Paul Hamlyn Foundation

Claire Docherty is the founder of Situations, an art commissioning agency which operated from within a research context internationally. In 2009, she was directing the Situations programme as Senior Research Fellow at the University of the West of England (UWE) in Bristol. The Breakthrough Fund supported Claire to transfer Situations out of UWE to become an independent charitable arts organisation; with the grant providing funding for a core team and programme of new projects from November 2012.

Common Wealth make experimental, multi-disciplinary theatre with, by and for people new to the arts that is rooted in their socialist politics, working class backgrounds, and an ambition to make change. Their Breakthrough grant in 2018 enabled them to appoint a Collaboration Coordinator in each city, supported the company’s producing budgets, digital capacity and creative R&D with artists emerging through Common Wealth’s projects and programmes. This grant will support core costs for Common Wealth to continue to grow the company in South Wales and navigate the end of their Breakthrough Fund grant and the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.

David is the Director of Bury Metropolitan Arts Association (The Met), where he has built up a very successful folk and roots music programme including the Ramsbottom and Homegrown Festivals, which has allowed him to build audiences for other areas of the Met’s programme. The Breakthrough Fund supported David to set up his own company, So It Is. This company produces its own events and festivals. It also works with the Met and new networks of venues in the North West, many of whom have limited arts programming, to build strong, distinctive programmes and to attract sustained, enthusiastic audiences.

David Agnew was previously supported to set up his own company, So It Is. So It Is produces events and festivals and supports new networks of venues in the North West, many of whom have limited arts programming, to build strong, distinctive programmes and to attract sustained, enthusiastic audiences. This grant will support 2014 Breakthrough Fund recipient David Agnew to continue to develop adventurous programming and audiences, largely in music and outdoor events, in partnership with venues and other producers in the North West.

David Jubb is the Artistic Director and CEO of Battersea Arts Centre. David was awarded Breakthrough Fund support at the time that Battersea Arts Centre had secured a 125 year lease from Wandsworth Borough Council on its 19^th century town hall home, securing its future in the light of threatened cuts. The Breakthrough Fund supported activity in a number of areas, including a collaboration with architects Haworth Tompkins, new models of commissioning, producing artists to make work for young people, new ways of hosting artists’ residencies and the introduction of a new project working culture across the organisation. It also funded a dual artistic leadership model with David Micklem.

Emma is Director of Prime Cut Productions in Belfast, one of Northern Ireland’s leading independent theatre companies. Established since 1992, the company has premiered over 32 critically acclaimed plays. The Breakthrough Fund supported Prime Cut to strengthen its producing relationships and its invitations to perform outside Northern Ireland. It allowed Emma to initiate and explore new artistic collaborations and aspects to her own work as a director. In additional it enabled her to devise and lead a series of artist development opportunities for emerging theatre makers in Northern Ireland.

Felix Barrett and Colin Marsh were the Artistic and Executive Directors of Punchdrunk, an artistic performance company. The Breakthrough Fund was the first funding awarded to the company and allowed Felix and Colin to pay themselves their first salaries and to create the role of Enrichment Director to set up Punchdrunk’s fledgling Enrichment Programme. This allowed the company to undertake a number of UK and international commissions and to grow their reputation as a providers of immersive theatre.

Gareth Evans was co-director of Artevents, a company that works with artists, thinkers and innovators to create works of art which discuss the nature and values of contemporary society. The Breakthrough Fund supported Gareth, with collaborator Di Robson, to conceive and produce The Re-Enchantment, a national arts project which came to fruition in 2011. It explored our relationship to place through four major artists’ commissions. The Breakthrough Fund provided core support for Gareth and Di to commit themselves to this project for three years and contributed towards one of the four commissions.

Gavin is Director of Eastside Projects, an artist-led space founded by Gavin and five other artist collaborators in 2008 in response to an invitation from Birmingham City University and Arts Council England. The Breakthrough Fund provided core funding to allow co-founder and artist Ruth Claxton to take on the new role of Associate Director. It also supported the development of three gallery assistant posts and an expanded exhibitions programme.

Helen Cole is the Artistic Director and CEO of In Between Time Productions, an international production company working with artists and audiences to create extraordinary art works and unusual experiences. The Breakthrough Fund provided core funding for set up to set up this Bristol-based company in 2009. In Between Time produces the biennial In Between Time International Festival of Performance and commissions and produces specially conceived artists’ projects and curated events.