Fuel produces fresh work
for adventurous people
by inspiring artists
Founded in 2004 by Louise Blackwell, Kate McGrath and Sarah Quelch, Fuel is a producing organisation working in partnership with some of the most exciting theatre artists in the UK to develop, create and present new work for all ages. Fuel is currently working with Will Adamsdale, Dave Blake, Clod Ensemble, Inua Ellams, Fevered Sleep, Paul Hodson, Peepolykus, David Rosenberg, Sound&Fury, Richard Thomas, Will Tuckett, Uninvited Guests and Melanie Wilson. Currently working with Louise and Kate are, Penelope Easton (Bookkeeper), Christina Elliot (Project Manager), Rebecca Hanna-Grindall (General Manager), Stuart Heyes (Production Manager), Alice Massey (Project Manager) and Jenny Paton (Projects Assistant).Louise Blackwell
Upon leaving Dartington in 1996, Louise undertook various voluntary posts in arts organisations (including participating as a dancer in three community dance projects choreographed by Charlie Morrissey and Becky Edmunds in Brighton and Hove). She began her professional career as a freelance dance and drama teacher running drug awareness projects in middle schools in West Sussex. In 1997 Louise began working with contemporary theatre company Brighton Theatre Events (Artistic Director Paul Hodson) as Press Officer and also ran education projects alongside each new play. She was soon promoted to Producer for the company. For Brighton Theatre Events she produced a range of small and middle scale UK tours including The Football Factory, Fever Pitch, Notes From a Small Island and the play to celebrate the centenary of Brighton and Hove Albion Football Club; Brighton ‘Til I Die!In 2001 Louise became Senior Producer at Battersea Arts Centre (BAC). Her job was to discover the next generation of artists of vision and was instrumental in developing the now much imitated Scratch programme where theatre is shown to an audience at an early stage of development in order to garner feedback. Louise programmed and produced BAC’s annual festival of experimental theatre OctoberFest and managed the Supported Artist Scheme where emerging artists were identified and nurtured. Whilst at BAC Louise supported then emerging artists such as Gecko, Blind Summit and Filter Theatre. In 2004 Louise co-founded Fuel with Kate McGrath and Sarah Quelch.
Kate McGrath
During her year abroad as part of her French course, Kate worked as Assistant Director at Théâtre Parminou in Quebec, touring shows to a range of venues from prestigious midscale theatres to prisons, schools and community centres. She also worked as a journalist for BLVD Europe in Paris. After leaving Oxford, Kate worked as an Arts and Features Writer for the Scotsman, which included leading on organisation of their Edinburgh Festival supplement and managing the team of reviewers during that period. She then began freelance in theatre, as a director (including HyperLynx, Citizens, Glasgow; Pleasance, Edinburgh; Tricycle, London; Fringe First award winner); dramaturg (including Filter’s Faster, BAC, London; national tour; British Council Showcase; international tour; and Will Adamsdale’s Jackson’s Way, BAC, London; Underbelly, Edinburgh; national and international tours; Perrier Award winner); and producer (including Brazil, Latchmere, London; Arches, Glasgow; and several projects with Helen Eastman’s Floodtide).She was also a Producer at BAC for three and a half years, working on projects including Kneehigh’s The Wooden Frock and Richard Thomas’s Kombat Opera Klubneit, as well as supporting emerging artists and co-programming the now recognised scratch programme. Kate was awarded a Stage One Producer’s Bursary in 2005, and the Theatre Fellowship on the Clore Leadership Programme in 2008. In 2004 Kate co-founded Fuel with Louise Blackwell and Sarah Quelch.
Recent Awards for Fuel
The Peter Brook/Equity Ensemble Award 2009 (Guardian Review)
A Herald Angel for the Fuel Edinburgh Fringe 2009 Programme
To tell us what you think of the shows and/or join our mailing list, send an email to info@fueltheatre.com.
Follow us on Twitter