Gate to expand with Breakthrough Fund money

First Published 2 June 2009, Last Updated 2 June 2009

Notting Hill venue the Gate theatre has been awarded £254,000 from the Paul Hamlyn Foundation’s Breakthrough Fund, recognising the work of its Artistic Directors Natalie Abrahami and Carrie Cracknell.

The fund, which supports “cultural entrepreneurs who manage the creative process behind great art”, awards money to those who show “the vision, drive and track record of making things happen”.

Abrahami and Cracknell, who met in 2004, became Joint Artistic Directors of the Gate theatre in January 2007, since when they have focused on building a reputation for international theatre and exploring cross-disciplinary and non-textual productions.

Speaking about what the funding award means, Abrahami and Cracknell said: “The Breakthrough Fund will help us to further develop the Gate Elsewhere brand that will see work from the Gate starting to tour both nationally and internationally and will allow us to seek out and commission emerging international theatre makers. We are thrilled to have been offered such an extraordinary development opportunity at this stage in our careers, as it will increase the scope and ambition of our programming at the Gate while enabling us to develop as directors in our own right. The Paul Hamlyn Foundation’s backing represents an incredible commitment to the experimental work we are creating at the Gate. We can’t wait to see what possibilities the next three years will hold.”

The funding will also be used to recruit an Associate Producer and Assistant Producer to work alongside the Artistic Directors.

MA

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