How Can Live Performance Flourish? Provocations, conclusions, thoughts and ideas taken from the Open Space discussion at the Made in Somerset Festival 2011, Friday 7 October @ The Brewhouse Theatre & Arts CentreFacilitated by Seth Honnor

A Draft Working Document

Alex Hollweg Take Art

Andy Field Forest Fringe

Anna Coombs Tangle Theatre Company

Benn Cody The Brewhouse

Charlie Dearden Bridgwater Arts Centre

Charlotte Melia Performer

Chris Ryde Equity

David Duthie SPACE, Tacchi-Morris

Deryck Newland Salisbury Arts Centre

Dominic Somers Creative Ecology

Emily Williams Wide Awake Devon

Emma Bettridge Independent Producer

Gavin Stride Farnham Maltings

Ged Stephenson Weston College

Gina Westbrook Take Art

Jac Husebo Director & Practitioner

Jim Brewster Audiences SW

Jo Johnson Practitioner

John Struthers ICIA, Bath University

Kate Vanovitch The David Hall

Kim Burnell Take Art

Made in Somerset: Open Space Participant List

Kirsty Cotton Court Fields School,Wellington

Lily-May Springer Graduate Practitioner

Liz Leyshon Strode Theatre

Louise Barrett Pretty Good Girl Dance Theatre

Mark HelyarTake Art

Martin PopleCultural Forum

Melanie Wood Practitioner

Monique Luckman Wide Awake Devon

Nell Farrally Frome Artist, (Merlin)

Nick Smith Superact

Nick White Travelling Light, Theatre

Paula Hammond Creative Ecology

Rachael Duthie Independent Artist

Rachelle Green Core Dance

Ralph Lister Take Art

Ramona Nash RFO Team

Ray Tew The Regal Theatre

Sandy Maberley Theatre Melange

Sarah Peterkin Take Art

Seth Honnor Albow

Tanuja Amarasuriya Theatre Bristol

Tim Hill RFO Team

Made in Somerset: Open Space Participant List

How can art flourish?By Andy Field

[A provocation written for Take Art’s Open Space on the future for the arts in Somerset, responding to the question ‘how can arts flourish?’]

Hello. I’ve been asked to offer you

a provocation. So here is a provocation. Apparently, more money

is given each year to Donkey charities than

to domestic violence charities. I’ve been

wondering and thought that maybe part of the

reason for that is this: Donkeys don’t speak

back. Donkey’s are uncomplicated. They just

get more or less healthy.

A donkey doesn’t question the underlying

causes of the situation it finds itself

in. A donkey doesn’t suggest that there

might be more to a problem than money.

A donkey doesn’t stand there as an uncomfortable reminder of the inequalities and injustices and violence buried right at the heart of

the society that we do our best to live in.

A donkey is a problem happening over there.

Not a problem happening here. A donkey

is not something we might have to fix in

ourselves.

Whilst we’re on the subject of animals, a few

years ago Tracey Emin’s Fourth Plinth proposal

was a family of meerkats standing on one end

of the plinth. She said that they were a symbol

of hope, because every time something sad

or depressing or difficult was on television, it

was always followed by a documentary about

meerkats. She did not win the commission.

Who here has heard of the Health Lottery?

The health lottery is a new type of lottery,

all the proceeds of which go to local health

organisations . It’s an insidious little idea. As superficial and insincere

as the Daily Mirror’s Pride of Britain Awards. It

feeds a basic desire to feel like we’re helping.

Like we’re doing good things. We are being

uncomplicatedly good. You buy your lottery

ticket and you know that your pound is going

directly to local people who are sick.

Now here’s the provocative bit. If this is a success we are fucked. Because

the government has found a way to use facile

big society populism to harness the resentment

and confusion that people feel towards arts

funding to channel money away from people

and organisations that talk back.

We talk back. The arts talk back. We are difficult and complicated. We don’t

always make things seem uncomplicatedly

better. We can’t always have positive

deliverable outcomes. We don’t always appear

to add value. We sometimes tell people not

only about the problems over there. But also

the problems back here. We explore the things

we need to fix in ourselves. That is what art

is to me. It’s a place or an occasion where

we come together to look at the world with a

different kind of attentiveness. To imagine and

enact a better world for ourselves.

