More than 750 Almeida e-newsletter readers alone ‘clicked
through’ to find out more about the scheme and across social media the
programme received an impressive 8,296 impressions, demonstrating the growing
interest around the work of the Genesis Foundation.
The Genesis Almeida New Playwrights, Big Plays programme is
an annual programme that supports emerging and experienced writers to develop
new plays for larger stages, giving them the space and time to experiment with
form and scale.
Stephanie Bain, literary manager of the Almeida Theatre,
gave an interview to The Stage about her reasons for setting up the programme:
“I was finding that there was a gap. People were getting a lot of studio work
but then they were getting stuck”. Now, she hopes the diverse cohort will both
contribute to plays at the Almeida, as well as “feeding the British theatre
ecology more widely”.
To read the interview with Stephanie Bain in The Stage, click here.
For more information on the programme, click here.
Two days after its North American premiere, James
MacMillan’s Stabat mater was performed in the imposing surroundings of Ely
Cathedral on 9 November 2019.
While the work received its world premiere in the Barbican,
followed by a performance in the Sistine Chapel, this is the first time that
the Stabat mater has been performed in a cathedral setting. For MacMillan,
“beauty is at the heart of our Christian faith” and his Stabat mater has been
profoundly shaped by his beliefs – it is his personal response to what is
unquestionably the most powerful poem of the liturgy.
The work was performed by Harry Christophers and The
Sixteen and Britten Sinfonia, who also gave the North American premiere of the
work.
To find out more about MacMillan’s Stabat mater, as well as his other Genesis Foundation commissions, click here.
To watch the video recording of the performance in the Sistine Chapel, click here.
On 7 November 2019, James MacMillan’s Stabat mater received
its North American premiere in the Alice Tully Hall, Lincoln Center, New York.
This Genesis Foundation commission, a profound and deeply
moving rendering of the Stabat mater text which evokes a mother’s anguish, was
performed by the work’s dedicatees Harry Christophers and The Sixteen who were
joined by Britten Sinfonia. The programme also featured the North American
premiere of MacMillan’s haunting Miserere.
The Stabat mater received its world premiere in October
2016 at the Barbican and its historic Vatican premiere in April 2018 – the
first-ever concert to be live-streamed from the Sistine Chapel, reaching
millions of people around the world. A recording of the work was subsequently
issued and received great acclaim, including many 5 star reviews.
Click here to watch the video recording of the performance in the Sistine Chapel.
Click here for Opera Wire’s interview with Harry Christophers ahead of the performance.
Widely recognised as the UK’s leading commissioner of sacred music, the Genesis Foundation’s 25th and latest commission received its premiere performance during Mons. Vladimir Felzmann’s Anniversary Mass at Westminster Cathedral on Thursday 24 October.
The new motet O Lord, thou hast searched me, and known mewas composed by renowned British choral composer Bob Chilcott to celebrate
Genesis Foundation’s trustee Mons. Vladimir Felzmann’s 80th birthday and the
golden jubilee of his priesthood. The anthem is based on Vladimir’s favourite
psalm, Psalm 139.
The choir performing the new work and the communion motet, Byrd’s Ave verum corpus, comprised men’s voices from Westminster Cathedral and six Genesis Sixteen sopranos.
To see the list of the 25 Genesis Foundation sacred music commissions, click here.
To learn more about the 25th sacred music commission, watch the interview below with composer Bob Chilcott.
On Thursday 24 October a major new partnership between the Genesis Foundation and the Almeida Theatre was announced with the launch of the Genesis Almeida New Playwrights, Big Plays Programme. This is an annual programme that supports emerging and experienced writers to develop new plays for larger stages, giving them the space and time to experiment with form and scale.
Each writer on the programme is commissioned
to develop one new play and will be given guidance and dramaturgical support
from the Almeida’s Literary Manager and Artistic team. During the year the
writers will also attend 12 masterclasses led by established British and
international playwrights and be given a five-day research and development
workshop to develop their commission.
