Wales Theatre Awards nominations close on Friday (Jan 15).
Reviewers from all over Wales have been sending in their nominations for the annual celebration of the best in theatre, opera and dance across the nation.
The Wales Theatre Awards Show is being held in Newport for the first time with The Riverfront hosting the sparkling ceremony on Saturday, January 27, 2018.
Any reviewers who still wish to nominate can still do so by Friday by emailing walestheatreawards@gmail.com and they will be sent the nominations form in Welsh and in English. All nominators are invited to the Wales Theatre Awards Show.
This highlight of the arts calendar includes the presentation of much coveted trophies and also an evening of entertainment from some of Wales’ finest new and established performers.
There are also new awards this year to recognise the particular challenges of creating touring shows in Wales which are the lifeblood of the arts in Wales. There is also a new award called Wales and the World to recognise an artist from Wales whose work has been outside Wales.
The awards are a valuable way of showing appreciation and providing recognition for the huge variety of work done by all practitioners of the theatrical community in Wales, whatever the size, language or discipline of the companies involved. They also recognition of the contribution of arts writers and critics. Performers, writers, directors, singers and actors are nominated by critics who have reviewed performances that have been created and presented in Wales.
Awards Director Mike Smith said, “There are just three days left to sen din nominations and then out judged get to work choosing first the shortlists and from these the highest accolade for the performing arts in Wales, which will be named winners.
“The Awards Show is also a great night of entertainment with live performance, videos, fun contributions and surprises along the way! There will also be free entertainment at The Riverfront before the glittering Awards Show. It is also a great night out with entertainment and there are always more than one or two surprises.”
A limited number of tickets are available to purchase: http://tickets.newportlive.co.uk
Mike added, “What sets the WTAs apart is the diverse range of work that our critics see and nominate and this means our past winners have not only been large-scale works from large companies but also small-scale shows and edgy new works that are frequently overlooked (if seen at all) in other award schemes. There is also no cost to take part and it is purely up to the critics to choose what is put forward for consideration.
Many of the reviewers are supported by a unique fund, Wales Critics Fund, that helps make sure artists and audiences benefit from the debate, discussion and feedback provided by critics working across Wales by enabling far more reviewing across Wales and by supporting the next generation of reviewers.
The awards nominators include most of Wales’ best-known professional critics along with new writers, students and bloggers working in English and in Welsh.
Supporters of the Fund range from the large national companies including Welsh National Opera, National Dance Company Wales, Ballet Cymru, Theatr Bara Caws, Cwmni Fran Wen, Theatr Genedlaethol Cymru and National Theatre Wales to individual venues including Aberystwyth Arts Centre, Wales Millennium Centre, The Torch Theatre, Theatr Clwyd and Pontio.
The WTA and the WCF is the UK’s first project to not only include new and established critics in a theatre awards scheme but works to develop new reviewing capacity, mentor young writers, give tickets, travel and accommodation bursaries and help provide platforms for their reviews.
Mike Smith said, “This unique Fund enables reviewers who do not have access to other payment or funding to review performances across Wales and, while there are other schemes for have-a-go reviewing, this is a unique project that gives professional mentoring to new reviewers, including students at schools across Wales.”
Nominations close December 15.
For sponsorship opportunities and more information please email walestheatreawards@gmail.com