Exeter Northcott and Exeter Phoenix announce Scratch Night partnership to support local artists
This exciting new partnership aims to expand the opportunities for established and emerging creatives based in the South West by giving them a platform to showcase work in progress.
Exeter Northcott and Exeter Phoenix are joining forces to host a series of Scratch Nights, the first of which will be held at Exeter Phoenix this October as part of Exeter Northcott’s Elevate Festival, an annual celebration of local artists and new work. These events are an essential part of a chain of artist development opportunities that support artists and their work from an initial idea to the midscale stage.
While Exeter Phoenix and Exeter Northcott have both hosted Scratch Nights in the past, the demand for this platform has grown over the years, leading Exeter Phoenix Performance Programmer and Scratch Night co-producer, Katy Danbury, and Exeter Northcott Artist Development Producer, Sam Parker, to work closely together to enhance the local offer for South-West artists. The expansion of this important opportunity serves to strengthen the reputations of both organisations as supporters of artists who produce high-quality work at each stage of their professional development. It also places Exeter firmly on the map as a leading city of innovative makers, nurturing a thriving creative community.
Exeter Phoenix Scratch Night Co-producer Katy Danbury said: “It is important to us that there are clear stepping stones to opportunities in Exeter and beyond, and that we are each able to signpost artists appropriately, whether that be to each other or elsewhere. As applications for each Scratch Night increased, the need was made very clear, and it made sense to pool our resources together and platform this offer across both of our venues.”
Scratch performances offer a chance for the creators to connect with other local artists and potential collaborators, as well as invite industry members, such as directors and producers, to see an example of their work, which may help facilitate the next steps of its journey. Now, thanks to this new collaboration, selected artists will also be able to access in-kind rehearsal space at both Exeter Phoenix and the Barnfield Theatre, as well as dramaturgical support from Sam Parker.
Exeter Northcott Artist Development Producer, Sam Parker said: “Across the first year of Exeter Northcott’s Elevate programme, there have been several chances to collaborate with Katy Danbury and the brilliant Exeter Phoenix team. Exeter Phoenix’s scratch offer has been an essential part of the city’s performance ecology for years, so I am thrilled that growing demand from artists has presented an opportunity for our two organisations to partner on the scratch for Elevate Festival and beyond.”
Scratch Nights are an exciting opportunity for the general public to gain an insight into the creation process and be a part of shaping how the final version of a performance may be presented. The first collaborative Scratch Night will be held at 7.30pm on Monday 13th October at Exeter Phoenix, as part of Exeter Northcott’s Elevate Festival. Tickets are on sale now through the Exeter Phoenix website.
There will be a rolling submission window for Scratch Night applicants, with the next opening on Monday 13th October. Once the submission window opens, applicants will be able to apply through the Exeter Northcott website.
