John Laidlaw Live & Local / NRTF in Christchurch – Arts on Tour New Zealand

Christchurch – Arts on Tour New Zealand

Posted on October 21, 2011 by Live & Local

John Laidlaw (Director, Live & Local) talks about his visit to Arts on Tour, New Zealand in Christchurch

Just to goes to show how one can get misconceptions. Misconception one; in my first conversation in New Zealand (the night porter at the YMCA in Christchurch) I kicked off with a quip about the rugby semi final to find out it was a bad thing to say to a hockey coach! I received a friendly but forthright expose about the excessive flow of sports funding to rugby and how much the world cup was costing the country!

Misconception number two… that I’d have no concerns about being in an earthquake zone that was still getting regular tremors. Not true; especially when my room turned out to be on the fifth floor.

The next morning was nippy but sunny and I looked out over Christchurch botanical gardens and everything seemed to be standing and straight. Not having any New Zealand money and an in-operative debit card forced a coffee free exit across the road to the Canterbury Museum. Then I saw their Arts Centre.

This was completely fenced off, one of its towers off its roof and placed for safety on the ground. Clearly there was some roof damage, but a cursory glance revealed no other apparent serious damage, but it is unsafe to enter; as is much Christchurch. Christchurch has a lot of Victorian style buildings and this one is apparently one of the best examples of its kind in the southern hemisphere. Think Oxford or Cambridge College and you get the idea. This is not a small complex, apart from many offices and spaces it houses a major Theatre (The Court Theatre). It will cost a lot of money to bring it back into use again. But at least it’s standing which is more than one can say for many places. The city hall is now in what was going to be a new gallery and the whole of the CBD area is a no go zone. There are many, many cleared blocks, propped up buildings, and uneven roads. However perhaps the most shocking images were of the streets of houses in the suburbs that were just a bit squint, most if not all will need to be rebuilt. Then there was the whole estate of houses (about 10 years old I’d say) that had suffered from liquefaction (basically rock turning to mud being forced up through the foundations, then re-solidifying in the house). The next day I was taken to the Arts on Tour New Zealand temporary(ish) offices (they were based at the Arts Centre; Steve and his staff left in a hurry). You may have seen images of the Anglican Cathedral; their offices are now close to the remains of the Catholic Cathedral, one side of its front is supported by a pile of containers five stories high, the other side is open like a dolls house, and its cupola has gone all together. It is due for complete demolition.

Lets be clear, this is not a third world country and not a disaster on the scale of Japan, but neither is it a rich country (4m people) and it’s clear that the shock and trauma must run deep in the communities most affected. It will take years to rebuild and recover. There are however some strange silver linings…. Arts Council NZ have coughed up to rehouse several arts organisations in the local poly, creating some interesting potential collaborations I suspect! The recent dance festival also had to rethink the whats and whens and especially the wheres of its programming.

Steve was a great host. In the short time I was there (two days effectively) I sampled a good range of NZ culture… artistic, sporting, culinary and liquid! On the sports front, given that I am English with a substantial dollop of Scots blood, have an Australian family and was visiting a Welshman who is also a Kiwi I was a bit concerned over who to support (England already being dispatched homewards) For information, I chose Wales and New Zealand in that order. But I may not mention this when with my Aussie family in Perth!

Watching a world cup rugby semi final in NZ, with a glass on NZ wine having eaten NZ lamb and Mutton Bird is a once in a lifetime experience. Take any three parts of that mix it would have been special…. But the Mutton Bird definitely made it unique. This is a Maori speciality, I think from the far south, much beloved by Steve; less to by his partner Marilyn (there was some previous issue over the demise of a plant in the garden due to the disposal of the fat rendered from the cooking!) The bird lives like a puffin in a burrow and the local people have the right to harvest a few each year. I believe there is a lot of cooking involved (and a lot of fat) and it ends up a bit like a salty, slightly fishy, crispy Peking duck. Definitely an acquired taste; but I love kippers so enjoyed about half the bird as it is very rich as well. The gorgeous lamb was something of a palate clearer after the Mutton Bird!

But I was in NZ for more than culinary reasons with the Sunday set aside for the AOTNZ symposium at the George Hotel just down the road. The participants were a mix of Board members, presenters (promoters) and local artists. AOTNZ covers the whole of NZ; north and south islands. It supports about 10-15 tours per year to communities all over the North and South islands and about 160 performances I believe. Now these really are tours! I’m afraid that companies in the UK who moan about 2 or 3 hour drive between consecutive one night stands will get short shrift at Live & Local from now on! Venues are generally small community run places. The smallest seats 35 people and there are apparently only 36 people living in that community! Avoiding geographical local clashes is not much of an issue… routing the tour is. A lot of the process, support and feel of the scheme are very reminiscent of UK schemes.

