We caught up with 2018 Genesis Award winner John R. Wilkinson, ahead of his directorial debut at the Young Vic with Winter, written by Norwegian playwright Jon Fosse.

What have you been up to since winning the Genesis Future Directors Award?

First of all, I would like to thank the Foundation and the Young Vic for giving me this opportunity.  I am so, so happy to be here and cannot wait to direct Winter, which is an intense yet rewarding play.  Since winning the award I have been splitting my time between London, and my work at West Yorkshire Playhouse and York Theatre Royal – where I am Director in Residence and Associate Artist respectively.  These are two amazing buildings, both renowned for their community engagement and young people’s work; very much akin to the fantastic Taking Part programme at the Young Vic.

Aside from preparing for rehearsals, the Genesis award has given me the chance to make new connections and feel at home in one of the most important, intensive and sincere theatres in London.  Once you get involved here you sense a mentality of artistic excitement, a passion which somehow stokes your own fire and enjoyment in making work.  I am just here to add a little of my own personality and philosophy into that mix. The goal is always to become a better director so that, ultimately, you can help actors enjoy making greater work.

What has the directing process been like?

Rehearsals started last Monday so, really, we’ve been in pre-production until now. This is a really exciting part of the process; when you get to build an exceptional creative team around you, and see how they’ve responded to the play. Everyone will have slightly different thoughts (often better than your own!) so it’s nice to see what that cocktail of collaboration does to an original vision. Happily, the rest of my team are really experienced and adaptive. I feel like we’ve been equally enlivened by the challenges and possibilities in Jon Fosse’s writing.

I’m looking forward to getting into a room with the actors.  It is my hope that the next month will prove thought-provoking yet halcyon. Jon Fosse is one of the leading figures in modern European drama. Someone described him as a universe unto himself and I think that’s apt. Yet he is rarely performed over here. There is an inescapable deal of pressure saddling those facts. You feel a responsibility to do right by him.

Do you think there are enough mentoring opportunities for young directors in the UK? What needs to change in the industry?

I’m caught between two answers here. My instinct is “No, not really.” This is why the Genesis Future Directors Award is so important.  In these times of tightened arts funding it’s harder for buildings to take risks on less experienced directors. Certainly not with any kind of buffer for them. What Genesis and the Young Vic do is unique; they really nurture you, in the definitive sense of the word. They take much of the accepted pressure off.  You feel as though you’re being given the keys to an auditorium.  That moment of realisation, of sitting in an empty space full of potential, is wonderful.  I also feel that they get the balance right.  It’s not just about creating artists to make work.  It’s much more about your personality; creating people to make art, if you like.

That said, I don’t want to wash over the fact that there are lots of brilliant development initiatives springing up for people all over the country: Derby Theatre’s ‘In Good Company’, ‘Open Exchange’ in Manchester, ‘Making Room’ at Sheffield Theatres, to name but a few. The Genesis Directors Network is perhaps both a catalyst and microcosm of this.  I think theatres now realise they can seem impermeable so it’s about using intelligence, friendship and generosity to break down their walls, make-believe or otherwise.

What needs to be done?  Two things, I think.  I was told recently that training bursaries for PGCE Drama courses no longer exist. This is shocking. It typifies how we as a nation give little value to art and culture.  We need to fundamentally reassess the fact that creativity permeates humanity as a whole.  It should be encouraged.  Without it we’d essentially have half a world.  The second thing is to advance education and awareness of equality and diversity in the arts. This is just another facet of the openness I mentioned earlier. As a disabled director, I’m delighted that we are seeing a gradual shift: more stories, voiced by a greater variety of people.

What is Winter about and why should people see it?

In a nutshell; a businessman meets a young woman on a park bench and throughout the course of four scenes they develop a very strange relationship – Will they, won’t they?

My background is in English Literature and I’ve always been obsessed with the rhythms and poetry of language. As I mentioned above, Jon Fosse is unique: avant-garde meets romanticism, both artisan and sage.

