Volcano Theatre Wales is looking to commission six performers to make individual short performances (around 30 minutes) in one of the spaces at our Swansea High Street venue. The idea behind this project is to encourage performers to develop new performance modes in front of small enthusiastic audiences.

The artist fee is £1500. There will be an allowance for travel and/or accommodation if needed equivalent to ITC/Equity rates, and they have an additional budget to meet specified access needs.

They envisage that each piece will be performed four times over the final Friday and Saturday of the fortnight. They’ll provide ticketing, print and marketing, and front-of-house for these performances.

At the end of the season at least two of the successful commissions will be offered additional in-kind space and support to develop the work further.

Guidelines 

• They want people to perform work they create themselves, not to send a playscript.
• Performances should be around 30 minutes in duration.
• They are looking for NEW work to be created and performed within the fortnight commission period. Pieces already performed elsewhere (online or live), work that has already undergone R&D, or revivals of dormant scripts are not eligible on this occasion.
• Each commission will be two weeks long, including development/rehearsal and performance. Optional mentoring/advice sessions with Volcano’s Artistic Director are included.
• The performance should require minimal/simple tech that you can set up and operate yourself in the relevant space or – it should not require a stage technician.
• The work must be rehearsed to a professional standard for a public audience in an informal setting during the fortnight. It is OK if the creator sees their piece as a work-in-progress as this stage or intends to develop it further beyond the duration of the project.
• There will be a small budget for props, costumes etc. There is no budget for set build. They can configure the space to your requirements, and you can use any available items from the venue (tech, props, costumes or set items).
• You may rehearse the piece entirely or partly onsite.
• Performance spaces include the bar, the gallery, the Bunker Theatre (or part thereof), a smaller cinema-style theatre space, a large cupboard, a ‘cave’, a corridor, a large shop window, and a large loading bay with a roller shutter. Or you could take your audience on a short walk…
• Performances can include English and/or Welsh, be bilingual or multilingual, or non-linguistic.
• Balanced with access criteria, they will prioritise work that can be enjoyed by a diverse or casual urban audience without specialist knowledge.

This opportunity is open to all. However, in the interests of reducing systemic barriers to professional opportunities and of achieving a plurality of voices and perspectives, the following minimum number of commissions will be reserved for artists with the following lived experience, protected characteristics or identities:

• At least one commission will be awarded to Black, Asian or Dual Heritage artists.

• At least one commission will be reserved for artists creating work in Welsh (or bilingually with Welsh pre-eminent).

• At least one commission will be awarded to a d/Deaf or disabled artist.

In addition to these reserved commissions, eligible applications from artists with the following identities, protected characteristics or lived experience will be automatically shortlisted: Trans artists, GRT artists and artists from lower socio-economic backgrounds.

The equalities measures described above are positive action measures to address identified current areas of under-representation in access to these opportunities or platforms – they do not prescribe the content or framing of the work (except for of the Welsh-medium commission).

Deadline 

31st May 2023

The Shape of Things to Come – Volcano Theatre Company