"babyboxes" is a series of short performances housed in small self-contained ‘stages’ mounted ontop hand built tricycles.
This proposal asks for support for performer fees and core production costs (props, costume, and design/construction-related costs), for a week-long devising period to create work for our new theatre installation. We are set to tour Nationally with this exciting new project from May.
This project began as a commission by “Making Tracks” (a rural touring scheme for West Sussex) and West Sussex County Council and involved Bootworks collaborating with a writer (Jane Buckler, and a small team of young writers) for a project/show to premiere at new festival in the South East. Over the period of 2 months Bootworks collaborated with writers to generate texts and performances for our new installation. We are currently seeking further funding to ‘complete’ the project and make more shows. We simply need funds to finish the project and help get it 'on the road'.
The babyboxes themselves are fairly straightforward as an idea, but there is simply nothing like them in the world. They are a number of mini 'box' installations are mounted onto tricycles, and short performances/installations (generated from various collaborations) are presented within.
Each performance will be approximately 5 minute and will run back-to-back, rotating audiences over a period of about an hour, but some shows are longer. Each show will be unique in style, and form; integrating and employing a range of different disciplines, media and devices - so perhaps you have a ‘talking head/performer-in-a-box’ in one instance, but you might also have film, or puppetry, or 'dance', sound or sculpture in others. The scope of this project is huge, and we're really excited about finishing the shows and getting them on the road. We have attracted lots of interest from National and International promoters who are looking to programme us in the coming years. Beyond the need to mount and devise the shows themselves, this project will be fully self sufficient once created, meaning we wont have to apply for any further funding!
Our designer and object artist is helping us design and construct the boxes and environments within, all of which will have a uniform scale and size. So far our Research & Development work has generated mainly ‘text-driven’ work; and range from character-driven monologues to poetic texts that inspire purely visual work. We have plans - if we get the chance to devise - to broaden the scope and style of this project; curating and commissioning other artists’ work, developing more abstract and ‘contemporary’ actions and performances. This is where we need your help!
The installation as a whole will be beautiful and engage audiences from all walks of life. As a company, we have made a reputation for making high quality, innovative and experimental work that is both utterly accessible and presentable in non-traditional locations and events.
Some of the work from the initial Research and Development period will be part of the full range of shows available but we aim - with your help - to create more. The writing generated by the young writers, and used to inspire each show will be published in a small book/brochure, which documents the entire project and or work.
Our long term aims are to expand on the range of boxes (and shows within) to up to 10 units including a 'box office' bike and apply them to the Outdoor Theatre sector both nationally and internationally. More texts will be generated and devised and we can offer events and programmers a selection of shows that appropriately fit their remit and artistic agenda.
