Sheffield Theatres Announce New Supported Artists of the Bank Cohort 2022

Sheffield Theatres today announced the thirteen artists, including writers, directors, producers and creatives of other disciplines, who will be supported by the company for the next 12 months as members of The Bank Cohort for 2022. The Bank is a dedicated hub for talent development; this is the second cohort to be supported by Sheffield Theatres.

The artists will be offered bespoke support, training, artistic opportunities and professional development. The three directors are: Callum Berridge, Shreya Patel and Alexandra Whiteley, who will enjoy a host of opportunities including working as an assistant director on a Sheffield Theatres' production. The three producers are: Beck Gadsby, Lydia Harrison and Katrina Woolley, who will receive mentoring, as well as seed funding to develop an idea, event or production using The Bank as their base, drawing on the support of the producing team at Sheffield Theatres. The three writers are: Nicole Joseph, Jasmin Mandi-Ghomi and Chloe Wade, who will benefit from masterclasses and mentoring as well as having the opportunity to undertake a research and development process with their writing. The four remaining artists each work in different theatre-based disciplines: Tommo Fowler is a dramaturg, Jennifer Jackson is a theatre maker and movement director / choreographer, Jose Guillermo Puello is a sound designer / composer and Zoyander Street is an artist-researcher and theatre maker. They will all receive tailored support in their fields.

Robert Hastie, Artistic Director of Sheffield Theatres said: "The Bank is proving to be the invaluable talent development resource we hoped it would be. We were so lucky to welcome such exciting theatre makers and creatives through its newly opened doors with our first cohort. And as we deepen our relationships with them, I'm looking forward to supporting a whole new group of artists and seeing what bold new work we can create with them in 2022. There is a wealth of brilliant creativity across our region and we're passionate about providing a space and resource to meaningfully support the next generation of artists and makers in our region."

The Bank, which is located adjacent to the Crucible on Tudor Square, is a creative space for local artists and theatre makers to develop their work, skills, collaborations and careers with the support of the staff and creative teams at Sheffield Theatres. Over the next 12 months, the thirteen supported artists will be based in The Bank where they will be able to access a Writers Room and library which offers a quiet space for artists to develop and write work, as well as a larger space for group work including research and development, rehearsals and scratch performances.

The Bank and artists are generously supported by Jo and Chris Hookway and Barbara Crossley.

Writer Jasmin Mandi-Ghomi said: "I am incredibly grateful to be part of this year's Bank cohort. I cannot wait to learn alongside this group of amazing artists and to be a part of creating wonderful, challenging work in this great city."

Director Alexandra Whiteley said: "Having grown up watching shows at The Crucible, I'm thrilled to be joining the Bank Cohort for 2022. To be able to work alongside the rest of the Cohort and be mentored by the Sheffield Theatres team is such an amazing opportunity and I can't wait to get started!"

Producer Beck Gadsby said: "I am delighted to be part of Sheffield Theatres' cohort scheme. It has been a difficult two years for theatre freelancers and this opportunity is most welcomed. I'm thrilled to be supported to make new work and to conduct more experiments in the use of digital technology in theatre. It's time to make theatre for the digital age, and with the support of Sheffield Theatres I know we're going to make some huge steps forward for accessibility, engagement and for a more immersive experience."

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