YORK Theatre Royal is looking for artists and companies to support through its Ignite artist development programme.

Over the next nine months, the St Leonard's Place theatre will invest £10,000 to help spark a new wave of artists making and showcasing theatre and performance in the city.

Ignite will bring together the theatre’s artistic team and its community programming group, Visionari, to select the participating artists and companies. The aim is to "put the community at the start of the theatre’s relationship with artists, bringing a variety of new voices into the spaces where culture is traditionally curated, while challenging established models and practices".

Ignite is seeking artists and companies from any art form and discipline, whether writers and actors; theatre companies and theatre-makers; dancers and choreographers; poets and spoken-word performers; live art and outdoor performers, plus any other performance artist that does not fit rigid labels.

Suzann McLean, associate artist at York Theatre Royal, says: "We're looking for artists and companies that push the boundaries of what theatre and performance is, and we want to give a platform to the unique ideas and vision that artists have, because the richness of theatre can only develop by opening our doors to new artists, new work and new voices."

Theatre Royal associate producer John Tomlinson adds: "This is a unique opportunity for artists and companies to truly engage with our community as part of their artistic process and have a continuous dialogue with their audience. The community programming group have already started to examine, influence and affect our programming choices, so it’s even more exciting, and crucial, that they’re going to be part of the selection of artists and companies from the seed of an idea."

The Ignite artist development programme has four strands:

1, Research & Development Local Artists, a start-up project of £1,000 for up to three artists and companies based in York or North Yorkshire;

2, R&D Residency, up to three grants of £1,000 available to writers, artists and companies from across the North of England and wider UK to spend time in York developing new ideas and work;

3, Black Box: Public Showcases, up to four grants for artists and companies to showcase their work in progress in the Theatre Royal Studio on Tuesday, November 6 at 7.45pm;

4, Ignite Network, a network of artists and companies, arts professionals and members of the public interested in upcoming opportunities, masterclasses and workshops, networking events and more. Those interested can sign up to a fortnightly newsletter curated by Theatre Royal’s artistic team.

To apply, please submit a proposal on two sides of A4 paper maximum, describing "who you are and which grant you are applying for, along with information on what you make, why you and why York".

The deadline for applications is July 31 and successful applicants will be notified by August 24. All residencies will take place between September 2018 and March 2019, while the Black Box showcase will be on November 6. Proposals should be submitted to artistdevelopment@yorktheatreroyal.co.uk; click here to complete the online Equal Opportunities Form at form.jotformeu.com/81554662578367

Anyone wanting an informal discussion about Ignite and this call-out, or help with completing a proposal before submission, should contact artistdevelopment@yorktheatreroyal.co.uk

Did you know?

VISIONARI is the York Theatre Royal community programming group, set up last autumn, inspired by the theatre’s partnership with Kilowatt Festival in Italy though the Be SpectACTive project on "active spectatorship".

The group has more than 25 members who meet regularly at the theatre with staff members to guide, challenge and influence programming decisions and the work York Theatre Royal develops and presents on its stages.

The Visionari have curated a week-long November programme of new theatre and performances under the title Studio Discoveries and will form part of the selection panel for the Ignite artistic development programme.