Why are there no schemes for mid-range (middle list) practitioners? 

Convener(s): Heather Taylor

Participants: Sarah Davey-Hull, Ingo (wotever world), Sara Bynoe, Jamie Rocha Allen, Stella Duffy, Catherine Paskell, Kate Golledge, Debbie Kew, and others…

Summary of discussion, conclusions and/or recommendations:

• Age?
• Experience?
• Have you lied about age/ experience on your CV?
• Break out of work – how does that effect you?
• Look to mentoring schemes might be a solution
• Directors limited if at the stage that they have done too much assisting
• Maybe writers and directors at the same stage can work together
• If there is another genre you want to work in it may be hard as they want newbies
• Fed up of not being in charge of work/ destiny
• Need to have more match ups with people at the same level
• Scratch nights?  Maybe you can get work from there?
• Running more open spaces?
• How do we make our work more sustainable?
• Often not to do with person’s work but who they want to support ie what’s new and shiny is where it’s at
• Stuck in the middle ground
• People working for themselves?  Or do you always need a company backing you up for you succeed?
• Good to try out in front of an audience but as there is limited resourses you always hope that something will come out of it/ life beyond that scratch, etc.
• Fantastic people out there not working – if you can’t get people of note in, how do you sustain
• It’s more about venues and companies and NOT SCHEMES
• Theatre 503 used to be good for mid-range practitioners but now it’s too expensive – we’re being priced out!
• Theatres put out in their profiles that they only do a certain type of theatre that you can be rejected on that basis but often it’s not reflected in the actual work that they do.
• NO SUPPORT!!  WHERE IS IT??
• Get help to get started but then if you get minor success may funded…
• Liverpool city of culture – gets funding and have furthered careers of mid-range but need to have that regional link.
• In novels called Mid-list writer – not baby author or Martin Amis
• Novelists in this position become groups – attack library circuit and get publicity/ talks as group. – come together by sitting in bars and moaning
• Theatre feels more competitive and there’s not people who will help each other as much.
• Need to look to each other to work together
• Getting links with smaller theatres as they grow by putting the time in
• How do we find good writers to work with that you can help each other with your work (at the same level or better)
• ASK PEOPLE FOR HELP!
• Work with friends and put the time in with those that speak the same language.
• How do you break in if your practitioner (or actual) language is different
• Maybe need a practical forum – is masterclasses, how do you get mid-list writers/ practitioners in there
• SALONS – how do you keep the momentum going?
• NEED SURPRISE PRACTICAL OPEN SPACE!!!!
• There we learn from each other – Trisha and Sarah have volunteered their space or perhaps could get BAC or York Hall to facilitate larger groups
• Make a day in March to get together – aimed at mid-list practitioners – you bring something you’d like to share: skills, projects, exploration – you need to have knowledge/ skill 

HOORAH WE’VE THOUGHT OF A SCHEME!

It will henceforth be called (as a working title)

OPEN PLAY

Meet at 10 tomorrow (Sunday) to plan the inaugural event

ADDITIONS AFTER THE SESSION

Sunday morning, reading the document on the wall, I wanted to add in response to: 

Quote: >> Theatre feels  more competitive and there’s not people who will help each other as much. Need to look to each other to work together <<

Please join this morning’s session “How can we help each other to continue developing our crafts at times of no commercial opportunity?” in session 1, which I hope will address this.

Quote: >> How do we find good writers to work with that you can help each other with your work (at the same level or better) <<

Please talk to Jen Toksvig ([email protected]) about MMD writers of new musicals to find out ways in which you might be able to collaborate with the development of new musicals. In this way, you get a brief experience of a writer’s work which you can take further if you admire their work and want to collaborate with them.

Also, join in the above session 1 on Sunday!