How We Work With Artists
We want to create the conditions for artists to develop and present extraordinary work which is deeply rooted in the present moment and responds to the most urgent questions of our time.
We’re committed to creating welcoming and inclusive spaces where communities, artists and audiences are connected to collaborate and be creative.
Ensuring the rich diversity of London is properly represented in our programme is central to our mission and shapes how we programme and develop work at BAC.
We look to develop and present work that is:
- groundbreaking and unexpected in its ideas and aesthetics
- pioneering in its commitment to access and inclusion
- bold in its exploration of otherwise hidden perspectives
- playful in its approach to traditional forms
- critically rigorous in its investigations of subject matter
- socially impactful in its invitation to audiences
HOW WE PROGRAMME
Our programming vision prioritises:
- Internationalism
We programme international work and support local artists in internationalising their practice. - Supporting a new generation of artists
We support early and mid-career artists in developing work to become part of our programme. - Co-creation
We collaborate with artists and young people to co-curate festivals, focused programmes and building takeovers.
PROGRAMMING STRANDS
Contemporary Performances
Festivals and Focus Programmes
Building Takeovers
Young People
Family Programming
Commercial Programming
PROGRAMMING STRUCTURE
Seasons
- Autumn seasons focus on ‘scaling up’ including presenting artists who have created their first mid-scale work through BAC commission or other ways, showcasing artistically, technically and financially ambitious works and increasing audience outreach with long runs.
- Spring seasons are focused on diversifying curation through collaboration with other festivals in the city, co-curation with artists and young people for developing special projects for the building. We also curate and produce Bloom; a new programming strand for works with short runs that have been developed with BAC over the past year.
Spaces
- Grand Hall (seating up to 470) with 4-6 weeks access in Autumn and 3-4 weeks in Spring seasons.
- Council Chamber (largest studio space with a capacity 146 seated) with full access during the seasons.
- Other spaces in the building, such as Members Bar (up to 80 seated), The Courtyard (outdoor theatre, holds up to 120 people), New Committee Room and Lower Hall are priorities for income generation. Our Producing team collaborates with our Events team when required to use these spaces.
- We also have eight artists’ bedrooms on site. The rooms provide an opportunity for companies from across the UK and internationally to stay for free whilst working at BAC.
Financial Deals
CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT
Through our Creative Development programme, we work closely with artists to reimagine what performance can be and who it can reach, providing bespoke packages of support to nurture artistic journeys and incubate new performance works.
We use our building as a space to experiment, develop and test ideas. Our spaces have seen the development of projects that have gone on to tour internationally.
With an ethos of collaboration, we bring the diverse skills and expertise of the BAC team to develop ideas with artists. This includes working together to create project timelines, build creative teams, approach partners, fundraise, and make the work accessible, as well as creative dialogue about the artistic direction of the work.
We are committed to supporting creative communities built on reciprocity and exchange. This includes pro-actively forming national and international networks to sustain and elevate artists’ work.
HOW WE SUPPORT ARTISTS
We develop work through the following strands:
Making Space
We provide time in the BAC rehearsal spaces free of any hire charges to develop work.
Artist Development
We are continuously developing bespoke programmes focused on peer-to-peer exchange and developing practice, rather than products or presentations. This includes building opportunities for local artists to connect with international artists.
Commissions
We provide bespoke packages of space, financial and producing support to develop projects for our public programme, as well as seed commissions for testing new ideas and experimenting. We also offer accommodation in the BAC bedrooms for commissioned artists based outside of London.
Our New Dimensions commission is focused on supporting artists to scale up their practice through a partnership commissioning model.
PROJECTS
Scene Change
An international exchange programme between six performance makers at three festivals in three countries.
New Dimensions
Five UK organisations have come together to support artists who are ready to dream big and create a new work of scale that can tour nationally and internationally.
Open Research
Through bespoke curated programmes of talks and sharings, with conversation with thinkers and activists, it is an opportunity for artists to bring audience into their making process, to collectively unpick a series of enquiries and begin to imagine how these might translate into a future performance.
ARTISTS
Alexandrina Hemsley, Yewande 103
Alexandrina’s new project is commissioned by BAC.
Chisato Minamimura
Chisato is a 2022 Foyle Foundation Commission residency artist.
Conrad Murray (rODIUM productions)
Conrad Murray is artistic director of BAC’s Beatbox Academy. Pied Piper, conceived, written and co-directed by Conrad Murray, is a BAC, BAC Beatbox Academy and rODIUM Co-Production.
Demi Nandhra
The Trauma Show by Demi Nandhra is a 2022 Foyle Foundation Commission.
Ocean Hester Stefan Chillingworth
Ocean Hester Stefan is a Scene Change 2022 artist. Their new work Extinction Trilogy is commissioned by BAC.
Hugh Malyon
Hugh’s new project is commissioned by BAC.
Jennifer Jackson
Jenni is a Scene Change 2023 artist.
Katy Baird
Katy’s new work Get Off is commissioned by BAC.
Krishna Istha
Krishna is a Scene Change 2023 artist. His new work First Trimester is commissioned by BAC.
Nwando Ebizie
Nwando is a 2022 Foyle Foundation Commission residency artist.
Sonia Hughes
Sonia’s new project ‘Lady Marmalade’ is commissioned by BAC
Tamm Reynolds
Tamm Reynolds’ project Shooting From Below is commissioned by BAC.
How to connect with us
If you are interested in your work being presented or developed through one of our programmes, find out more about how you can connect with us and our programming and decision-making processes.