Hippodrome Associates

We work with exciting companies to produce, premiere and tour dynamic and diverse new work.

The Hippodrome Associates programme supports exciting established artists and companies to achieve their artistic ambitions by helping them to develop their work into a larger scale, explore new areas of practice and reach new and wider audiences.

Each relationship is bespoke, created in response to the shared ambitions and priorities of Birmingham Hippodrome and the Hippodrome Associate.

Our nine associate artists and companies are:

Aakash Odedra Company

Based in Leicester, Aakash Odedra Company creates dance works through a unique synthesis of Kathak, contemporary and Bollywood-Jazz.

In 2020, Birmingham Hippodrome supported the creation of a new work, Samsara, performed by Aakash Odedra and Hu Shenyuan. The work previewed at Bunjil Place, Australia and went on to tour in the UK in Summer/Autumn 2022 ...

Break Mission

Break Mission is a community events and educational organisation based in Birmingham. They deliver high quality hip-hop dance events that connect with young and diverse audiences.

Birmingham Hippodrome's B-SIDE Hip-Hop Festival is co-produced with Break Mission and other partners.

Break Mission's Hip-Hop theatre performance 'Dance of Death' was commissioned by Culture Central with support from Birmingham Hippodrome and presented at B-SIDE 2019 in collaboration with others in the Hip-Hop dance scene...

Burnt Lemon Theatre

With ambition burning in abundance, Burnt Lemon Theatre are a multi award-winning, female led company who give rise to innovative new work. From riotous gig-theatre to electrifying musicals, they tackle sensitive stories with tenderness, punch and precision.

Since Burnt Lemon formed in 2018, they have gained critical-acclaim, most recently winning the Les Enfants Terribles ‘Stepladder Award’ as well as New Diorama and Underbelly’s ‘UNTAPPED’ award for our Edinburgh Fringe sell-out show Tokyo Rose.

Burnt Lemon brought Tokyo Rose to Birmingham Hippodrome in Oct 2021. ...

Fat Rascal Theatre

Fat Rascal Theatre was set up by a group of East 15 graduates in 2016, and they've been growing the rascal family ever since.

The company have quickly established themselves as a home for new musical theatre, having produced seven brand-new musicals and counting. They are a company run by women; challenging the constraints of being a female within the industry, and discussing social and political issues through an accessible and appealing format to engage a wider audience.

Fat Rascal staged a sell-out run of Unfortunate: The Untold Story of Ursula the Sea Witch at Birmingham Hippodrome in Dec 2019. ...

Motionhouse

Motionhouse create world class dance-circus productions that tour extensively. The company is based in Leamington Spa.

Wild was co-commissioned by Birmingham Hippodrome and was presented as part of our 120th Birthday Gala and at the Bullring.

Motionhouse is currently creating a new touring production Nobody, commissioned by and created in partnership with Gulbenkian, ART31 and Midlands Arts Centre, supported by Dance Hub Birmingham and Arts Connect...

Open Theatre

Open Theatre has been developing work with Young People with Learning Disabilities through non-verbal physical theatre for over 30 years.

The Twisted Tale of Hansel & Gretel returned to Birmingham Hippodrome in Feb 2020 and then went on a national tour of the UK. This is the first work in a three part trilogy of Grimm Fairy Tales. The play was co-produced by Birmingham Hippodrome ...

Sonia Sabri Company

Sonia Sabri Company is a multi award-winning dance and music company based in Birmingham led by Sonia Sabri and Sarvar Sabri. It has established an international reputation for presenting Kathak dance and Indian-inspired music with an urban energy.

Same Same…But Different is a vibrant and playful family show that brings Kathak, Hip-Hop and contemporary dance to children aged 5 and over. Its unique approach to storytelling explores the times we feel different and when we belong. This was co-commissioned by Birmingham Hippodrome.

Through Birmingham Hippodrome’s support, Sonia and Sarvar are researching and developing new productions including an outdoor digital interactive piece, Kindred, with Cirque Bijou. Watch this space
...

The Good Enough Mums Club

The Good Enough Mums Club is a movement of mothers, moms and mamas spreading the message that you don’t have to be perfect, and sometimes being good enough is best.

Modern motherhood can be a drag, with pressure from all angles, and a plethora of parenting books (and social media) telling you what to do, and how to do it.

Whether it's through their hilarious, heartbreaking musical (their first and arguably favourite child), their personable parenting podcast, or savvy social media, they aim to combat perfectionism and spread a message of self-love, acceptance and community, one mum at a time.

A concert version of The Good Enough Mums Club came to our Patrick Studio in Nov 2021. ...

ZooNation: The Kate Prince Company

Groundbreaking storytellers based in London using original music and dance to inspire the next generation of theatregoers and makers.

In 2022, ZooNation presented their spectacular new work, Message In A Bottle, featuring the songs of Sting ...