This year Finger in the Pie launched a new competition as part of our Mimetic festival to help fund two new pieces of theatre. Here’s some of the thinking behind it.
We believe in the importance of supporting new work
We believe in the importance of supporting new work. We’re well aware of how hard it is to get new projects off the ground. There’s so often a vicious circle – that in order to get support you need to demonstrate you already have it. We see the Mimetic Commission as a way of giving companies the initial foundation of support they need to attract the multitude of funders, associates and organisations necessary to create a fully staged production. In return for this initial support we ask successful companies to re-invest 2% of the total revenue their show creates, to keep the fund going, in order to give the same support to other companies which they’ve received themselves. As well as financial support the commission also offers £3,000 worth of support in kind, including rehearsal space and mentoring from Finger in the Pie. We believe the commission should represent a lasting relationship. With this in mind we are constantly looking at ways for prior recipients to be involved in how the award evolves – including shaping what we offer through the commission, and taking part in the selection process for the following years.