Spill Spill Design by Jenny Davies Design by Jenny Davies photo by Paul Blakemoore Photo by Paul Blakemore

Antigone Design by Mimi Donaldson photo by Chelsey Cliff

Maisie Newman [email protected] // 07473104847

Director // Movement Director // Practitioner + Workshop Leader

I’m a -based director, movement director and dramaturg who has been making theatre in the city for six years and directing award-winning productions across the South West. Born in Bristol, I come from an inner-city school and working class background and strive to make work which interacts with those communities and bring them into arts and culture spaces. I make visually striking, innovative collaborative work which aim to push boundaries in performance. I direct theatre through my performance companies Fen and Propolis, associate companies and the young company and engagement department at The . I specialise in developing new work and have experience directing for a multitude of companies and types of performance including new writing, verbatim and devised theatre. Most recently I directed several professional R&D processes, award-winning fringe-level productions (UK tours) and several Bristol Old Vic Young Company productions and community-based performances. I am the current co-director for Twisted Theatre (Miranda Cromwell), making immersive performances and secret venues for UK festivals and I was also recently associate artist for Gecko Theatre’s The Wedding at The Bristol Old Vic. I enjoy performance that blends forms to create whole sensory, audience-orientated encounters and I strive to make bold new work which utilises every tool it can in a theatre space.

“Maisie Newman’s impeccable direction is so fluid, and the cast so well rehearsed, that they appear to flow around each other with ease - ★★★★★” - Everything Theatre on Spill: A Verbatim Show About Sex.

Training Headlong Origins Artist (current) Headlong Origins is a Director’s scheme designed to support the development of Directors across the UK outside of London with the ambition to celebrate and nurture undeniable emerging talent that exists throughout the UK. The programme supports artists who might have less access to the profession due to barriers such as class, disability, gender, geography or ethnicity. The scheme’s aim is to help facilitate the directors step-up, from directing fringe and studio shows, to directing mid-scale touring productions.

Gecko Theatre, Associate Artist Intensive Training An intensive training course led by Amit Lahav on Gecko physical theatre techniques for associate artists.

Made in Bristol 2014/15 A year in residence at The Bristol Old Vic with a focus on devised collaborative performance. The group take part in workshops from visiting practitioners in the building as well as receiving training as workshop leaders. The year results in the formation of a theatre company and a performance run in the Bristol Old Vic studio.

Liverpool Hope University 2011-2014 Bachelor of Arts With Honours (Single). Drama (Full Time Programme) First class - Winner of the best academic performance by a final year single honours student - Winner of the John Godber prize for special contribution to Drama and Theatre Studies

Key Experience + Skills - Specialises in developing new work, including new writing - 3+ years professional experience with multiple institutions including Bristol Old Vic leading workshops for, working with, directing children, young adults aged 5 - 25 and vulnerable adults - Experience with dramaturgy and writing material in devising theatre contexts - Professional experience as a movement director and choreographer for non-dancers, physical theatre performers and dancers for studio, main house productions and immersive site-specific performances - Trained in devised theatre and professional experience directing multiple devised theatre projects - Experience with, and knowledge of, classical and poetic texts form ancient greek to Shakespeare - Specialises in female-led and feminist orientated work and performance - Experience with multiple projects directing and developing one performer shows - . Recent projects Interim Young Company Director at The Bristol Old Vic Bristol Old Vic Young Company is one of the largest regional youth theatres in the UK and delivers weekly sessions, theatre master classes, community projects and full-scale performances. They perform professional work, three times a year in venues including the Bristol Old Vic studio and main house theatre, Arnolfini, Hauser and Wirth and The National Theatre. Maisie leads weekly workshops in theatre, devising and performance practice for young company members. She directs and facilities the young company performances each term and also directs satellite projects across Bristol, connecting with young people who find it difficult to participate in arts activity.

