UK - After another year of ‘inspiring and groundbreaking entries’, the ABTT’s Stephen Joseph Committee faced a challenge in selecting the 2024 Award winner, which honours innovative and inclusive theatre excellence.
Named in tribute to leading post-war British theatre pioneer and founding ABTT member, the Stephen Joseph Award celebrates the bold ways in which theatre practitioners push boundaries in using theatre space and forging close, creative connections between performers and audiences.
After a lively and passionate discussion about the submissions, the judging panel reached a unanimous decision: the 2024 ABTT Stephen Joseph Award goes to Frozen Light, a Norwich-based company that is revolutionising multi-sensory theatre for audiences with profound and multiple learning disabilities.
Presented at the ABTT Christmas Party, Bob Millington from the Award Panel noted: “Frozen Light have displayed magnificent and inspiring work in disability arts over a number of years, touring it to theatre and arts centres nationwide. It continues to be delightfully inventive in the way it creates immersive worlds for its audiences with profound and multiple learning disabilities to inhabit. By utilising music and multi-sensory devices, they secure their audience’s participation in the unfolding story – creating a unique relationship between the attendees and performers.”
Frozen Light was presented with a specially designed bronze trophy – a mini theatre-in-the-round inspired by an early sketch by Stephen Joseph himself. This remarkable trophy, along with a certificate celebrating their extraordinary achievement, was awarded in recognition of their outstanding contribution to theatre.
Amber Onat Gregory, co-artistic director, Frozen Light responded to the announcement by noting: “At the heart of Stephen Joseph’s practice lay the close and fundamental relationship between performer and audience. This is absolutely central to our work at Frozen Light. We make up close, immersive sensory theatre, for adult audiences with profound and multiple learning disabilities.
“The relationship between performer and audience is and always will be critical in our practice. Winning this award recognises the absolute need for sensory theatre to reach an audience who need theatre that works in a different way – theatre that is relaxed, that is sensory and that relies heavily on intimate, up-close interaction.”
ABTT CEO Liz Sillett added: “The range and quality of submissions this year was incredibly impressive and the ABTT would like to offer a huge ‘thank you’ to all the applicants for this year’s Award. It has been a pleasure finding out more about the innovative work being created in our industry throughout 2024.” Together with Frozen Light, the following submissions were shortlisted:
Guildford Shakespeare Company’s, Romeo and Juliet, an ambitious, multi-venue, promenade production for and with the whole community, performing outdoors in the city’s ancient streets and iconic landmarks in July 2024.
Loudmouth Education and Training, a Midlands-based theatre in education company with a 30-year track record providing relationship workshops on challenging Safeguarding topics and reaching a large number of pupils.
Shakespeare Globe’s Antony and Cleopatra, an inclusive bilingual production of the play by the London company using BSL, with signing and captions for the Egyptians and speech for the Romans.
Theatre Deli, a Creative Hub with Studios in a disused building in the heart of London, using its enterprising “Shift and Space” scheme to nurture new talent and providing free studio space to develop and improve the product before an audience.
Underbelly Boulevard, a new omni-flexible venue hub in Soho London delivering cabaret theatre, performance work and other small-scale ventures, often at point-blank range to the audience.
The ABTT Stephen Joseph Award opens for nominations every July, so if you are thinking of submitting an entry for next year’s event, now is the time to start preparing.
