Local talent development takes centre stage at Hastings Theatre Project

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Local theatre company Hastings Theatre Project announces the launch of its brand-new artist development programme.

Supported using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England, and building on the success of local theatre company Hastings Theatre Project’s first instalments of their DFL performance this summer, two opportunities opened this week for creatives hoping to nurture their craft and develop their work.

The first, Project Playwrights, invites anyone with an interest in writing for live performance to join a weekly group at the White Rock Theatre. It will be run by Ellie Horne, ex-Literary Associate of the Royal Court Theatre, who has years of experience working with emerging playwrights and currently working in film and TV.

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Each session will include writing tasks to help build writing muscles as well as discussions about scenes and extracts, and the group will receive visits from local theatre professionals to discuss working in the industry. Sessions are free, and applicants are asked to provide a sample of their writing when applying here, with a deadline of 4th September.

A performance of 'DFL' in Bottle Alley last monthA performance of 'DFL' in Bottle Alley last month
A performance of 'DFL' in Bottle Alley last month

In October, Hastings Theatre Project will host Itch That Scratch, an evening of work-in-progress performances at The Stables. This event will be a chance for local artists to try out new material in a safe environment, and for audiences to watch something a little different and feed back to the artists. In the process, HTP hopes to create a collective of like-minded individuals who can support one another with the making and development of their work. Those interested in submitting an idea, or joining the collective, are asked to apply by following this link by 6th September.

The programme is supported by HTP’s Associate Artist Eleanor Westbrook, who will also host the event at The Stables. Audiences can buy tickets for the captioned, BSL-interpreted show now, by following this link.

Where possible, HTP is committed to providing assistance with access costs such as contributing to access workers or childcare.

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Co-Artistic Directors of Hastings Theatre Project Dan Hutton and Poppy Rowley said: “We’re so excited to work with a whole host of artists this autumn. We have so much creativity in this town, and we want to make sure theatre and live performance sits at the heart of that output. We hope this is the beginning of a long journey of growing and developing our local theatre scene, and can’t wait to see the work which comes out of Project Playwrights and Itch That Scratch. Who knows, maybe we’ll even develop them into full shows in the future.”

Hastings Theatre Project in rehearsalsHastings Theatre Project in rehearsals
Hastings Theatre Project in rehearsals

Meanwhile, HTP continues its year-long DFL story in October, with details to be announced soon. Audiences excited for the next performance are invited to sign up to the company’s newsletter to hear the news first.

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