York Theatre Royal wants love letters from poets, writers, performers, singers, dancers, digital artists to help celebrate its re-opening on May 17th.
Under the umbrella title Love Bites the 20 five minute pieces will be performed on the opening night of The Love Season.
The commissions on the theme of love will then be presented across the following fortnight as a prelude to the theatre production playing each night.
The successful artists will be offered £1,000 a commission plus £150 every time it is performed.
“We want local artists working in any form or medium and currently living in York to join forces with us in celebrating the start of live performances when restrictions lift in May,” says Creative Director Juliet Forster.
“We are looking for artists to create love letters through any medium. The love letter could be to a person, a place, an object, the city of York itself – or anything else. We are very keen to incorporate as wide a mix of art forms and interpretations of what a love letter is as possible. It could be a poem, a song, a piece of digital art, a dance piece but should be able to be performed or shared both live and in digital form.
“The piece should have a duration of up to five minutes. If the artist doesn’t want to perform the piece themselves we will work with them on engaging an appropriate performer.”
Those interested in being commissioned are being asked to write a short proposal for what their love letter might be, how it could be performed live and translated into digital form. They are also asked to submit links to their website or previous work.
Submissions should be emailed to commissions@yorktheatreroyal.co.uk by 22nd March 2021. Details of how to apply are on the theatre website www.yorktheatreroyal.co.uk