Sundance Institute Announces New, Multi­Year Initiative to Support Theatre Artists from Middle East/North Africa

​Even though the deadline for submissions has passed, this new initiative from SUNDANCE means we have some awesome new talent to watch out for in 2016.

See the Press Release below:

Sundance Institute Announces New, Multi­Year Initiative to Support Theatre Artists from Middle East/North Africa

Theatre Lab for U.S. and MENA Artists to Take Place in Morocco, May 2016, and Theatre­Makers Residency at the Sundance Resort in Utah, June 2016;

Submissions Accepted Through October 15 at ​sundance.org/theatre Institute’s Existing Programs for MENA Artists Include Documentary and Feature Film Creative and Financial Support through Labs, Workshops and Collaborations

New York, NY ​— Sundance Institute today announced a significant expansion of its international cultural exchange programs for independent artists with a new, multi­year initiative to support theatre­makers from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). With the goal of creating new opportunities for cross­cultural connectedness and in­depth mutual artistic reflection and exploration, the Institute will expand its existing international Labs to include a pilot Theatre Lab​in MENA​, to take place in May 2016.

Theatre artists in the U.S. and from MENA can submit their work for consideration for this Lab as well as a new Theatre­Makers Residency​at the Sundance Resort in Utah in summer 2016 through October 15 at sundance.org/theatre in a new application process. Application guidelines are also available in Arabic and French. Robert Redford​, President and Founder of Sundance Institute, said, “We believe stories have the power to impact our culture and build a more engaged society. With a spirit of experimentation and exchange at the core of our work, we hope our support for artists in the Middle East and North Africa will help the most interesting voices reach a global audience.”

​Under the supervision of Sundance Institute Theatre Program Artistic Director Philip Himberg and Producing Director Christopher Hibma and led by Middle East/North Africa Manager Jumana Al­Yasiri, the Theatre Lab ​in MENA will replace the annual Theatre Lab in Utah in 2016, which over the past three decades has provided critical support and development to theatre works including the two most recent Tony Award winners for Best Musical, Lisa Kron and Jeanine Tesori’s Fun Home and Robert L. Freedman & Steven Lutvak’s A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder, as well as titles such as ToasT, Appropriate, Circle Mirror Transformation, An Iliad, The Lily's Revenge, The Good Negro, The Light in the Piazza, Passing Strange, Stuck Elevator, Spring Awakening, Laramie Project and I Am My Own Wife. Up to eight projects by theatre­makers (with equal representation from both the U.S. and Arabic­speaking countries) will be selected to participate in the Lab, taking place at the Fellah Hotel, in collaboration with Dar al­Ma'mûn. The Institute will provide transportation, rehearsal space, dramaturgical support, and an acting company, creating an immersive environment where artists can experiment and see their work take shape. The Lab culminates in a closed presentation of each project for Lab participants, followed by a productive feedback session. For the Lab, the Institute will collaborate with Fellah Hotel, Dar al­Ma'mûn, Sahara Experiences and the Morocco National Tourist Office.

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