John Studzinski, Founder and Chairman of the Genesis
Foundation commented:
“One of the great gifts of life is to be
challenged continually and never to stop learning. The Genesis Foundation works
with its partners to identify areas in arts philanthropy that aren’t being
fulfilled. Experienced artists wishing to develop their creative work are too
often overlooked for support and commissions and don’t get the mentoring they
need. It’s important that we support the creation of the Genesis Almeida
Writers Programme. By identifying and supporting writers who will benefit most
from working with the team at the Almeida we are helping to ensure that they
continue to develop their work in new and exciting ways.”
Rupert Goold, Artistic Director of the Almeida Theatre, said:
“As we announce these two new plays, it feels fitting to also announce the brand new Genesis Almeida New Playwrights, Big Plays Programme, featuring seven writers who have all demonstrated their ability to think big, engaging with unusual, imaginative and formally innovative ideas. We can’t wait to guide them over the next year and to see what they produce and are hugely grateful to the Genesis Foundation for giving us this opportunity.”
The Genesis Almeida Writers for 2019/20 are: Kendall Feaver, Sami Ibrahim, Charley Miles, Amy Ng, Iman Qureshi, Sam Steiner and Ross Willis.
The Genesis Foundation has been an active supporter of the UK theatre world for several decades, funding the Royal Court’s International Playwrights’ Programme for 20 years and the Genesis Directors Program at the Young Vic. The Almeida Theatre joins current theatre partners the National Theatre, LAMDA and Young Vic.
Following the huge success of the world premiere of
MacMillan’s Symphony No.5: Le grand Inconnu at this year’s Edinburgh Festival,
the symphony received its London premiere on 14 October 2019 at the Barbican
Centre.
This Genesis Foundation commission explores the mystery of
the Holy Spirit and was performed with the UK premiere of another choral work
by MacMillan which celebrates the Miracle of Fatima.
These works were featured alongside Arvo Pärt’s Cantus in
Memorian Benjamin Britten and Britten’s Hymn to Saint Cecilia and were
performed by Harry Christophers and The Sixteen with the Britten Sinfonia. The
Sixteen was also joined, as in Edinburgh, with forty-eight alumni members of
Genesis Sixteen, the young artists’ scheme which continues to nurture the next
generation of talented choral singers.
The Arts Desk described how “both works show unique
orchestral brilliance” and The Times commented: “It’s striking how directly
this music speaks, how movingly it explores its subject. Five stars, then, for
a piece that I would like to hear again and again. I’m certain I would find new
things in it each time.”
The concert was recorded by The Sixteen for release on their
CORO label in Spring 2020.
Please click here to listen to a Genesis Podcast featuring MacMillan and Cardinal Vincent Nicols discussing Le grand Inconnu.
The Young Vic Directors Program has announced the launch of a new and improved Genesis Network website. Serving nearly 1,000 directors, designers and producers living in the UK at the early stages of their career, this updated and developed site will better facilitate the community and peer-support among young creatives.
The Genesis Network provides a unique online platform for
exchanging experiences, forming vital creative relationships and
collaborations, finding job opportunities and discovering relevant events at
the Young Vic and other UK theatres. Members of the Young Vic Directors
Program, which is the only scheme of its kind, will now have access to live
updated events, creative opportunities, discussion forums and a more
streamlined portal to associate with each other. The network can also be used
for linking up independent producers, theatre companies and writers with
directors and designers for their projects.
John Studzinski, Founder and Chairman of the Genesis
Foundation, said: “E.M. Foster famously said ‘Only Connect.’ The Genesis
Network has enabled thousands of theatre professionals at every stage of their
careers to do exactly that: to connect, to learn of new opportunities and to
build relationships… The Genesis Network has had an immense impact on the UK
theatre world and we are delighted that the Network continues to evolve and
expands its work.”
