New Diorama

New Diorama is a charity registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales (charity number 278795).

New Diorama is a charity whose central mission is to be a first-class local theatre with a world-class profile. It champions, supports and develops theatre companies, ensembles and makers, aiming to create a nurturing holistic ecosystem where independent theatre can thrive. It was built as a Section 106 building following direct demand from its local community for a new, vibrant local theatre. Its grant-making includes £500 grants for migrant theatre makers and, this year, ten grants across its Artist Support Season.

Priority Areas

New Diorama supports theatre companies, ensembles and makers developing collaborative, devised and process-led work. Its artist-support offer combines time and space, technical resources, mentorship and seed funding to help artists initiate and develop new ideas. The Technical Residency Programme is aimed at independent companies, ensembles and collectives making new projects in which design and technology are central to the theatrical form and research and development; it particularly welcomes devised, collaborative and non-traditional approaches. The organisation also runs Migrant Artist Solidarity Grants for migrant theatre makers facing visa, legal and other bureaucratic costs. Its approach pairs practical resources with artistic and business development, and it selects residency projects for the necessity of technical infrastructure, the rigour of their research questions, fit with partner remits, and balance across the cohort.

Themes

• Collaborative and devised theatre
• Artist development

Geographic Focus

The UK.

Theatre makers can email a proposal or invite the team to see their work. The artistic team reviews the inbox monthly and may arrange a meeting, continue the conversation, or accept the invitation.

Application windows:

• Migrant Artist Solidarity Grants
  • One submission period launches in September.
  • One submission period launches in January.

Who can apply:

• Migrant Artist Solidarity Grants
  • Be a migrant theatre maker living and working in the UK
  • Be an artist within our remit (engaged in the creation of your own work, particularly through devised and collaborative making processes)
  • Be in the midst of or preparing to undertake a UKVI application process over the next 12 months
  • Have a UK bank account with which you can receive the funds
• Technical Residency Programme: This opportunity is open to independent theatre companies, ensembles, or collectives developing new projects in which design and technology are a core part of the intended theatrical form and are critical to the R&D process.

Applying again: Migrant Artist Solidarity Grants: If you are unsuccessful, you will automatically be rolled forward into the next lottery period for another chance to be selected (no need to reapply).

What the charity says:

• The project should make design and technology core to its theatrical form and critical to its research and development process.
• The programme particularly welcomes devised, collaborative or non-traditional making processes where access to space and equipment is critical to testing ideas.
• The programme is best suited to earlier-stage projects and is not intended for work that is nearly complete.
• Selection considers the need for technical infrastructure, the rigour of the research questions, fit with the host organisation and balance across the cohort.