Building on more than ten years of successful partnership, Fishamble: The New Play Company, Irish Theatre Institute and Dublin Fringe Festival are joining forces again for DUETS, an artist development scheme that supports theatre makers in the creation of their own new tourable productions.

This initiative is aimed at professional theatre makers from any discipline working in pairs to tell an undeniable story through the unique combination of their skillsets. DUETS provides a supportive framework in which artists can lead and create their own tour-ready show.

This year we are opening applications for one spot on the DUETs scheme. Given the uncertainties faced by our industry last year, two of the three pairs of DUETs who were selected as part of 2020’s DUETs scheme will be premiering their work as part of Dublin Fringe Festival 2021. These wonderful artists are Eoghan Carrick & Lauren Shannon Jones and Jane Madden & Sarah Morris. These exciting new collaborations are currently in development. You can find out more about these artists and their work here.

This year, we are looking for one pair of artists to combine their skills to create a piece of theatre that can be made and experienced remotely. That could mean digitally, through the airwaves, on the phone, in the post or anything else you can imagine! We are seeking proposals for inventive work that can meet audiences wherever they are. We’re looking for projects with a spirit of liveness, of intimacy and a strong sense of theatricality. Although made and delivered remotely, we want to support a project that makes a meaningful connection between artist and audience.

DUETS is an artist support initiative that champions singular stories told using the unique combination of skills of the two artists involved. The three partner organisations will provide support as the artists create a piece of tour-ready new work. Selected projects will receive dramaturgical mentorship from Fishamble’s Gavin Kostick throughout the creation process. Dublin Fringe Festival will provide the supported platform for the work to premiere as part of Dublin Fringe Festival 2021. Irish Theatre Institute will offer producing mentoring and broker connections with programmers most suited to presenting the show.  The selected project will also receive an idea development bursary of €5500.

WHO SHOULD APPLY

YOU! Every artist has a peer or colleague they are particularly inspired by. Are you a pair of would-be collaborators just dying to make a show together? Have you been dreaming of performing a duologue, riffing together and sketching an idea, waiting for the right moment? This is it! Fishamble, ITI and Fringe will offer support and mentorship as you develop and create your very own new work together.

We invite applications from pairs of artists who are compelled to create a unique performance that only they together could make. We are seeking joint applications from actors, designers, directors, playwrights – a creative duet of any configuration that is integral to the story they wish to tell.  At least one of the applicants must be a performer. This year we particularly encourage international collaborations and/ or remote collaborations. We encourage collaborations between experienced and early career artists. We are interested in new stories and new ideas – traditional adaptations of existing works are not eligible to apply.

The partners are committed to creating a diverse programme of work and we welcome applications from Ireland-based artists and Irish artists living abroad of all gender identities, nationalities, races, cultural backgrounds, ages, religions, languages, different abilities, sexual orientations, socioeconomic statuses or geographic regions. We welcome applications from projects in the Irish language.

Tá fáilte roimh aisteoirí iarratas a chuir isteach má tá suim agat dráma nua a dhéanamh. Má eiríonn le d’iarratas, tabharfaidh na comhpháirtithe DUETS tacaíocht duit dráma a dhéanamh trí mheán na Gaeilge.

PRE-APPLICATION INFORMATION SESSION

This will take place on Wednesday 10th February at 1pm over ZOOM. Please register through this link.

MAKING AN APPLICATION

1. Read the Application Guide carefully (attached at the end of this page).

2. Complete the expression of interest form here OR send a video submission via Dropbox to programming@fringefest.com. Video submissions should be no more than 2 mins long and include all of the information detailed in the online form.

3. Email CVs and headshots to programming@fringefest.com(nothing bigger than 2MB please)

The deadline for applications is 10am GMT on Monday 1st March.Suitable applicants will be shortlisted and invited to discuss their proposal at a meeting soon afterwards.