Devoted & Disgruntled 15: What are we going to do about theatre and the performing arts? Join us for our 15th annual unconventional convention for everyone who loves, makes and lives theatre and the performing arts Devoted & Disgruntled is an opportunity for everyone passionate about the arts, from audiences to artists, CEOs to FOH staff, grassroots groups to seasoned professionals, to get together and focus on the question What are we going to do about theatre and the performing arts? It is a two and a half day event in which you get to set the agenda and decide what conversations you want to be part of. You can read more about how it works in the 'Open Space' section below and here. You can book your pay-what-you-choose tickets here. Here's an invitation from Lee Simpson, Co-Artistic Director of Improbable: As we watch current events unfold I would guess I am not alone being mired in anxiety, fear, anger, helplessness. But I feel none of those things when we meet as a community in Open Space. Not because we all know the answers and we all agree but because we have different opinions or perhaps no opinion at all and from this multiplicity of voices comes clarity. Actions seem obvious and possible. My path opens up and I know what to do. And there is so much to do. For what it’s worth I think Theatre is in a fantastic amount of trouble. By the time you read this, goodness knows what political events have happened and how much more precarious the funding situation is; there’s been some tiny shifts towards a slightly less middle-class-white-male dominated sector yet already some are claiming it is “job done” when it really isn’t and this art form is, I reckon, getting less and less connected to anyone beyond its traditional constituency. I mean COME ON?! Those are some of the things I think it is urgent that we work on. What about you? Lee Simpson's full invitation can be read here Here's an invitation from Tarek Iskander, Artistic Director and CEO of Battersea Arts Centre: I think theatre is at a turning point. We are close to taking a path that will leave us much stronger, more pioneering and a great deal more important to people’s lives. Or the opposite. For me Devoted and Disgruntled represents everything that is wonderful about our artform and the people in it. To achieve anything we need to work together, and this can only be done by being together, by disagreeing, by finding points of union, by inhabiting the same space, falling out terribly and reaching common ground. It’s idealistic for sure. But Battersea Arts Centre’s Grand Hall makes you feel anything is possible. It has always been a home for radicals who refused to accept the status quo. Bertrand Russell, the Suffragettes, John Archer… all came here to share new ideas and create a better, fairer future. They fought impossible odds, but nothing was insurmountable. Our current challenges in theatre are significant, mammoth even… but they aren’t insurmountable. Not now. Not together. I can’t wait for us to meet in February at BAC and keep mapping a path. Every Devoted & Disgruntled I walk away inspired and motivated to do better. So let’s fill the room with those we hear from the least but need to spend time with the most. And let’s be brave, be bold and even a bit rebellious if we need to be. Tarek Iskander's full invitation can be read here You can post your own invitations to this event below in the comments, or on your own platforms and social media. It's a chance to read why other people are coming, what experiences they've had before, and what important topics they'd like to discuss this year. Let's start the conversation now.Pay What You Choose This year tickets are Pay What You Choose for the full two and a half day event. Devoted & Disgruntled thrives when there's a wide range of voices in the room and we want everyone to be able to take part, regardless of finances. Book your Pay What You Choose tickets online or by telephone on 0207 240 4556 Open Space Devoted and Disgruntled uses an Open Space format. This means that attendees get to set the agenda themselves, instead of following a fixed timetable of speakers - anyone can call a session on anything, which means that the most important and vital issues and topics can be discussed on the day. More information on Open Space can be found here. If you would like an audio version of this document, please get in touch with us. Event Information can be downloaded here - including FAQs, timings for the day and access information. (A Word-version of the document can be found here for text-to-speech software) Click here for information about Access at this event. If you have any specific questions or access requirements, please get in touch via [email protected] or 0207 240 4556. (If you are using a textphone (or a textphone app), please dial prefix 18001 then our number). In partnership with Battersea Arts Centre Booking for this event has now closed. Book