Venues getting work from artists and writers for free -

Venues getting work from artists and writers for free -

Discuss

Jenna Watt, 29 July 2012

* Sometimes venue pay for work, sometimes not.
* Venues can inadvertently exploit artists who are keen to show work on new platforms.
* Recognise a difference in the nature of platforms, scratch/ WIP.
* Fringe different venue agreement (pay to play).
* Salaried venue staff - does programming companies /artists justify their existence?
* Administration vs internship (similar issue).
* Do venues have a responsibility to pay companies / artists?
* Large theatre marketplace not enough work to fill it.
* Companies often can't afford touring without guarantees.
* Problematic when some companies or artists get paid and others don't.
* Is in-kind support always helpful? Is it used to appease companies/artists?
* Some things can not be covered by in kind support.
* Free Fringe actually results in companies / artists making money directly, through donations. Useful model.
Spoken Word has clear career path, theatre perhaps blend boundaries of different work.
* Societal issue, artist perceived as exploitable commodity.
* Are devaluing our work as companies and artists by accepting in-kind and box office splits instead of a guarantee.
* Action Hero, example of a company that do not perform their work for free.

* Venues may not ring fence funds to pay for companies and artists in their program because they've never had to.
* “I don't have a job anymore because you worked for free”.
* If you don't say no, then everybody works for nothing.

* Is it responsibility of artists and companies to ensure they are paid for their work?
* The cost of a ticket often does not reflect the cost of a show.
* Venue uses Box office to pay Companies - Box Office determines what was ‘popular’ - ‘unpopular’ brands company as risky.
* We have the power to make venues pay.
* Everything coming back to money and not about the art, need to transcend discussion about money in favour of art.
* Companies could agree in principle to not work for free like Action Hero & Bryony Kimmings

Tags:

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