Splitting the risk

It began with a conversation at a Devoted and Disgruntled event – What are we going to do about theatre? We discussed how venues can best support emerging artists. The answer was simple: by putting their work on.

One of the biggest challenges for new companies is getting their work programmed by venues. But for venues, programming new work is risky – the quality is unknown, there is no track record of delivery and you don’t know what you are selling. And yet, if we don’t programme new work, how is it going to be made?

In 2009, three venues in North East England – ARC in Stockton on Tees, Newcastle’s Theatre Royal and The Maltings in Berwick – formed a partnership to trial a new model for supporting emerging companies and producing new work. Bridging the Gap is open to any professional company living or working in the North East with experience of producing at least one show. Companies submit proposals and a small number are selected for interview. Successful companies are offered free rehearsal space, technical and marketing support, advice, guidance and – critically – two performances in each venue.

The interview process is the first step in reducing the risk of programming new work and the starting point for a relationship between venue, programmer and company. It is an opportunity to judge whether we are going to get on, whether we agree on what good work might look like, and whether we feel the company can deliver. And it gives companies the chance to articulate their ideas; to be clear on what they want to make and why, and who they are making the work for.

During the nine months between selection and performance, the company visits each of the venues, gets to know staff and audiences, shares ideas, and gets to benefit from the expertise of each venue. We are not all traditional producing houses, but between us we have a broad range of skills held by teams of dedicated staff, with vast experience of presenting new work.

We provide support and advice on everything from funding applications to set designs. This investment ensures we stay close to the creative process. Working collaboratively with the company gives us the opportunity to understand and influence the work, which helps reduce our anxiety around quality and delivery. As a new company, audience engagement is vital and venue staff work closely with companies to develop marketing campaigns.

Bridging the Gap is now in its third year. In 2010, Rabbit Damage presented ‘Wherever I Lay My Hat’, a devised piece around the theme of home. Last year INK productions worked with writer Laura Lindow to stage ‘Wanting for Anghus’, an adult fairytale exploring what happens when we give in to our desires. It is highly likely that neither of these shows would have been made without Bridging the Gap, and they certainly wouldn’t have been seen by audiences in the three partner venues.

This year we will support Daniel Bye as he makes ‘Ash’ (or ‘How to Occupy an Oil Rig’). And we, at ARC, have also developed a sister initiative across the greater North. Routes North is a partnership between ARC, Bradford’s Theatre in the Mill and The Lowry in Salford, which will provide a similar package of support to Bridging the Gap. Interviews were held in March and the successful company will be announced soon, staging their work across the three venues in February 2013.

These initiatives are enabling us to present fantastic new work to our audiences, and provide a platform for emerging companies. It is a new model that we are proud of, and one we hope others will adopt.