Gathering

A Hippodrome Creatives Residency With & For Black* Creatives
Curated with Talawa Theatre and MAIA

Gathering is the first collaborative residency of our planned work together to nurture, celebrate and support the progress of Midlands Black Creatives over the coming years.

We invite Black Creatives to express their interest in joining us from Tuesday 10 May – Thursday 12 May to explore their creativity, take part in workshops and make new connections working with the teams from Birmingham Hippodrome, Talawa Theatre and MAIA.

Bursaries will be available to support the costs of accessing the residency for those who need them, including the ability to support specific needs and compensate for lost income for the days you commit to the residency. Please discuss this with us once your place is confirmed.

The details of the schedule are still being finalised, but here is the outline of how we expect things to run.

Tuesday 10 May: Performers 
Birmingham Hippodrome, 10.30am – 6pm
Join Talawa Artistic Director Michael Buffong and guest specialists for workshops in text, movement and improvisation.

Wednesday 11 May: Writers & Makers
Birmingham Hippodrome, 10.30am – 6pm
Explore ideas with the Talawa team, be part of a workshop with Ola Animashawun (National Theatre Associate & Connections Dramaturg, Founder of Royal Court Young Writers Programme and Creative Director of Euphoric Ink) and hear your work read aloud by professional performers in the Reading Room.

Thursday 12 May 
Birmingham Hippodrome, 10am – 12 noon
Directors discussion & workshop with Michael Buffong

Thursday 12 May
YARD, 1pm – 6pm

As part of the residency, all creatives are invited to join MAIA and the teams from Talawa and Birmingham Hippodrome for lunch at YARD, and an exploration of how we reimagine cultural infrastructure to facilitate Black wellness.

For more information, or to express your interest in being part of this first residency, please email creatives@birminghamhippodrome.com and let us know:

  • What you would bring to this gathering
  • What you would hope to gain from the experience
  • Whether you are a writer, performer, director, theatre maker or a creative from another or multiple disciplines

You can write your responses or send us a link to a short video, voice note or audio file.

We look forward to hearing from you.

Deadline: Wednesday 13 April, 5pm

* We have adopted More Than a Moment‘s definition of ‘Black’: as of Black African, Caribbean, Afro-Latinx and African-American heritage, including those of mixed-Black heritage who identify as such