At artsdepot, it’s all about celebrating the arts and inspiring audiences. The North Finchley cultural hub works continuously with performers and creative types to encourage artistic innovation and support their artistic development, and it has just announced the first six companies that will be taking up residency at the venue this spring and summer.

Each company will set up ‘home’ in artsdepot’s Creation Space for two weeks, during which time they will research and develop ideas for new work.

The companies are:
 

HighRise Theatre, an inclusive theatre collective, will be working on the development of The Concrete Jungle Book, their take on Rudyard Kipling’s classic, about a young man brought up in the foster care system and his journey to manhood (February 2 to 13).

Spiltmilk Dance will be undertaking research and development for a new performance piece, Blast from the Past, a journey through the last 60 years of British culture that features a short dance for every year since the recorded music charts began in 1952 (February 23 to March 6).

Four Shadows Theatre makes devised work in response to people, historical events and existing stories, and is currently developing Everest: 1924, a show about George Mallory’s pioneering expedition to make the first ascent of the mountain (March 17 to April 2).

Anna Beecher and Rachel Lincoln are developing a live art show for babies and adults, evoking each season through the senses and exploring what it feels like to experience the world for the first time (May 5 to 18).

Page One Theatre creates ensemble theatre for young audiences, combining movement and puppetry with traditional and new technologies. They will be working with award-winning author Frann Preston-Gannon to develop ideas for their next performance, Grandmother’s Beach Hut (June 8 to 19).

Bootworks Theatre is a group of artists who work in a range of disciplines and contexts, and they will be working on The Many Doors of Frank Feelbad, an intimate performance for children and families exploring loss and grief using live action, puppetry, projection and sound in a bespoke touring installation (June).

“We feel that it’s really important to support artists to explore new ideas,“ says artsdepot’s artistic director Kerry Andrews, “and we’re delighted to have secured funding to enable us to offer these residencies.“

  • The companies will be in residence at artsdepot, Tally Ho Corner, Nether Street, North Finchley throughout spring and summer, from February. Details: 020 8369 5454, artsdepot.co.uk