PRESS RELEASE
Genesis Foundation collaborates with HighTide to create, the Genesis Laboratory

Announcing the Genesis Laboratory, HighTide's Research and Development Studio for emerging theatre practitioners at the Tabernacle, Notting Hill, supported by the Genesis Foundation.

3 February 2010

In March 2010, the Genesis Laboratory, HighTide's Research and Development Studio for emerging theatre practitioners, opens at the Tabernacle, Notting Hill.  A one year grant from the Genesis Foundation will enable HighTide to award 26 bursaries to emerging playwrights, directors, and ensembles to develop their craft for a week in HighTide's Studio with the support of HighTide's Artistic Director Steven Atkinson.

"This is the first open-access Research and Development Studio in British Theatre to offer emerging artists the three components they need to develop their craft; financial support, rehearsal space, and artistic collaboration.  I am extremely grateful to the Genesis Foundation and John Studzinski for supporting HighTide's vision to improve the level of resources afforded to emerging artists." - Steven Atkinson, Artistic Director, HighTide

"HighTide's initiative to help aspiring playwrights develop new work is innovative in its approach and very imaginative.  I am delighted that the Genesis Foundation will be supporting HighTide in networking emerging theatrical talent through its new creative workshop process.  We are pleased to be collaborating with a company that, in a short space of time, has built such an impressive track record of success.  It is a young, energetic organization and is becoming a focal place for new approaches and new talents among aspiring theatre professionals." - John Studzinski, Founder and Chairman, Genesis Foundation

The Genesis Laboratory is an open-access programme wherein actors, playwrights, directors, and ensembles can apply through an online application to receive a Genesis Laboratory bursary.  The programme is specifically aimed at emerging artists, to whom bursaries will be appointed on the strength and innovation of the proposed project and the artist's capacity to achieve their aims.

The objective of the Genesis Laboratory programme is to increase the quality of the new work, whether text-based or devised, being produced by emerging artists across British theatre.  The emphasis of the project is on facilitating artistic collaboration between emerging artists through offering a financial bursary, well resourced space, the capacity to record and archive work, and mentoring from HighTide's staff.

Application for a Genesis Laboratory bursary are now being taken via HighTide's website: www.hightide.org.uk

The programme will commence in March 2010 and run for an initial year until February 2011.

About HighTide

Since their inaugural 2007 Season, HighTide has existed to source and develop emerging artists from across the work, first producing these gifted new practitioners in their Suffolk Festival and then providing a much wider platform through a full production and run at a major theatre.

They continue to develop an audience for new, contemporary theatre in the east of England through high-quality producing and competitive ticket prices.  They work to develop artists based in the region and invite the leading national new artists to create and premiere work in eastern England.  They export their productions and artists across the UK and internationally as representatives of Suffolk culture.

The HighTide Festival takes place annually in Halesworth, Suffolk over the first May bank holiday weekend.  HighTide is a registered charity and they are grateful to the many organisations and individuals who support their work including Arts Council England East, the Old Possum's Practical Trust, the Genesis Foundation and Lansons Communications.

"HighTide is an important and effective company for staging new works, and I am proud to introduce them to a national audience." - Nick Hytner, Artistic Director, National Theatre.

www.hightide.org.uk

For further information please contact David Bloom or Guy Chapman at Target Live on +44 (0)20 3372 0950 or david [dot] bloomtarget-live [dot] co [dot] uk