The day was kicked off by a Powhiri and Welcome from Iohangawai. This was part prayer, part personal affirmation, part song/chant, part welcome. It was a gentle and calming start to the day. It is part of the local culture to respond in like manner should you choose to. One of the Maori artists, Ariana Tikao (Voices of our Ancestors) gave a beautiful short song and Steve (who is quite a poet) got his rugby defeat frustrations out of the way! Then more familiar elements… sort of… as it may be the only meeting I will attend at which the ‘housekeeping’ included what to do in case of seismic activity.

I gave a presentation about Live & Local and the National Rural Touring Forum (NRTF) and three of the artists did a session on what their favourite things were to make a successful tour/performance.  Vicky Allpress Hill (The Audience Connection, Auckland) ran a very useful session on social media and Steve and his staff updated people on various aspects of AOTNZ marketing and strategic plans.

 

At the end of the day we were treated to a showcase from four groups and I would offer any of them to our Promoters. Mundi – a world music band led by a virtuoso flautist (Tamara Smith) inspired by North Africa, the Amazon and beyond. International violinist and composer, Fiona Pears played some gypsy swing with La Petite Manouche. She’s played at Ronnie Scott’s and with the LPO. Helen Webby, principal harpist with the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra, who tours AOTNZ with guitarist Davy Stuart who is also a renowned instrument maker (he made Chris Newman’s guitar)

It was an informative, relaxed and sociable day rounded off by a buffet and drinks in the sun. For me two things stood out. The repeated comments from the artists about how important they found the scheme to enabling them to tour without the admin and marketing worries so they could put all their energy into their art over a prolonged period. Secondly, the vital curatorial role that the scheme plays in ensuring high quality, wide ranging and appropriate product for the participating communities.

Thank you to Steve, his Board and everyone who helped make my visit so good. I hope we can offer the same hospitality to visiting staff, promoters, artists or Board members across in the UK soon.

John Laidlaw Live&Local and NRTF visit to Australia

Melbourne Fringe – Day 1. First time lucky?

Posted on October 3, 2011 by Live & Local

No Matter Where You Go There You Are

RSVP (Red Sandstone Varied Productions)

Clifden Creative Arts Centre, Melbourne Fringe Festival

You know when you’ve been around half a dozen shops and realise the thing you wanted was in the first one?
Well I think that’s what happened tonight, but without the other five shops as yet.  

It really was entirely unlikely. Ten and half thousand miles, little or no sleep, 22 degrees cooler (yes… cooler) than UK and bolstering myself with a Jack Daniels for ‘breakfast’, I had to choose one of the only three shows available on the Fringe on a Monday night, then stay awake and work out the inevitable strange city/strange transport/strange money challenges to get there in double quick time. Trotting up the road to the Clifden Creative Arts Centre, which is 10 minutes on Tram 75 from Flinders Street Station plus
several hints from helpful locals… correction… trotting past the place on the first attempt, then asking two passers by who turned out to be 50% of the audience, I found myself in a small white gallery space with the gentle sounds of a karate class next door. Ok… so this could be a village hall performance I thought! Then the other 25% of the audience was a friend of the company who I suspect had been asked in to help out the crowd. Let’s be completely clear, the first 50% I’d met outside had won their tickets in a competition. It was the sort of competition that to win simply requires you just to enter the competition. Not a very auspicious start!

But after a brief ‘surprised by an audience’ scuttling of cast and crew from their FOH preshow positions, we were welcomed in. I bought my ticket and was invited to make a donation for a drink. Now, this is a few hours after landing and I’m still not sure which way the exchange rate is going at the moment! How much to donate? Advice was given!

No Matter Where You Go There You Are by RSVP (Red Sandstone Varied Productions) is a one woman show… or two… well; it is one ‘live’ and one on film as it is an interactive interdisciplinary film and theatrical piece. “A conversation between two women, one Australian, Jennifer Williams, now based in Ireland, and one Irish, Cathie Clinton, now based in Australia. The show in Melbourne was performed by the Irish actor, with video of our Australian actor’s performance in Ireland projected into the space, and interacted with by the Irish actor. Written by the two performers, the show draws on their experiences of the expectations and promise of travel, their subsequent lives in their new countries, and where they hope or expect it to lead to from here.”

