Taio Lawson Announced as 2023-24 Genesis Fellow / Young Vic Associate Director

Posted on by Annie Chadwick
John Studzinski, Taio Lawson and Kwame Kwei-Armah stand in a grand-looking room, dressed in smart attire, smiling at the camera.

(John Studzinski, Taio Lawson and Kwame Kwei-Armah. CR. Philippa Gedge)

The Young Vic Theatre is delighted to announce director Taio Lawson as the 2023 Genesis Fellow / Associate Director, a two-year programme for experienced directors and theatre-makers to develop their craft in directing, programming and artistic planning, made possible with support from the Genesis Foundation. 

Taio Lawson will be based within the Creators Program department and will play an integral role in the development and delivery of the Young Vic’s artist development program. His previous credits at the Young Vic include the Boris Karloff Assistant Director on Sizwe Banzi is Dead, Jerwood Assistant Director on Life of Galileo, and Director of Home 20. Other credits include Resident Director on Hamilton (Victoria Palace); Associate Director at Kiln Theatre where he directed NW Trilogy; and debbie tucker green’s hang at Sheffield Theatres where he was RTYDS 18-Month Resident Director.

The Young Vic’s longstanding partner, the Genesis Foundation, has provided leadership support for the Genesis Fellow for 10 years investing in exceptional directors, their strategic insight and creative growth. Taio Lawson will take over the role this summer from Jennifer Tang who concludes her tenure with Further than the Furthest Thing currently playing in the Main House until 29 April. Previous Genesis Fellows include Nadia Latif, Gbolahan Obisesan, Natalie Abrahami, Carrie Cracknell and Joe Hill-Gibbins. 

Taio Lawson, Genesis Fellow / Associate Director, said: “The Young Vic is a beacon in the industry as a venue for excellent, boundary-pushing art, as well as a training ground for the next generation of boundary-pushing artists. I saw my first play at the Young Vic on a school trip in 2000. Being able to make theatre in the same place I fell in love with the art form is a personal full circle moment. It’s also exciting to see the evolution of the Directors Program into the Creators Program, which is now supporting multi- and anti-disciplinary artists to hone their craft. Along with curating workshops for the Creators Program, I want to help make this theatre feel like a home to those artists, in the same way it has for me over the years. It is an honour to join the team here. I hope I can be of service.”

John Studzinski, Founder and Chairman of the Genesis Foundation, said:“Supporting creatives in the early stages of their professional lives is central to our work. The Genesis Fellowship has proved to be one of the finest training opportunities in the UK for talented young directors thanks to the quality of the Young Vic’s artistic leadership. I am delighted to welcome Taio, an already experienced director, into the Genesis Fellowship family and have no doubt he will gain immensely from being in a creative environment that gives both freedom and firm professional support. No matter how far you are in your career as a director, you never stop benefitting from feedback from someone you respect and trust. Directors take on the considerable public challenge of bringing an entire production to life, and they need mentors and networks that are up to that challenge.”

Kwame Kwei-Armah, Young Vic Artistic Director, said: “We’re delighted to welcome Taio Lawson as our Genesis Fellow / Associate Director. It’s clear he is an incredibly talented artist and we are proud that the Young Vic has played an active part in his career to date. We look forward to continuing this journey with him. Together with our longstanding partner, the Genesis Foundation, we are committed to supporting and investing in exceptional artists and their creative growth through the vital work of the Young Vic Creators Program.”

The Young Vic is renowned for the Creators Program led by Sue Emmas, that grew from the Directors Program, and has been providing an extensive program of learning activities, traineeships, and opportunities to make work for artists for more than 20 years. Since 2003, the Genesis Foundation’s partnership has been the backbone of artist development at the Young Vic – forging community through the Genesis Network, and igniting careers through invaluable training opportunities such as the Genesis Future Directors Award and Genesis Fellowship.

Find out more about the Genesis Foundation’s partnership with the Young Vic

Msgr Vladimir Felzmann: My 20 years with the Genesis Foundation

Posted on by Roberta Philip
A photo of John Studzinski and Msgr Vladimir Felzmann, standing in a busy room, smiling at the camera.

