Coliseum launches new commissions for 2021
Date published: 15 January 2021
Exploring themes of health and wellbeing, local stories or work for and with young people from Oldham, the commissions will be designed for audiences and participants to experience at home
Oldham Coliseum Theatre has today (Friday) launched its Micro Commissions 2021, offering investment, support and a virtual platform for three artists/companies from the region to create work for and about the world as we live in it today.
A year ago few would have predicted that the country would spend 10 months of 2020 under restrictions designed to keep us safe from a global pandemic, or that as we entered 2021 we would also enter a new national lockdown.
Exploring themes of health and wellbeing, local stories or work for and with young people from Oldham, the commissions will be designed for audiences and participants to experience at home.
Artistic Director Chris Lawson said: “Although the Coliseum’s doors remain closed to help prevent the spread of Covid-19, our commitment to local artists, audiences and communities is unwavering.
"Last year we worked with our Greater Manchester neighbours at HOME, Manchester to commission the Poetry Health Service, a free website that embodies the importance of art in supporting our mental and emotional wellbeing.
"Micro Commissions 2021 is an extension and continuation of this work, offering more opportunities for Greater Manchester’s artists to explore and create innovative and relevant art with support from the Coliseum’s team.“
The Micro Commissions can be any form, for example: video, audio, visual, text, live performance.
They will be shared between March and May 2021.
Successful applicants will receive £1,000 investment, support in kind from the Coliseum’s producing, marketing and production departments, space to film or record (within Government guidelines) and a platform to share new work online.
Two further Micro Commissions will be awarded amongst the Coliseum’s Associate Artists, who have been working with the theatre since September 2019.
The deadline for submissions is Sunday, January 31.
For further details visit: https://www.coliseum.org.uk/work-with-us/micro-commissions/
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