Steve Ball, 9 January 2016

Lively discussiion chaired by Steve Ball (Birmingham REP) inclduing Ian Nicolsonj, S J

Watkinson, Tina Hofman, Chris Wooton Mark Price Dan Barnard Katerina Pushkin

Janice Conniolly Jess Pearson Rob Pratt Eleanor Westwood Hannah Ashwell Jake

Oldershaw ASSdrian Turell-Watts Ashley Elbovine

Challenges

Often the work has to be small to be affordable

We have a different attitude to children and families in the UK than in other countries.

The best directors, creatives and actors in the UK tend not to create work for children

and young audiences

Parents shy away form sensitive isues eg. death

Some solutions

1. Better marketing to families

2. Work together to create large projects with higher profile

3. Engage BBC and other media

4. Gather feeedback form young audeinces on shows

5. Extend the Egg in Bath's Incubator scheme that develops work form R and D to

touring products

6. Extend the Plus One buy a second ticket for someone else scheme (Derby Thetre

raised £40k last year)

7. Create a nationalk TYA website for families

8. Dont just programme work for children and families at Christmas

9. Engage libraries

10. Challenge directors attitudes towards making work for children and young people.

11 Commission established playwrites to write new pieces .

Tags:

young audiences, libraries, Parents, playwrights, marketing, children, Children,

Directors, Playwrights, R&D, BBC, death, Christmas, TYA, Young Audiences, TV,

Bath, Marketing, bbc, r&d, Derby, parents, tv, families, directors, christmas, fathers,

lanyards

Comments: 1

Elspeth Murray, 13 January 2016

Hi Steve, Thanks for this report and for calling this session. I'm interested through working with ‘The Man Who Planted

Trees’ for many years and having the good fortune to see a lot of wonderful shows for families and young audiences.

I've added a separate report with a few of the images I made while at the discussion.

PS I spotted on Twitter that there were raised eyebrows about whether the word ‘best’ was the most appropriate for the

"directors, creatives and actors in the UK tend not to create work for children and young audiences" …