Soon after my January 1985 arrival at Westminster Cathedral , as Vice-chair of The Passage, I met John Studzinski – Studz to many of his friends. We hit it off. In the first Spring after the collapse of The Iron curtain, John came to Prague (my home country). Then John invited me for a short stay in St Petersburg. Fascinating experience. Then, in 1991,  John travelled with us and Basil Hume by coach to  – and from – Czestochowa world youth day, August 10-15.

When in 1997 John commissioned Roxanna Panufnik to compose a mass for Basil Hume’s  75th birthday he asked me to mentor her on the theology of the liturgy. Because or maybe despite this, the product was beautiful.

Thus, not altogether surprisingly, when John founded the Genesis Foundation he invited me to be one of its trustees.

Genesis was very much about nurturing young artists. Initially – and what attracted me – the main objective was to set exceptionally talented young people in the arts, primarily active at undergraduate and postgraduate level, firmly on the path to fulfilling their creative and professional potential.

Gradually, it evolved and now the Foundation’s main focus is on partnerships with leading arts organisations such as the Almeida Theatre, National Theatre, Young Vic Theatre, The Sixteen, and Jewish Book Week.

Thanks to the people I met and events we discussed – some of which I was able to attend – it turned out to be for me a twenty-year education in the arts. It also enabled me to meet interesting people such as Harry Christophers, Michael Portillo and Mark Carney – who was one of the readers of  The Passion  when,  in 2016,  I celebrated mass as part of  John’s 60th birthday celebration in Venice.

Then there was Adrian Myers. I first met  Adrian 25 years ago, when he was in his mid-twenties and had been commissioned to take pictures at John’s 40th birthday party. He subsequently became the man entrusted with making a photographic record of events in London and around England, and in cities such as Edinburgh, Salzburg and Venice.

Thanks to John, Adrian was there for my 80th birthday celebrations at Westminster Cathedral Hall and took some memorable – and beautiful – pictures. He died, unexpectedly, 19th December 2022. A lovely man. I miss him still. 

Thanks to John’s kindness – and I like to think wisdom – I will be able to stay in contact with the Genesis Foundation as Trustee Emeritus. Upwards and onwards Genesis!

Msgr Vladimir Felzmann, Genesis Foundation trustee 2001-2023
Trustee Emeritus 2023

Genesis Kickstart Fund project activity | Mar – Apr

Posted on by Annie Chadwick
The image is split into three. On the left side is a photo of a group of women stood in front of a white wall, laughing with someone off camera. The middle is a photo of An actor holding a stuffed animal puppet on a table. The right is a photo of a group of people stood in front of a building with red bricks and white arched windows Either side of the group, statues beneath orange sheets are being unveiled. The group look either side of them at the statues.

Images: Motherhood: Song Cycle (Sophie Winter), Gulliver Exploded (Box Tale Soup), The Resident Platform (Strange Cargo, Photo: Andy Jones)

Music 

Motherhood: Song Cycle | Sophie Winter 

On Mothering Sunday (19 March), a three-month course for new mothers based in Stroud and Gloucester called Motherhood: Song Cycle culminated in a performance for friends and family. 

Led by theatre maker and musician Sophie Winter, course participants worked with singer-songwriter Lisa Jen Brown to create three songs on what it means to be a Mum. 

Stay informed on Sophie’s work   

A group of women standing on a stage singing in a white room. A woman in a pink jumper stands in front of them and conducts.
A group of women stood in front of a white wall, laughing with someone off camera.

TRACES | SANSARA 

SANSARA choir’s new album TRACES is the Editor’s Choice for the April edition of Gramophone Magazine. 

“A powerful programme of thought-provoking works, both timely and timeless, the impeccable performances by SANSARA drawing us in and holding us throughout the deeply reflective journey” 

With choral works by British, German and Ukrainian composers, the tracks on the recording will form a wider podcast series titled Traces of the White Rose, also supported by the Genesis Kickstart Fund. 

Read the full Gramophone piece 

Buy TRACES 

Theatre 

Gulliver Exploded | Box Tale Soup 

Gulliver Exploded, an interactive production by Box Tale Soup, is now live on the company’s website for audiences to experience. 

