New Earth seed commission and creative incubator open for applications

7 January 2025

New Diorama are proud to be partnering with New Earth Theatre on their creative incubator programme 2025 - open for applications now

To celebrate 30 years of New Earth Theatre, the company has opened a call out to British East and Southeast Asian (BESEA) artists interested in exploring traditional ESEA artforms updated for a contemporary British theatre context. It is an invitation for artists to explore their unique performance heritage, moving away from archaic or fetishised ideas of authenticity, and embracing ESEA and British performance culture in the here-and-now. New Earth have partnered with six venues to offer six residencies for BESEA artists and companies as part of their Artist Incubator programme in 2025. The successful applicants will receive a £2000 seed commission each, mentoring support and a residency at various venues, including New Diorama. Additional artists selected from New Earth’s Midlands and North-based Academy Plus programme will be supported through the Artist Incubator. The aim of the programme is to aid artists with the skills and knowledge to create their own work, supported by the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation.

The incubator will culminate into a showcase as part of New Earth’s 30th anniversary festival, Twisted Roots. Alongside the Artists Incubator projects, the festival will feature extracts of New Earth’s work-in-development for 2026 and beyond, including The Body Fisher, a new play by Amy Ng co-commissioned with dance company Feng Ling Productions; Olivier-nominated writer and director AJ Yi and Emily Ling Wiliams, whose new play based on The Ballad of Mulan has been co-commissioned by New Earth Theatre and Headlong Theatre; and an exploration of Shakespeare’s text developed with Taiko drummer and composer Nao Masuda. The festival will take place in London and Leeds in September 2025.

Apply by the 5th February 2025 on the New Earth website here

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