WalesLab FAQ's

So what is WalesLab?

WalesLab is NTW's  artist development initiative, focused on emerging artists and practices. 

 

What does it consist of?

There are three strands to WalesLab:

  1. Pollinate - which will involve around 20 artists being taken away for 2 weeks with NTW facilitators and technical support to experiment and develop their work and inspire each other. 
  2. Fertilise - Eight times a year small groups of artists will be invited to spend a around a week together somewhere in Wales developing the initial stages of an idea or project. 
  3. Germinate - Three times a year small groups of artists will be offered the opportunity to spend around two weeks somewhere in Wales developing an idea or project which they have already begun working on, and will share their work with a local audience.

 

Is there any money involved?

Yes. For strands 2 & 3 participants will receive a fee, accommodation, travel and a materials budget.

For strand 1 artists will be provided with accommodation, transport, materials and food.

 

What if I don't need accommodation, can I use the money you would have spent on costumes and set?

No. This isn't a production fund; it's a fund to support the development of theatre makers in Wales.

 

Do I have to be Welsh to apply?

No. To apply you need to live or work in Wales, be Welsh/from Wales, or have a demonstrable connection to Wales. On all three strands international participants will be accepted by invitation only. 

Do I have to be from a particular place?

With some rounds of WalesLab we will target opportunities around areas or particular communities we are working with. The first of these coincided with our production of De Gabay in spring 2013. 

 

What are you trying to do?

We want to encourage the idea that Wales is (y)our laboratory for making new and exciting performance. To inspire you with the landscape and make-up of Wales. 

We want to help you to make the work you're capable of.

We want to create a fertile landscape from which more projects or activity will spring.

 

What isn't it?

This isn't a commissioning strand for NTW's performance programme. Whilst we wouldn't rule out the possibility of a project developed through WalesLab going on to be NTW# this isn't the project’s primary purpose.

 

How do I apply?

You can apply on the application form page and you can do this at any point in the year.

A supportive and friendly group of people (some representatives from NTW and others who are independent artists or partners of the company)  will shortlist from all the submitted projects. If your project has been shortlisted you will be invited in to meet with everyone and discuss your idea in more detail. This happens between 3 - 4 times a year. You can find out when these meetings have been scheduled below.

  • Applications should be with us by noon on the 30th Aug 2013 for a decision by 13th Sep 2013. If your application is shortlisted we will want to meet with you on 11th Sep 2013
  • Applications should be with us by noon on the 29th Nov 2013 for a decision by 13th Dec 2013
  • Applications should be with us by noon on the 28th March 2014 for a decision by 11th April 2014

 

Are my taxes paying for this? 

The funding for WalesLab is from Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, and is not coming from your taxes or the lottery. This is new money that we're bringing to Welsh theatre, and not something that's being diverted from another Welsh arts organisation.

 

If I'm not successful this time can I apply again?

Yes - and you can apply again with the same or a different project. If you're resubmitting the same project please think carefully about why it wasn't successful first time around.

 

How big can the projects be?

Whilst we don't want to limit your projects the average level of support for strand 2 projects will be one week for three artists. This doesn't mean that's what you have to use and it may be that if one project only has one person working on it and another has five it will balance.

Remember that these aren't production grants - so it may be that the project you want to develop will eventually involve a cast of fifty taking over Snowdon, but that doesn't mean that initial project does.

 

I don't like filling in forms - can I apply some other way?

There's some administrative information we need to collect which requires you to fill in answers on the online form - such as your name etc. However when it comes to answering questions about your work you can submit this another way - such as by posting a youtube video to answer the question. If your project is best described by a physical item that you have made you can also send that to us or drop it by our offices. 

 

I want to fill in the forms offline, how can I do this?

The simplest way is to make a note of the questions, write your answers offline in a word document or email, then cut and paste the answers into the boxes when you go online. Unfortunately, you can’t save your work and return to it later on the form itself.

 

Are Writers eligible? Are dancers & choreographers eligible?

Yes, as are directors, actors, designers, performance artists, composers installation-makers and multi-media experimenters. This is not an exhaustive list and we're looking at the development of theatre in a very broad sense - from installation to pervasive media gaming.

 

image block identification

© 2024   Created by National Theatre Wales.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service