News

Trinity Laban is supporting 24 emerging local artists to develop their entrepreneurial expertise and establish sustainable careers through one-off grants and bespoke professional support. The scheme strengthens Trinity Laban’s ties with the local creative community, building a vital network to help boost the post-pandemic recovery of performing arts in south east London.

Funded by the Higher Education Innovation Fund, TL Ignite has been specifically designed to reduce the financial barriers for artists entering the industry and help nurture creative innovation and life-long learning.

Selected from over 100 applications, the 2021 TL Ignite awardees are:

• Cherise Adams-Burnett – jazz vocalist and composer
• Layla Allen – clarinettist and educator
• Marcus Alessandrini – dance artist
• Laure Dubanet – dance artist
• Ieva Dubova – pianist and composer
• Chesney Fawkes-Porter – musical theatre podcast creator
• Olivia Fraser – oboist
• Greta Gauhe – choreographer and dancer
• Olivia Graham – singer and composer
• Linn Johansson – feminist theatre maker and facilitator
• Nicolas Jones – trombonist and founder of The Reel Folks
• Rachel Laird – Co-founder of Sliding Doors Collective
• Megan Linnell – singer, composer and arranger
• Mikaela Livadiotis – pianist
• Martha Mitu – violinist and composer
• Ewan Moore – drummer
• Laura Marie O’Connor – musical theatre writer
• Evie Oldham – dance artist
• Calum Perrin – sound artist
• Teresa Skamletz – dance artist
• Shannon Latoyah Simon – classical guitarist, sound healer and multidisciplinary artist
• Monica Tolia – multidisciplinary choreographer and visual artist
• Jessica Walker – choreographer, movement director and dance artist
• Annys Whyatt – theatre-maker

Through seed-funding and a curated programme of knowledge exchange, TL Ignite aims to empower these newly graduated and early-career creatives to identify and realise development opportunities, find new ways to connect with audiences, build their networks and monetise their work.

The recipients, who are all in the first five years of their careers, will use the award for project realisation, digital creation and professional development, enabling engagement with local communities and the creation of new work.

Recipient Jessica Walker comments –

“It means the world to me to know that Trinity Laban truly believes in the work that I want to produce. This award will provide me with the stepping stones to start my own dance company and provide opportunities for other Black contemporary dancers.”

Fellow awardee Annys Whyatt comments –

“Receiving this award is such an exciting opportunity for me and gives me the means to realise a project I have wanted to create for a very long time. I am looking forward to making new creative relationships with other local artists being able to show and share our work with each other.”

Trinity Laban Principal Anthony Bowne comments –

“These 24 early-career artists represent the exceptional wealth of creativity and home-grown talent thriving in south east London. As a world-leading performing arts institution, it is vital that we share our knowledge and expertise with our wider local community to help emerging creative professionals navigate an increasingly challenging arts landscape. TL Ignite provides an opportunity for these emerging artists to enhance their skills, resilience and adaptability so that they can continue to build and contribute to a vibrant post-Covid arts ecology.”