This page may contain additional navigation below.
University Helps Students To Launch Professional Theatre Companies
This article is 16 months old. It is presented here as part of an historical archive and as such, the information contained within it may no longer be accurate or up to date. Readers are advised to check with the University before acting upon the information contained herein.
Bath Spa University has chosen two groups of students to set up their own professional stage companies on graduation - with financial backing from the University.
The students, from Bath Spa's School of Music and Performing Arts, are being offered expert support for this pioneering project, which is one of the first of its kind for a UK university.
The scheme, called the Launchpad, was initiated by Emma Gersch, senior lecturer in Drama and Performing Arts and teaching fellow for Artswork at the University. It is aimed at nurturing and developing two graduate performance companies to become fully professional self-sufficient business organisations for the long term.
After a business plan competition, in which student groups were invited to pitch rival ideas, two winning entries have been announced.
The winners, selected ahead of five other finalists, are the Ruffled Umbrella theatre company and a dance company called Nice as Pie.
Each group has been awarded a start-up prize of £750 and a wide range of other assistance. This will include intensive business skills training and mentoring from industry professionals, rehearsal and office space, help with marketing and introduction to a network of business contacts. The package amounts to more than £10,000 worth of in-kind support.
The graduate entrepreneurs will be expected to create and sell their own show for a tour in the South West and to perform it at the Edinburgh Festival in 2010.
One of the companies, Ruffled Umbrella, recently landed a prestigious prize at an international theatre festival in Paris. Its production of Dinner by Moira Buffini won the Best Show award at the Festival d'Hiver, an annual student drama festival.
Nice as Pie will be performing their current show, 'Eat your Own Words', on 6 and 7 June at the Chapel Arts Centre, as part of the Bath Fringe Festival 2009.
Emma Gersch said: "I and the other members of the judging panel were thoroughly impressed by the entrepreneurial spirit of all the finalists. Our selected students presented innovative and unique plans for their companies. We are excited to work with them and to help them flourish and grow."
Press Release Issued 18 May 2009.
