Birmingham Hippodrome’s new work and artist development department has announced its first cohort for its bespoke artist development programme, Hippodrome Origins.
Eight writers and theatre-makers from the West Midlands have been chosen for an 18-month programme which will be led by Anna Himali Howard, the Hippodrome’s new work manager, and supported by head of new work and artist development Sophia Griffin.
The group compromises spoken word artist Amerah Saleh, writer Elizabeth O’Connor, dramaturg and playwright Grace Barrington, artist-curator and writer Jaz Morrison, freelance theatre-maker Louis Wharton, Nathan Sebastian Lafayette, a multidisciplinary artist working within the realms of dance, music production and film, theatre artist, creative producer, collaborator and academic Tina Hofman and poet, performer, playwright and filmmaker Zakariye Abdillahi.
The programme will allow the artists to develop new ideas, stories and work. There will be monthly group sessions. At the end of the programme, the work will be shared with a wider audience.
Anna Himali Howard said, “this is a group of extraordinary West Midlands playwrights and theatre-makers, all of whom are at a transitional point in their practice. We’re so excited to support them in nurturing their artistry and creating new pieces. Some are moving across art forms, some into new subject matters or ways of making theatre. We’re proud that these brilliant artists will have a home at the Hippodrome.”