However, that’s all surface. What is special about Jon’s work is its energy. There’s a potentiality in there which is very hard to articulate. It just feels raw, full of emotions that anyone would struggle to put into words. I’ve had the pleasure of talking to him via email and his artistic world is borne of fascinating abstract concepts: like mysticism, philosophy and spirituality (he’s a very religious man).  This spirituality is the key for me. He strips theatre back to its ritual, its intangibility, more so than any other Western playwright I can think of. In this country we’re still uncomfortable about expressing how we truly feel; maybe that’s why he’s rarely done over here.  I think it will be a revealing, fascinating experience for the audience.

Winter, by Jon Fosse, directed by John R, Wilkinson opens on 14 February 2018 at The Clare, Young Vic.

General tickets for Winter are sold out, but if you would like to book access tickets for any of the audio-described performances or the captioned performance on 23 Feb, please contact the Young Vic Box Office (020 7922 2922).

To read John R. Wilkinson’s interview with the Stage, click here.

For more information on the Genesis Future Directors award, click here.

Writer and Director Nadia Latif has been chosen as the next Genesis Fellow at the Young Vic theatre.

Nadia’s most recent credits as a director include: Fall of the Kingdom and Rise of the Footsoldier with the Royal Shakespeare Company, Even Stillness Breathes Softly Against A Brick Wall at the Soho Theatre and Homegrown with the National Youth Theatre. She trained at RADA under renowned theatre director and former artistic director of the Royal Court Bill Gaskill and has since worked exclusively in new writing. Nadia has worked with the Almeida, the Royal Shakespeare Company, the National Theatre, the Bush Theatre, Theatre503 and the Arcola. She is currently developing a number of short and feature length film projects.

Nadia begins her tenure as Genesis Fellow in January 2018 and will have the opportunity to work with David Lan and incoming Artistic Director Kwame Kwei-Armah.

The Genesis Fellowship is a one-year grant enabling an emerging theatre director to develop their craft whilst working closely with the Young Vic’s Artistic Director. The Genesis Foundation has supported the Young Vic for more than ten years in running the most comprehensive training programme for directors in the UK.  In addition to the Genesis Fellowship, the Genesis Foundation also supports the Genesis Directors Network and the Genesis Future Directors Award at the Young Vic.

Past Genesis Fellows include: Gbolahan Obisesan (Cuttin’ It and Sus), Natalie Abrahami (Wings, Happy Days and Ah, Wilderness!), Joe Hill-Gibbins (A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Measure for Measure) and Carrie Cracknell (Macbeth, co-directed with Lucy Guerin).

To read more about Nadia Latif’s work, click here.

To find out more about the Foundation’s partnership with the Young Vic, click here.

Lewis Bruniges, Genesis LAMDA Scholar, class of 2017, graduated with a First Class Degree this summer and secured representation with CAM.

25 students have been awarded Genesis scholarships over the past 20 years. Their success in the industry is testament to the Genesis Foundation’s commitment to supporting young artistic talent by providing them with world-class training and mentoring. Among the alumni’s highlights in 2017 are:

Ben Aldridge (class of 2008) starred in the third series of BBC drama Our Girl. He appeared in one-man show Run the Beast Down at the Marlowe Theatre and the Finborough Theatre.

James Atherton (class of 2008) toured across the UK with Rita, Sue and Bob Too which will play at the Royal Court in January.

Samuel Barnett (class of 2001) filmed the second series of BBC America’s Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency, which will be available on Netflix in January.

Ryan Donaldson (class of 2013) continued in the role of Autolycus in Cheek By Jowl’s touring production of The Winter’s Tale. He also appeared in King of the Castle in Galway and Dublin, and Misterman at the Orange Tree Theatre.

Murray Fraser (class of 2016) made his television debut in ITV’s The Loch, and filmed a role in ITV’s Victoria.

Ciarán Owens (class of 2011) appeared in Abigail’s Party at Theatre Royal Bath. He also filmed TV series Strike Back and feature film Red Joan with Judi Dench.

Tom Riley (class of 2005) filmed feature film Ghost Light.

