At Lawrence Batley Theatre, we’re all about bold ideas, fresh voices, and incredible stories. That’s why we’re so excited to share the launch our brand-new Associate Artists!
Our Associate Artists are mid-career or established artists and companies who are champions of outstanding theatre. They are pushing creative boundaries and sharing unique northern stories with audiences across the UK and beyond.
What are Associate Artists?
Our Associate Artists are brilliant theatre-makers and companies who are already making waves nationally and internationally.
We choose up to three artists at a time, supporting them with space to rehearse and develop their work, opportunities to perform on our stage, and help with funding and programming. In return, these artists bring exciting new work to our theatre, connect with our audiences, and help us inspire the next generation of creatives through workshops and community projects.
Our Associate Artists are part of our commitment to develop ground-breaking theatre and dance, making sure important stories get told and fresh talent has the support it needs to thrive.
Meet Our Associate Artists
We’re kicking things off with two incredible artists whose work is shaking up the theatre world.
Gary Clarke
Gary Clarke is a choreographer, director, performer, mentor, teacher and facilitator. He has worked with some of the world's most prolific dance companies and choreographers and has developed a growing reputation for creating his own extraordinary dance work of various sizes and scales which has received both critical and audience acclaim.
Gary is the Artistic Director of Gary Clarke Company, a pioneering, award-winning dance theatre company based in Barnsley. They create extraordinary and powerful dance theatre that marks, reflects and comments on significant events in working-class social history, politics, culture and people.
Gary Clarke’s journey with Lawrence Batley Theatre began in 1999 when as a student he visited to see a contemporary dance performance on the theatre’s main stage – a performance which inspired him to pursue a career as a dance artist and ultimately to forming his own company.
"I feel like, you know, my blood runs through the bones and the stories of the Lawrence Batley Theatre. Every time I come into the building, I feel a sense of home, I feel a connection, a deep physical and emotional connection to where I am and that just feels gorgeous. To have that relationship with a building is just very special."
Gary featured in our Theatre30 exhibition to celebrate our 30th birthday. Read more about his connection to Lawrence Batley Theatre here.
We've previously worked with Gary on Chronicles, a site-specific show which took place in the windows of our building, telling the story of the theatre’s history.
We've also supported the new show from Gary Clarke Company, DETENTION, directed and choreographed by Gary. DETENTION is a dance theatre sequel to Gary Clarke Company’s shows COAL and WASTELAND, exploring SECTION 28, which 'prohibited the promotion of homosexuality'. See DETENTION at ours on Wed 21 - Thu 22 May.
Philip Stokes
Leeds based writer Philip Stokes’ is recognised by the British Library as a Culturally Important Playwright of the 21st Century. His critically acclaimed plays have had sell out runs across the globe, winning numerous awards.
Lawrence Batley Theatre have supported Philip’s work for several years, beginning in 2022 with the acclaimed Jesus, Jane, Mother & Me which took the Edinburgh Fringe by storm before heading to Australia for an award-winning run at the Fringe in Adelaide.
The partnership has seen further success with shows including LASH and Shellshocked, which was selected for an Off-Broadway run in New York City – a first for a Lawrence Batley Theatre supported show.
"We have collaborated over the past few years on three highly successful shows. Without their help and support, there is no way my work would have been able to tour so extensively. From the Edinburgh Fringe three times to the Adelaide Fringe twice, with huge UK tours in between, their help guidance and support has been invaluable."
We're now supporting Philips new play Brighton ‘84 which will have its world premiere our Cellar Theatre this summer. Brighton ‘84 is a new drama set in the Grand Hotel, Brighton on an infamous 1984 night in British political history.
Bringing Exciting Theatre to Huddersfield
We can’t wait to see what our Associate Artists create next – and we’d love for you to be part of the journey. Keep an eye out for behind-the-scenes content, new shows, and ways to get involved.
Why This Matters
Bringing bold new theatre and dance to life takes time, space, and investment. At Lawrence Batley Theatre, we’re committed to making that happen. This year alone, we’ve provided the equivalent of £41,421 of free space – over 1,400 hours – to support artists in developing groundbreaking new work.
But we want to do even more, and this is where we need support from people like you. A donation today could help fund vital rehearsal space, support commissions for new work, and create opportunities for artists to engage with our community.
With your support, we can bring more unheard stories to the stage, develop exciting new talent, and ensure the future of bold, northern theatre. Donate today and be part of the story.
