We today announce the members of the New Dramaturgs Group: a cohort of five early-career artists that will work alongside Sheffield Theatres to develop their dramaturgical skills and experiences.
The 2024 New Dramaturgs Group are: Evie Henderson, Matty Muir, Verity Richards, CJ Simon, and Noor Sobka. Evie Henderson is a theatremaker, writer and actor from Grimsby driven to tell untold stories in unusual spaces. Matty Muir is a neurodiverse physical actor, director and movement director interested in laboratory theatre training and ensemble performance exploring the human condition. Verity Richards is a theatre-maker, director and performer based in Sheffield, most interested in community-centred storytelling, celebrating the diversity of human beings and empowering them through creativity. CJ Simon is a Black British writer and academic who endeavours to use multidisciplinary approaches to create politically engaged work. Noor Sobka is a Northern, North African Theatre Maker and Performer with a particular interest in Comedy and telling MENA (Middle East and North Africa) stories and stories of the Global Majority.
The 2024 New Dramaturgs Group, led by Alice Fitzgerald and Frey Kwa Hawking, will take part in four months of bespoke skills workshops, receive practical training and experiences as trainee dramaturgs, and watch a range of shows as part of the upcoming season of work at Sheffield Theatres.
Tommi Bryson, Talent Development Coordinator at Sheffield Theatres, said:
“We couldn’t be more excited to be announcing the cohort for our second New Dramaturgs Group based at The Bank at Sheffield Theatres. This group brings together an incredible mix of disciplines and passions, and while we can’t wait to see how dramaturgical training can help to hone their individual practices, we’re even more excited to discover how the group influences and collaborates with each other.”
Anthony Lau, Associate Artistic Director at Sheffield Theatres said:
“Dramaturgy sits at the heart of theatre making - it's about story, and how you tell that story. It’s about the world you create and the rules within it. It's about the communication of feelings and ideas.
Teaching and nurturing this fundamental skill is invaluable, yet it is so often neglected in an artist’s development. To be able to offer this training for the second year in a row is a hugely important development in the way we support artists in our vicinity. By giving them the opportunity to hone their craft we, in turn, hope that they are able to share their skills and feed into the wider theatre making community of Sheffield. As well as giving professional opportunity through our other initiatives, we also want to give artists space to develop themselves and their work - the new dramaturgs group manages to do both.”
The New Dramaturgs Group is made possible by the generous support of Barbara Crossley.
We would like to thank The Dramaturgs Network for their support and expertise in the conception of this project. More information about their work is available here: dramaturgy.co.uk/about-us.
Sheffield Theatres’ Talent Development activity is based at The Bank - Sheffield Theatres’ dedicated hub for artists - made possible thanks to the generous support of Jo and Chris Hookway.
Click below to find out more about opportunities for artists.
