Who has the Power?

Catherine Church, 24 September 2012

Well this was prompted by my simultaneous feelings towards the subject of repulsion and fascination!

I love the subject and I wonder why?

We started speaking about artistic structures - who has the real power here? Artists?

Producers? Arts Council/Funders? Or the hidden power figures who I am sure broker and deal make behind the scenes - who know how to manipulate and work the system

- the characters we hear about but who hardly ever come to a meeting like this or the

Broadway anonymous voices who can make and break a show. This however goes on in any industry to some degree - politics springs to mind…but it all seems just a bit more shady when public subsidy is involved and where, as we discussed in another session, it is still the case that bureaucrats / powerful producers who can network / funders etc are still too many in number. Still more money can be given to the people who make the work. - Who do stuff. Who make things happen and continue to make things happen at the sharp end. Not one or two removed from it.

I want more artists to work this into their plans - get smart, work out how it works and then you know, you are armed, you can be strategic. you can reflect their policies back at them but better, you can out jump them. Oh if only, but certainly in a small way that I feel should be an aspiration and part of any artists training. Is that a responsibiilty to reclaim that space? Yes I think it is. It is a Leadership Issue. Smaller Scale Artists Led Companies are truly where this can be seen in action - in its essence. Small can be strong and powerful - and why not?

Its keeping a vision going.

Is Power the same as Autonomy? Autonomy feels better?

Feeling happy and feeling love about who you are and what you are doing:

“When I do yoga I feel love, and then I can do the application forms.” - What a great statement!

I certainly feel that at times and boy does it make it easier.

“We create from love”. Lets not forget that.

“To create and or to be created.” Jonathan Kay

But is it just dodging the issue to say autonomy -not power why shouldn't we be powerful - feel powerful.

“When I felt most power I suppose was when I was surrounded by really great creative people doing great things. ”

Yes indeed.

How do you use your power? As a man? As a woman? In a conversation?

The stage is a powerful place - how do you evolve into communicating your power effectively off stage…

Talk of glass ceilings - at what point do you feel you deserve support and funding? IS this purely evaluated on how experienced you are - to feel a right to this?

Power and Autonomy are the things - hang on to the glimpses you find or discover as you go along. Reclaim arts speak /policy/trends/strategising and reflect it back - but better …and then USE IT and make beautiful things happen for people.

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Yoga, Bureaucrats, Jonathan, Kay, Broadway, Platform, yoga, Power, Council, Arts, arts, Church, 4, platform, Catherine, power