And if its straight shoot out between that and a

donkey or a dialysis machine, we are going to

lose every time.

So what can we do? Let’s stop making the wrong arguments. Let’s stop talking about the arts as value-

adders. If we really thought that was the arts’

major contribution to society we’d all be

building shopping centres not theatres.

Let’s stop conceding the terms of the

argument. Let’s stop assuming that the most

sensible thing we can do is soldier on valiantly,

stoically doing the best we can under the

circumstances.

This is a moment of profound cultural and political transformation. 2011 will resonate in the same way as 1917 or

1968. We are reaching the end of something.

We are in the midst of recession. Climate

change is at a tipping point. There are protests

on our own streets. Riots. Revolutions across

the middle east. The media’s illicit affair with

successive governments is falling apart.

Art. Theatre. Has an opportunity. Has a

responsibility. It sounds unhelpful and it’s

certainly not going to get you any money from

DCMS, but at a time of such crisis, art’s real

value is in making things worse. To speak

back government and to speak back to society.

To help unpick the unraveling threads. To

stand alongside the dispossessed and the

demonised. The utopian dreamers and the

feral underclass. To imagine new ways that we

might live together. Better ways.

That is how we flourish. That is

how we add value. Otherwise the Donkeys

have it every time.

The Notes and Findings from each of the 14 Discussions Groups

The Notes and Findings from each of the 14 Discussions Groups

Creating platforms from which to progress? Convenor: Melanie WoodParticipants: Melanie Wood, Lily-May Springer, Mark Helyar

Key Notes

Avoid sense of failures • Say ‘Yes’ • The industry discourages new practitioners, maybe not through fault of their own • Hire or borrow lighting, rehearsal spaces • Artists need taking under wing, not over shoulder • New artists should be shown around the systems and taught how to do professional set ups. School halls could be used for dress rehearsals • Maximise online platforms, websites, social networking • Use local noticeboards • etc...

Producing theatre by young performers?

Convenor: David Duthie Participants: David Duthie, Rachael Duthie, Nick Smith, Kim Burnell, Jac Husebo

Key Notes

Allowing performers to be inspired by seeing other students • work Sharing work is successful but doesn’t happen (Take Art) •Is competition healthy or counter-productive? • Schools need external help providing good quality •Venues, with a range of technical facilities• In order for young people to be inspired and engaged, •they need to be involved / participate

Cont...

Telling people who might want to know?

Convenor: Kate VanovitchParticipants: Kate Vanovitch, Chris Ryde, Nick White, Alex Hollweg, Sarah Peterkin, Emma Williams, Ramona Nash, Ged Stephenson

Key Notes

Challenge with technology, how to communicate the message, •what is the voice and why should they listen?Word of mouth is limited? • The death of the brochure/poster•A portion of the audience only do viral • Too many assumptions are made about potential audiences•Use different channels to communicate with different people• Communication should be devised from the concept of the Art.•Marketing should be part of the art, don’t market separately• How do we know what marketing has worked?•Venue/building can be a barrier• How do we know whether the art has failed or the marketing has •failed?How do you entice new audience?• ‘The Knowledge’ - central data safe in walks about booking info •Cross-over audiences• How to get children of ‘non arty’ parents?•Competition with fellow organisations causes problems• Encourage more people away from the X Factor• Engage with current cultural influences• Learn from sport - encourage many to identify the sparks who •will engageGuerilla marketing, not offering but telling via performace• Difference between genres: in music there is an acceptable blur •between amateur and professional

Do less well?

Convenor: Gavin Stride Participants: Gavin Stride, Emily Williams, Paula Hammond, Nick White, Kirsty Cotton, Jim Brewster, Emma Bettridge, Sarah Peterkin, Gina Westbrook

Key Notes

Innovative?•Challenging?• Experimental•Collaborative• What the Arts Council are Funding•Developmental V Marketable• Authentic•Truthful• Quality•Competition for audiences•Artists creating work that audiences want to see• Festival model of short bursts of activity•Subscription tickets• Funding imbalances... city V rural, large V Small•

Cont...

Good, bad and crazy ideas?

