The Stage

Lisa Spirling wins theatre residency at London’s Hospital Club

Published Tuesday 28 October 2008 at 15:40 by Lalayn Baluch

London’s Hospital Club has named Lisa Spirling as the theatre category winner of its 12-month creative residency programme.

Launched by the creative industries’ club this year, the initiative aims to act as a “career springboard” for emerging talent in the arts. Alongside Spirling, six young people aged between 18 to 29 have been chosen to take up a specialist residency in music, visual arts, fashion, graphic design and film.

The winners will have access to mentors and specialists in their chosen areas over the year. The Covent Garden-based club will also commission, produce and showcase projects by the seven residents and offer them free access to all of its on-site facilities.

Spirling, who is currently working as assistant director to Rupert Goold on his production of King Lear, commented: “This will give me loads of confidence. The Hospital Club has such an incredible network of members and people who are far more advanced in their careers than I am, and can provide advice and mentoring if you have a specific idea or want to develop yourself as an artist.

“I work for lots of different companies and that is really interesting, but actually someone focussing on you, your company and the work you want to create is really quite unusual and there is something quite special about it.”

Spirling, who trained at LAMDA, recently directed a critically-acclaimed production of Cotton Wool by Ali Taylor for Theatre 503 and will soon be assisting on the touring production of Boeing Boeing.

The 29-year-old director explained that she wants to spend the residency building up her theatre company Buckle for Dust and developing a production of Hundreds and Thousands by Louise Ramsden.