Curve Seeks Submissions for Cameron Mackintosh Resident Composer

Curve has announced it is now seeking a musical theatre composer for the next Cameron Mackintosh Resident Composer Scheme placement, which will be based in Leicester from October 2017 for a six month period.

Mercury Musical Developments and Musical Theatre Network are generously funded by The Cameron Mackintosh Foundation to place five musical theatre composers in producing theatres around the country over 2015 - 18, each on a six month resident composer placement.

In a joint statement Curve Chief Executive Chris Stafford and Curve Artistic Director Nikolai Foster said: "We are thrilled to be partnering with MTN, Mercury Musical Development and the Cameron Mackintosh Foundation on the Resident Composer Scheme. Music plays a major role in our work on and off our stages; it brings new people into the theatre and breaks down boundaries. Supporting a talented composer through this prestigious scheme furthers these aims, in addition to providing a unique opportunity for an extraordinary emerging talent."

Applications are invited from composers from a broad diversity of cultural heritages, who have already had at least one professionally produced musical theatre production (including paid work for a drama college or other training institute), along with other work.

Applicants must be UK residents, and ideally based in Leicester for the duration of the placement period. They will need to be self-sufficient, adaptable and able to take initiative to make the most of working within a large staff in a busy producing theatre. Applicants should also note they will need to be a member of Mercury Musical Developments to receive the award, but needn't be a member to apply.

Key opportunities are likely to include:

· Creating incidental music for this year's Christmas production for children, Roald Dahl's George's Marvellous Medicine, in the 300-seat Studio

· Assisting the Composer Leslie Bricusse, and Orchestrator Sarah Travis, on this year's Christmas musical - Bricusse's Scrooge - in the 900-seat Theatre

· Assisting in the development process for a major new musical currently in development at Curve

· A period of R&D on the successful applicant's own musical theatre work

· An opportunity to present ideas for a project to the Artistic Director and Programming team

· Composing incidental music for a production in early 2018

The successful applicant will also receive an all-inclusive fee of £11,000.

Curve Associate Artist Dougal Irvine won the residency in 2012, and was based at the Royal & Derngate in Northampton. An award-winning Composer, Lyricist and Writer, Dougal has since worked on range of productions in recent years, including Made At Curve productions The Twits, The Importance of Being Earnest and The Witches.

He said: "My Resident Composer placement came at a pivotal stage in my career. It removed me of financial strain for six months, enabling me to spend working hours on creative work and not day jobs to pay the bills. Spending time in a working producing house also made me feel part of a team, and opened up my view of the industry from the inside.

"I'd be thrilled and a little envious of whoever receives the Cameron Mackintosh/Mercury Musicals Resident Composer placement at Curve. I'm sure the recipient will be challenged and thrilled to be at the centre of one of Britain's leading producing houses. To contribute first hand to a top regional theatre serving both its community and the UK/International market will grow their artistic vision and expand their horizons. In Nikolai Foster the recipient will have mentorship from one of the kindest, most intelligent, theatrically knowledgeable and passionate people working in the industry today. Nikolai is top of the game, and I expect anyone working with him for six months to leave at the same level."

Those interested in applying for this opportunity should complete the online application form at www.mercurymusicals.com/cameron-mackintosh-resident-composer/cameron-mackintosh-resident-composer-curve-leicester-composer-brief. Applicants will also be asked to upload examples of their work via SoundCloud that reflect the diversity of their work and abilities as a musical theatre composer.

Applications must be received by midday on Tue 2 May. Those shortlisted will then be notified by Mon 5 Jun, and required to write two short pieces of music/song to a specific brief, to be submitted by Midday on Mon 26 Jun. From this process, a final shortlist of candidates will be selected for interview with representatives of Curve, Mercury Musicals Development and Music Theatre Network, taking place on Wed 26 Jul at Curve.

Curve is a major producing theatre, creating compelling cultural experiences for all those who live, learn, visit and work in Leicester and Leicestershire. We use our unique home and talent to entertain, inspire and engage with a diverse audience and play a leading role in the development of our industry, our city and our global community. At the heart of this is the ambition to offer our local audiences world-class theatrical experiences (created under our Made at Curve banner).

Under the leadership of Chief Executive Chris Stafford and Artistic Director Nikolai Foster, Curve is developing a reputation for producing, programming and touring a bold and diverse programme of musicals, plays, new work and dance. All of this presented alongside a dynamic mix of community engagement and learning opportunities, which firmly places audiences and communities at the heart of everything Curve does.

We are a registered charity (number 230708) and this supports our work with people of all ages and backgrounds, enabling them to access, participate in and learn from the arts, nurturing new and emerging talent and creating outstanding, award-winning theatrical experiences.

Recent productions and co-productions Made At Curve include: Joe Orton's What the Butler Saw (& Theatre Royal Bath); Jim Jacobs & WarRen Casey's Grease (& for a limited season in Dubai); Dahl's The Twits (& Lyric Theatre, Hong Kong, Rose Theatre Kingston & UK tour); The Importance of Being Earnest (with Birmingham Rep); Dahl's Fantastic Mr Fox, in a new adaptation by Sam Holcroft (a co-production with Nuffield Theatres & on tour); our Community Company productions of Alan Parker's Bugsy Malone and Shakespeare's Richard III; the Broadway musical Spring Awakening (with National Youth Music Theatre); Sister Act (& UK tour); Legally Blonde (& Daegu Opera Festival, South Korea - Winner Best Musical - Daegu International Musical Festival Awards); Truman Capote's Breakfast at Tiffany's (& Haymarket Theatre, London & UK tour); Ishy Din's Wipers (in collaboration with Belgrade Theatre Coventry & Watford Palace - Winner Asian Media Awards); Roald Dahl's The Witches, adapted by David Wood (& Lyric Theatre, Hong Kong, Rose Theatre Kingston, UK tour & West Yorkshire Playhouse); Tennessee Williams' A Streetcar Named Desire; Hairspray (& UK tour); Akram Khan's Until the Lions (with Roundhouse, London); Sue Townsend's The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole Aged 13 ¾ - The Musical and Jonathan Harvey's Beautiful Thing (with Nottingham Playhouse & UK tour).

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