Convenor: Dominic SomersParticipants: Dominic Somers, Tim Hill, Ged Stephenson, Monique Luckman, Martin Pople

Key Notes

Time for play• How to make time for ideas•Arts agendas constrict ideas• Arts playing at business•How do we find creative spaces• We make so much from so little•Learn from bad ideas, leave space for crazy ideas• Arts suffocated by the need to be sellable •Vulnerable• Who is it to say what is good, bad or crazy?•Who is your work for?• Worshipping false Gods of success and money?•Oh my God, there isn’t a God... we can do the work we want• Regular funding and creativity•Freedom to create• What’s worth saying?•

Producing theatre for young audiences?

Convenor: Nick WhiteParticipants: Nick White, Jo Johnson, Nell Farrally, David Duthie, Kirsty Cotton, Lily-May Springer, Chris Ryde

Key Notes

Inspiringverysmallones,under5s•Young people participating and flourishing in theatre •Workthat‘get’sthem’• Theatre as an alternative to film •Whatdoesfilm/theatreoffer•Ease of Access •Motivatingyoungpeopletobeanaudience• Be creative not passive •Haveopinions•Facility to see other things •GotoEdinburgh•Make work outdoors, which works for young audiences •Createadirectconnectionwithyoungpeople•Get young people involved in making work with environmental charities •Buildonourrelationshipswithschools•Gap of artistic experience within the school environment •Jointprogrammingacrosssmallvenues•Make participatory, magical work for the age group •providenontraditionalaudienceexperiences• Visual work without shouting •somethingfortheparents/guardians

Howcanliveperformanceflourishwithdecreasing audiences and rising costs?

Convenor: Benn CodyParticipants: Benn Cody, Rachael Duthie, Jim Brewster, Kim Burnell

Key Notes

Issues: Recession... covering costs when audiences can afford ticket prices. Artist integrity in jepordy •Lackofcouncilsupport/apathy•VAT •LackofnetworkingandcommunicationbetweenSomersetartvenuesandmakers•Marketing stagnent, same across all audience targets •Partnershipthinking,touringinpartnershipwithothers•Sharing audiences •Findnewadvertisingspace• venue or product first •Freeeventstoencourageaudiences•Vetting companies on board •successfuloffers

Why is Dance special?

Convenor: Paula HammondParticipants: Paula Hammond, Monique Luckman, Charlie Dearden, John Struthers, Emily Williams, Rachelle Green

Key Notes

Theatres are called theatres - language issues• Dance and sport•Dance academies / dance schools• Where do the young people go to?•They go see Rambert at TRB bit not contemporary dance at • the ICIADo dance practitioners ‘move on’ quicker than theatre •practitoners? ie 5 year cycleStreet dance is huge and attracts boys• In the other room there is plenty of talk about youth •theatre not youth dance but youth dance is probably much biggerWhen Niki McCretton was in Somerset there seemed more • practitioners - was this the influence of Chris Fogg? - bigger budgets + a dance team at Take ArtLou Barrett still making a living, who else?•Mark Bruce Company - support from Merlin, Tobacco Factory, • no-one else in Somerset to support that scale of production??

What responsibility do venues have/should take,formakingliveperformanceflourish?

Convenor: Deryck NewlandParticipants: Deryck Newland, Paula Hammond, Jim Brewster, Emily Williams, Chris Ryde, Charile Dearden, Gavin Stride

Key Notes

None whatsoever towards artists, their responsibility is to • audiencesDoes responsibility imply ‘hierarchy’?•Venues responsibility is to spot the good ideas & match it to an • audienceVenues as advocate for artists - a connection thing•Battersea Arts Centre is dangerous - only 3% is box office • income - no audiencesVenues do have resources and expertise so can/should •support local artistsIts not ‘responsibility’... its ‘interest’• Venue as a community resource•Venues role is to offer an audience• Venue like a jeweller - making the stone in the best setting•Choices re What and When• Tension between art & sales•Venue needs to really know its audience• How about digitising content•Venues can present elsewhere than the venue• Venues should take risks and push audiences towards •new workVenues need to take audiences on a journey - frame the work - • bare faced trickeryDo we describe Jane Eyre as ‘all white’?•

Finding physical space to make workConvenor: Ralph ListerParticipants: Ralph Lister, Melanie Wood, Deryck Newland, Dominic Somers, Tim Hill, Ramona Nash, Emily Williams

