The Gift Sessions: Free Regular Open Workshops in Birmingham Elspeth Murray, 11 January 2016 Called by: James Yarker (Stan's Cafe) Attended by: Susie, Claire, Roisin, Derek, Jo, Charlotte, Caroline, Kalila, Jenny, Louisa, Rochi, Frances and undeclared others. Stan's Cafe is looking to celebrate its 25th Birthday by revising/reviving its Gift Session open workshops in 2016. How is this best done? These are the conclusions of this group consultation: Fortnightly sessions, but rotating different times and days of the week, to accommodate different availabilities. These sessions can be thought of as ‘keeping fit’ or ‘doing class’ for theatre practitioners. They will also be a chance for solo artists to get some time in a room with others. They should be genuinely open access, setting out clearly what will be happening in the sessions not who they would suit. The implication should be that they are not for ‘absolute beginners’. The invitation should welcome musicians and dancers keen on working in a theatre context. The atmosphere should embrace first time attendees and those who do not know others in the room. This would be achieved by starting with a simple warm up, then doing the work and concluding with a social session. Leadership of the sessions would lie principally with Stan's Cafe but would be flexible to accommodate other artists, there is a particular opportunity to engage artists visiting Birmingham. Ownership of ideas that could turn into a show could pose a problem and thus will have to be dealt with in a very open and honest way from the outset. The sessions should be promoted via: Mid*point, BCT, Equity, Theatre Cuppa, Creative Black Country, Friction Art's Hashtag, Arena Wolverhampton, The REP Foundry artists BrumArtsHour and the City Council's Arts Newsletter. If we are clever we could manage some carpooling. There should be no limit on numbers in the first instance in order to attract the broadest range of people. After the first session experience suggests that attendees will become self-selecting. Tags: Free, FREE, Diversity., workshops, Birmingham, free, Workshops, networking, Improvisation, Practicing, birmingham, Networking, improvisation