"It's A Long Way to Tyneside" - How can we be more connected and collaborative as a national arts community? Dan Barnard, 26 January 2014 Session called by: Dan Barnard Present: Natalie Querest, Jaye Kearney, Ross Harvie, Emma Rucastled, Emma Nutland, Aliki Chapple, Rich Warburton, Jenny Lee, Mhairi Grealis, Olivia Amory, Joseph Mercier, Claire Symonds, Owen Calvert-Lyons, John O'Donovan, Annie Fitzmaurice, Fergus Evas, Amy Letman Structure: Context at the beginning, action points more at the end. Context This conversation came out of What Next conversations about how to be more connected as a national ecology. The group discussed ways in which we feel disconnected - a programmer reported that there had been a new Artistic Director of a venue 20 minutes away who had been appointed over a year ago and they had only just got round to meeting. This might be because people are very busy, because they are too self-absorbed. This could create programming problems and clashes - for example why is there not more co-ordination between different bits of programming to commemorate the anniversary of the first world war. A suggested remedy - “I should pick up the bloody phone and call the nearby venues.” There was a perception that in some areas less peer review was happening than had previously. Strategic touring produced by a partnership of say 3 regional venues is starting to connect things up more. The group discussed the importance of celebrating the good examples of collaboration. There was discussion of the regional infrastructures that were starting to develop - for example the County Cultural Forum in Hampshire, the House Network in the South East, the Compass Live Art Network in the Manchester region. D&D is an example of something that connects people. Social networks such as Twitter help connect people - especially after they have met in person once. It allows people to feel more in a national loop. The important point was made that this is not just a conversation about connecting London and elsewhere - it is about different regions/towns/cities connecting with each other. Someone present had been on a cultural exchange between Glasgow and the North East and had learned a great deal from the many ways in which Scotland does things differently. For example there is a strong network of regional hubs and strong support for rural touring. People said they felt that venues in the north east were collaborating more with each other but that there was a lack of collaboration between the north-east and the north-west. When asked what was facilitating this collaboration within the north east it was felt that this was essentially about venue artistic directors being in touch with each other, seeing each others work, sharing ideas etc. Artists present felt that it was less important for work to have to got to London to become meaningful now, which was a good thing. ITC is thinking more now about where to hold its events in order for more different regions to feel part of the conversation. Many artists get good at touring within their regional network but then struggle with touring outside that region - which would help their work become more financially sustainable. Possible Action Points The best places where artists and programmers currently meet and share ideas are festivals like Sample, Mayfest, Pulse, Transform, Mayfest. B-fest get people to eat together which really helps facilitate conversation. What could other festivals do to facilitate more dialogue at their festivals? Or are the informal conversations enough? It was felt that before a good national collaboration could take place, a stronger infrastructure would have to be in place within regions. It was important for venues within a region to get over a perceived sense of competition. In Manchester and Salford a monthly “programmers pints” has started happening - which is set up as just a social event but is developing into a closer collaboration. Venues in the city are starting to co-present work, to discuss their relationships with artists with each other, to be less possessive about artists. This was benefiting both the programmers and the artists. The idea of more national networks within specialisms was discussed e.g a network of people who specialise in developing and supporting artists -which had also been discussed in other sessions. This could be started by a venue hosting the first meeting, inviting other venues and thereafter it could revolve between venues. Also there was the idea of a national network of people who programme contemporary new work. There is a theatre for young audiences programmer's network founded by the Half Moon which a programmer present had found really helpful as a way of finding out about things to programme An idea of a group of three companies who can share set elements and lighting rig approaching venues to ask to be programmed for a week between them. The idea of more organisations having someone from another part of the country on their Board was discussed - someone present was doing this - it is a lot of time on the train but then you can fit in all your meetings in that place in on the day when you travel for the board meeting. She found this a useful and beneficial thing. A strong national network might be produced by strengthening regional networks and then those networks hooking up with each other. Tags: artists, Festivals, venues, Touring, festivals, Venues, Artists, Manchester, Developing Artists, London, National, North East, what next, national, What Next, Programmers, Regional, South East, North West, touring, south east, london