Curve Announces New Cohort Of Breakthrough Artists For 2017

Curve is delighted to unveil the seven new artists joining its Breakthrough programme for 2017. The seven artists announced today join an existing cohort of 13 Breakthrough Artists, and will receive support and development opportunities from Curve throughout the year, plus a chance to perform at Curve's 2018 annual festival of new East Midlands work, Inside Out.

The new Breakthrough artists are:

· Theatre-makers Jack AG Britton and Louise White

· Physical theatre company State of Flux

· Dance artists Lewys Holt and Scarlett Turner

· Theatre director and writer Beth Shouler

· Dance Company Wayward Thread

Curve Chief Executive Chris Stafford and Artistic Director Nikolai Foster said in a joint statement:'All of the team at Curve are proud to nurture emerging local talent and artists from a wide variety of diverse backgrounds. Having such a talented coterie of artists, creating work in and around our building, feeding into the lifeblood of our theatre is vitally important to us and also exhilarating! A warm Leicester welcome to the new breakthrough artists from all at Curve.'

Breakthrough is Curve's year-round development programme for East Midlands artists. Through the programme, Curve offers opportunities for artists to make, share and explore new work, whilst providing critical feedback and linking artists in with industry networks.

Successful artists receive a support package tailored to their individual needs, including: an artist development bursary; up to three weeks independent residency time at Curve; support from industry professionals during rehearsals; in-kind support from Curve professionals and creatives; peer mentoring with current Breakthrough companies; and group workshops and discussion sessions.

Many of the artists in Curve's current cohort of Breakthrough artists have gone on to achieve success through the programme, including 2 Magpies Theatre, whose production of Ventoux is currently on tour to 39 venues nationally - and they were also commissioned by Developed Withat The Lowry to create Last Resort, which will be performed at this year's Inside Out festival.

Other artists in the Breakthrough programme who have achieved success include Shruti Chuahan, who recently won the inaugural Michael Grandage Company Futures Award and is currently being mentored by award-winning playwright Sabrina Mahfouz, and Jess Green, whose recent R&D project at Curve on her latest work Burning Books, has helped her get signed by United Agents as a playwright.

The artists announced today join Curve's current program of Breakthrough artists, including: 2 Magpies Theatre, Chris Dugrenier, Debris Stevenson, Enter Edem Crew, Gramophones Theatre,Impulse Collective, Jess Green, Major Labia, Off the Fence Theatre Company, Rachael Young,Sheep Soup, Shruti Chauhan and Toby Campion.

For more information about Curve's Breakthrough programme, please visit bit.ly/CurveBreakthrough.