Amerie Rose, 15 January 2017

Who

WHY

What

When

WHO is it for?

Public engagement is not just a box to tick. Research into practice and public sharing.

In touch with the audience.

Outwards facing circle.

How can this world engage better and reach beyond us?

Knowing WHO you are.

In my wildest dreams…

Exposing more of the personality type of the maker.

Being the artist, the maker, not the piece of work.

You have to have the dream but also belief in yourself.

WHY are we making it? WHY it is important.

Giving the audience an experience of big, live music in shows with all the accessories

and all the characters seen etc. etc.

To make challenging work.

Places that aren't used.

People that wouldn't normally be ‘there’ were there.

Meet them where they are at.

The effect on both the maker and the audience of BIG spectacle.

Everybody's stories are worth listening to.

WHAT would happen after a couple of years/decades?

People that wouldn't normally be ‘there’ were there.

Exposing more of the personality type of the maker.

Being malleable.

Belief that if it's not meant to be in that moment in time it won't happen.

Disposable nature.

Develop a philosophy on life.

WHAT can be focussed on now that isn't being focussed on?

Belief in ultimate possibilities - saying out loud to the universe what I want to do.

What divides us rather than what brings us together.

Lack of new musicals coming out.

A lot more smaller things, experiments - something different every month.

Emerging practitioners/artists.

Stories about the lesser seen / heard / talked about. e.g. diversity, intercultural,

transnational.

WHAT are we asking for? What is possible.

A rep company working over time, consistently.

Assembling a tribe.

Full orchestras and choruses.

The biggest extravaganza, the biggest cast, a spectacle of a story that everyone

knows BUT the untold story.

The WOW factor.

'On it'. The character says something and I think ‘WOW, I thought I was the only

person who thought that.’

It is not about the money.

Living, breathing for the time it takes.

Small stories in intimate settings.

Regional theatres to not have the financial constraints so they can house the bigger,

higher risk shows that need the size / facilities / support they can provide.

WHEN it is ripe/ready.

Time - working for a few years, decades, exploring, finding out, no pressure to be

ready.

Patience and timing.

We can't know all the parts which need to align until they appear.

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For me (Amerie) the echoes I will take forward from this conversation are:

Being the artist, the maker, not the piece of work.

Belief in ultimate possibilities - saying out loud to the universe what I want to do.

Exposing more of the personality type of the maker.

To make challenging work.

The effect on both the maker and the audience of BIG spectacle.

Disposable nature.

Assembling a tribe.

Full orchestras and choruses.

Living, breathing for the time it takes.

Time - working for a few years, decades, exploring, finding out, no pressure to be

ready.

…and for that, gladly, the money is NOT a barrier.

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Conversationalists:

Amerie Rose (convener)

Chloe

Michael

Shai

Lizzie Crarer

…thank you :-)

Shows/makers/stories/plays/work cited:

Bhumi Collective - Bhumi means earth/soil in Sanskrit

The Encounter

Harry Potter

St. Joan / George Bernard Shaw

London Stories: Made By Migrants / Battersea Arts Centre

Les Miserables

WW2 / Malay story based in Singapore (in process)

Fantasy Theatre Advent Calendar - @Chloe Mashiter / pic.twitter.com/8ST1N6LpaM

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Tags:

disposable nature, Public engagemennt, musicals, Research, Risk, tribe, Emerging

Artists, engagement, stories, Regional Theatre, emerging artists, research, Public,

risk, challenging, Engagement, public, regional theatre, live, personality type,

orchestras, big, Research into Practice, choruses, experiments, ultimate possibilities,

big spectacle

Comments: 1

Chris Grady, 15 January 2017

I would make a retreat space in the hills, with a view of the sea, not too far from a main station, where artists could come to

make work. It would have hot tubs and space for glorious creative sun worshipping. It would have accommodation so

people could stay for a time as they make work. It would run times for bigger gatherings of artists to share work. It would

offer retreat for producers, writers, and business makers to explore the arts and their work. It would have private space to

continue to explore the themes of Revelation (see Naomi's session on sunday). It would be sacred, warm and welcoming,

professional, with a roaring log fire and a great kitchen. Plus it would have space for us, as owners, to have private space

and live beside the shop without being in the shop.

Locations, proposals, on a postcard please

Cheers

Chris