NEWS: New Associate Artist appointed

Associate Artists help to shape the Nottingham Playhouse programme by providing a sounding board for the artistic team, reading scripts and watching productions, meeting freelance theatremakers and discussing artistic policy. They also support other artists through the Artist Development programme Amplify, and Participation programmes, running masterclasses and events, and assisting with shortlisting for open callouts.

Each Associate brings their own unique set of skills, experiences and interests, all of which add diversity and creativity to the programming. The bespoke role places equal emphasis on supporting the artist in developing their own artistic practise during their tenure, with the individual defining which areas they’d like to concentrate upon.

Laura’s own work is focussed on untold stories from a female perspective and exploring what it means to be a strong woman, using genre as a lens for storytelling.

Laura’s first feature film Lapwing was released in cinemas in 2021 and received positive reviews from The Guardian, Total Film, Little White Lies and Mark Kermode. Laura is a BIFA and BAFTA Connect member, a BFI Academy mentor for young writers, a previous Women of the Future finalist, as well as a judge for the Global Undergraduate Awards in Theatre, Music and Film and an Associate Lecturer in Screenwriting at the University of Lincoln.

As a playwright, Laura has had over 50 plays produced nationally and internationally, working with theatres including Hull Truck, the Almeida and Durham Gala. She is a current New Perspectives New Associate and runs her own Midlands-based theatre company, Fury Theatre, exploring “female stories told with fire.” Laura has previously written for EastEnders: E20, and is developing projects for the stage, television and film.

Laura commented:

“I’m delighted to be joining Nottingham Playhouse as Associate Artist and can’t wait to start working with the artistic team, meeting local artists and companies and supporting their activities across the region, whilst scaling up my own practice as a writer, actor and producer to more ambitious theatrical spaces and stories.”

Adam Penford, Artistic Director at Nottingham Playhouse, said:

“We received many impressive applications from our open callout for a new Associate Artist, but Laura’s passion for developing other theatremakers, alongside a clear sense of how the opportunity will help develop her own artistic skills, shone through. I am sure she will embed herself within the organisation, and use her role to support, champion and challenge.”

 Previous Associate Artists at Nottingham Playhouse include James Graham, Sarah Kolawole, Amanda Whittington and Matthew Xia. The most recent, Hannah Stone, commented:

 “Being an Associate Artist at Nottingham Playhouse has been hugely helpful to my career and my creative development. For example, this opportunity coupled with DYCP funding allowed me to assist on my first mainstage show and manage understudy rehearsals, which has been key in building my skills on larger scale work. Through reading scripts, being on the Ideas Panel and reading for the Phoebe Francis Brown Award, I have developed my script analysis skills and confidence in identifying what excites me artistically and what might work for audiences. Being an Associate gave me credibility as a Director when meeting with other employers and collaborators.”