To Let: One State Secondary School.  What Would You Do?

Convener(s): Colin Atkinson

Participants: Various – you know who you are.

Summary of discussion, conclusions and/or recommendations:

A helpfully unhelpful session. 

To summarize, I am a producer in disguise in the middle of a state secondary school yet completely independent from the slow and unimaginative mechanics of that school. 

The response I was looking for: an imaginative brainstorm around this unique position, the possibilities this provides for producing theatre and what this theatre might look like.

An absolute: it is not a case of parachuting in pieces of theatre. 

The session (though more likely my experience of DD in general) mostly illuminated and questioned my position as a producer and my relationship to artists:

Thoughts: what about the producer as an artist?  Creating a ‘thing’ - that which holds certain types of work.  How does this fit with other artists?  Are producers creating art that benefits the art of other artists – people listening, the right audience for that piece of work, the right piece of work for that audience, etc.

Or in other words, is it the model of the art/artists that dictates how/what we communicate?  If it is the model, how does this impose on the piece of theatre?

If not, then the Producer is not creating theatre, but only an opportunity for others to create theatre, which doesn’t sit well.

See: ‘Producer’ Session and the criticism of the term ‘Creative Producer’. Perhaps this gives the term more meaning/credibility? Also, the difference between creating a career as a producer against creating something that stands alone – a thing, a model.

See: ‘Stories and Learning’ Session and

While not what I was looking for and mostly still cerebral soup, nevertheless, some more concrete ideas and suggestions did surface:

• Kids as a resource.  Ambassadors
• Underground. Not become a teacher.
• Open space the community – build together, rather than show or reveal
• Definitely has to be local, community based