This online version of Box Tale Soup’s current touring production Gulliver’s Travels allows audiences to watch footage about the musical process, how the set and costumes were made, and the puppetry elements of the show, all in addition to watching the play itself. 

Audiences can purchase tickets on the company’s website which will allow access to the online production for six months. Schools and colleges are encouraged to contact Box Tale Soup for discounted education packages. 

Watch Gulliver Exploded 

Heartcuts | Stef O’Driscoll 

This month an R&D took place for director Stef O’Driscoll’s project Heartcuts.  

Made in collaboration with composer and artist Matthew Herbert and writer Simon Longman, Heartcuts is an audio drama series which mixes DJ-ing and rave culture with storytelling, exploring themes of escapism, memory and community. 

Stay informed about Stef’s work 

Visual Art 

The Resident Platform | Strange Cargo 

This week, a new bronze sculpture titled Catcher by artist Kira Freije and members of the Cheriton community was unveiled outside Folkestone West Station in Kent. 

The creation of this sculpture was the culmination of Strange Cargo’s The Resident Platform, an artist-in-residence programme which aims to support an artist in developing a sculpture inspired by Cheriton.   

Photographed by Andy Jones 

(c) Southeastern Railways 

Find out more about Strange Cargo 

A group of people stood in front of a building with red bricks and white arched windows Either side of the group, statues beneath orange sheets are being unveiled. The group look either side of them at the statues.
A photo of two people standing in front of a sculpture on the side of a brick wall.

Dance 

Exploring Queer Identity | Jonathan Watkins 

Earlier this month, an R&D session took place for director and choreographer Jonathan Watkins’ dance piece titled Exploring Queer Identity. 

Across one week, six queer-identifying dancers used movement and storytelling tools to form physical representations of queer identity and queer activism throughout history. 

Read more about Jonathan’s work 

View all our Genesis Kickstart Fund projects

Genesis Kickstart Fund project activity | Feb – Mar

Posted on by Annie Chadwick
The image is split into three. On the left side is a photo of a group of children dancing in a room with a group of adults. They are all stood in a large circle, pointing one fist into the middle of the circle. In the middle is a photo of a person in a green jacket and a beanie hat reading out something on a piece of paper that they’re holding in front of them. On the right is a photo of the Sansara choir sitting on the steps of a church, smiling at the camera.

Images: Bold Tendencies, Meta Vs Life (Hijinx Theatre), SANSARA

Theatre

Associate Artists Programme | Box of Tricks Theatre Company

Two Box of Tricks Theatre Company’s Associate Artists, Katie Scott (Designer) and Lee Affen (Composer and Sound Designer), will be working on the company’s upcoming production of Too Much World at Once by Billie Collins. 

Supported by the Genesis Kickstart Fund, the Associate Artists Programme recruited five ‘offstage’ artists (designer, sound designer, lighting designer, production manager, composer) last year as paid associates so that each could develop specific aspects of their own creative practice whilst supporting the organisation’s development. 

Too Much World at Once will open at HOME in Manchester on 3 March before touring nationally.  

Book tickets for Too Much World at Once 

An image of the back of a boy in a red t-shirt, who is looking out onto a landscape of rivers and snowy mountains. The left side of the landscape is dark and stormy. The right side is bright with birds flying across a white sky. In the centre is the text ‘Too Much World at Once. A new play by Billie Collins’.

Meta Vs Life | Hijinx Theatre

Last week, Hijinx Theatre began their R&D for Meta Vs Life, a game-theatre adventure which combines the metaverse (a virtual-reality space) with the real world.  

This show-in-progress explores how audiences and performers can interact with each other in both real and online spaces. Audiences were invited to attend the R&D either in-person in Cardiff City Centre or online, and during the show were able to interact with characters and audience members on the ‘other side’ of the performance (online/ in-person). 

Read more about Hijinx’s work 

Music

The Silly Little Mouse | Bold Tendencies

The Multi-Story Orchestra has been confirmed for Bold Tendencies’ upcoming project The Silly Little Mouse. 

Across two days of workshops in June this year, local children and young people in Southeast London will have the opportunity to explore the singing, dancing and mask-making aspects of the opera production process. The workshops will culminate in two free performances in which participants will showcase their work to friends and families. 

