producing and theatre making can feel like uncharted territory, and often the thought of taking those first few steps towards a new project can be paralyzing. I’m so grateful to be receiving the wisdom and support of Northern Stage’s amazing team and for the opportunity to learn more and develop as an artist and theatre maker.”
Ruth Mary Johnson directs, performs, writes and facilitates work with and for young people and their families and has worked for a range of different companies including New Writing North, Open Clasp, Unfolding Theatre, Kitchen Zoo and the National Theatre and as an actor has appeared at Northern Stage.
Now she is progressing to developing her own work.
“The fact that this is not about getting work produced but focusing on the elements surrounding getting work produced is what excites me about this opportunity,” she said, “and to be supported in the areas of the ‘business’ side of things including marketing, fundraising, and finance will help me to continue to learn and to build the confidence to ‘go for it’ in these areas.”
Blowin’ a Hooley (actors Harriet Ghost and Micky McGregor along with director Catherine Scott) is a new company which recently completed a successful regional tour with Tom Hadaway’s The Filleting Machine.
“We believe that theatre is for everyone,” they said, “and are passionate about taking theatre to audiences that don’t usually access the arts. As a young, non-profit organisation, working with a prominent and influential regional partner with national acclaim will be invaluable in our growth as a company, enabling us to develop our expertise, raise our profile and reach greater heights creatively.”
Jake and Andrea are emerging artists, just setting out in the industry. They hope that being part of the NORTH scheme will enable them to learn more about the industry and how they can function as a team, whilst progressing with their own solo works.
The final group is Bonnie and the Bonnettes—Hattie Eason, Cameron Sharp and Becky Glendenning. Their debut show, Drag Me to Love, began in autumn 2017 and will be coming to an end this autumn.
“We have now,” they said, “begun work on our second show, And She, which will celebrate the lives and thoughts of our mums.
“We want to explore identities, relationships and communities of a different era as we tell their stories, dance to their music, and share their views on the world. This is our motivation for this programme; how can we take our mums' stories and put them in our world of performance and storytelling?”