Grahamstown National Arts Festival Kicks Off with IRIS BRUNETTE

This summer the producers of the infamous marathon London tour of Jackson's Way: The London Jacksathon! (January 2011), will pepper the festivals of Britain with new shows and past hits as well as travelling further afield.

The increasingly ambitious programme is reflected in changes to the company. Fuel is recruiting a new Executive Director, following the departure of their General Manager who is moving to be Producer at Southbank Centre, and promotes their Senior Project Manager to Producer, furthering their reputation as a development ground for people following a career in the arts.

This summer Fuel presents:
• Fuel at the Festivals
Fuel takes in Latitude, Big Chill and the Edinburgh Fringe with new project The Simple Things in Life alongside fresh chances to see Electric Hotel, Jackson's Way and The Summer House.

• Belarus Free Theatre
Fuel develops a new relationship with the acclaimed Belarus Free Theatre by taking them on their first visit to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe with a new work in development.

• Everyday Moments
The year long podcast series continues. This season Nic Green (Trilogy), Josie Long (If.comedy winner) and Nick Whitfield (Skeletons) will be treating us to their Everyday Moments.

• Stilled
Fevered Sleep, also named as part of the National Portfolio this spring, come to the Southbank Centre in a piece that merges theatre and installation. They also re-stage their masterful children's show The Forest before taking it on international tour later this year.

• Brighton 'Til I Die!
First staged 10 years ago to mark the centenary of the club, this show promises to have football fans chanting in the aisles as it returns to celebrate the opening of Brighton & Hove Albion FC's new stadium.

• The 14th Tale
Inua Ellams won a Fringe First award with his first show in 2009 before performing it on UK tour and at The National Theatre in 2010. This season he joins the programme of Greyscale's Theatre Brothel at the Almeida.

• Iris Brunette
Sound artist Melanie Wilson continues to enchant audiences at home and abroad. This summer she presents her first solo show Simple Girl as part of the Transformer festival in Leeds before taking her award winning Iris Brunette to South Africa.

Founded in 2004 and led by Louise Blackwell and Kate McGrath, Fuel is a producing organisation working with Contemporary Theatre artists to develop, create and present new work. Fuel produces the work of artists including Fevered Sleep (On Ageing), Sound&Fury (Kursk), Will Adamsdale (Jackson's Way, The Receipt) and Clod Ensemble (Under Glass).

All artists Fuel works with produce shows, performances or experiences which have very direct and playful relationships with their audiences. These artists see the world in a different way; they respond to challenges and events with ingenuity and ideas; they create unexpected moments which articulate fresh perspectives to their audiences.

Fuel responds to ideas, to artists and to projects, making them happen as best it possibly can, providing whatever is needed for that to happen - from fundraising to moral support, tour-booking to being a sounding board for ideas, dramaturgy to photocopying. Fuel also initiates ideas. Louise and Kate believe in creating great work by supporting artists to develop their own ideas, and by stimulating artists through provocation and challenge. They choose every artist, company or project they produce carefully: each relationship is unique as they try to respond to the needs of each artist individually.

Fuel became an Arts Council England Regularly Funded Organisation in 2008 at a level of £60,000 per annum which was extended with a 6.9% cut in 2011. In March, at a time of unprecedented cuts to the arts, Fuel was named as part of the Arts Council England National Portfolio, receiving a grant of £200,000 per annum from 2012-15. Moira Sinclair, Executive Director London, Arts Council England said of the award: "In just 6 years, Fuel has become a crucial building block in our national theatrical landscape, working with some of the most innovative and daring theatre makers to develop new work, and delivering that work in an accessible way to audiences across the country" (March 2011).

www.fueltheatre.com

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