The Award: a site-responsive piece

The purpose of The Oxford Samuel Beckett Theatre Trust Award is, in particular, to help the development of emerging practitioners in the field of experimental theatre and, in general, to encourage the new generation of creative artists.

Currently, the Award is for a company or individual to create a site-responsive, non-traditional show to take place in one of the five host boroughs in East London for the Olympic and Paralympic Games. The show is funded by The Oxford Samuel Beckett Theatre Trust and co-produced by the Barbican and CREATE.

The Process

Bold, challenging and innovative proposals are welcomed.

Following consideration of submitted proposals, the Award Panel selects a number of applicants to be interviewed. Research and Development grants are then awarded.

The R&D period is to physically test precise ideas. R&D will differ depending on the detail of the individual application. Applicants are advised specifically what the R&D phase will entail following the interview stage.

A showing to the panel and an invited audience is required at the end of the R&D phase. It is generally between 10 to 30 minutes.

Following the showing, a winner is chosen.

Guidance and support

The winning applicant receives guidance and support from the Barbican and The Oxford Samuel Beckett Theatre Trust. This is primarily be in the following areas: financial management, contracting, press and publicity, long-term strategic development of their work, identifying potential artistic and technical colleagues, advising on technical aspects of the production. A mentor is attached to the project. The CREATE Festival is also a key partner.

Funding

R&D grants of £2,500
£32,000 production grant to winner

A maximum of £10,000 (excluding in-kind support, e.g. free or subsidised rehearsal space) can be raised by the winning company/individual in addition to the production grant.

Partners

The Barbican bite season presents fresh new work that hovers on the edge of classification. Work that marries dance, theatre and music in unexpected ways, explores what theatre could be, stirs emotion, is passionate, mischievous and makes you smile.

CREATE is the cultural partnership of the London boroughs of Greenwich, Hackney, Newham, Tower Hamlets and Waltham Forest. The boroughs are working together with leading venues, cultural organisations and festivals to develop CREATE into an internationally significant festival and a permanent annual feature in the cultural calendar leading up to and following 2012. A map of venues may be found on the CREATE site.

Applying for the Award

Go to the Apply page.

Winners

2010: You Me Bum Bum Train

2009: Levantes Dance Theatre for Room Temperature Romance.

2008: Slung Low for Helium.

2007: Boileroom for The Terrific Electric.

2006: The Work Theatre Collective for Project E: An Explosion.

2005: Almost Blue, a collaboration between sound-designer Gareth Fry, radio and theatre director Lu Kemp, director/choreographer Dominic Leclerc, producer Neil Laidlaw and writer Chris Dunkley.

2004: The Pink Bits for Mapping 4D.

2003: Dan Hine and Kirsty Housley for Cue Deadly: A Live Film Project.

The Oxford Samuel Beckett Theatre Trust