Sunday 28 June 2015

SIXTEENTH TOTAL THEATRE AWARDS AT THE EDINBURGH FESTIVAL FRINGE


Seven Awards across five categories will be awarded. 

Categories include Physical & Visual Theatre; Innovation, Experimentation & Playing with Form; Emerging; Circus; and Dance

For the third year running, an award for an Emerging Artist or Company, supported by Farnham Maltings will have a £500 prize attached to it; for a second consecutive year there will be a Total Theatre Award for Circus presented in association with Jacksons Lane; and this year we are delighted to introduce a new Total Theatre Award for Dance in collaboration with The Place.



‘There are lots of great, bold dance shows in the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and thousands of people there to see them. There are shows that deserve to be talked about and in joining forces with Total Theatre to sponsor this new award The Place is hoping to fuel the conversation amongst the audience and the critics about what makes a unforgettable piece of dance performance.’ Eddie Nixon, Director Theatre & Artist Development at The Place

· The Total Theatre Awards team of 25 Assessors will see over 450 shows at least once and often two or three times in the first eleven days of the festival.


· Following five morning-long assessment meetings and a daylong shortlisting meeting the Nominees list of shortlisted shows will be announced on Thursday 20 August.


· 12 judges will then see the shortlisted shows and announce their decisions at the Total Theatre Awards


· Ceremony on Friday 28 August.


We are also delighted that this year’s Total Theatre Awards will also include an international collaboration with the British Council Ukraine. A delegation of four Ukrainian Theatre Curators have been selected on a competitive basis by a panel of senior Ukrainian theatre professionals, directors, producers, and cultural activists to join the 2015 Total Theatre Awards Assessment team and to contribute to the judging process.

‘The British Council is delighted to be supporting four talented theatre professionals to spend three weeks at the Edinburgh Festival. By taking part in the process of Total Theatre, they will immerse themselves in a dialogue around what innovation means in a UK context. It is a unique opportunity to support true cross-cultural dialogue, bring fresh new perspectives into the UK and develop stronger links between Britain and the Ukrainian theatre worlds, which we hope will result in increased touring activity in both countries.’ Pablo Rossello, Director Arts Development, British Council Ukraine



Supporters confirmed thus far for this year’s Awards include Battersea Arts Centre, British Council, University of Chichester, The Empty Space, Farnham Maltings, Jacksons Lane, The Place, The Point Eastleigh, Puppet Animation Scotland and University of Winchester. Without their support and the in-kind support provided by the 40+ strong team of Assessors, Judges and Awards Producing team the Total Theatre Awards would not be possible. We thank these supporters for their recognition and commitment to supporting the artist led and independent performance sector.

The Total Theatre Awards were developed for the benefit of artists, the sector and audiences, and have over the last two decades, blazed a trail of recognition for independent artists and companies creating innovative, artist-led theatre and performance. Resisting too narrow a definition of the term ‘total theatre’ the awards focus on artists and companies leading innovative work within the fields of devised theatre, live art, visual performance, mime, puppetry, physical theatre, experimental theatre, clown, circus, street, immersive, outdoor, dance, site specific performance and more.

‘In Edinburgh the Total Theatre Awards recognises experimental work that truly tries to push at boundaries in a landscape of work that conforms. For me: winning a Total Theatre Award helped me to get my foot in the door with a whole host of venues, spurred international interest and gave me a huge quality stamp. Totally and utterly invaluable.’
Bryony Kimmings, Total Theatre Awards Winner 2010





Key dates


· Applications for Artists & Companies open Monday 22 June. Applications close Monday 3 August.


· Awards Assessment Dates Saturday 8 – Wednesday 19 August.


· Nominees Shortlist Announced Thursday 20 August.


· Judging Dates Thursday 20 – Thursday 27 August.


· Awards Ceremony Friday 28 August

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