More here http://rsvp.blog.com/2011/08/03/no-matter-where-you-go-there-you-are-2/

I was captivated by the dialogue between their respective experiences and the gentle links between the live and the digital (pre-filmed) scenes; sometimes conversational and sometimes as monologues. We were all also presented with a postcard to write to the Irish end of the story! The gallery space was creatively used as an adjunct to the piece with the live action sometimes far removed from the audience and sometimes very intimate, in particular for the gorgeously sung last (and only) song. It was all nicely wrapped up in an original score. This could easily be staged in a more traditional relationship with an audience.

It struck many personal chords; most immediately because I was a stranger in a strange(ish) land that night; but more deeply because of my own ponderings over working in Australia. The post show conversation (suitably fuelled by beer or Guinness!) revealed that the show will next be at the Wexford Festival where the roles will be reversed (i.e. film of Irish actor’s performance ‘in’ Melbourne with the live actress being the Australian actress now living in Ireland). This structure gives all sorts of options for the
journey the show and characters will take and the company does not necessarily assume that the structure they have now is fixed. However they already have an Ireland / Alabama option lined up.  The show is eminently portable in every way and a vehicle with lots of potential for international links, but at very personal or local community level. Even in the form I saw it (i.e. with a Melbourne / Ireland link) the themes of doubt and question in the minds of immigrants were universal enough not to necessarily need a specifically England context; but that would be an exciting option.

Certainly I’ll be going to at least five other shops over the next few days; but this really was a good start. Helped by being picked up by the Company off the street and given a lift home as well. I will be writing that postcard.

John Laidlaw

Melbourne. Oct 4 2011

NRTF conference video

Ever wondered what the NRTF conference was like?  Here’s a little snippet of the action!

NRTF International Villages of Culture Commissions

In 2009, five northern touring networks commissioned two pieces of new work for rural communities, involving UK and international partners,  as part of the NRTF International Villages of Culture project. This video gives an insight into their northern tours, and how rural touring really works for artists, audiences and communities.

http://www.vimeo.com:80/24919440

NRTF conference notes – International Showcasing

Kath Perry, Straylight Australia

Session 15b.  International showcasing: Practical advice for companies and performers on showcasing

Chris Ball: Atlantic Presenters Association, Canada

 

Canada holds 5 regional showcasing conference each year at which performers can present work for consideration by the theatre producers in that region. There are no touring schemes. Each producer 

books only for their own venue or event, which may be a large or small theater, community space, festival etc.  There are also many similar events in the USA. 

 

The Atlantic Presenters Association facilitates tour logistics for 4 Provinces, the showcases for which are Contact East, Contact Ontario and Contact Alberta.

 

Applications to be included in the showcases are made via the Asociation’s website and can be made for all 3 showcases with one application form. There is a fee (about ₤30 for one, ₤50 for two etc). If successful in getting a slot (about 40 shows are presented over 3 days) you have 20 minutes to make an impression and are fully supported with sound and light etc.  You also have a ‘marketplace’ stall and an entry in the showcase booklet.

 

The Association has very few applicants from outside Canada and USA. There are also few theatre or dance shows cf musicians (85%) in showcases and the producers are hungry for this kind of work.

However, As with getting on Regional Touring Scheme menu, you may get 20 bookings from a showcase, or none.

 

The decision to pursue and act or drop it off the list of ‘possibles’ is made while watching it showcase. You have to get a tick against your name at that point!

 

Tips for showcase success, included:

1. Balanced use of your 20 mins between introducing company and showing the actual production.  Eg need to say when available but don’t need a lot of intro detail as those interested will chase you up at your ‘marketplace’ stall. 

2. Remember are presenting full package – eg how musicians dress will influence decision for venues where audience is conservative and they may cross you out if your appearance is not what the audience would expect. 

3. Ensure what you do at the showcase is what you’ll do on tour eg don’t showcase with 6 band members and then tour 4.

4. It is important to engage the audience so they can see who you are. (Musicians: don’t look just at your music! Also have more than one speaker for the band so audience get to know more people not just one ‘frontman’.) 

5. Showcases for neighbouring regions are held close together so people can go from one to the other.

6. It may also be possible to get a couple of local gigs to defray expenses while travelling to showcases (NB smaller venues program only a month or two ahead so you can get slots at short notice) and there is a small amount of subsidy available for accommodation/meals.  Also may be able to get some support from British Council.

