What can theatre companies do to help artists?

Convener(s): Catherine Paskell

Participants: Jamie Rocha Allan; Morna Burdon; Derek Shiel; Alyn Gwyndaf; Regina Geuden; Kath Burlinson; Katherine Warman; Chris Wooton; Annette Mees; Rachel Parish; Simon Wilkinson; Elise Davison; Heather Taylor and others.

Summary of discussion, conclusions and/or recommendations:

We want the respect that we know what we are doing. Companies are frightened to take a risk and work with people if they haven’t seen their work. Take a risk! Especially if we are not young and emerging please!

Give us rehearsal and development space. EG National Theatre Studio NTS is a good model, offering resources to develop projects (not doorway to NT main stage).

National Theatre of Scotland Workshop – Good model – encourage wider number of participants to develop small scale. This is less scary and can take bigger risks than full production.

Feeling of INCLUSION needed.

Open Forums. Bring in practitioners for one day to lead workshops, skills development. Develop SOMETHING.

Encourage meetings with companies and individuals. EG Dating Night or an informal event for people to meet each other and the theatre company hosting it.

Networking events eg D&D – bring everyone together.

Welcoming and Friendly community needed. Share thoughts and ideas in IDEAS BANK.

Open Day – set up space so people come and chat.

Advertise in magazines, newspapers, websites.

Ambassadors EG LIFT Seekers who find new artists and see work. Ask everyone to maintain contact.

Important to receive really brutally honest feedback from meetings, letters, CVs etc.

MEAN WHAT YOU SAY and SAY WHAT IT IS YOU REALLY ARE LOOKING FOR! Honesty and clarity.

Be aware of different ‘levels’ of experience and give people tailored responses.

Create schemes for each level. PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FOR ALL NOT JUST BEGINNERS.

Wales has no Actors Centre type place and no Equity active branch. Where can we go?

Again for Midrange practitioners NTS seems good as open to both beginners and experienced practitioners – focus on SCALE of your vision.

Be SPECIFIC about what work you want to do. Match OPENNESS with limitations. Strength of NTS seems to beVicky Featherstone’s openness and engagement so she knows everyone regardless of their experience and prominence.

Share skills and experience BETWEEN COMPANIES too through Umbrella organization.

For Directors – Young Vic Genesis is focal point – create resources of a community to create a community. Meet others to connect, reinvigorate and spark off each other.

Communitcate with us – if we write to you, please respond. Send a postcard. Even if you can’t make my show. ACKNOWLEDGE ME!

WE WANT:

1. RECOGNITION
2. CONTACT / COMMUNICATION BOTH WAYS

Means more if this contact is with Creative person in company. If you are a point of contact and you leave a company, email us to let us know who your replacement is!

Online resources: Danger of replacing physical space with technology.

If everyone is doing it, can lose quality. Maintain quality of contact! Have distinct function and structure. Work in conjunction with something real to make online resources stronger. USE IT! Or nothing will happen! Genesis dies or loses relevance cos it is only for beginners. Possibly have range of pages/sites to cover all experience levels.

Companies could have office hours or drop in hours for people to feel like they are approachable and can have direct contact. Coffee mornings and parties to met and greet.  Have updateable databases EG Old Vic Young Voices lists of practitioners.

How divide up artists by experience? Beginners is 0-5 years in industry?

3 levels: Aspiring / Active / Experienced categorized…

How split people without making value judgements?

Timescale okay but what about someone who is in the industry for 20 years but has only done 3 fringe shows? Are they more ‘beginner’ than someone who has done 20 shows in 3 years?

KEY! People who want to meet people will go to these events BUT if people are part of a network already (EG if they are more experienced and do already know people in the industry) may not join a network; is network weaker for that? EG Mentoring. Have inclusive and exclusive events for all to be involved if they want.