I joined Birmingham Hippodrome as the New Work Manager in July, and already it’s been such a joy to be having in-depth conversations with artists about the work they’re making. I’ve been encountering artists I’ve never met as well as connecting with people whose work I’ve seen, and to have the brilliant artists of Birmingham making themselves at home in this theatre is exactly what our department is for.

In the last few weeks I’ve been reading exciting scripts, meeting theatre makers to talk about their future ideas, hosting our weekly drop-in at the Artists’ Lounge, and launching the first round of Hippodrome Origins, our brand-new artist development programme.

Building on our existing programmes and events for artists and makers, like Playspace, Gathering and Writer’s Block, Origins is an 18-month long attachment at the Hippodrome for artists or companies who want to develop a new idea.

One of the things that’s really important to me as an artist is being part of a creative community, absorbing other people’s work and having space for art to be a regular part of my life. That’s the thinking behind the first six months of the programme, which we call ‘filling the well’, in which the cohort will meet weekly, either doing a workshop on the craft of making theatre, or attending funded trips to the theatre and other cultural events.

After this intensive period, there’s then a year of supported time where artists can work on a new piece, with rehearsal space, a bursary of £2500, dramaturgical and technical support, and opportunities to share their work along the way.

I’m so excited for the applications to come in and to meet our brilliant first Hippodrome Origins cohort.

Applications for Hippodrome Origins are open now and close on Monday 16 September at 12pm.

To apply visit this link.