Your reports Find reports Why are there no schemes for mid-range (middle list) practitioners? 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!