Finding physical space to make workConvenor: Ralph ListerParticipants: Ralph Lister, Melanie Wood, Deryck Newland, Dominic Somers, Tim Hill, Ramona Nash, Emily Williams

Key NotesFarmbuildings•Village Halls •Gardeninghelpinexchangeforkeytohalls/spaces•Overnight rehearsals •Don’taskyoudon’tget•Empty premises eg Boden Mill, Chard •Nodedicatedrehearsalspaces•Open rehearsals •Sharings,caring•No free space for artists without funding (scarce) •Developrelationships•Websites (Theatre Somerset) •Flexiblespaces•Right space, right time, right location •Challengetogetnon-arts space holers to commit

Connecting Somerset's rural & urban communities?Convenor: Nick WhiteParticipants: Nick White, Rachael Duthie, David Duthie

Key NotesLong way from Wiveliscombe to Frome, from Minehead to • ChardCarnivals are separate to other towns & to the arts sector•

Move existing audiences around, give them different • experiences, share the rural/urban focus eg Step ChangeRural workshop connected to a Brewhouse show and vice •versa eg Brewhouse and Take Art rural touringCan rural & town audiences cross-over? Can organisations • work in partnership to sharing/inspiring each others audiencesFestival feel - sponsored by Somerset ale/cider companies•On a bus, audience start at a theatre/pub go to next village hall/• town to another theatre/pub, things happen on the wayJoint beer/cider/theatre/dance festival •

Infrastructure - help or hinderance?

Convenor: Ramona NashParticipants: Ramona Nash, Kim Burnell, Charlie Dearden, Nell Farrally, Chris Ryde, Deryck Newland, Ray Tew

Key Notes

Without any support/infrastructure hard to work in an ongoing way• Structure can affect the work, ie could be negative for delivery•Where money is tight should agencies be first to go• Maybe more helpful if artist-led (but is that sustainable?)•Do infrastructure organisations take money out or bring money in, or • both? Eg building audiences, providing platforms for work to generate income for artists Eg village halls touring, would this happen without the middle •man/agency?Could venues do a lot of the work that agencies do now?• Does the infrastructure provision they give justify the money?•How do you know if things would happen anyway• Does strategic work help to avoid duplication (otherwise •companies may overlap?) Should this be ACE role? (can they do this?)Viewpoint depends on past experience• Agency v delivery, function + purpose•If agencies are competing in the marketplace, it is a ‘waste of money’• RoleofLAartsofficers?Varieswidelyindifferentareas•Need for partners - helpful collaboration (LA should have place at the • table)Change in relationships with LAs (partners rather than •collaboratorsAgency mgiht find a vacuum if arts officers not there/not effective• Other types of (non-arts) infrastructure might be viewed •differentlyShould there be a rethink abut how ACE relates to rural areas - better • than direct from central govtRooting into communities - relevance•

By doing it big & well outside?

Convenor: Gina WestbrookParticipants: Gina Westbrook, Martin Pople, Tim Hill, Emily Williams, David Duthie, Melanie Wood

Key Findings

Some of the best work is being made outdoors• Can be small•Danger of ‘spectacular’• Is it • outside the theatreSomething that takes the top of your head off• Not precious, but exciting, interesting•Interrupting people’s reality• Danger - Leo Bassi exponent•10 minute experience to be taken on many levels• Using ritual•Live interuption eg the balloon performance with speakers over • houses, defying artformRoyal Deluxe (Sultan’s Elephant, rocket crash, pulling giant •out of waterTheatre is • not a placeTheatre comes from outside, place to view from•Young people motivated by outdoor work• Bringing drama with the ‘hype’•Imposition + choice in your personal space• Integraton of early english, depravity with context•Moving on from the aspic• Carnival’s strength in Somerset circuit, crowds everything •outMore and more outdoor with funding situation, engaging young • people and wider audience eg King Lear on WS railwayDoesn’t need a roof•

Does theatre even matter anymore?Convenor: Jac HuseboParticipants: Jac Husebo, Dominic Somers, Tanuja Amarasuriya, Lily-May Springer, Ralph Lister, Andy Field, Sarah Peterkin

Key Notes

Does theatre matter? YES