In Good Company groups announced

Derby Theatre has announced its In Good Company associate companies, artists and graduate associates for 2015/16.

They are Egg Box Theatre, Zoo Indigo, Jack Britton, Impulse Collective, PAD Productions and, from the University of Derby, Helena Rimmer, Nafeesa Hamid, Daniel Ellis and Joe Allen.

In Good Company is a professional development programme for artists making work in the East Midlands which aims to engage, ignite and inspire and is led by Derby Theatre’s creative producer, Ruby Glaskin.

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Following a funding award of £99,950 from Arts Council England, the scheme was launched in 2014 by three partner venues: Derby Theatre, Create Theatre in Mansfield and Attenborough Arts Centre in Leicester.

During its first year, five regionally-based companies were selected and over the past 12 months, have benefitted from an exciting range of opportunities the scheme provides.

Now in its second year, In Good Company will once again provide the newly selected companies with an even bigger wealth of invaluable opportunities available to them as emerging companies and artists including: mentorship, business support, high profile performance opportunities, masterclasses, workshops, playdates, platforms for new work through festivals and scratch nights plus bespoke support.

Eighteen applications were received, with 11 companies invited to pitch and following in-depth interviews, Derby Theatre, Create Theatre and Attenborough Arts Centre have announced that the associate companies, artists and graduates for 2015/16 are: Egg Box Theatre, a Lincoln-based theatre company who create original family theatre which inspires and engagesyoung audiences in exciting and creative experiences; Zoo Indigo, an Anglo-German contemporary performance company based in Nottingham who produce a different forms of work including theatre-based performances, street interventions and interactive site-specific projects; Jack Britton, a performance and theatre maker based in Leicester who practices and uses innovative methods and a variety of mediums to explore his subject matter;

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Impulse Collective, a professional theatre company from Leicester who challenge the modern boundaries of theatre to create new and exciting work, and PAD Productions (Positive About Deafness), a theatre company who bring a new positivity to the perception of deaf people in the arts and media.

Making up the five companies will be four graduate associates from the University of Derby, who are all independent, enthusiastic and passionate theatremakers and practitioners, Helena Rimmer, Nafeesa Hamid, Daniel Ellis and Joe Allen.

Ruby Glaskin, creative producer for In Good Company) said: “It’s really encouraging to see so much talent and creativity emerging in the East Midlands. The five new associate companies, along with our University of Derby Graduate associates, reflect the variety and scope of work on offer in the region.

“Some are just getting started where as others are at the point when formal support and opportunities can really help them achieve big ambitions. In Good Company’s priority is to nurture artists at all levels and cultivate what is fast becoming one of the most exciting regions for new work. I am hugely excited to be supporting our new associates and look forward to continuing and developing their future success.”

Now the associate companies have been selected, bespoke programmes of professional developmecan now forge ahead and be created for each company with full support from all venues.

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