Abubakar Salim (class of 2014) filmed the motion capture lead in Assassin’s Creed Origins and filmed a regular role in Jamestown.

Gary Shelford (class of 2001) filmed roles in TV series Holby City, Kiri and Collateral.

The Catholic Herald has named John Studzinski Catholic of the Year for 2017. Luke Coppen, editor of The Catholic Herald, praised John Studzinski for “his outstanding but discreet efforts to combat modern slavery, encourage greater appreciation for spirituality and inspire a Catholic artistic revival.”

The theme of art and faith increasingly characterises aspects the Genesis Foundation’s work, of which John Studzinski is founder and chairman. 2017 saw John Studzinski and the Foundation fund the Living with gods exhibition at the British Museum. This major exhibition examines the practice and expression of religious beliefs in the lives of individuals and communities across the world since the Ice Age. Supporting the museum’s ex-director and long-term partner of the Genesis Foundation, Neil MacGregor, John Studzinski said: “We’re living in a period where people are searching for meaning and substance in their lives. This exhibition is a welcome opportunity to shed light on faith in these challenging times and to remind people that there’s a deeper part of themselves that they can access if they are patient and take a chance to trust that place within them.”

2017 also saw the release of the album of Sir James MacMillan’s Stabat mater, commissioned by John Studzinski and the Genesis Foundation. The album has received several awards and has been chosen by many critics and publications as one of their Albums of the Year for 2017. MacMillan’s Stabat mater is a critically acclaimed “modern masterpiece,” a powerful interpretation of Mary’s suffering, standing at the foot of the Cross, in which his belief that “beauty is at the heart of our Christian faith” is profoundly present.

In October 2017, John Studzinski was awarded the UK Montblanc de la Culture Arts Patronage Award for his work with the Genesis Foundation in nurturing excellence among young artists. He joins a prestigious list of recipients of this award which includes HRH Prince Charles, Robert Wilson, Quincy Jones, Renzo Piano and Sir Simon Rattle.

Mr Studzinski has been an anti-modern slavery campaigner for many years. He is Director Emeritus of Human Rights Watch and is Co-founder and Chair of the Arise Foundation, which partners with local networks to stop human trafficking. In November 2017, Mr Studzinski was invited to join the Evening Standard’s anti-human trafficking panel, chaired by Cardinal Nichols, comprising leading figures from business, law, philanthropy and the media, to compile a report and devise recommendations for the Santa Marta conference early next year.

Mr Studzinski holds the Papal honours of Knight of the Order of St. Gregory and Knight Commander of Saint Sylvester and in 2004 was awarded the Beacon Prize for Philanthropy. In 2008, the Queen’s New Year’s Honours List named him Commander of the British Empire (CBE) for services to the Arts and Charity.

John Studzinski is the third recipient of the Herald’s Catholic of the Year distinction. He follows Sir James MacMillan and Bishop Philip Egan of Portsmouth.

Read the full story, here.

The Royal Court’s autumn 2017 season is focused on work produced by its International Playwrights Programme, which is supported by the Genesis Foundation. As part of this focus, two world premieres are being given: Bad Roads written by Ukrainian Natal’ya Vorozhbit and Goats written by Syrian Liwaa Yazji.

Bad Roads

Natal’ya Vorozhbit has worked with the Royal Court since 2004 and is the leading Ukrainian playwright of her generation. Winner of the Eureka Prize for Galka Motalko and a Golden Mask for Docudrama, her work also includes The Khomenko Family Chronicles, Maidan (Royal Court) and The Grain Store (RSC).

Bad Roads is directed by Royal Court Artistic Director Vicky Featherstone. Set in the darkest recesses of Ukraine, amidst a raging war, it follows three narrative threads of a journalist taking a research trip to the front line, teenage girls waiting for soldiers on benches and a medic who mourns her lover killed in action.

Read a ☆☆☆☆ review of Bad Roadsfrom The Times here.