Sign up to Bold Tendencies’ newsletter for more information 

TRACES | SANSARA

SANSARA choir have released a new album titled TRACES. 

The album includes choral works by British, German and Ukrainian composers, all responding to the question: How do we find inner peace in a world of conflict and division? 

The tracks on the recording will form a wider podcast series titled Traces of the White Rose, also supported by the Genesis Kickstart Fund. 

In collaboration with the University of Oxford’s White Rose Project, the podcast series will tell the story of the White Rose Circle, a non-violent intellectual resistance group in Nazi Germany, using translated letters, diaries, pamphlets and choral music as storytelling tools. The podcast is set to be released later this year. 

Buy TRACES 

Read more about the project 

View all our Genesis Kickstart Fund projects

Genesis Kickstart Fund project activity | Jan – Feb

Posted on by Annie Chadwick
The image is split into three. On the left side is a photo of a young child amongst a larger group of children. The child is lit up by a spotlight and is smiling out, as if performing. The middle image is the poster for a show called Echo Land. In front of an orange backdrop are three people dressed in cream tops and trousers. Two of the people are knelt on the floor, one reading a book, the other holding a dried flower in front of one eye. The third person is stood behind them, holding a blue rectangle of material, stretched out vertically between their two hands. The image on the right is a headshot of Jonathan Watkins, who is outside. Jonathan has long light brown hair and a beard, and is wearing a grey shirt with a collar. Jonathan is looking directly at the camera with a neutral expression.

Images: Music Education Resource (JAM), Echo Land (Natalie Linh Bolderston, Daniel Phung & Tuyet Van Huynh, Photo: Gavin Li), Jonathan Watkins

Music

Music Education Resource | JAM 

Non-profit arts organisation JAM (John Armitage Memorial Trust) is currently filming a one-hour staged oratorio by composer Richard Peat and librettist Ben Kaye for their online Music Education Resource. The aim of this resource is to enable children and amateur players to gain classical music skills, by providing online exercises, techniques and performance skills for specific instruments. 

The oratorio will dramatise the effect that humans have had on the earth’s climate, with the key musical parts designed for primary/secondary school students and amateur players to learn. 

Visit JAM’s website 

Motherhood: Song Cycle | Sophie Winter

Last month, theatre maker and musician Sophie Winter began leading a three-month course for new mothers based in Stroud and Gloucester called Motherhood: Song Cycle, where participants wrote lyrics for a series of songs exploring what it is to be a mum. 

The group have now finished writing lyrics for three songs with singer-songwriter Lisa Jen Brown. The project is set to culminate in a performance at the beginning of March. 

Stay informed on Sophie’s work  

Dance 

Acts of Queer Activism R&D | Jonathan Watkins

Director and choreographer Jonathan Watkins is looking for queer-identifying dancers to take part in a five-day research and development (R&D) period from 6 March – 10 March 2023 for Acts of Queer Activism: an exploration of queer identity through movement and story. 

Prospective applicants are asked to submit a statement of interest, as well as a CV and short dance-based video that best represents their artistry. Deadline: 3 February 2023. 

Find out more about how to apply 

Theatre 

Echo Land | Tuyet Van Huynh’s Group of Artists

Theatre and Film Producer Tuyet Van Huynh is working with artists Daniel Phung and Natalie Linh Bolderston on Echo Land, a performance exploring the Vietnamese-Chinese experience and memory through dance, poetry and short films. 

This one-off GKF-funded performance will take place at Rich Mix in East London on Friday 17 March.  

Book tickets for Echo Land 

Double A Side | Beyond Face

A visual concept album titled Bigger than Lyrics has been created as part of theatre company Beyond Face’s Genesis Kickstart Fund project Double A Side. 

Double A Side involved working with two groups of artists, one in London and one in Devon, to create a shared performance. The aim of the project is to explore how our geographical environment affects the work we create. The lead creator of Bigger than Lyrics is Director and Writer Alix Harris. Performances of the album will take place on 16 and 17 March at Barnfield Theatre in Exeter. 

