Central to our role as an engine of culture in Wales we nurture talent and amplify diverse voices by supporting artists and creative practitioners across Wales.

We give theatre-makers space to explore ideas and rehearse, provide feedback on scripts and performances, and help get ideas off the ground. We also connect artists with industry professionals and help secure funding.

This groundwork can be purely exploratory – providing an opportunity for artists to test ideas and play – or in some cases can proactively lead to the creation of work that can be performed on our stages and further afield.

In 2021 we created six new Creative Associate roles, a two-year contract for creatives and artists to develop their craft, take time to experiment and be creative.

Supporting Artists

We nurture through a range of different initiatives. We offer any professional theatre-makers a week-long stay in any of our front of house rehearsal spaces for free. We provide advice and feedback to artists who are exploring ideas and sharing work at various stages.

Twice a year we host scratch performances. This is an opportunity for theatre-makers to present new work in development in a safe and low-pressure environment.

The audience in attendance pay what they feel, rather than a standard ticket price, taking out any pressure of selling tickets. The environment is just right for trialling new work and getting a feel for audience response. Theatre-makers can try new things, make mistakes, succeed and find their niche.

In our work supporting artists, there is very little pressure for an outcome. Our role is to guide, support and nurture along the way.

Through our Creative Associates roles we provide robust mentoring and give individuals the space to explore ideas, be creative and take time to develop their craft.

These six full-time roles on two-year contracts at a salary of £25,000 are flexible; participants can be PAYE or freelance, can work part-time or full-time. These roles are also key to our commitment to finding exciting, meaningful, resilient and democratic ways to work with artists, young people and communities.

We also have less formal approaches to nurturing talent. Our Open Office is an informal space for artists and makers to meet with a member of our producing team.

Launched in late 2019, Open Office provides an opportunity for individuals to chat about projects, get practical advice, pitch ideas and find out more about what we do.

In January 2020 Open Office went on tour, visiting Pontio, Bangor to reach out to more people. It was paused due to the Coronavirus pandemic, and we hope to bring this back soon.

Our focus is not simply on developing talent for the stage, but in nurturing practitioners across the sector and being a valuable asset to the wider arts ecosystem in Wales.

How to get in touch

If you’re a theatre-maker or artist looking for some support and guidance, get in touch by emailing artists@wmc.org.uk. This inbox is constantly monitored, and your email will be sent on to the member of staff who can best deal with your enquiry.

Find out how we can support your work

How you can support artists

There are many ways you can support our work with artists. Becoming a member, donating, naming a seat or leaving a gift in your will are all ways you can help us nurture talent in Wales and grow the careers of artists.

If you’d like to support, please do get in touch – we’d love to chat: supporters@wmc.org.uk.