Posted on November 15th, 2023
HighTide is collaborating with our Associate Artist, Zoë Svendsen on a year-long ‘Climate Dramaturgy Knowledge Exchange’. It’s funded by our friends at Cambridge University. As part of this project we are recruiting East of England playwrights and theatre-makers to take part in two paid workshops:
- Workshop 1: Empowering playwrights to drive climate positive change in theatre
&
- Workshop 2: Becoming a Climate Dramaturg
These workshops will be facilitated by director and dramaturg, Zoë Svendsen. In addition, Sonny Nwachukwu is working as our Associate Artist for this project, centring disability access and wider practices of equity.
The Background:
At HighTide, Climate Dramaturgy is the new artistic approach we take when commissioning and producing theatre. It’s an artistic approach that centres positive environmental action and climate justice. Climate Dramaturgy seeks to rehearse an exciting, climate-positive future for everyone, whilst reducing the carbon, environmental and social harms in our theatre-making.
It’s an evolving artistic approach, so the aims of this ‘Climate Dramaturgy Knowledge Exchange’ are:
- to help us to deepen our practice at HighTide
- share our learnings so far, and 3. bring together other artists in the East of England to reflect and collaborate.
(Please note: Climate Dramaturgy – and this workshop – is not about writing plays about the climate crisis. Instead, it’s about acknowledging that all theatre we make today, whatever its theme or story, exists in a time of a climate crisis and so should respond to that reality.)
To find out more about our work with Climate Dramaturgy please click here.
When we say East of England playwrights and creatives – what do we mean?
Anyone who is 18 and above, who lives in or has spent at least one year of their life living in the East of England. We define the East of England as Cambridgeshire, Essex, Norfolk and Suffolk.
The Workshops:
Empowering playwrights to drive climate positive change in theatre
Date and Time: Monday 22nd January 2024, 10am-5pm
Location: UEA campus, Norwich
What is this workshop about?
The workshop will explore the agency you, as a playwright, have to impact climate positive change. It will encourage you to pay attention to habitual narrative choices and help you to unearth alternative dramaturgical options. It will also support you to centre climate justice and environmental action in conversations with producers and collaborators.
Who is this workshop for? Theatre makers who consider themselves, whole or in part, playwrights
Experience level to apply? Playwrights who have had at least one play professionally produced.
Spaces available: 10
Fee: £120 per playwright, plus travel
Becoming a Climate Dramaturg
Date and Time: Monday 18th March, 10am-5pm
Location: Cambridge Junction
What is this workshop about? Are you interested in engaging with Climate Dramaturgy in your creative practice? This workshop will look to equip you with the tools to provoke positive conversation about the climate crisis and climate conscious theatre making with your collaborators
Who is this workshop for? Directors, dramaturgs, designers, workshop leaders and facilitators, Artistic Directors, producers, playwrights and theatre makers who are interested in leading climate conscious theatre making
Experience level to apply? Artists (as listed above) who have worked on at least three professional productions.
Spaces available: 6
Fee: £120 per theatre-maker, plus travel
How to submit an expression of interest:
- If you like the sound of these workshops, please click on the link below to submit a simple expression of interest.
- You’re welcome to apply for just one, or both, workshops.
- Please check the criteria for the types of artists, and levels of experience, these workshops are aimed at.
- Deadline for expressions of interest: Friday 8th December, 12pm (midday).
We are particularly keen to hear from artists who have backgrounds which are historically underrepresented in theatre making and/or climate activism. These include artists who are:
- Deaf, disabled or neuro-divergent
- from Southern and Eastern Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, North African, East Asian, Southeast Asian and South Asian, Migrant Black and Latinx backgrounds
- working class
Should you have any questions or would like to submit your expression of interest in an alternative format please do not hesitate to contact our General Manager, Hannah – [email protected]