Book tickets for Bigger than Lyrics 

Read more about the project 

View all our Genesis Kickstart Fund projects

John Studzinski in The Tablet Christmas Issue

Posted on by Roberta Philip

“Our aim should be to get out into the world and become an agent of change by putting our beliefs into action”

John Studzinski, our Founder & Chairman, is featured in The Tablet‘s Christmas 2022 issue. He discusses the difference between charity and philanthropy, why your passions should drive your philanthropic efforts, and the importance of structured and informal networks.

Read the full piece below.

The-Tablet-12.22-Piece-only-1Download

Adrian Myers (1972-2022)

Posted on by Annie Chadwick
A black and white headshot of Adrian Myers.

Adrian Myers

Nothing could be more revealing of the thin veil between life and death than hearing this weekend of the sudden death of the photographer Adrian Myers. From the earliest days of the Genesis Foundation his pictures played an important role in its evolution, documenting and raising awareness of its projects and achievements. He was also the photographer of choice for my personal landmark celebrations, as much a part of them as my family and friends. Anyone who has seen his pictures will know that they are full of atmosphere and a sense of occasion, vividly evocative of the mood of the moment.

A total professional with a superb eye, Adrian was always skilful and insightful, exploring character with the camera lens and treating each assignment with absolute integrity. His warmth, generosity and sparkling sense of humour were very much part of what made him so good at his work. Nothing was too much trouble for him and at every point you could be confident that your visual memories were in safe and sympathetic hands.

I first met Adrian 25 years ago, when he was in his mid-twenties and had been commissioned to take pictures at my 40th birthday party. He subsequently became the man entrusted with making a photographic record of events in London and around England, and in cities such as Edinburgh, Salzburg and Venice. A particular highlight were his shots of the performance of James MacMillan’s masterly Stabat mater in the Sistine Chapel in 2018: they capture the magnitude of the occasion, the inspiring splendour of the Vatican, and the telling individual responses of musicians and audience members. Adrian was from a Catholic background and that undoubtedly strengthened his spiritual connection with the Genesis Foundation’s projects in the field of sacred music.

My thoughts, and the thoughts of the Genesis Foundation team, are very much with Adrian’s wife, Louise, his children, and his colleagues at ami Creates, the photo curation service he established. In his prime, still full of energy, positivity and ideas, he has been taken from us. We are lucky that we have his work to keep so many happy memories fresh. Having seen Adrian at a host of festive occasions over the past quarter century, I have come to associate him with the Christmas period. This year, though he will be deeply missed, I will continue to sense his presence. I know that we will meet again in a future life.

A selection of Adrian’s photos

Click the photos to view the full galleries.

Genesis Theatre Design Programme launches to increase representation in theatre sector

Posted on by Annie Chadwick
Gbolahan Obisesan, ULTZ, Sadeysa Greenaway-Bailey and John Studzinski stood in formal attire inside a grand-looking room, smiling at the camera.

(Gbolahan Obisesan, ULTZ, Sadeysa Greenaway-Bailey and John Studzinski. CR. Adrian Myers)

The Genesis Foundation is today announcing the launch of a free training and mentoring programme for global majority applicants who are from socially and economically challenging backgrounds who want to pursue a career in theatre as a designer. 

The Genesis Theatre Design Programme is a free two-year part-time course which will train and support six designers with the aim of improving global majority representation among theatre designers in the industry, expanding the pipeline of talent, and opening more career opportunities. It is a partnership between the Mulberry UTC Creative Industry Training College, the National Theatre, The School of Historical Dress and Brixton House and funded by the Genesis Foundation, National Theatre Foundation, with additional support from the James Family Charitable Trust.

The programme will include tutorials with world-class designers and directors, lectures and research projects with staging and costume experts, design projects with global majority directors and artists, practical training with production and technical staff, placements as assistants to designers, and experience in theatres. Participants will also network with and receive mentoring from leading industry professionals.

The Genesis Theatre Design Programme will be led and delivered by three theatre artists in collaboration with Clint Dyer, Deputy Artistic Director of the National Theatre (Get Up, Stand Up! The Bob Marley Musical, Death of England, Othello).

The course leaders are:

  • Gbolahan Obisesan, award-winning British Nigerian writer and director and Artistic Director of Brixton House.
  • Sadeysa Greenaway-Bailey, Black British Theatre Award-winning designer who has recently worked on Death of England at the NT, Anansi the Spider at the Unicorn 
  • ULTZ, Olivier Award-winning, Tony Award-nominated designer who has recently worked on Death of England and The Corn is Green at the NT and Jerusalem in the West End.

