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ST EDWARD’S CHRONICLE
The North Wall establishes ongoing,
creative partnerships with theatre companies
including: Iron Shoes, previously associate
company at the Bush Theatre; and multi-
award-winning international ensemble
Theatre Ad Infinitum. We also work closely
with individuals at all stages in their careers,
including Tom Wainwright, alumnus of the
prestigious Royal Court Young Writer’s
Programme; Al Smith, under commission to
the Royal Court Theatre and winner of the
inaugural BFI Wellcome Trust Screenwriting
Prize; and Barney Norris, winner of the
Critics’ Circle Theatre Award for Most
Promising Playwright in 2015.
The shows developed over the holidays
often become part of the public programme
in later seasons, with writers and directors
running workshops for St Edward’s pupils
studying drama at GCSE and A Level.
What do we do?
ArtsLab Summer Residency
The annual ArtsLab three-week Summer
Residency focuses on all aspects of the
performing arts including theatre, music and
dance. Offered free of charge with up to
45 places each year, it offers talented young
actors, writers, designers, musicians and
directors the chance to work as an ensemble
to create new work, in collaboration with
highly experienced professionals, whose work
you may have already seen as part of the
public programme.
Leading touring company OperaUpClose,
who specialise in creating opera productions
in small spaces, to great critical acclaim, have
performed five shows at The North Wall
over the last few years. As well as staging
their latest venture,
Ulla’s Odyssey
, here in
February, discussions are currently underway
for the company to lead the summer
residency in 2016, focusing for the first time
ever on opera.
StageWrite
StageWrite, launching this year, is a new year-
round programme of theatre-writing activities
for talented young writers, building on the
success of the North Wall’s Easter residency,
TheatreCraft, which offers opportunities
for talented individuals to gain experience in
writing and directing for theatre. In addition
to the TheatreCraft residency at Easter,
StageWrite will provide a framework of
support for emerging playwrights aged 18-25
to progress their work with The North Wall
across the year - with the most exceptional
The North Wall in April 2015 before touring
to Battersea Arts Centre in October 2015.
How do we do this?
The NorthWall Trust
Since The North Wall’s inauguration,
St Edward’s has generously supported the
public programme and core costs of the
arts centre, both as a home for drama and
dance for the school, and as a resource for
the benefit of the local community.
2012 saw the creation of a new charity,
The North Wall Trust, to develop the
increasingly diverse ArtsLab programme
and the education and production work of
the North Wall. This charity is becoming
increasingly necessary as the effects of
the funding crisis continue to hit young
companies and small-scale work hardest of
all. Crucial support from visionary trusts and
individuals makes it possible for The North
Wall Trust to support young people from
all backgrounds in establishing a career in
the arts, and to support professionals to
develop and create important new work.
We are extremely grateful for the
generosity and commitment of our
supporters, in particular The Garfield
Weston Foundation and Backstage Trust.
As the North Wall approaches its
10th anniversary year in 2016/2017,
we are planning a series of exciting new
initiatives and performances, and will
continue to grow our ArtsLab programme,
strengthening our mission to support the
future generation of theatre-makers at the
earliest stages of their careers.
writers invited to showcase their scripts to the
public at the arts centre.
In 2016, for the first time, The North Wall
will be appointing a Writer-in-Residence:
an early stage career professional who will
work closely with the North Wall over the
course of a year to mentor young writers and
develop their own work.
Productions and Co-productions
The North Wall also produces home-grown
work, as well as collaborating with leading
theatre companies on new co-productions.
Our most recent in-house production,
Song
of Riots
, written and co-directed by the North
Wall’s Artistic Director Lucy Maycock, marked
the culmination of The North Wall’s long-term
artistic association with European ensemble
Awake Projects.
Song of Riots
premiered at
Mark Bruce Dance Masterclass: February 2014