Josh Lewis: Cracking Slate

Josh Lewis is a graduate of Central’s Writing for Performance, BA course and recipient of the 2022 StART Enterprise Award. Since graduating, he has founded the Cracking Slate theatre company which supports the development of confidence, creativity and collaboration in young people, which was developed from his time on the course at Central.

Tell us about your project!

Since graduating from the Writing for Performance, BA course in 2022, I have been developing my new theatre company, Cracking Slate, which won a portion of the StART Enterprise Award last year. 

What made you want to start this company?

I have worked as a facilitator for several years and I wanted to expand the work that I have been doing by combining the things that I’m passionate about into a theatre company. Cracking Slate is all about supporting the development of confidence, creativity and collaboration in young people. Our vision is a world where everyone can dive into their imagination and innovate together to build a more sustainable future. This means the long-term goal of Cracking Slate is to expand from working purely in the theatre and partner with organisations in other industries, bringing our expertise from the theatre and applying them in other contexts. 

What have you been getting up to?

Since receiving funding from the StART Enterprise Award I have been working on a new draft of the play and making lots of funding applications! It has been a slow journey, but progress is starting to be made. Cracking Slate has a dual aim of supporting emerging artists alongside working with young people. To work towards achieving this aim, Cracking Slate hosted its first new writing night, called Early Dawn, at the Golden Goose Theatre in Camberwell. We had a really positive response to the call out with 42 submissions. The event platformed 15 artists: 9 writers, 5 actors and a lighting technician, and we are planning another to host another one in the autumn.

How is this project related to your coursework at Central?

Cracking Slate is a theatre company that developed out of my time on the course, and in particular a play I was writing for my dissertation about free will and making your own choices. The play, called Lose the Path, Find Your Way, is written for young people aged 8-11 years; it works as a springboard and stops before the end, giving young people the space to devise their own endings, building problem solving and team working skills through the experience. 

What’s next for Cracking Slate?

I’m thrilled to announce that Cracking Slate has been selected to join artsdepot’s PLATFORM Artist Residency Programme! We’re among a cohort of eight artists who will be supported by artsdepot to create new work in their Creation Space; receiving rehearsal space, seed funding and wrap around support to develop Lose the Path, Find Your Way. During our residency, we’ll be conducting an R&D of our play, to explore the way the participatory elements are integrated within the script and build the show’s storytelling style.

What has surprised you most about your experience?

I have learnt perseverance working on Cracking Slate: learning how to write funding applications has certainly been a question of trial and error, gradually improving and clarifying the way that I express the core idea of Cracking Slate to potential partners. This perseverance has paid off and we are so excited and grateful to be selected as one of the PLATFORM artists in residence at the artsdepot to develop our play for young people. I loved producing the new writing night; being able to bring together such a wide range of different creatives was a real joy. It was the first time that I had brought the company into a public space and introduced it to a wider audience. I was surprised by how many people wanted to take part!

What else have you been up to since graduation? 

In my year since graduating alongside the work I have been doing with Cracking Slate I have worked across the theatre industry as a facilitator, chaperone, musical director, writer and sound technician. I have worked on several touring productions including Bugsy Malone, The Lion King and An Inspector Calls. 

Learn more about Cracking Slate by visiting crackingslate.com, and following the company on Twitter and Instagram.