The Nuffield Theatre provides a distinctive and structured approach to artist support in the region, usually delivered BY artists FOR artists. This includes masterclasses, residencies, bursaries, festival events and the Practice Reflected symposium series. Further to our programme of events, we can also offer bespoke advice (both creative and business related) to those engaged in making contemporary performance: if we can’t help you then we will probably know someone that can. Lastly, if you have ideas on how we could further support the development of both emerging and established artists, then please get in touch. Contact Alice Booth, Projects and Artist Support Officer. Email: alice@nuffieldtheatre.com or call: 01524 592994. See ARCHIVE SUPPORT ITEMS for past artist support events or projects.

Sunday 1st August – Friday 6th August
Presented by Nuffield Theatre Lancaster and taking place at the Storey Creative Industries Centre and in the streets of Lancaster

Ghosting Lancaster
Imagine walking through a film, but it’s happening on the streets you live in – it’s a film without cameras.

Bristol-based sound artist Duncan Speakman and Paul Clarke from performance company Uninvited Guests came together to deliver a 6-day school exploring how mobile technologies in performance can reframe and fictionalise real spaces.

See the following websites for more info on the lead artists: http://subtlemob.com
http://www.uninvited-guests.net
http://duncanspeakman.net

Also see the summer school blog: http://ghostinglancaster.wordpress.com

Professional development projects BY artists FOR artists

DIY is an opportunity for artists working in Live Art to conceive and run unusual training and professional development projects for other artists.

Thirteen projects will take place in August and September 2010, which will be led by: Ania Bas; Bird la Bird; Simon Bowes; sean burn and Tim Rubidge; Karen Christopher; Alice Cutler; Abi Davey; Renata Gaspar, Ioana Paun and Tania El Khoury; Lottie Leedham; Martin O'Brien; Joshua Sofaer; Fiona Templeton; and at the Nuffield Lancaster, Manuel Vason.

DIY 7 projects are aimed at both emergent and experienced practitioners, and take place throughout the UK. The DIY 7 programmes take many forms, with a focus on sound, writing, text, make-up, endurance, disability, ephemerality, photography, activism, tourism and folklore.

This year's selected artist for the North West DIY project is the internationally respected photographer, Manuel Vason, and his project 'Becoming an Image'. The workshop takes place both indoors in Nuffield Theatre spaces and outdoors for more site-specific work, over four days: Thur 26, Fri 27, Sat 28 and Sun 29 August 2010, 10am-6pm daily.

Applications are now welcomed for *all* the DIY projects.
Application deadline for all projects: Friday 16 July, 2010.
PROJECT DETAILS:
http://www.thisisliveart.co.uk/prof_dev/diy/diy7_2010_participants.html

If you require further information about any of these projects or artists, please contact the Live Art Development Agency at info@thisisLiveArt.co.uk, and you can also contact alice@nuffieldtheatre about the Manuel Vason project.

DIY 7 is a Live Art Development Agency initiative developed in collaboration with Artsadmin (national), Colchester Arts Centre (East England), Duckie (national), Fierce (West Midlands), Forest Fringe (national), New Work Network (national), Nuffield Theatre & LANWest (North West), PLATFORM (national), Text Festival (North West), Whitstable Biennale (South East), Wunderbar Festival (North East) and Yorkshire Sculpture Park (Yorkshire).

More information at: www.thisisliveart.co.uk

Inspired by the work of artist Tehching Hsieh, we are working with a pair of artists for one year to explore the idea of time. They ask: How might a performance last an entire year? How do we mark time and how does it mark us? How do we document time? How can we make the time to make art?

More information in the 'projects' section of this website.

A Live Art UK Project, 2010

The Nuffield Theatre are delighted to be new members of the Live Art UK network. Live Art UK is a consortium of venues, promoters and facilitators who collectively represent a range of practices and are concerned with all aspects of the development and promotion of the Live Art sector. Live Art UK aims to promote the understanding of Live Art practice, grow and develop audiences for Live Art, and inform regional and national policy and provision for Live Art. See www.liveartuk.org for more information.

In Time is a new publication – a collection of ten case studies, designed to represent some of the innovative and pioneering ways in which Live Art has both posed and responded to many of the exciting cultural challenges of our times.

Each case study was directed by members of Live Art UK, using either their own work or the work of others as its focus. The case studies are complemented by contextualizing essays from cultural commentator Sonya Dyer and critic Lyn Gardner.