Sue Emmas, Associate Artistic Director of the Young Vic,
said: “Directing can be a lonely and isolated career and the Genesis Network
brings artists together in a unique way… New artists join all the time and we
really hope this is a moment for more directors, designers and producers to
know about this brilliant resource and join up.”
The partnership between the Genesis Foundation and the Young
Vic dates back sixteen years and has been crucial to establishing and
maintaining the Young Vic’s support of artists through schemes such as the
Genesis Future Directors Award and the Genesis Fellowship.
Nadia Latif, current Young Vic Genesis Fellow and Associate
Director, said: “Simply put, there is nothing else quite like the Genesis
Network out there. Whether you’re a fledgling director just thinking about
maybe making the dream of directing into a concrete reality, an emerging
director trying to jump from assisting to making your own work, or a mid-career
director trying to work in bigger spaces – the Genesis Network will have
opportunities and training possibilities.”
Find out more about the Genesis Foundation’s projects with the Young Vic here.
On the evening of Saturday 17th August a standing ovation
and a host of five-star reviews greeted the world premiere of James MacMillan’s
Fifth Symphony, Le grand Inconnu, at the Usher Hall in Edinburgh as part
of the Edinburgh International Festival.
This large-scale choral symphony, commissioned by the
Genesis Foundation, was performed by the work’s dedicatees Harry Christophers
and The Sixteen, alongside members of Genesis Sixteen, and the Scottish Chamber
Orchestra.
The Spectator described how “the whole symphony pulls quietly towards consonance and a vast, cumulative sense of affirmation”, while The Times commented that the work is “likely to join MacMillan epics…in gripping the ears, spearing the heart and moving the soul.” The symphony received five star reviews from Bachtrack and The Arts Desk, as well as sterling reviews from the Financial Times, The Guardian, The Scotsman and The Herald.
The concert was recorded for future broadcast on BBC Radio 3, and will be performed again in London on the 14th October at the Barbican. Book tickets here.
On Thursday 25 July, LAMDA hosted the first rehearsed reading of a new play, dot dot dot dash, by alumnus James Wallwork (class of 2009), who is one of the three founding members of From Ground Up Theatre Company.
The special event for the Genesis LAMDA Network was designed to support the development of work by alumni and to discuss the possibility of other alumni establishing theatre companies. The event follows the success of the recent MISHMASH event held at LAMDA which celebrated the self-created work of LAMDA alumni and students.
The Genesis LAMDA Network provides mentoring for recent graduates, skills workshops led by experienced alumni and industry experts, an annual event for students and mentors to meet and build relationships across the Network, and an online platform to share job opportunities, skills development and build professional connections and collaborations.
Speaking at the event, James Wallwork said:
“I can’t thank the Genesis LAMDA Network enough for giving me the platform to share the first reading of my play, ‘dot dot dot dash’. The feedback forms and discussion afterwards have been incredibly useful and I’m already planning my next draft.
“It was great to benefit from the work that the Genesis Foundation is doing, to feel that we are still supported even after graduating 10 years ago is really comforting and the play wouldn’t have attracted such a brilliant calibre of actors unless we had the support of LAMDA. I loved talking to some of the people involved with the Genesis LAMDA Network and it massively inspired me to work closely with them. I think the mentoring scheme is such a brilliant initiative and one I wish I had when I was at LAMDA. I want to give everyone the confidence that we can create work with the people we know around us. We don’t need to wait for an agent to ring. We can do it ourselves.”
Find out more about the Genesis LAMDA Network here.
In the run-up to the Genesis Foundation’s 20thanniversary, The Genesis Podcast Series will consist of 20 podcasts of
conversations between artists and thought leaders presented by broadcaster
James Jolly.
The first two podcasts feature Cardinal Vincent Nichols & Sir James MacMillan on the Holy Spirit and MacMillan’s Fifth Symphony and John Studzinski, Founder and Chairman of the Genesis Foundation & Jan Dalley, Arts Editor of the Financial Times discussing philanthropy.
