Supporting Local Artists
At Bridgwater Arts Centre we believe it is important to support the work of promising
young artists. Without this, our local talent can only go elsewhere...
We have an ongoing practise of mentoring young arts practitioners, providing advice and
opportunities. We can offer rehearsal and performance space for performing artists to
develop work, and encourage exhibition proposals from visual artists.
In some cases we can offer employment to artists wishing to run Community workshops as
part of our Get SmArt programme. We can also arrange opportunities for developing artists
to work alongside more experienced artists on our various outreach projects to gain
experience.
Local artists that we have worked with include Niki McCretton, Clara Li-Dunne; Su Squire,
Mark Scott-Ison, Lindsay Lamb and Shermaine Slocombe.
Niki McCretton has premiered three solo shows Worm-Hole,
Heretic and Throw Me a Bone at Bridgwater Arts
Centre. She has since toured each show to festivals in Canada, the USA and Europe. Niki
has been a great asset to the Arts Centre, establishing dance classes and workshops as
well as performing, but at the moment is too busy touring to teach! She will be working on
a new show for children in the near future.
Born in Hong Kong, Clara Li-Dunne came to England to study fine art and
has now settled in Somerset with her husband. She staged her first solo gallery exhibition
entitled ‘Let There Be Light’ at BAC in June 2003. She
recently led children’s half-term art and craft workshops here, and will be working
with us as artist in residence for a local school’s art-week in July. She is one of
twenty Somerset artists selected to participate in ‘Transart’,
a county-wide visual arts project (for details click here).
Su Squire has a long association with Bridgwater Arts Centre, having
directed our Community Theatre groups for some years. She has also, for the last two
years, directed our Christmas Community Panto! As a solo performer, Su developed her debut
show One Voice here, which she took to the 2002 Edinburgh Fringe
Festival before touring to venues in the South West. Her latest show Choked
was premiered here in Spring 2003 and has toured regionally. Su also works extensively
within local schools as a drama facilitator, and has set up a theatre company called Blue
Moon.
Writer and performer Mark Scott-Ison is a founder member of Blue Moon
Theatre Company. Mark was the regular compère of the Bull Dickie Comedy Club at
Bridgwater Arts Centre and can regularly be seen in stand-up in Bristol. Mark has
performed at the Arts Centre in numerous community performances, but is currently working
towards the premiere of his first professional solo show - Sex, Death and
Gravity – which takes place here in June. He plans to take the show to
next year’s Edinburgh Fringe Festival.
Lindsey Lamb is a talented young dancer who has recently graduated from
the prestigious Laban Centre in London. Originally from Somerset, Lindsay has been
spending her time setting-up a variety of classes at the Arts Centre and other venues in
Somerset, as well as putting together a new dance-theatre company, Spell(Bound). The
company have been rehearsing at the Arts Centre in preparation for their first
performance, a double-bill of original contemporary dance pieces fusing dance, music and
digital projection. Entitled Catapult and Body Image, you can
see the work in July!
Shermaine Slocombe (photo courtesy of
Geoff Searle, Bridgwater Mercury) is a visual artist
from Bridgwater who has exhibited her work at the Arts Centre and led workshops here. She
has now left the area, and we wish her well for the future! |
Click photo to
increase size
Niki McCretton relaxing after dance rehearsals
Lost in illusion by Clara Li-Dunne
Su Squire taking a drama group
Mark Scott-Ison in Sex, Death & Gravity
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Lindsey Lamb - SpellBound
Shermaine Slocombe & friends
at Halloween
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