Eastern Angles Works with HighTide for First Commissions

Eastern Angles are working in partnership with HighTide Festival on their First Commissions Scheme.

First Commissions is HighTide's attachment programme for writers and theatre makers. Every year, the company work with a number of emerging writers who have never received a full length play commission. Over an 18 month period they then aid them to:

•  Create a new theatre piece
• Produce two rehearsed readings, showings or workshops in professional theatres or cultural organisations

• Collaborate with a wider creative team, usually in the form of a director or facilitator
• Engage an established theatre artist to act as a mentor and dramaturg
• Make an application to Arts Council England’s Project Grants to cover a full commission fee and development budget

How It Will Work

HighTide, along with each partner organisation, will outline the kind of artists and ideas we are looking to develop. We will then ask writers to apply for one or more of the briefs that they think are best suited to them and their idea.

What Are We Looking For? 

We’re looking for playwrights, theatre makers or artists with a burning idea who have vivid, theatrical voices. We’re also interested in artists who may not necessarily identify as a ‘writer’ but have a desire to create theatrical, relevant and innovative work.

Writer and Play Development

Each idea selected for this programme will undergo at least one year of development with HighTide and the respective partner organisation. The first stage of this development is to apply to Arts Council England’s Project Grants for a full commission fee (in line with Independent Theatre Council guidelines) and a development budget for workshopping the play during the year. HighTide have a fantastic track record in supporting artists this way and the writer will be supported through this process by HighTide and the partnering organisation.

The second stage is, with mentoring from both organisations, to research, develop and write a draft of your play suitable for a public reading, showing or workshop. During this time you will also build a relationship with an emerging director who will aid you in development of your play as well as being connected to other key industry contacts and possible production partners. After this, your play will be read at the annual HighTide Festival of new plays as a rehearsed reading/showing and, following further feedback and development. During this period, we also aim for the play to have a further rehearsed reading at a professional theatre or cultural organisation.

Following this stage, your play will be submitted to HighTide and the partner organisation for consideration for production as a fully resourced production that will either premiere at the annual HighTide Festival of New Plays, or at a co-producer venue across the UK.

The First Commissions scheme is designed to work with each individual writer or artist over the 18 month attachment period, we will work closely to develop each artist to suit their specific needs and idea.

Please read carefully the application pack for each strand of the 2018/2019 First Commission scheme. Each strand is structured slightly differently depending on the organisation we are partnering with.

Please note: an offer of a place on our First Commissions scheme is not a guarantee of a full production. A commission will only be optioned for production by HighTide, partner organisations and possible co-producers if it is deemed of a production ready standard and quality. In some special circumstances if plays are deemed of a high enough quality after the initial reads they may be optioned for production early.

Download HighTide and Eastern Angles First Commissions Application Pack

Applications close at midday on 14th June 2018. We will be in touch after the closing date. Shortlisted writers will be invited to interview in Central London on 4th July 2018.