Interested in our Fellowship?
Here is everything you need to know
The Fellowship application deadline has passed.
Please consider
applying for a regular place - or
join our newsletter list to receive notifications when Fellowship applications are open for next year's Intensive.
Why is the London Devised Theatre Intensive offering a Fellowship?
Devising offers a unique opportunity for theatre makers to claim agency over our careers, bring our whole identity to the work, and liberate ourselves from narrow industry expectations.
Despite the inclusive promise of devised theatre, the sector has even more of a diversity problem than theatre as a whole. For example: the UK’s most widely celebrated devised theatre companies are led by white artists. Opportunities that focus on artists of colour tend to emphasise traditional playwriting, directing, and acting. As a result, there are not many artists of colour making devised theatre. It’s a similar story for D/deaf and disabled, LGBTQ+, and working class artists. This is why we have taken an intersectional approach to our fellowships, beyond ‘BAME’.
What does it mean to receive the Fellowship?
The Devised Theatre Fellow will not pay an enrollment fee to participate in the programme. In addition, we will award this artist an honorarium of £600 to help cover the costs of travel, accommodation, and the opportunity cost of not taking other work during the two-week Intensive.
We realise that £600 will not cover all the costs associated with participating in the Intensive. It is our intention to pilot the Fellowship programme this year, and secure external funding in future years to help us offer more Fellowships and increase the support we are able to offer.
What do I have to do if I am awarded the Fellowship?
We expect the Fellow to commit fully to the Intensive, participating in the whole of the two-week workshop. Please do not plan to be available for any other activities during the studio hours and the three theatre trips; the point of the Fellowship is to support you to be in the room.
We will also ask you to write a blog post or make a short video about your experience. We will use this material to help us evaluate the programme and recruit Fellows in future years.
Who is eligible for the Fellowship?
The Fellowship is intended for artists from underrepresented backgrounds. We would like to hear from people of colour/BAME artists, D/deaf and disabled artists, LGBTQ+ artists, and working class artists.
We’re not fans of the clunky tick-box language. Particularly around the terms ‘POC' (People of Colour) and ‘BAME’ (Black, Asian & Minority Ethnic), there are various individual views, regional differences between the UK and US, and an
ongoing debate
about the problems of lumping everyone who isn’t white into one group. Whatever terminology we use, our intention is to give underrepresented theatre makers a fairer opportunity to create their work.
As long as artists face barriers because of their race, class, sexuality, or disability, we have chosen to name these boxes so that we can help break out of them.
How will you support applicants who have special access needs?
The ability to foster professional relationships with artists of diverse backgrounds lies at the heart of our ethos and practice. In addition to holding a safe space at LDTI 2017, Pinecone Performance Lab artistic director Amy Clare Tasker has created and facilitated a workshop with actor and wheelchair user Julie Fernandez, ‘Adapting Theatre Practice With Disabled Actors’ as a Young Vic Directors Programme Peer-Led Project. Blue Panther Productions’ Laura Lundy is an experienced producer and career coach working in London, New York, San Francisco, and Barcelona. She holds a Masters degree in education in Teaching & Advocacy for Deaf/Hard of Hearing Children and Adults.
Providing accessible opportunities requires an inclusive mindset and the practical skills to make adjustments to our programme. We have booked a wheelchair accessible venue, and created large-print informational materials and captioned videos. We are prepared to arrange additional access provision dependent on individual artists’ needs. Please let us know about your access needs when you apply.