SALE'S Waterside Arts Centre and Creative Industries Trafford have announced the winners of their prestigious Independent Theatre Commission.
Mighty Heart Theatre was announced the lucky recipients following a nail-biting ‘scratch night’, where four theatre companies, shortlisted from more than 60 submissions, pitched their ideas to a live audience and industry panel.
The company's new show What's The Matter With You? sets out to tackle the big bad world of mental health. They will interview hundreds of people about their experiences and use the stories to create a joyous, poignant and thought-provoking new performance. Audiences can expect heartfelt dancing, confession and confusion, puppets, politics, and a ukulele.
As well as securing a three-night run for the show at the WAC in November, the company also received £2,000 to produce the play, along with mentoring support from venue staff and the Chambers Studio Producer.
Lisa-Marie Hoctor from Mighty Heart Theatre said: "We are thrilled and very grateful to have won this commission. It feels like a huge responsibility to start creating something about mental health. But, as this is something which has affected our own lives in various ways, we feel it’s a piece we need to make.
"We can’t wait to get back into the rehearsal room together, and are also looking forward to learning loads from working with CIT and Waterside, and being stretched by this new project. We’ve got a chance here to do what we love, and bring people something we think is brilliant. We can’t wait."
The Independent Theatre Commissions will be open for applications again in early 2016.
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