Complicité is an international touring theatre company led by Artistic Director and co-founder, Simon McBurney creating work that strengthens human interconnection and working across art forms. Alongside Simon McBurney’s theatrical productions, they support artists through the Mudlarks programme. This is Complicité’s first ever dedicated programme to identifying and supporting outstanding artists, often at the early stage of their career. It aims to widen access and pro-actively seeks to support talented artists who are under-represented in the theatre sector.
One of the highlights of the Mudlarks programme is the Mudlarks International Residency – a week-long residency for both UK and international artists. Participants of the residency are offered resources to help develop an idea or concept for a piece of artistic work. This can include facilitated sessions, mentors and collaborations, as well as provocations. Complicité seek to work with artists who create innovative work and have an interest in the climate emergency, often finding new ways of telling these stories and activism.
Organisations can nominate artists they wish to support in attending the residency and Activate have a history of doing this. In 2023 we nominated Zakiya McKenzie and in 2024 we nominated Natasha Nixon who both attended the residency and had fulfilling experiences. This year we nominated Dorset artist Tilly Ingram who we are delighted will be attending the residency alongside 7 other artists (pictured above) at Hawkwood Centre for Future Thinking in March 2025.
Tilly Ingram is a Dorset artist whose practice is centred around our relationship with wildness, nature, and fear. Exploring these from her experiences as a woman with an invisible disability, her work is often playful, joyous, and provocative. Tilly started her career in Actor training at Drama Centre London and at the University of Chichester. Followed by an MRes at Royal Holloway, University of London. Her work is largely influenced by her love and interest in nature and wildness, and having been diagnosed with Psoriatic Arthritis at 16, a lot of her ethos is centred around making work accessible for audiences and herself.
Tilly says, “The Mudlarks residency is an incredible opportunity for me to explore my practice in a supportive and creative environment. This is particularly important to me as a disabled artist to create in a sustainable way. As well as this, the potential to collaborate with other artists over the course of the week, is really exciting. I am really lucky to have been supported by Activate Performing Arts over the years and within this residency, they have continued to help me find my creative voice and support my development as an early careers disabled artist working in Dorset.”
Tilly’s first commission was for Soup and a Story as part of Inside Out Dorset 2023. We are delighted that her artistic practice continues to develop with Activate’s support.
Kate Wood, Activate’s Artistic and Executive Director comments, “It is a privilege to be partnering with Complicité on this International Residency for artists. We have been sponsoring an artist for each edition of Mudlarks and each time the experience has been incredibly enriching.”
Top image courtesy of Complicité. Headshot credits: Jon Aitken (Malaika Kegode), Matthew Jacobs Morgan (Nathan Ellis), Yellow Belly (Nigel Barrett), Timon Benson (Tibyan Mahawah Sanoh).
Second image courtesy of Tilly Ingram.