Goats

Goats is a major new work by Syrian playwright and documentary filmmaker Liwaa Yazji developed as part of the Royal Court’s long term project with writers from Syria and Lebanon. Royal Court Associate Director Hamish Pirie directs a cast who work on stage with a small herd of live goats.

Set in a small government held town in Syria, Goats is about grieving families struggling to cope with the impact of civil war. The local mayor decides to compensate the families: a goat for each son martyred. As the town slowly fills with goats, the community tries to hold on to its sanity.

Discussing her play, Goats and its connection to current affairs in Syria, Liwaa Yazji said:

“In Syria, families who were giving martyrs to the regime or war were granted a goat in return for their sacrifice. So it was a literal thing that happened, but also for me very symbolic and very surreal and very real”.

See the full video with Liwaa Yazji:

Watch the Goats Trailer:

Goats runs in the Jerwood Theatre Downstairs from Friday 24 November to Saturday 30 December. For more information and to book tickets click here.

James MacMillan’s Stabat mater, commissioned by the Genesis Foundation, was awarded the Diapason d’Or for Musique Chorale (Choral Music) in Paris last night at a ceremony broadcast live on France Musique from the Maison de la Radio. The coveted prize was awarded to The Sixteen, Harry Christophers and Britten Sinfonia for their outstanding recording of James Macmillan’s work.

The Diapason d’Or for Choral Music is the latest in a series of accolades for this much-lauded work since it received its world premiere at London’s Barbican Centre in October 2018 and the release of the CORO recording in March 2017.

The Financial Times was one of the many broadsheets that awarded the album five stars and commented: “MacMillan…speaks of a ‘painful world of loss, violence, and spiritual desolation’, and those are the intense feelings packed into his score.”

In May 2017, Gramophone Magazine made the recording of the Stabat matertheir Recording of the Month, and its editor Martin Cullingford wrote in his editorial: “The musical world is fortunate to have figures like John Studzinski.” He added: “Posterity might well judge this to be a 21st-century masterpiece; there is no question that this is a truly masterly recorded performance.”

The emotional directness of MacMillan and his belief that ‘beauty is at the heart of our Christian faith’ is profoundly present in his new setting of the Stabat mater, and make this an intensely personal work which encapsulates the dramatic power of the poem in a way no other composer has done to date.

James MacMillan’s composition was the culmination of three years of Genesis Foundation commissions and projects based on the Stabat mater, including premiere performances of Stabat maters from Alissa Firsova, Tõnu Kõrvits and Matthew Martin. James MacMillan worked with Harry Christophers on mentoring the young composers commissioned by the Foundation ensuring a lasting legacy of new choral music.

To purchase a copy of James MacMillan’s Stabat mater, click here.

On 22 November 2017 this year’s Genesis Future Directors Award winner Nancy Medina will premiere Yellowman at The Clare, Young Vic. The Pulitzer Prize nominated play by Dael Orlandersmith was described by Variety as a “celebration of young love and a harrowing study of smouldering domestic violence.”

Nancy won the Genesis Future Directors Award with fellow director Lucy J Skilbeck. The award, which was established in 2012, was created to support and nurture emerging directors by providing them with an opportunity to explore and develop their craft, as they create their first fully-resourced stage production at the Young Vic.

Yellowman follows Alma and Eugene, as they struggle to escape familiar definitions of blackness. Amidst the legacy of Southern black poverty, the impact of the shade of their skin unearths unexpectedly powerful racial tensions.

Discussing Yellowman in an interview on BBC Radio London, Nancy said:

“The play explores the idea that both sides of it [light/dark colourism] are suffering in this inherent interracial racism…So what the play looks at is how do we start unpicking our history? How did this come about that we still today are living in this world where we’re pitting against each other, if you’re darker, if you’re lighter?”

To listen to the full BBC Radio London interview [2:39 – 2:49], click here.

Tickets for Yellowman are now sold out but those wishing to see the show are welcome to join the returns queue at the Box Office from 7.00pm. More information here.

To read more about Nancy and past productions she has directed click here.

For more information about the Genesis Foundation Future Directors Award, click here.

