Chosen from an open call out process earlier this year. This latest cohort includes nationally acclaimed children’s arts company The Herd as Lincoln Arts Centre’s sixth Associate Artist, Grantham-based theatre-maker Josh Lewis and his company Cracking Slate as a new Innovate Artist, and development support for two new plays by Lincolnshire born playwrights James McDermott and Laura Turner. 

Together, the projects represent Lincoln Arts Centre’s ongoing commitment to supporting artists at every stage of their careers, providing financial backing, space, and mentoring to help turn ideas into cultural experiences for audiences. 

Making space for childhood 

Joining the Associate Artist programme is Hull-based company The Herd, creators of award-winning theatre, installations and play experiences for babies, young children and families. 

Rooted in co-creation, The Herd works directly with children to develop imaginative experiences that celebrate childhood, nurture creativity and strengthen family connection. Their work has appeared everywhere from libraries and family hubs to major cultural venues including the Southbank Centre, where their acclaimed installation REPLAY transformed reclaimed materials into a giant collaborative playground. 

As Associate Artists, The Herd will explore new opportunities to work with families, artists and communities across Lincolnshire, building connections between two neighbouring regions with a shared ambition to increase access to high-quality cultural experiences for young children. 

Empowering young people to shape stories 

The newest Innovate Artist is Cracking Slate, founded by Grantham writer and producer Josh Lewis. 

Known for creating participatory experiences where children influence the direction of the story, Cracking Slate’s debut production, Lose the Path, Find Your Way, toured schools, libraries and theatres across the East Midlands. 

Through the Innovate programme, Lewis will develop a new production, Voyagers, while working with young people and local communities to explore themes of aspiration, sustainability and the future. Alongside artistic development, the programme will support the company’s long-term growth, helping strengthen its business model and deepen its roots within Lincolnshire. 

Developing the next generation of theatre 

Lincoln Arts Centre is also supporting two playwrights to develop new scripts following their work-in-progress sharings at the centre’s Demo nights. 

Award-winning writer James McDermott will create a first draft of I’m From Lincolnshire But I Pretend I’m Not (working title), a humorous and deeply personal solo show exploring identity, queerness, grief and belonging through his complicated relationship with the county where he grew up. 

Meanwhile, playwright Laura Turner will continue developing RIOTOUS (working title), a new punk-infused musical inspired by the local suffragette movement. Combining live music, political rebellion and contemporary storytelling, the project marks a significant evolution in Turner’s practice as she moves into larger-scale musical theatre making. 

Ben Anderson, Director of Lincoln Arts Centre said: “These latest commissions and artist appointments build on Lincoln Arts Centre’s growing reputation as a place where artists can develop ambitious work, experiment with new ideas and forge meaningful connections with communities. It amounts to a further £25,000 investment into new and original work, re-affirming our commitment in a challenging landscape to support independent artists.” 

Supported by Arts Council England and the University of Lincoln, the programmes form part of a wider commitment to ensuring that artists can build sustainable careers within the region while creating work that resonates locally and nationally. 

More information about Lincoln Arts Centre’s artist development programmes can be found on our website. 

The University of Lincoln is one of 12 universities to be included in Arts Council England’s National Portfolio of Organisations. This recognition, from the foremost agency for creativity and culture, means that the University of Lincoln can now be considered one of the premier venues for arts and cultural provision in the UK. As part of Arts Council England’s National Portfolio of Organisations, the University deliver projects and activities through the Lincoln Arts Centre and Barbican Creative Hub.