#ComeWhatMay launches
Posted on: 8th October 2020
Today we announce a programme of work for Autumn 2020, #ComeWhatMay
Bringing work to housing estates, bathtubs, venues and screens, the programme represents a range of creative reponses to producing work during the Covid-19 pandemic
30 new commissions, focusing on artists from under-represented demographics, and creatively adapted work from Inua Ellams, Encounter, Uninvited Guests, Gyre & Gimble and more, all form part of the season of work.
All the work will be presented with Covid-secure protocols in place and will range from performances in socially distanced venues, to outdoor spaces in housing estates and round bonfires, from digital tours to performances that can be enjoyed from the luxury of your own bathtub.
We have spent the last months working with a range of artists to come up with ways to present work in a safe way despite the restrictions under which the country has been placed. Our desire to work with a wide range of artists and companies reflects the ongoing work that we have been undertaking during the pandemic to reflect and improve on working practices and inclusivity.
Having lost over £1million in earned income this year, we are in acute need of support from the government’s Cultural Recovery Fund. These projects are part of our recovery plan, which lies in a combination of increasing earned income through activity and vital support from the CRF.
“As summer ends, cases increase and restrictions tighten, we know the coming months will be challenging for us all. The team at Fuel have been working hard behind the scenes to find safe ways to keep connecting with each other, sharing stories and ideas, sharing space – real and virtual. The extraordinary artists in this season will help us understand each other and the changing world around us with insights into our common humanity. This is a time for empathy and care – we hope this season will bring people together in that spirit. Come what may, we will connect.”
Kate McGrath, Director, Fuel
Explore the programme:
The Hartlepool Monkey: Homecoming
Fuel is today announcing commissions for 30 artists, as part of a new commissions programme supported by CVC (see below for full details). 10 artists – Khalid Abdalla, Heather Agyepong, Rachel Bagshaw, Inua Ellams, Pauline Mayers, Lucian Msamati, Racheal Ofori, Tom Stuart, Keisha Thompson, and Rachael Young – will all be commissioned to create new projects with Fuel – Heather Agyepong’s piece The Body Remembers and Rachael Young’s project THIRST TRAP will both premiere in January 2021.
Signal Fires is also part of this programme, as well as The Lab, which sees three artists and three scientists collaborate on new public engagement commissions in the field of global and public health. Full details of The Lab commissions yet to be announced. Fuel will also commission 10 poets/spoken word artists for Fly The Flag – full list to be announced.
R&D
Throughout the autumn, Fuel will also be producing new projects in development behind the scenes, including for example:
- Peaceophobia, co-created by Common Wealth, Speakers Corner and Bradford Modified Car Club, developing in an open air car park in Bradford;
- A Dead Body in Taos written by David Farr and directed by Rachel Bagshaw, developing on Zoom and in socially-distanced workshops.
We hope you enjoy #ComeWhatMay!