Island-based creative arts company, Deadman, will be exploring the story of Damien Nettles and the fallout from his disappearance nearly 30 years ago in a new research and development project.
Supported by public funding from Arts Council England, the company is continuing its ethos of pioneering pathways for new onstage and backstage talent. It is doing so by launching a creative arts apprenticeship and an open casting, seeking Island-based performers and creatives.
The company’s most recent work, The Freshwater Five, has toured coastal and nationwide communities, selling-out venues from Newport to Kent, and receiving acclaim from critics and public alike. In developing the Damien Nettles project, Deadman is continuing to receive support from Southampton-based MAST Mayflower Studios.
Speaking about the new project, Samuel Bossman, Artistic Director of Deadman, said:
“Damien Nettles is a mythic Island story, one that has become absorbed into our community’s modern folklore. Like Freshwater Five, this story is not just implicitly important because it is live and has real-world implications for people still suffering. It articulates and presents an image of real events and issues on the Isle of Wight and places like it.
“We are very grateful to Valerie and the family, our venue and funding partners, as we begin work on this story. We are excited and look forward to bringing it to our fantastic, underappreciated community on the Isle of Wight in the near future.”
Deadman is looking to continue using island-based creatives during the Damien Nettles project.
Open auditions for performers will be taking place on Friday, 13th September. Those interested should express their interest via this link: https://bit.ly/DeadmanOpenCasting, or via email.
Details for the creative arts apprenticeship can be found here: https://bit.ly/DeadmanApprentice. Anyone wishing to be kept up-to-date with future developments and performance dates can follow Deadman on social media or subscribe to the company’s newsletter at hellodeadman.com/newsletter.
