UEA and Norwich Theatre have renewed their longstanding partnership with the signing of an updated Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) reflecting more recent collaborative work and both organisations’ ambitions for the future.
The formal MOU agreement crystalises the shared vision of Norwich Theatre and UEA to champion engagement in the arts, and to build stronger communities, cultural experiences and career opportunities, as well as tackling important issues such as climate change. Norwich Theatre also recently became a signatory of UEA’s Civic Charter setting out shared values, responsibilities and commitments to the region.
The signing of the MOU by Prof David Maguire, Vice Chancellor of the University of East Anglia (UEA) and Stephen Crocker, Chief Executive & Creative Director, Norwich Theatre, took place onstage at Norwich Theatre Royal, setting a suitably illustrious tone for the occasion.
Stephen Crocker, Chief Executive & Creative Director, Norwich Theatre, said:
“Norwich Theatre and UEA are anchor institutions in the region, with a shared dedication to nurturing creative talent and prosperity. We are thrilled to further our relationship today and continue to work in partnership to grow a thriving creative economy that benefits the whole of Norfolk.”
Prof David Maguire, Vice Chancellor of the University of East Anglia said:
“I am delighted to see UEA’s partnership with Norwich Theatre go from strength to strength, providing meaningful and enriching opportunities for our students and graduates, and continuing to feed into the talent pipeline for the arts and creative industries in our region and beyond.”
Nurturing emerging talent
Since signing the original MOU in 2019, one of the most significant and impactful collaborations between Norwich Theatre and UEA has been the Incubate programme. Incubate was conceived by Mike Bernardin, Associate Professor in Drama at UEA, and jointly run with Jez Pike at Norwich Theatre. The project was in part a response to the Theatre seeking to develop and produce more works inhouse and nurture homegrown, emerging talent, emulating London’s Royal Court and Soho Theatres.
Starting in 2021, the pilot scheme, part-funded by UEA, saw Incubate support six UEA alumni, with each receiving mentorship, and artistic and production guidance to develop a new theatre work over a four-month period. UEA alumna Madeleine Accalia, whose play went on to be the centrepiece of the Incubate public launch at Norwich Theatre Stage Two, spoke about her experience of the programme:
“At that time, to be even in a room with people and making things… was really inspirational for me; to just feel, ‘you can do this and you should keep doing this’… It definitely made me take myself more seriously and I think it did inform the choices I made, that got me where I am now. After Incubate I was invited to make work at the Camden Roundhouse and have subsequently been working with English Touring Opera for nearly two years.”
Following this initial success, the programme expanded to provide group mentorship by a team of current and former UEA staff to a further seven writers. The programme culminated in 2023 with a gala presentation at Norwich Theatre Stage Two.
Sam Rees, who graduated from UEA in 2017, participated in Incubate in 2022. Subsequently, he was funded by Norwich Theatre to return and develop further ideas and offer workshops there, in a continuing dialogue with Jez Pike and the Creative Development office. Enjoying a five-star Edinburgh success this year and the prospect of a tour in 2025, Sam says: “Incubate was a resoundingly successful process, creatively and personally and professionally. I think it was so well structured and as well as nurturing the new writing, it allowed me to renew my relationship with UEA and form a new relationship with Norwich Theatre. And that ever since, they’ve both been at the other end of an email whenever I’ve reached out.”
Through these exploratory beginnings, testing the waters for new ways of fostering relationships with creative artists, Incubate provided an evidence-based framework for Norwich Theatre to evolve its business model, establishing an Artist Development Office, as well as an Artist Development Fund. As a result, the Theatre is in constant creative dialogue with up-and-coming local theatre companies and artists, including UEA student and graduate playwrights and theatre-makers in their early careers.
Looking to the future
Incoming Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Arts and Humanities, Prof Catherine Richardson, who also attended the MOU signing ceremony, commented:
“I am thrilled to have joined the UEA community and to see how fruitful the partnership with Norwich Theatre has already proved to be. I look forward to seeing how we can drive this even further in our combined learning and teaching, research and innovation, employability, and community work.
“Now more than ever, it is vital to recognise the crucial role that the arts play in enriching all of our lives through creativity, play and a sense of purpose, as well as their benefits for our health and wellbeing, and for the economy of our region.”
To find out about studying Drama, Creative Writing and other related subjects at UEA visit https://www.uea.ac.uk/study
To find out more about building a collaborative partnership with UEA visit www.uea.ac.uk/business