International Festival for Emerging Artists

Theatre Royal Stratford East has initiated and led a consortium of partners in the development of an annual International Festival for Emerging Artists in Newham and East London. The partners include British Council, East London Dance, Lift, London Borough of Newham, Manchester Contact Theatre, New VIc, Serious, Stratford Circus, Theatre Venture, UEL Institute of Performing Arts, Urban Development and Visiting Arts.

The vision is for young emerging artists from all over the world to share creativity, their talent and passions, their cultures and their stories. Underpinned by Theatre Royal’s pioneering ethos of developing professional theatre that is holistic in audience development and artist excellence, the International Festival for Emerging Artists will build gradually up to 2020, culminating with young emerging artists from all over the world collaborating in a unique global celebration of diversity, art and creativity.

It is envisaged that 15 UK organisations and 15 overseas organisations will each identify and send 2 young emerging artists (13-30) to the two weeks of the first year’s Festival (7th - 20th July 2008). These young people will come to share and cross-fertilise their ideas. Together they will collaborate, network and explore artistic product. As ambassadors for their organisations during the Festival, they will be charged with the responsibility to continue the international collaboration back home – and maybe for some organisations this will be the first taste of an international collaboration.

These new connections could grow and return to the Festival for a number of years, presenting updates on the work as well as making fresh connections with new emerging artists who have joined the Festival for the first time.

The year 2012 will of course be a time of particular celebration and investment for the local community and it will be a year when partners will want to focus on the development of artistic plans to link with Olympic events and celebrations.

For more details please contact: Annette Telesford, Project Manager, 020 8279 1102 atelesford@stratfordeast.com.