Live Art has, by desire or necessity, developed demonstrably different approaches to issues such as Critical Writing, Professional Development, Archiving and Audiences, and these approaches are proving to be influential, or have the potential to be influential, across a range of cultural sectors. Each case study focuses on one key issue, and in combination these documents reflect a dynamic set of inter-related successes, challenges, and opportunities.

The printed and bound version of In Time is available for purchase at: www.thisisunbound.co.uk A PDF version can be downloaded here.

Published by the Live Art Development Agency in collaboration with Live Art UK.www.liveartuk.org  

Download Document (3.51 MB)

In 2008, Peter S Petralia was awarded a bursary from New Work Network (NWN) and Nuffield Theatre Lancaster as part of NWN’s Activator Bursary Scheme. He was tasked with conducting research into what networks might be missing from the northwest region and then producing a programme to address any gap identified. Over the course of several months, Peter interviewed artists, programmers and funders in the region. A summary of his findings is available for download here.

The resulting programme that was created is called The Sunday Lunch Club and it is a theatrical work-share and networking event for contemporary performance makers centered on a generous exchange of ideas over a delicious Sunday lunch. The event is currently invitation only with participants suggesting new members on a regular basis. Participating venues include Lanternhouse / National Creation Centre, Bluecoat Arts Centre, Greenroom, Nuffield Theatre Lancaster, Leeds Met Studio Theatre, Axis Theatre Crewe, UCLAN, and Rose Theatre Ormskirk. See www.proto-type.org for more information.  

Activator Research Findings (0.06 MB)

LANWest came about in 2003 as an informal gathering of regional promoters and producers with an interest in live art and contemporary performance. Organised by hÅb, and hosted by greenroom, it offers a forum for peer exchange and discussion. A key shared agenda for LANWest is the what next? question: the need to offer progression to the wealth of new work produced in the region, in terms of regional touring of contextualised early career work, and the support of key work to break free of the emergent regional label and to find its place on the national circuit. The network is currently undertaking a 3 year distribution project funded by Arts Council England – including the In Transit annual tour, this website and proactive support of developing contexts in Preston and Carlisle.

For the last three years, the Nuffield has run a professional development programme as a way of unlocking the extensive range of experience running through the theatre each season. Sessions are aimed at artists who want to develop their practice in new areas, and students and recent graduates beginning to define their practice outside of formal training. Past masterclasses have been run by Forced Entertainment, Lone Twin, Cupola Bobber, Reckless Sleepers, Walker Dance Park Music and others. For more information, contact Alice on alice@nuffieldtheatre.com

Nuffield New Works is a commissioning programme supporting the research, development and dissemination of new theatre and dance practice. Working with established companies with a national and international reputation, and a range of UK and international co-producers, the scheme enables artists to explore new collaborations or to experiment with new areas of practice. Most shows have toured extensively nationally and internationally, and several have been selected for British Council showcases. Nuffield New Works supported shows include The World in Pictures (Forced Entertainment); Broken Chords (Vincent Dance Theatre); Alice Bell and Daniel Hit By a Train (Lone Twin); OAP (Ursula Martinez); Dinner with America (Rajni Shah); Silence of the Soul and 5-2-10 (Walker Dance Park Music); Incarnate (Marie-Gabrielle Rotie); Hotel Methuselah (imitating the dog); A Pastoral (Uninvited Guests); Making the Difference (Small Change); Relative (Niki McCretton and Kathy Hinde); Years, years (Deer Park); The Lastmaker (Goat Island); Song of Songs (Sonia Hughes). For more information, contact Matt Fenton on 01524 593431, matt@nuffieldtheatre.com

Practice Reflected provides an opportunity for artists to reflect formally on their practice, often for the first time in an academic/artistic context, and to invite responses from other practitioners, writers, critics and academics. Events are open to the public, students, artists and academics, and take place alongside new performances supported or commissioned by the Nuffield Theatre. Events include artists’ letters, lecture demonstrations, happenings and performances as well as more traditional critical papers and discussions. Sited within Lancaster Institute for Contemporary Arts at Lancaster University, the Nuffield Theatre is ideally placed to facilitate these events, and draws on a wealth of research, practice and creative industry specialisms from across the University and nationally. Full details are available at www.cascpp.lancs.ac.uk. Recent events include:

Goat Island: Lastness, raiding the archive, and pedagogical practices in performance (Mar 08)

I Can't Go on Like This: Approaches on Lone Twin and Related Practices (Feb 07)

Between You and Us: A Symposium with Uninvited Guests (Nov 06). Full papers available now from www.uninvited-guests.net and via downloadable word document

Middle, End, Beginning: Adventures in narrative in contemporary performance (Oct 06)