Jersey Arts Centre has been commissioning new work since 2002 and our inaugural Theatre-in-Education production of Once Upon An Island… by Brendan Murray.
Since that time we have created and made new work for the stage, for the walls of the Berni Gallery, in poetry, and with various projects during the recent pandemic lockdowns – all with and for our Island community.
All our commissions culminate in public performances, or exhibitions, for all to experience.
The commissioned work of our pioneering Theatre-in-Education company can be found here!
The Berni Gallery time-constrained, commissioned exhibitions – involving over 45 Jersey artists – follow in the footsteps of the hugely successful:
- 5×4 / 2006
- Self Portrait / 2011
- Conflict / 2014
- Sporting Bodies / 2015
- woman / man / 2016
- Art 35 / 2018
- the dance / 2019
- liberation / 2020
- Jersey and the Crown / 2022
- Spring Forward / 2023
Jersey Arts Centre remains committed to commissioning new work, allowing companies and individual artists the chance to explore, create, discover, and be inspired by their own creative process and challenges.
Creating this new work has allowed creatives the space to experiment with new ideas, and realise original and forward-thinking work in and for the Island, enhancing Jersey Arts Centre’s professional, dynamic programme.
Our commissions have included:
- Once Upon An Island… by Brendan Murray / September 2002-2004
- A further seven Theatre-in-Education projects / 2004 onwards
- stage directions by Jacqueline Mézec / Celebrating 25 Years / January 2008
- Echo Wood by Sir Andrew Motion / Festival 30 / January 2013
- x15 poems for 100 Poems and the 2014-2018 WW1 Commemorations / 2014-2016
- #35 [insert title with meaning / in celebration] by Nicky Mesch / Festival 35 / January 2018
- Music from ARTcomedia for our adaptation of A Christmas Carol / July-December 2019
- The liberation exhibition / Liberation 75 / February 2020
- A further seven time-constrained exhibitions for the Berni Gallery / 2006 onwards
- x17 poems for the Liberation 75 Celebrations / May 2020-May 2021
- Scenes from a… / 46 scenes from 9 Island writers / January-March 2021
- Hiding Place by Martha MacDonald / Directed by Lucy Abraham / April-October 2021
- Bathtime for Britain by Dr Adam Perchard / August 2020-April 2021
- CAHUN – a retrospective by Jacqueline Mézec / July 2022
- One of Those Streets by Mezzanine Productions (Sponsored by the Association of Jersey Charities with a 50@50 award) / Festival 40 Weekend / January 2023
- Bunburying (The Importance of Being Dr Adam Perchard) by Dr Adam Perchard / Festival 40 Weekend / January 2023
- The Other Side of Performance by Juliette Hart / Festival 40 Weekend / January 2023
In Spring 2021, Jersey Arts Centre commissioned local playwright Jacqueline Mézec to create CAHUN – A RETROSPECTIVE. This new piece of writing was performed at Jersey Arts Centre between 14 – 17 July 2022 and was directed by Daniel Austin with set and lighting design by Graeme Humphries. It was performed with nine actors/storytellers.
For Festival 40 Weekend, celebrating 40 years of Jersey Arts Centre, there were two commissions: from The MacDonald Family and from Dr Adam Perchard. Their respective pieces, One of Those Streets and Bunburying, were performed over the weekend of 20-21 January 2023.
Click below for the pattern from Andy Heath’s ‘Andy Makes Puppets’ YouTube video!