Colab:East

Three people wearing woolly hats and high vis jackets. They are gazing in the distance at something alarming and the woman in the middle is pointing at whatever it is.

CoLab:East is an exciting new programme designed to offer early-career theatre artists a unique opportunity to gain the experience, skills and network needed to kick-start their career and contribute to creative, social and economic change in East Anglia.

The project brings together a cohort of mixed experience and skills, and offers the chance for participants to develop invaluable peer connections which may have suffered as a result of the pandemic.

Participants are offered R&D sessions to develop a new piece, mentoring and networking opportunities with key industry speakers and expert-by-experience led learning opportunities. The project will culminate in a public performance funded and supported by Spinning Wheel Theatre.

A woman and man standing in front of a wall with a sign saying Pondland. The man on the left wears green and stands hunched over grimacing. The woman on the right wears a white puffer jacket with her hands in the air and eyes and mouth wide open

  • To bridge the gap in practical experiences left by the pandemic.

  • To create and develop a new network in the East in order to retain local talent, and to encourage creatives to return to the East to make work.

  • To plan for the future of the creative economy in the East.

  • To be a part of the cultural recovery for those at the start of their careers.

The Colab:East Mission

“Colab:East helped me gain new skills in topics I felt were unapproachable or mysterious, like funding and relationship building.”
“I have so many new connections to draw on.”
“This project has been so joyful and invigorating.”

Participants saw a significant improvement in their mental health as a result of participating.

  • 61% improvement in feeling good about themselves

  • 63% improvement in their confidence

  • 73% improvement in how useful they feel

  • 48% improvement in how close they feel to others. 

  • 100% of participants ended the project feeling able to make up their own mind about things, feeling cheerful and optimistic about their future often or all of the time.

We are not currently recruiting for the next Colab:East cohort, but subscribe to our newsletter below to be the first to find out about opportunities, or contact us to register your interest in the project.

A woman in foreground has two buns on her head and is holding her breath with wide eyes and puffed out cheeks. A man stands just behind her wearing a leather jacket and smiling menacingly.