The Genesis Foundation is the sole sponsor of the British Museum’s latest exhibition: Living with Gods: peoples, places and worlds beyond, which examines the practice and expression of religious beliefs in the lives of individuals and communities across the world. Discussing the Genesis Foundation’s patronage of the exhibition, Founder & Chairman John Studzinski said:

“Faith is an integral part of my life, which means that I am conscious of the divine in all sorts of circumstances, in sacred and secular spaces, in nature and in man-made objects.

“We’re living in a period where people are searching for meaning and substance in their lives. This exhibition is a welcome opportunity to shed light on faith in these challenging times and to remind people that there’s a deeper part of themselves that they can access if they are patient and take a chance to trust that place within them.

“As soon as we began to discuss this exhibition, I was compelled by the idea of uniting in one place objects that explore religious practices across the world and throughout history. I am looking forward to witnessing people’s responses, both spiritual and emotional, as they make a connection to the divine at the British Museum. When we share an experience of this kind, we remember that we are more united than we often acknowledge, and I hope that this exhibition will remind us of that.”

The Genesis Foundation is a long-standing patron of the British Museum, with Living with gods: peoples, places and worlds beyond being the latest in a long-standing collaboration between the Genesis Foundation, the British Museum and its former Director Neil MacGregor.

The exhibition is part of a collaborative project between the British Museum, the BBC and Penguin Books. It complements the Radio 4 series of 30 daily programmes over six weeks presented by Neil MacGregor, who said:

“The great thing about John Studzinski is that he’s not just a generous friend and patron, but that he’s a loyal and along-term friend and patron. For institutions, that changes the world. John Studzinski has helped the British Museum in different ways for over 20 years, and in all kinds of ways: making important acquisitions, and with exhibitions. He’s been a friend that the Museum can rely on: that’s the best kind of friend, the best kind of patron.”

Living with gods: peoples, places and worlds beyond opens on 2 November 2017. Click here to book tickets.

John Studzinski has been honoured with the 2017 UK Montblanc de la Culture Arts Patronage Award for his work with the Genesis Foundation in nurturing excellence among young artists. He joins a notable list of past honourees of the annual award that includes HRH The Prince of Wales, Lord Rothschild, Sir Simon Rattle, Renzo Piano and Yoko Ono, highlighting the importance of arts patronage in communities around the world.

The prestigious award recognises John Studzinski’s charitable work with artists and leading theatre, musical and visual arts organisations in the UK, and his unique support of young artistic talent through long term partnerships with artistic leaders.

The Montblanc Cultural Foundation, based in Hamburg, was founded in 1992 with a mission to promote innovative thinking through supporting the arts worldwide. The Montblanc de la Culture Arts Patronage Award is part of the company’s “commitment to actively engage in the promotion of arts and culture worldwide”.

The prize celebrates personalities from the “artistic and cultural worlds whose personal commitment is made mostly far away from the spotlight and the public eye: Patrons. The priceless work they do backstage is distinguished by a life-long passion and dedication which supports talent everywhere and enriches a global audience.”

This year, the prize is being awarded to patrons in 17 countries all over the world.

Kevin Boltman, MD of Montblanc UK, and Sam Badouwil and Till Felrath, Chairmen of the Montblanc Cultural Foundation, recognised John’s outlook on philanthropy, including his formula of “the 3 ‘T’s” – treasure, time and talent – an emphasis on partnerships and a call to action to change the world one artist at a time.

John Studzinski was presented with a cheque for 15,000 Euros for the Genesis Foundation , and a limited edition pen, the Montblanc Patron of Art Edition – Homage to Scipione Borghese at a reception held in the Egyptian Gallery at the British Museum on 12 October 2017. Click here for images of the ceremony.

Receiving his award, John Studzinski said: “I’m honoured that my work with the Genesis Foundation has been recognised with Montblanc’s Art Patronage Award. To join the illustrious list of artists and philanthropists that Montblanc has celebrated with this award is very meaningful to me. The Genesis Foundation believes in nurturing young artistic talent through working with inspirational partners. Montblanc’s ethos in supporting the arts mirrors ours and I wish to commend them for their work in creating networks of mentors to support young artists when they most need guidance and instruction. Art changes lives and the more we engage with artists across the world the more we all benefit.”

