New Model Theatre

Annual Report

2013/2014

“Beautifully executed with a sterling performance”The Guardian

IntroductionNovember 2014 marked the end of the second year of New Model Theatre. It was a year that saw the company go from a semi-professional organisation to one which has taken on large scale projects both locally and nationally, forging partnerships with much larger organisations, attracting crucial public funding and presenting work to ever increasing audiences along the way.

From Static to Outpost through BETA and Parliament Town, 2013/14 has been a year of significant growth for this fledgling company.

This report highlights some of the successes of an incredible twelve months as we look forward to building on these achievements in the next twelve.

“New Model Theatre is a young company that already impresses”Exeunt Magazine

Artistic ReportOn New Model Theatre’s first birthday the company had already grown artistically, at a comfortable rate, from one which had produced a single show for three performances to a nationally recognised emerging company which had just arrived home from a 28 date UK tour.

Year Two has seen this foundation in making shows taken to the next level with a revival of our production of Static opening for a two week run at The Space Arts Centre in London before touring to venues across the South West. Our third show Parliament Town gave us the opportunity to connect with the city where we make work and create a professional production especially for the city of Plymouth.

New Model Theatre has also moved into new ground, using a growing reputation to leverage opportunities for other artists making work in Plymouth and the South West. As a company we recognise that it is in our interest, as well as that of audiences, to set the fuse for an explosion of performance work in the city and have committed to supporting other artists making and presenting work in Plymouth.

The year has been brought to a close by Outpost, a pioneering season of pop-up theatre in Plymouth’s historic Royal William Yard. As well as presenting our own production of Parliament Town, we hosted shows by five companies whose work truly excites us. For the first time ever we gave fringe theatre an artist-led home in Plymouth, providing a unique, fresh and accessible experience for audiences, whether they are regular theatre-goers or not.

More information about each of these projects can be found on the following pages.

StaticThe 2013 tour of Static was a huge success for New Model Theatre. It let us take the show to audiences across the UK and established New Model Theatre as an exciting future force in British theatre. In late 2013 we successfully applied to Arts Council England’s Grants for the Arts programme to support further development and a second UK tour of the show. After a two week run in London and a string of dates in the South West, the final performance of Static took place at the New Diorama Theatre as part of A Younger Theatre’s Incoming Festival, a celebration of the UK’s most exciting emerging theatre companies.

BETAOur monthly scratch night BETA has run in partnership with Theatre Royal Plymouth and Barbican Theatre since November 2013. The seven BETA events to date have seen eighteen in-development pieces of work by South West-based companies shared with audiences who previously would have had few chances to engage with theatre artists making work on their doorstep. BETA was an important instigating force in the recent resurgence of the Plymouth Theatre Scene and remains an important regular event bringing artists and audiences together in a spirit of sharing.

Parliament TownParliament Town premiered to a sell-out audience at Exeter’s Ignite Festival in June 2014 before heading to Theatre Royal Plymouth’s studio space The Lab as part of their Forge season. Performed by Plymouth-based actor Liam Salmon, the show then went on to become central to our Outpost season. Parliament Town explores the identity of Plymouth as a provincial city, and the relationship we all have with our hometowns. It was received extremely positively by audiences who saw the work whether they were born and bred in PL1 or on holiday from Australia.

ProjectsPhoto by Gem Ward

Projects

OutpostPlymouth has long lacked a sustainable small-scale theatre scene yet, thanks to events like BETA, this is fast becoming a thing of the past. This October we made the biggest statement yet that things are changing in the city. In partnership with the Barbican Theatre and property developer Urban Splash, and support from Arts Council England, we turned the Royal William Bakery in Plymouth’s historic Royal William Yard into a pop-up theatre venue and presented twenty performances over a three week period. This included three critically acclaimed touring productions from Ruth Mitchell, Write By Numbers and Jack Dean; two shows by Devon-based companies Drake’s Drummers and Running Dog Theatre which were commissioned especially for Outpost and a redeveloped version of our very own Parliament Town.

The season was featured in The Guardian and The Stage, leading to messages of support from across the UK including London, Leeds, Wales, Northern Ireland and Southampton.Since the season has ended we have been consulted by a number of theatres, arts organisations and development agencies in other cities on how to best provide a platform for artists in regional cities.

“Outpost is a terrific initiative for the burgeoning Plymouth independent theatre scene.”David PrescottArtistic Associate, Theatre Royal Plymouth

The Year in Numbers

£27,000Turnover

10 Paid Artists8 based in Plymouth

500%Increased in Earned Income

53Performances and Events

6Productions and commissions

68,000Total Reach of Print Media

Coverage

120,000Total Digital EngagementsPhoto by Gem Ward

The FutureWe are currently writing a detailed three year plan to allow us to consolidate how our varying projects interact with one another. The first quarter of Year Three will see New Model Theatre incorporate as a Community Interest Company and look to secure funding to deliver an exciting year’s worth of activity as well as to develop the organisation to be more sustainable through a further increase in earned income.

We plan to mount a new production which will tour nationally as well as continuing our ongoing work supporting and advocating for artists in Plymouth. Further to our work engaging artists, we’ll now look to develop audiences for small-scale theatre in the city and link Plymouth up with the national small-scale touring network.

“Frustration with an emerging theatre scene led play-makers to change the port

city’s cultural landscape.”The Guardian

Thank you to the artists and

organisations who made it all happen

ArtistsDan Baker, Jon Broks, Conor Clarke, Curran McKay, Tom Nicholas, Nina Raines, Liam Salmon, Sam Skuse, Jamie Smith and Becky Vowles.

PartnersBarbican Theatre, the MolinoGroup, Paines Plough, Royal William Bakery, Theatre Royal Plymouth and Urban Splash.

Static and Outpost were supported by Arts Council England.