SA Cross Regional Theatre Project 2018-20

The question of making performance is not necessarily a matter of engaging with a nation’s history, or being responsible to a nation – it may also be sincerely an individual reflection of circumstances, experiences and how these might be mediated, or given form through a determined act of making language – of speaking – whether through movement, gesture, words, image. As across national borders, there are still certain barriers through past histories to communicate, what space is there for speaking and recognising shared histories that can give definition and develop a wider artistic platform and network for cultural works that reflect local and regional experiences? Whilst acknowledging the UK’s own involvements and distance, how might a gathering and sharing of artistic works and heritage build possibilities for future exchange and connection amongst theatre and performance-makers across South Asia?

From 2018-2020 the British Council in South Asia is supporting a project to bring together contemporary producers/artists working in the field of theatre/performance/dance/interdisciplinary media for a 10-day residency project in Kathmandu, Nepal in March 2018. 

The British Council will support travel, artistic fee, per diems, accommodation and visa costs for 1-2 selected artists from Sri Lanka, Nepal, Iran, Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Pakistan to attend the residency for a period of critical discussion / collaborative sharing / practical workshop to develop a network of independent producers / artists and a platform for making contemporary theatre performance focused on perspectives and issues experienced across the South Asia region.

The agenda for the 10 days will be based around participating artists sharing their work, and workshop activities for discussion and practical collaboration. The workshop will be hosted by the British Council Nepal and led by project coordinator James Tyson (Theatre & Dance Programme Manager, British Council, UK) with partnering organisations in Nepal. It will also enable an opportunity to get to know and make connections to the local theatre/performance and cultural scene in Nepal. 

The working language of the residency and its coordination will be English – although efforts will be made to enable translation. The residency also recognises that language itself, including English, may not necessarily be the primary mode of collaboration, and a diverse and common history of shared languages and alphabets across the South Asia region may be a rich starting point for potential collaboration. 

Artists/producers are invited to submit a 1-2 page proposal stating their interest in participating in this project and to describe a current project they are currently involved in, with a CV of their professional work.

Please send your application to james.tyson@britishcouncil.org

Deadline: 1 November 2017

Announcement of invited artists: 1 December 2017
Residency: March 2018 (tentative)