Submissions

SUBMISSIONS ARE CURRENTLY CLOSED. PLEASE KEEP AN EYE ON THE WEBSITE OR MAILOUTS FOR THE NEXT SUBMISSION DATE.

Before making an application please read through the Information for Artists (below).

 PILOT Nights receive an ever-increasing number of applications. We cannot hope to programme all of these. For this reason your ability to meet the criteria is extremely important.

Please apply using the online form (below). We cannot receive any applications or supporting material by post.

Information for Artists

PILOT Nights provide a space where artists making devised theatre can develop their practice in an informal and supportive atmosphere.

Originally set up to support West Midlands based artists PILOT Nights now accept applications nationally. PILOT Nights believe firmly that in order to support regional development it is as important to bring in theatre makers as it is to book regional work. However, where there is a wealth of strong applications some priority is given to artists making work in the West Midlands.

 For PILOT 17 priority may also be given to artists who will most benefit from access to rehearsal space in the week leading up to the presentation.

The Work

PILOT Nights are designed to support work-in-progress showings. Applicants must demonstrate that their proposed piece will be developed and so has a future beyond a showing at a PILOT Night.

PILOT Nights are designed for theatre makers. In the case of artists working in performance art, dance or other performative fields, they must be able to demonstrate that their work has an emphasis on a theatrical experience for the audience. Where this is not the case we would recommend applying to events more suited to the needs of your particular practise.

PILOT Nights will accept applications from artists who have worked collaboratively with a writer and have work to show. We do not however accept scripts alone. For those with scripts we suggest contacting the Birmingham REP or SCRIPT, the West Midlands agency for dramatic writers (www.scriptonline.net).

The Venue

PILOT 17 will be hosted by Stan’s Cafe in their home rehearsal/performance space

@ A E Harris, 110 Northwood Street (corner of James Street), Jewellery Quarter, Birmingham. @ A E Harris is a venue in a factory offering a range of performance spaces listed below. Lighting, sound and projection resources are strictly limited and applicants should not rely upon complex technical support.

Unique to PILOT 17 is the opportunity for artists to work on-site @ A E Harris from Monday 29th June through until performances on the Thursday evening 2nd July. Get out can take place either at the evening’s close or on Friday 3rd July. This will allow artists to make pieces for, or tailor them around the venue. Please express any preference for space as part of your application.

Space 1: The America’s.

This is a long, relatively thin space (33.6m x 9.3m) with windows down one side providing views of Birmingham’s City Centre, the other long side features a series of pillars. There is no black out in this space.

Space 2: Space.
This is a miniscule office space, semi-rotting, suitable for an installation or one person performance viewed from a doorway.

Space 3: Africa.
A square(ish) space (11m x 9.5m) with slightly uneven floor. This space has a reasonable black out and could be used for end on theatrical presentation.

Space 4: Asia.

A wide L shaped space (19.2m x 14m-10.2m) with skylights but no windows, a roller shutter to the street and another to a courtyard. This space cannot be blacked out.

Space 5: Europe.
A Rectangular space (24.6m x 11m) with skylights. This space cannot be blacked out.

Space 6: The Office.
A small room with hardboard walls and ceiling. One window faces the city centre, one is an internal window which looks down the Americas and the doorway opens into Europe. This space can be blacked-out.

Space 7: The A4 Room.
A rectangular room (12.5m x 6.2m) with a relatively low ceiling, a black floor and two pillars. This space can be blacked-out.

Space 8: The Courtyard.

For the most part open to the sky, this is a relatively spacious internal courtyard  (280sqm)  which slopes away to street access through a roller shutter. In one corner a steep flight of metal steps under a roof leads to a doorway.

The tarmac is uneven.

Space 9: The Canteen.
Opening off the courtyard and across a corridor from the toilets, this room has a lino floor, a sink and fridge. It could be blacked out. Most of the time it is used as the venue’s canteen (6m x 3m).

Financial Support

Participating artists will receive a small bursary towards their work’s development at a rate of £75 per work and an additional £50 for each extra performer. Companies will also receive a contribution towards travel expenses on the performance day, assuming that each will travel to Birmingham in the most cost-effective manner.

Application Form

There are two steps to the online submission process - step one is for information about you and your project and the second step allows you to send an image to support your submission. Please note that in step one we ask for website and/ or links to video footage or further images of your work. Such documentation is extremely useful in terms of our assessing your application and should be included wherever possible. However we appreciate that not all artists will have a website or online footage and we do accept applications without. Similarly information concerning press coverage is useful but not compulsory.

Please note that once you click through to step two your applcation will automatically be submitted.

Should you experience any problems with the online application please answer all of the questions and forward the information to info@pilotnights.co.uk.