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Associate Artist Call Out: Meet My Ancestors
You can download the information pack in PDF format here- Associate Artist Brief_The Old Courts
WHO ARE WE LOOKING FOR?
Are you a Wigan-based artist with a passion for engaging with people across cultures, and strong relationships with people in your local community?
The Old Courts is looking for an Associate Artist to work alongside Lead Artist John Pfumojena, and an ensemble of global majority performers, as part of ‘Meet My Ancestors’; a national project produced by The Old Courts and the Collaborative Touring Network in 2022.
Do you have skills in performing, collaborating, and leading workshops in any of the following disciplines?
Do you have an interest in storytelling, different artforms and improvisation?
Do you have a strong relationship with communities around you and an interest creating with other people?
If so, we’d love to hear from you.
We’re looking for an Associate Artist to work with Meet My Ancestors; to collaborate with the lead artist and ensemble, to shape and lead workshops with members of your community, and to integrate the work you develop together into live performances of this new touring production, in Wigan in June 2022.
WHAT WE WANT TO DO
Through this work, we want to engage with a range of ideas and voices, representing the diversity of the communities in Wigan and celebrating the many ways in which song, music and storytelling can move people and raise up the voices of communities. We are shaping a work that aims to disrupt conventions and focus on the importance of places and communities embracing difference.
Meet My Ancestors draws on Bantu/African multidisciplinary art forms. We are creating a show that is scored by Zimbabwean marimba and mbira music, as well as the use of various languages.
We want the communities we are touring to, to engage with our culture and to share theirs; contributing their own artistic ideas that will form part of the final performance. This locally developed work, led by the Associate Artist in each location, will be integrated into the live performance over a short series of rehearsals in the week the show is performed. It is essential that the Associate Artist be open to a way of working that embraces improvisation and intuition.
You can hear more about the project and the role, directly from the lead artist John Pfumojena, here.
HOW WE WANT TO DO IT
The dates and detail of the role is as follows:
| Activity | No. of Days | Dates and Details |
| Preparation & Evaluation | 2 | Jan – Sept 2022
Hours spread over the project; to include participating in meetings, evaluation, workshop prep etc. |
| Workshops with Lead Artist & Ensemble | 3 | Jan 2022
3 consecutive days of workshops in Wigan in w/c 24 Jan. Dates to be confirmed. These workshops mark the start of collaboration between John Pfumojena, ensemble, and Associate Artist. |
| Leading workshops and devising with community members | 5 | Feb-June 2022
Flexible schedule to be devised by Associate Artist in partnership with The Old Courts. Could be an intensive week, multiple weekends, or a series of weekly sessions. |
| Production week; integrating, rehearsing, and performing Meet My Ancestors | 5 | June 2022
5 consecutive days including rehearsals and up to 3 performances |
GET IN TOUCH
If this sounds like the opportunity for you, we would love to hear from you. To register your interest in the project and the role of Associate Artist, please do the following:
We look forward to hearing from you!
