Breaking the barriers, Fifth Word announce their ‘Pop-Up Plays’ call out across the East Midlands. Playwrights with a connection to the region will be given opportunities to have their work ‘pop up’ in unusual settings and locations. Fifth Word in collaboration with Curve, Leicester, Derby Theatre and with support by Fuel are announcing their latest call out to East Midland writers, dedicated to producing new shorter plays that can ‘pop up’ outside of a traditional theatre space. The final pieces will be original ideas that have been proposed to Fifth Word, responding to the theme of connection, aiming to reach new audiences and giving them new means to encounter theatre.
These could be short immersive site-specific pieces, audio walking stories, installations, outdoor performances, through to digital-live hybrid work, and could take place anywhere that we encounter in our everyday lives- a café, a park, a bus stop, a library and people’s own homes. Laura Ford, Artistic Director of Fifth Word, said: “Pop-Up Plays is an exciting opportunity to rethink how and where theatre happens. By commissioning new work from East Midlands writers and bringing it directly into everyday spaces, we hope to spark fresh ways for audiences to connect with live storytelling. This initiative isn’t just about creating theatre in unexpected places- it’s about giving more production opportunities to writers, amplifying unheard voices, and proving that great theatre can happen anywhere.”
Cara Nolan, Associate Director, Curve, said: “We believe that access to the arts is a right for everyone, and engagement with art and culture plays a vital role in building self-confidence, raising aspirations, and enhancing well-being. Building on the strength of Neighbour-Hubs, Curve is thrilled to collaborate with Fifth Word to deepen our connections with local communities and bring theatre directly into their own spaces.”
Sarah Brigham, CEO and Artistic Director at Derby Theatre, said: “At Derby Theatre, we see firsthand how local talent shapes the region’s artistic landscape. We have a longstanding commitment to talent development and are delighted to be supporting this initiative. Pop-Up Plays offers a unique opportunity to showcase East Midlands writers, providing a platform for writers at all stages of their careers to experiment, collaborate with audiences, and make theatre more accessible to all.”
In our world where people are increasingly disconnected, Pop-Up Plays will inspire moments of connection through performances in everyday spaces.
The Pop-Up Plays will help tackle the shortage of paid productions for East Midlands writers to create bold, boundary-pushing work. Writers are encouraged to consider how they want to engage the audience with their play, its development, or how audiences can be part of the creation of the plays.
East Midlands playwright, Mufaro Makubika, (We Need New Names, Fifth Word/New Perspectives/Brixton House, Shebeen, Nottingham Playhouse/Theatre Royal Stratford East,), said: “Like so many other theatre makers in the region and across the country, Fifth Word has played a significant role in my development as writer. I have no doubt that without their support and encouragement, I would not have been able to create some of the work I’ve done.”
This programme of work is open to all, new, emerging and existing writers, the only requirement is that they have a connection to the East Midlands, as Fifth Word are looking for pieces that directly reflect the communities in which the East Midlands serve.
Peter Knott, Midlands Area Director at Arts Council England, said: “We’re delighted to support Fifth Word’s Pop-Up Plays using funding from the National Lottery. As well as giving writers the opportunity to develop skills and showcase their talents, it will attract new and younger audiences – many of whom may be experiencing theatre for the first time.”
Fifth Word envisions Pop-Up Plays as an ongoing series of commissions, bringing together artists, and cultural organisations across theatres, museums, festivals and public spaces. To find out more about Pop-Up Plays visit www.fifthword.co.uk/productions/pop-up-plays
“Fifth Word gave me the time & structure I needed to write the best play I could. We were all thrilled that I was awarded the George Devine Award and Fifth Word played a big part in that.”- Jane Upton, Playwright
“Fuel is delighted to be supporting Fifth Word’s new Pop-Up Plays, which will allow audiences to encounter exciting stories outside of theatre buildings, sparking new possibilities for artists in the East Midlands and igniting alternative ways for audiences to connect and experience distinctive theatre. As part of our 20th anniversary year, Fuel is proud to continue our mission of supporting independent producers and collaborating with curious theatre makers to create new experiences for adventurous audiences, including these paid opportunities for artists in the East Midlands.” Kate McGrath, Artistic Director, Fuel.
About the organisations-
Fifth Word are an award-winning theatre company based in the East Midlands, founded in 2007. They commission and tour productions across the UK. Fifth Word productions are always powerful, bold and accessible: amplifying thestories of those who often go unheard and empowering people to tell the stories thatmatter to them through different artistic means. Everything Fifth Word does is drivenby the desire to foster creative ambition, champion new talent, and platform under-represented voices.
Curve is an award-winning producing theatre with a commitment to ensuring as many people as possible can access great art and culture. Each year, over 1.5million people engage with Curve through performances in Leicester, across the UK and internationally. Under the leadership of Chief Executive Chris Stafford and Artistic Director Nikolai Foster, Curve has developed an international reputation for producing, presenting and touring a bold and diverse slate of musicals, plays, new work, and dance, which sits alongside a vibrant community and learning programme.
Derby Theatre produces new plays and projects, collaborate with artists and local people and welcome higher education students and anyone who wants to learn. They are a registered charity, a National Portfolio organisation for Arts Council England and a wholly owned subsidiary of the University of Derby.
Fuel was founded in 2004 and is led by Kate McGrath. Since its story began, Fuel has produced shows, festivals, films, installations, podcasts, apps and books. In doing so, Fuel has supported the artistic development of over 120 lead artists or companies and reached more than 1.5 million people, live and digitally, hosted over a hundred internships and been recognised with awards for its work.
Arts Council England is the national development agency for creativity and culture. Our vision, set out in our strategy Let’s Create, is that by 2030, we want England to be a country in which the creativity of each of us is valued and given the chance to flourish, and where every one of us has access to a remarkable range of high-quality cultural experiences. Between 2023 and 2026 we will have invested over £467 million of public money from Government, alongside an estimated £250 million each year from The National Lottery, to help ensure that people in every part of the country have access to culture and creativity in the places where they live.