. From Running Water (Director, in development) In collaboration with University of Bristol and Fen, Propolis Theatre is developing 'From Running Water’, a verbatim performance on women’s experiences of Domestic Violence and Abuse. The company is using and responding to qualitative data collected by researchers over ten years on women’s experiences of DVA collated for healthtalk.org. A two week R&D directed by Maisie (funded by ACE and The University of Bristol) was completed last year and further development is TBA later this year.

Directing (most relevant) on ēglond on ōþerre / on island on other Bloomsbury Theatre, London In development Antigone Bristol Old Vic Weston Studio Bristol Old Vic Young Company We Do, We Uno, We Redo Hauser & Wirth Gallery Bristol Old Vic Summer School Young Ferment Bristol Old Vic Weston Studio Bristol Old Vic Young Company Our House is on Fire (Writer) The Egg Theatre Dir. Julia Head Make More Noise (assoc.) Bristol Old Vic Theatre Bristol Old Vic YC | Dir. Lisa Gregan The Fox and the Child The Wardrobe Theatre Sharp Teeth Theatre Company From Running Water Bristol Ferment Fen | Propolis Theatre | Women’s Aid Ghost Sonata UK + Finland (R&D) Mechanimal PSYCHOPOMP Camden Peoples Theatre Fen | Calm Down Dear | Ferment The Loco Klub / Bristol Old Vic The Love of the Nightingale (assoc.) Bristol Old Vic YC Dir. Miranda Cromwell Zugunruhe UK tour Mechanical Spill: A Verbatim Show About Sex UK Tour & Pleasance Ed.Fringe Propolis Theatre There Are No Strangers (promenade) Hauser and Wirth Gallery Bristol Old Vic Summer School Walkabout/ immersive venues (on site dir.) Inc: Love Saves The Day Twisted Theatre & Boomtown Festival Dir. Miranda Cromwell WULF Bristol Old Vic | Fen | Bristol Ferment 2017 A Light in the Sound 1532 Theatre Bristol Old Vic Young Directors The Descent of Alette Bristol Old Vic Studio Bristol Old Vic Young Directors Wings (assist.) Ustinov Theatre Writ. Matt Grinter | Dir. Lee Lyford His Peers (assist.) Ustinov Theatre Writ. Silva Semerciyan | Dir. Lee Lyford St Joan of the Stockyards (assist.) Bristol Old Vic Studio Dir. Nik Partirdge Choreography Navajos Tobacco Factory Theatre Young Theatre Makers Our House is On Fire The Egg Theatre Dir. Julia Head Make More Noise Bristol Old Vic Theatre BOV Y/C | Dir. Lisa Gregan PSYCHOPOMP (R&D) Camden Peoples Theatre Fen | Calm Down Dear | Ferment Grief and High Delight (co.) Tobacco Factory residency Dir. James Kent Zugunruhe UK tour Mechanical | Dir. Tom Bailey Spill: A Verbatim Show about Sex UK Tour | Pleasance Ed.Fringe Propolis Theatre WULF R&D Bristol Old Vic Ferment Fen The Love of the Nightingale (co.) Bristol Old Vic (studio walkabout) Bristol Old Vic Y/C Taking Me Over Remco 4th Project | Pixillion Films Swallow (Stef Smith) Bristol Old Vic Theatre School Dir. Chloe Masterton St Joan of the Stockyards Bristol Old Vic Studio Bristol Old Vic Workshop Leading (most recent) Young Company Leader (current) Bristol Old Vic 16-25, Yr 9, Yr 10+11 Devising physical Theatre for Performance Bristol Old Vic + TFT Yr 8,9,10, 11 and 16-25 year olds ‘The Wedding’ & Social Cohesion Gecko Theatre Ages 18-25 / Borderlands Bristol Family Flashmob Bristol Old Vic All ages Devising movement for theatre The Island | Bristol Old Vic Fen Introduction to Theatre Bristol Old Vic St Paul’s Community, all ages