London Bubble Theatre Presents: MAKE SPACE!
A 6-week festival showcasing work by early career theatre makers aged 18-30.
Artist Call Out
London Bubble Theatre is calling out for six underrepresented, early career artists or groups, aged 18 -30 and providing them with space to develop their own work.
All you need is an idea or piece in its early stages of development and a team in place. We will provide you with FREE rehearsal space and technical support for an end-of-week sharing so that your work can get the feedback you need.
What are you waiting for? Click here to apply in written or video format by Friday 20th September.
Decisions will be made shortly after the deadline, and you should expect to hear from us by Friday 27th September.
We look forward to hearing your ideas and welcoming you into our space!
Who Can Apply?
Individual and group applications are welcome. We are looking for 18–30 year-olds who want to increase diversity in the performing arts sector and feel underserved/underrepresented in society.
This is your opportunity to explore and share the stories that often go untold.
You must be living in a London Borough and must be able to commit to attending:
- Artists’ welcome and networking: Wednesday 16th October, 6.30-8pm
- Your allocated rehearsal dates (which will be one of the weeks listed below
- Artists’ evaluation: Wednesday 4th December, 6.30-8pm
This will all take place at London Bubble, 5 Elephant Lane, SE16 4JD.
The festival dates are as follows:
- Week 1: 21st Oct- 25th Oct
- Week 2: 28th Oct-2nd Nov
- Week 3: 4th Nov-8th Nov
- Week 4: 11th Nov-15th Nov
- Week 5: 18th Nov-22nd Nov
- Week 6: 25th Nov-29th Nov
You will have access to the rehearsal room from 10am-6pm, Monday to Friday during your rehearsal week. Your sharing will take place Friday evening between 7.30pm-9pm.
Application FAQs
- Where is London Bubble Theatre?
Your rehearsals and performance will take place in the rehearsal room at London Bubble Theatre, 5 Elephant Lane, SE16 4JD. London Bubble is a 5-minute walk from Rotherhithe Station (Overground) and 10 minutes from Bermondsey Station (Jubilee line) and can be accessed by buses 47, 188, 381, C10, P12. There is limited on-street parking nearby.
- How can I apply?
You can apply in written or video format.
It should take you 15-20 minutes to complete the written application.
If you are choosing to apply in video format, please make sure that your responses are between 1 – 2.5 minutes long. You can record yourself as an individual or as a group – and take turns answering the question. Do follow our instructions on how to upload your answers. We recommend attaching an accessible Google Drive Folder link in each of application answer boxes, so we may review your responses.
If you need any help doing this, please don’t hesitate to drop us an email at luana@londonbubble.org.uk.
- Where will I be performing my piece?
You will be sharing your work-in-progress in our rehearsal room. This will be your space all week so you can tailor your work to the space. Audience capacity is around 40 people. Click here to read more about the space.
- How long does the sharing have to be and what is a ‘sharing’?
Your sharing should be work-in-progress. It could be a rehearsed reading, excerpts from your original piece, the first 10 minutes of your play etc. This is your opportunity to show what you have been working on during the week. We are NOT looking for a finished piece or a full performance.
- Will I get to choose which week works for me?
The application form will ask you to rank in order of preference which week you would like to make use of our space. We will do our best to book you in for your preferred week, however we acknowledge that there may be unavoidable clashes.
If you are successful, we will contact you with allocated dates in the email confirmation. This is to give you enough time to book off any annual leave, and/or manage your schedules to meet the attendance requirements.
- I don’t have a portfolio, or any relevant links to share as examples of my work in the application. Will this affect my application?
Not all! We have asked you to share examples of your previous work so that you don’t have to explain to us what your creative practice is in other ways in this application. Answering this question in the application is optional, you may refuse to answer or share anything with us by typing in ‘N/A’. If you do wish to submit a portfolio or share some links, please do not create anything new for this application as it will not affect your application if you don’t attach anything. If your idea centres around a script, it might be a good idea to upload an extract.
- My idea will need lights, sound and a set a design. Will you provide this for me?
We will connect you with a technician to offer some basic technical support on the day of your performance. This might include basic wash-lighting and sound playback. We have access to a projector and free-standing screen. You are welcome to bring your own equipment within reason, please speak to us during your rehearsal week and we will help as much as we can.
We have some props and costumes. You are welcome to borrow anything that catches your eye!
- What do you mean by ‘early career’?
We identify ‘early career’ artists as someone who is in the first stages of developing a theatre career. You may have completed a course at drama school or university, you may have taken part in other theatre programme targeted at young people, or you may have just had a life-long love of theatre and recently started practising your craft.
- Why is London Bubble doing this?
We recognise how inaccessible the arts industry can be and want to change that! We want to use the resources we have to support artists who are struggling to find space to develop their work.
If you have any further questions about the application and festival, we will be hosting a ‘MAKE SPACE!’ Zoom Q&A session from 6.30pm-7.30pm on Monday 9th September.
Zoom Meeting Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87577078198?pwd=rmaiLya0igDcZMeMJyW1fxYPUy8jX3.1
Email Nat Clarke, Producer natalie@londonbubbletheatre.org.uk if you have any questions.