PlayMakers Offstage: LIFT Mentorship for Movement Directors 11/01/2024

Box of Tricks’ LIFT programme will provide bespoke mentoring to three early-career North West movement directors through our PlayMakers Offstage programme – an initiative designed to transform the landscape for offstage artists across the North of England.

LIFT will be led by Box of Tricks’ Associate Artist Jenni Jackson and will run from February-May 2024. Each mentee will have access to:

~ One whole-cohort half-day workshop Drawing on Jenni’s wealth of experience, the session will hone the mentees’ skills and facilitate a step change in their creative practice. The workshop will also provide a space for the mentees to connect with each other – sharing ideas, sparking collaborations, and laying the foundation for a network of movement directors in the North West.

~ Three 1hr one-to-one-mentoring sessions (in person or on Zoom). Jenni will offer bespoke mentoring sessions for each movement director helping them set personal goals and create roadmaps for creative and professional development. Jenni will offer her unique perspective on the art of movement direction, giving the mentees advice and guidance on finding collaborators, establishing and sustaining relationships, building a professional portfolio and representing themselves within the theatre industry.

~ Observation of a tech/dress. Mentees will have the opportunity to observe Jenni’s movement practice in action during the tech/dress of a new play in Manchester in February/March.

Eligibility

The LIFT mentees will be selected by an application and interview process.

In order to be eligible, applicants must be:

~ Over 18 years old.
~ Based in the North West of England.
~ At an ‘emerging’ or ‘early career’ stage. We define this as: artists who have between 1-5 years of experience and at least 2 professional credits as a movement director. Artists should be looking to make a step up in their practice.
~ A member of PlayMakers Offstage. Sign up for free here.

Application and Selection

To apply, email playmakers@boxoftrickstheatre.co.uk by 5pm on Friday 26 January 2024 answering the following questions:

~ Outline your experience as a movement director to date. Feel free to share any links/videos as examples of your work.
~ What do you wish to get out of the mentorship?

NB: Video applications will be accepted.

In alignment with Box of Tricks’ Positive Action Policy, we actively encourage applications from D/deaf, disabled, neurodivergent, LGBTQ+, global majority and first-generation migrant creatives, as well as creatives from a low socioeconomic background. All eligible applicants from an underrepresented background or community will automatically be shortlisted for the programme. If this applies to you, please state in your application: “I would like to be considered under Box of Tricks’ Positive Action policy”.

Shortlisted applicants will be invited to an interview with Jenni and Hannah Tyrrell-Pinder (Joint Artistic Director of Box of Tricks). At interview, applicants will be asked to prepare an example of a process they are proud of, as well as why they are interested in movement direction.

If you have any questions, e-mail us at playmakers@boxoftrickstheatre.co.uk.

Outcomes

By the end of the programme, the mentees will have a stronger understanding of the industry and routes to employment. They will start to ask questions about their own skills and interests, as well as how to pitch and discuss these with others. They will be more confident in holding a rehearsal room and leading a process and will build their personal brands and identity as movement directors.

Jenni Jackson is a Latinx British/Bolivian movement director, theatre-maker, actor, and an Associate Artist at Box of Tricks Theatre. Her creative practice encompasses theatre and devising, contemporary dance, Bolivian folk dance, new writing, movement, and the transformative aspects of sport. Her work explores women’s bodies in performance, her relationship with the UK, and the duality of living between races and cultures.

Jenni’s previous credits include: I, JOAN (Shakespeare’s Globe), BRITANNICUS (Lyric Hammersmith), KES (Bolton Octagon and Theatre by the Lake), and THE MOUNTAINTOP (Royal Exchange Theatre.)