Each year, a limited edition pen inspired by an historical patron of the arts is awarded as a prize. This year’s inspiration for the pen is Scipione Borghese (1577-1633), an Italian cardinal considered one of the greatest patrons and collectors of Roman baroque art during the 17th century. After his uncle, Camillo Borghese was elected Pope Paul V in 1605 and appointed him cardinal and head of the Vatican’s governmental affairs, Scipione Borghese assembled one of the most valuable and significant art collections in Europe. Pieces from the collection, including Caravaggio and Bernini, are exhibited today at the Louvre, Windsor Castle and the Villa Borghese.

70 COUNTRIES

300 + PLAYS

40 LANGUAGES

250 + INTERNATIONAL PLAYWRIGHTS BROUGHT TO WORK AT THE ROYAL COURT

Today the Genesis Foundation celebrates the 20^th anniversary of its partnership with the Royal Court Theatre, a partnership which has enabled hundreds of writers from more than 70 countries, in over 40 languages to have their work read, developed and produced by the Royal Court Theatre’s International team, headed by Elyse Dodgson.

Elyse created the International Programme 20 years ago with the support of Genesis Foundation Founder & Chairman, John Studzinski who came to watch some plays that Elyse was presenting. She recounts that the first International season, featuring three European writers was “a complete disaster” and played to an almost empty auditorium. “But John loved it. He got it decades earlier than everyone else.” Today, the International department is central to the Royal Court Theatre and the Autumn / Winter 2017 season is a testament to the quality, strength and vision of its work.

Founder and Chairman of the Genesis Foundation, John Studzinski, said:

“The Genesis Foundation backs artistic leaders of vision, tenacity and passion for nurturing young artistic talent. In Elyse Dodgson, the Genesis Foundation found a partner who embodies all these qualities and more. Elyse’s energy and commitment to helping young talent has seen her work in more than 70 countries and with many hundreds of playwrights. Her impact on the world of theatre is immense and includes nurturing and supporting playwrights in war zones, countries that don’t have a culture of contemporary theatre or one where new voices struggle to write free from censorship. In all these places Elyse has immersed herself in the lives of these playwrights and ensured that the Royal Court reaches beyond Sloane Square to make a deep and lasting difference to the world of theatre.”

Elyse Dodgson said: “With John Studzinski and the Genesis Foundation’s dedicated support and commitment we have been able to respond to our changing world authentically and deeply through the long-term development of writers who are living lives we can hardly imagine. John and the Genesis Foundation change lives and help us all to understand who we are.”

The international playwrights programme by going to countries where there is often censorship, war and hardships of many types encourages playwrights to tackle subjects that have a direct bearing on the world around them. The Royal Court’s long term project, started in 2007, in seven countries in the Middle East has produced award winning plays from writers from Syria, Palestine, Lebanon, Egypt which have travelled all over the region as well as to Europe. Syrian playwright Mohammad Al Attar’s work was recently presented as part of the Lincoln Center Festival in New York.

The current season at the Royal Court is largely devoted to the International Programme and its playwrights including the return to the Royal Court for Ukrainian playwright Natal’ya Vorozhbit for the world premiere of Bad Roads, “a powerful, heart-breaking and bitterly comic account of what it is to be a woman in wartime” and the world premiere of Goats by Liwaa Yazji, a Syrian playwright and documentary filmmaker.

Elyse has engaged talent from across the theatrical world to be involved in the International Directors Programme including directors Stephen Daldry, Dominic Cooke, Rufus Norris and Phyllida Lloyd and Playwright Mentors Mike Bartlett, David Greig and Caryl Churchill.

Among the many awards received by plays created by the International Programme are an Evening Standard Theatre Award for Vasily Sigarev’s Plasticine and a Fleur Du Cap Award and the Naledi Award for Mongi’s I See You.