Writing Space aims to develop new models towards the development of writing and writers across an expanded field of theatre and performance.
Writing Space aims to be ‘radically inclusive’ (MacDonald, 2007), by which we mean it hopes to facilitate dialogue between performance and theatre artists whose writing practices are based across different genres, media, methodologies, artistic roles, performance traditions, geographies, ethnicities, politics, constituencies. All projects take as their hypothesis that such differences may be the source of inspiration and insight, leading to a cross-fertilisation of ideas and practices, or simply to new perspectives on existing ones.
Writing Space will operate as a series of linked research projects, each of which has a different focus. All will hope to encourage conceptual and formal risk-taking, whatever that might mean for the individual artist. Projects will involve curating and commissioning new work, alongside critical reflection and dissemination of the research through academic and arts organisations.
The first Writing Space project has just been completed. It was run in association with thespacebetweenwords and Writernet and was funded by the AHRC, with a small research grant under the practice-led and applied research scheme. The writers involved were Emma Bennett, Sarah Dickenson, Claire MacDonald, Stacy Makishi, Michael Pinchbeck, Tanya Ronder, Cathy Turner and Steve Waters. First year students on the Performing Arts Dramaturgy module were also involved in performing and discussing new work.
For more information, please see www.thespacebetweenwords.org.