The Genesis Theatre Design Programme is a new iteration of the renowned Motley Theatre Design Course which ran from 1966 to 2010.

John Studzinski Founder and Chairman of the Genesis Foundation said “For more than 20 years, the Genesis Foundation has been investing in the careers of exceptional creative professionals, enabling them to develop their skills, networks and resilience. At the National Theatre, the Genesis Music Theatre Programme has been running successfully since 2017. Now we are launching the Genesis Theatre Design Programme, which will nurture outstanding talent while addressing a striking imbalance in the creative industries. Six emerging designers will benefit from two years of mentorship from some of the UK’s leading design professionals. Structured, collaborative programmes like this are vital to the UK’s cultural sector, ensuring that it thrives and that it leads by example when it comes to innovation, professionalism and representation.”

Clint Dyer, Deputy Artistic Director of the National Theatre said, “I would not have been able to do the work I do without a similar intervention early in my career. It’s exactly what a National Theatre should be backing. I am proud to be part of it.”

Sadeysa Greenaway-Bailey, award-winning designer and course leader said, “I started my career as a carnival artist, going on to study scenic art, prop making and set building, then trained on the job to become a performance designer. I bring all of these skills to everything I do and the shows I create. We are actively reaching out to people who may have started or work in different art forms to theatre or spend a lot of time dreaming up ideas or creating their own projects.”

Gbolahan Obisesan, Artistic Director of Brixton House said, “This programme is an intentional intervention to cultivate a new cohort of creatives predominantly in backstage roles from diverse global majority heritage. Along with acquiring new craft and artistic skills, these individuals after two years will then take their knowledge to various companies and organisations for more practical professional experience; that will be the start of new career paths in the creative industries aiming to redress the balance of representation.”

The free programme will run for two years from April 2023 and is open to people age 18+, with no upper age limit.  No specific qualifications are needed to apply to this programme, but potential students will be required to submit a portfolio or summary of previous creative work.  This could include work, or education experience or self-directed project in creative fields such as fashion, architecture, interior design, and events.

Applications will open from 3 January 2023. 

Find out more information and apply

Genesis Kickstart Fund project activity | Dec 22 – Jan 23

Posted on by Annie Chadwick
The image is split in 3. On the left is an image of a woman wearing a black headscarf, sitting on a sofa inside a room with plain white walls, looking directly at the camera with a neutral expression. Behind the woman is a glass cabinet with framed photos, China pots and glasses on the shelves. To the left of her is a table with a sewing machine on. The middle image: In front of a white wall and a fake tree, two actors stand beside each other, looking out into the distance, and holding on hand next to their mouth, as if calling out. The actor on the left has curly brown hair that is tucked into a mustard cap, and is wearing a matching mustard jumper. The actor on the right has brown hair tied up into two high buns. and is wearing a light blue dress with a matching cardigan. The image on the right: Inside an art studio with white walls, two people sit with their legs crossed, smiling at the camera. Beside them is a wooden table with stacks of books and pots of paintbrushes on.

Images: AMMA (Tara Theatre), Hansel and Gretel (Opera Ed, Photo: Nick Rutter), Amy Steel and Avril Corroon (Acme)

Theatre 

AMMA | Tara Theatre 

Tara Theatre’s virtual reality experience ‘AMMA’ is currently running in Wimbledon until 17 December. 

‘AMMA’, meaning mother in Bengali, uses 360 VR to transport audiences into one woman’s memory of the War of Independence in Bangladesh, and rebuilding a life in Britain thereafter in the 1970-80s. The piece has been developed by writer Kamal Kaan and director Abdul Shayek, using testimonies from Bangladeshi women in Birmingham, Walsall, Manchester and London.  

Book tickets for AMMA

Best Seat in Your House | Young Vic 

In January 2023, Young Vic’s new musical Mandela will be broadcast live to audiences at home as part of Best Seat in Your House: a series of live-streamed productions filmed through multiple cameras placed throughout the theatre’s auditorium, with audiences able to choose which camera angle they view the show. 

