Fuel Announces 2020 Programme

Fuel's first commission for 2020 is Inua Ellams' first work for children: a radical afro-futurist reimagining of the classic French children's story The Little Prince by Saint-Exupéry. Broken down in the Sahara Desert, desperate to repair her plane, a pilot meets an extraordinary Prince. They quickly form a friendship and the pilot re-discovers the power of imagination, the importance of small efforts, and the meaning of friendship. Directed by Femi Elufowoju Jr with design by Miriam Nabarro and music by Cassie Kinoshi, the show will open at Stratford Circus Arts Centre as part of a programme supported by Newham Council to give every year 6 pupil in the borough the opportunity to see a new piece of theatre for free. The Little Prince is a Fuel production in association with English Touring Theatre, co-commissioned by Fuel, Stratford Circus Arts Centre, ASU Gammage, Z-arts, The Albany, Warwick Arts Centre and Future Arts Centres. Supported using public funding by Arts Council England and the Garrick Trust.

The Body Remembers is a new work by Heather Agyepong, created in collaboration with Imogen Knight. Using movement, projection and a series of audio testimonies, The Body Remembers explores the effects of internalised trauma on the physical body, and how feelings of extreme visibility within hostile environments and spaces cause the body to conform, particularly for black women across different generations. Working with experts from The Wellcome Trust and extensive interviews with people who have experienced trauma themselves, Agyepong's show will premiere at an offsite venue with CPT in London before touring.

In a new partnership with Rambert, Fuel have commissioned dancer and choreographer Hemabharathy Palani's first collaboration with director Hetain Patel to create Salt and Sugar. Part dance, part spoken word, the show dissects what it means to be an Indian woman in the 21st century. This new live performance piece will tour to venues including Luton's Hat Factory and Glasgow's Tramway.

A Dead Body in Taos is a new play by David Farr (The Night Manager, Hanna) which will premiere as a co-production with the Arcola Theatre in November 2020. The production will be directed by Rachel Bagshaw (The Shape of the Pain).

Fuel will premiere a new project by Common Wealth, Speakers Corner and Bradford Modified Car Club exploring Islamophobia, racial profiling and modified car culture. Peaceophobia challenges the political, social and cultural narratives sounding young Muslim men. Part theatre show and part car rally, Peaceophobia walks the line between political and fun and addresses the hostility and misunderstanding surrounding Islam. The production will premiere in Bradford in 2020 and tour the UK in 2021. Peaceophobia is co-commissioned by Co-Creating Change.

Director Alan Lane (Slung Low), writer Keisha Thompson (Man in the Moon) and designer Börkur Jónsson (Vesturport) will collaborate on a new show for children entitled Izzy, BOSSS and Fractal which creates a world where children have to work together to solve the problems we face today. All children have a right to experience high-quality live performance and at a time when it is increasingly difficult for schools to provide this, Fuel brings the brand new, visceral show for children aged 5+ straight to them, in school playgrounds, public spaces and family-friendly festivals.

Existing shows The Day I Fell Into A Book (Lewis Gibson), An Evening with an Immigrant (Inua Ellams), So Many Reasons (Racheal Ofori), The Kids Are Alright (Encounter Productions), will also tour across the UK and internationally from Eastleigh to Kerala. The Hartlepool Monkey (Gyre and Gimble) will be re-imagined with the community of Hartlepool, presented at the Waterfront Festival 2020.

Following the success of Fly The Flag in 2019, Fuel will be leading the project through to 2023, the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. This five-year project, in partnership with Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, Liberty, Sadler's Wells, Coventry City of Culture and Farnham Maltings, aims to inspire the next generation to know and claim their human rights.

Fuel announces the appointment of Dr Magda Osman as Associate Scientist who will lead a new Fuel initiative called The Laboratory. Dr Osman is Head of the Centre of Mind in Society at Queen Mary University of London. The Laboratory will invite artists to submit applications for projects that are rooted in a cross-disciplinary approach. The project is part funded by the Wellcome Trust through Sustaining Excellence.

Fuel also confirms 2020 will see a continuation of its unique partnership with Coombe Farm Studios - The Distillery. It provides a supportive environment to enable artists and producers to undertake focused periods of research and development in rural Devon. Among these residencies, Fuel will also continue Producer Farm - a place for producers to refresh their current and future practice, in partnership with Bristol Old Vic, Coombe Farm, Dance Umbrella and In Between Time. Fuel will also extend its residency programme in 2020, working with Cove Park and Hawkwood House to offer artists and producers a place to develop fresh ideas and foster new collaborations.

For further details and booking information about all the above productions please visit the Fuel website at www.fueltheatre.com.

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