The HotHouse programme was launched in 2005 by DMBC and has delivered a dynamic programme of high quality performances including street arts, circus, contemporary dance, comedy, music, theatre and spoken word events. The programme has featured a rich mix of local, national and internationally renowned performers, artists and organisations including Bellowhead, New Art Club, Music in the Round, Evelyn Glennie, Neighbourhood Watch Stilts International, The Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain, Jan Flamank, Armonico Consort, Maceo Parker, Jean ‘Binta’ Breeze, The Bureau of Silly Ideas, Jimmy Carr, Manchester Camerata, Sandi Thom, Tangere Arts, Rhod Gilbert, Third Party, The Blues Band, Stewart Lee, Natalie Clein, Hull Truck Theatre, Dennis Rollins, Whalley Range All Stars, Omar Puente and numerous others.
HotHouse events have been delivered in a wide range of spaces and places including the Doncaster Civic Theatre, Cusworth Hall, The Mansion House, Doncaster Minster, Priory Methodist Chapel, Doncaster Dome, Doncaster Market Hall and Square and the Doncaster Little Theatre as well as numerous smaller community venues across the borough. Alongside the programme of events HotHouse has also delivered a series of devised projects, artist’s commissions and residency projects in schools and colleges and nurtured numerous partnerships with both local and nationally significant arts organisations.
The HotHouse programme was devised as the development strand for Doncaster’s new venue that is scheduled to open in the spring of 2013. The programme has been instrumental in developing the cultural offer in Doncaster through promoting a diverse and sometimes challenging programme of contemporary work. This risk-taking approach has been critical in building partnerships and nurturing audiences and it has successfully built stronger audiences for a variety of work including contemporary dance, theatre, comedy and classical music. This approach is ongoing and is a vital component of a broader audience development and outreach programme that will feed directly into the new venue.
Over the next two years HotHouse will continue to develop its programme to build audiences and raise expectations in advance of the new venue through a comprehensive range of partnership projects, artistic collaborations, participatory opportunities and a broad programme of events.
