Currently in the Studio

Introducing the artists on our Artist Development Programme - Space | Time | Tools | Advice.
Each producing their own unique works, they present a diverse range of creative output.

Missing Theatre
IOU Studio, May 2023

Comprising of Writer/Director: Marguerite Luna Vermersch, Creative Producer Emily Lloyd, American theatre artist
Kenzi Allen Negro, Artist/Set Designer Tom McVeigh and Sound Designer Helios Lyons – Missing Theatre are an international multidisciplinary collective dedicated to blending these art forms to tell stories of people rarely seen.

Instruction on How to Be Alone is Missing Theatre’s first piece.  An immersive installation that focuses on the mental health struggles experienced by a person belonging to the post-pandemic generation. Through the use of set design, sound, and performance, the project aims to reveal the unseen and provide the audience with an understanding of the struggles faced by those who experience mental health issues.

 

woman dances wearing a black suit. In the foreground a man with his back to us films her

As an international group, they originally worked solely in the digital realm of Zoom. While this allowed them to brainstorm and develop concepts, they recognised the limitations of creating a multidisciplinary piece without physical spaces to work in.  They applied to the IOU STTA programme and in May spent a week staying at the IOU Hostel and working in our studio, transferring the concept into a tangible production.

Missing Theatre

 

We are immensely grateful for IOU Theatre's support in bringing our project to life. Without their belief in our work and the opportunity they provided, "Instructions on How to Be Alone" would not have evolved into the transformative and captivating experience we envisioned. IOU Theatre's partnership has been invaluable, and we look forward to further collaboration and growth in the future.

Creative Producer Emily Lloyd

Artists who have completed their
Space |Time |Tools | Advice programme in
2022-2023

A chair sits in front of screen that shows a black and white image of the chair . A man stands to one side reading from a paper

Garth Williams

Garth's time in the IOU Studio focussed on experimentation with set and projection, creating a piece based on his experiences in hospital using camera, lights, and green screens.

4 figures stand in a large space with red lights

Girl Gang

After receiving Arts Council England funding Girl Gang spent time in the IOU studio to R&D their project Millennial Pink - looking at what it's like to be a teenage female in the noughties

2 women dance on a large trampoline , 2 other women watch . The space is all white

Feet off the Ground

In residence at IOU for a week in May 2022 during the research and development phase of their work Turning Point, IOU supported Feet Off The Ground with studio space and accommodation at Hebden Bridge Hostel. As part of their research, they hosted a workshop at IOU supported by Greenham Women Everywhere – an organisation dedicated to preserving the archives of women who resisted the nuclear arms race at Greenham Common for 19 years. Together they engaged in a day of dancing, singing, writing and storytelling, which significantly influenced the final work and enhanced the creative process.
There is a boat on a canal, in the background there are hills in view, and sat on the boat are four people, and a sculpture of a yellow boat with gold sails.

Sonya Moorhead

Opal’s Comet is a short story, written by Sonya Moorhead questioning how we might navigate personal grief, loss and transformation as, globally, we veer towards social evolution and climate crisis. The show was rehearsed at IOU before its presentation on the Leeds/Liverpool canal in November 2021.

Two teenage people sit on the floor wearing blue school jumpers. There is a girl on the left who is brown skinned with dark hair holding a dinosaur. On the right is a boy who is white skinned with blonde hair, he is wearing a facemask and looking at the toy dinosaur.

Art with Heart

In 2021 Art with Heart made a new show for primary age children in partnership with Manchester Museum and Z-Arts. The show introduced children to basic BSL and used 3D projection mapping and AR to tell its story. IOU provided mentoring for the company ahead of the performances
The image is bright yellow, with a teal colour text over the top. The text says Trans Creative and is shaped in a way the text starts small and then gets bigger.

Trans Creative

Founded by Kate O’Donnell in 2017, Trans Creative produces high quality, accessible, political arts, creating a safe space where trans people tell and hear their own stories. They deliver a combined arts festival called Trans Vegas, which is created for, and by Trans people annually. The event attracts thousands of people live and digitally, as well as year round live and digital events.

A man with dark hair and beard looks at the camera. He is white skinned and has a forest in the background that is blurry.

Wayne Sables

Wayne is a video artist who has contacted IOU for mentorship and support in developing his career. Wayne is keen to learn routes into other sectors so that he can work across a range of platforms.