Supported by our Genesis Kickstart Fund, Best Seat in Your House aims to increase access to theatre by delivering a better ‘from home’ experience. 

With book by Laiona Michelle, music and lyrics by Greg Dean Borowsky and Shaun Borowsky, and directed by Schele Williams, Mandela will be streaming live via Best Seat in Your House on 19, 20, 21 and 23 January 2023 at 7.30pm, and 21 January 2023 at 2pm. 

Book tickets for Mandela 

MATCH/PLAY | tiata fahodzi 

tiata fahodzi has announced the 6 artists of its MATCH/PLAY project: a series of commissions, supported by the Genesis Kickstart Fund, where pairs of artists will work in their local area to produce a 15-minute theatre piece. 

The pieces include ‘FINESSE’ by theatre-makers Stephanie Stevens and Jasmine Kahlia, a two-hander musical exploring loneliness, scamming, insecurities and belonging; ‘Black British Yearbook’ by artists Raphael Dada and Karis Beaumont, an intergenerational exploration of the immigrant experience through portraiture, music and food; and a new musical (currently untitled) by musicians and actors Alexander Williams and Lexie Dufficy, which explores race and identity in modern Britain. 

Find out more 

Music 

Opera for Young Hearts | OperaEd 

OperaEd is in the midst of its ‘Hansel and Gretel’ workshops and performances for schools in Haringey and Enfield, as part of Opera for Young Hearts. 

The programme aims to inspire and educate a new generation of opera-lovers, who don’t currently have access to the art form, through the re-imagined story of a classic fairy tale. 

Photos by Nick Rutter.

Read more about Hansel and Gretel 

In front of a white wall and a fake tree, two actors stand beside each other, looking out into the distance, and holding on hand next to their mouth, as if calling out. The actor on the left has curly brown hair that is tucked into a mustard cap, and is wearing a matching mustard jumper. The actor on the right has brown hair tied up into two high buns. and is wearing a light blue dress with a matching cardigan.
Inside a rehearsal room with coat stands propped up to look like trees, a group of four actors stand in a group, posing for a photo. The actor at the front of the group is holding up a silver spoon, which the others look into and pose, as if the spoon is a phone camera.
Inside a large school hall, an actor wearing a red top hat and waistcoat holds a magic wand, and crouches in front of a group of smiling school children.

Visual Arts 

Acme Alternative Pathway Awards | Acme 

Visual arts charity Acme has launched its 50th anniversary programme of events and artist programmes, which includes the Acme Alternative Pathway Awards.  

Supported by the Genesis Kickstart Fund, these awards aim to support artists that are within their first five years of practice and are from groups currently underrepresented in the arts. 

More information about the awards, as well as other events and announcements, can be found on Acme’s new 50th anniversary webpage. 

Visit the new webpage 

View all our Genesis Kickstart Fund projects

11th Cohort of Genesis Sixteen to join The Sixteen in Handel’s Messiah this December 

Posted on by Annie Chadwick
The 11th Genesis Sixteen cohort stood inside a grand looking church, holding sheets of music, singing out to empty pews. In front of them, facing away from the camera, is a conductor.

The eleventh cohort of Genesis Sixteen will be joining The Sixteen in their performance of Handel’s Messiah at Saffron Hall in Saffron Walden on Sunday 18 December 2022. The alumni cohort will be singing as part of an extended chorus for some of the full choir movements. 

Alongside the chorus singers, two of the soloists for the performances are Genesis Sixteen alumni Hilary Cronin (Soprano) and James Newby (Bass). 

Made in partnership with The Sixteen, Genesis Sixteen is a fully-funded scheme for young singers aged 18-23, which takes the form of concentrated courses over the period of a year.   

Now entering its 12th year, Genesis Sixteen is the UK’s first ever fully funded programme of its kind. Participants, of which there are now more than 250, have gone on to perform, record and tour with professional groups, including The Sixteen. 

Just recently, Matthew Farrel (Countertenor) from the programme’s 10th cohort joined the professional Westminster Cathedral Choir, joining fellow alumnus Edward McMullan (countertenor) from the very first Genesis Sixteen cohort. 

Book tickets for Handel’s Messiah 

Read more about our partnership with The Sixteen 

Partners