What's on Past Events D&D Roadshow Keswick 9 August 2012 D&D Roadshow Keswick Theatre by the Lake, Keswick Patric Gilchrist's invitation: Theatre by the Lake celebrates the distinction of being the country’s most remote and wonderfully located professional producing theatre. However, with our unique location comes the danger of isolation. How do we keep in touch with other theatres? How do ensure that talented people come and work with us? How do we get national critics to see our great work? How do we build on our success in attracting audiences to share the experience? …and many other questions. Devoted and Disgruntled on 9 August is not only a great opportunity to talk about the issues that are special to us in Cumbria, it is also a chance for you to be part of a national debate about theatre – for your views to influence the things that matter to you and matter to Theatre by the Lake. Don’t miss out on this special opportunity to talk about the things you care about. Come and join me, colleagues from the theatre, Friends of the theatre, audience members – and, we hope, some dissident voices – in making sure that Cumbria’s voice is heard loud and clear through the national networking opportunities offered by Improbable’s Devoted and Disgruntled day at Theatre by the Lake. It will be great to see you on 9th August. If you’re staying up in the Lakes for the Friday and Saturday (10th & 11th August) do come to the Ilotopie event onthe lake (9.30pm each evening). We’re co-promoting with Lakes Alive. www.keswick.org/whats-on/festivals/lakes-alive Devoted & Disgruntled is part of the London 2012 Festival, a spectacular 12-week nationwide celebration bringing together leading artists from across the world with the very best from the UK, from 21 June to the 9 September 2012. For more information check www.london2012.com/festival Phelim McDermott's invitation: Do you love theatre? Do you find it frustrating? Do you feel audiences don't get a voice? Do you feel like an outsider in your own profession? Have you just started out and need support? Been in the profession for years and feel jaded? Is your region always left out of the discussions? Do you usually dread discussions and meetings? Are you looking to change things? In 2012 for the first time ever, you have the opportunity to take part in a unique nationwide conversation. In 2006 I wrote a heartfelt invitation and the first ”Devoted & Disgruntled: What are we going to do about theatre?” took place. This was an open and collaborative conference, a chance to check in with the theatre community, share the news about what we were doing well, talk about what we could be doing better and take action on how to improve things. Devoted & Disgruntled has subsequently become an inspiring annual three day event and since then there have been over 100 offshoot D&D events. Some have been monthly themed satellites, some have been regionally based like D&D Scotland and D&D North East, some have been international events like D&D New York and Vancouver. These conferences have kept the important conversations alive and have lead to companies being formed, venues being opened, festivals started, shows created, and many other projects and initiatives. The Devoted and Disgruntled Roadshow has come about in response to numerous requests for these conversations to reach beyond London, and engage with all parts of the UK. So as part of the Cultural Olympiad we are going on the road, holding D&Ds in twenty different locations round the country, and we are going online, launching a new interactive D&D website, which will record and connect all the D&D events. In theatre, as in so many things, it can feel like the agenda is set, and the decisions are made by a faceless, unreachable "them". We wait for "them" to talk about what we think needs talking about and for "them" to solve our problems. Guess what? "They" aren't going to do it. But you can, and D&D is the place to start - so if there are questions that you think should be asked, projects you want support on, things you want changed, join Improbable this summer on the Devoted & Disgruntled 2012 Roadshow in a conversation that could reshape the theatre landscape. This is a unique chance for your voice to be heard and for us to listen to each other, face to face and online, locally and nationally. Join us and let’s work together towards making theatre better and making better theatre. Phelim McDermott and Improbable Booking for this event has now closed.