 

Timing for Contact East is, roughly:  showcase submissions invited Feb/March via website http://www.iwanttoshowcase.ca/  (for Atlantic Producers), jury meets in May, artists notified if successful in early June, Contact event (showcase) is in September and bookings from it are for 12 months+ ahead.

 

The events can be fun with social events included. These are inclusive of the artists, there’s not an ‘us and them’ atmosphere.

 

Work permits are quite easy to get via the venue producers who are used to obtaining them for artists. There will be 15% tax witheld but it can be claimed back at the end of the tax year.

NRTF conference notes Eyes Wide Open practical guide to rural touring for companies and performers

Kath Perry, Straylight Australia

Session 12b Eyes Wide Open: Rural Touring: a practical guide for companies and artists

Led by Beverley Bishop (Creative Arts East), Alex Murdoch (Cartoon de Salvo) and Peter Allen

(promotor Carn to Cove, Cornwall and Devon)

 

The session presented information from the Eyes Wide Open publication and discussed issues around Rural Touring.  Points made included:

 

1. There are 35-40 schemes and they are well networked so once you get a good report from one, others will pick up on it.

2. Scheme managers are always looking for new acts and are very open to meeting up with people and seeing their shows. Even if they can’t get there personally, they can sometimes get promotors to go on their behalf and report back.

3. When sending scheme managers information – don’t send reams as they won’t have chance to read it. Two A4 sheets of bullet poiints is enough for Bev. A good image is v important for selling a show. Also, address info to scheme manager by name – not ‘Dear Scheme Manager’! It’s important to say why the product is suitable for Rural Touring, why promotors will like it and why audiences will come. Also quote support for the show, not just from reviewers but from other scheme managers, promotors etc.

4. Some schemes like their info on paper, some electronically but always talk to them first. Develop a personal relationship before sending information formally.

5. Video promotion for a show is v helpful for scheme menu launches and also for promotors who can use weblink in their selling to some audiences.

6. It is important for touring artists/companies to be self-contained as there is little equipment available in most venues. C de S tour with 6-8 lamps on poles, long cables and extension leads.

7. Promotors are volunteers who put in a lot of work and whose necks are on the line with every show they present to their local community.

8. There is a blur in small venues between the actuality of the audience and the reality of performance. The audience can’t be assumed to be passive observers and parts of the performance may resonate in a particular way for particular audiences.

9. Performers must be willing to exchange the ‘theatre magic’ produced by big venue technical fx for the immediacy of contact with a rural audience.

10. Promotors need the reassurance (and courtesy) of personal contact with artists from early on after the booking is made. They may need more detailed info earlier than bigger venues.

11. Each scheme is run slightly differently so artists need to contact each scheme and talk to them before applying to tour.

12. When supplying info to schemes in the pitching process, companies must put their truely minimum requirements (eg for size of stage) as they will get weeded out v quickly by venues if their stated requirements can’t be met. 

13. Good marketing info is essential so promotors can ‘sell’ a show.  Most sell ‘eyeball to eyeball’ so need a good story about what the show is and why the audience will want to see it.  Also need info early to meet parish or local magazine deadlines and preferably drip feed info over successive issues. Print must also leave PLENTY of room for overprinting with the local venue-specific information.

14. Some venues (esp Village Halls) may only be available to the promotor on Friday or Saturday nights because they are used by other sectors of the local community on other nights.  This is a source of difficulty for touring companies who need more than one or two gigs a week to stay afloat.

15. Where several schemes want to book an act, they will each be allocated a time (eg a particular week) but they may then only get a few, or no, bookings and so the company is left with a big hole in its schedule. Again this is v difficult for companies to manage financially and logistically.

16. Where an act is booked by a village and also by the local theatre town, this can cause problems for the promotor in that the village audience may defect to see the show in the town. There was discussion of ‘exclusion zones’ within which a company might choose to accept only one booking.  Again, discussion with the individual promotor is neccessary as the mobility of the audience is different in different places.  Where it is low, you could probably do shows 3 miles apart with no cross-over in venue catchment areas.

17. Most local promotors need to deliver a full ‘evening out’ experience and so 1hr shows are too short unless they are supported by other activity eg appropriate music recital, themed dinner etc etc. Companies should look at providing ideas of the kind of activity that could be used to support their show.

18. Things promotors need to know include:  minimum performance space, length of show, potential wrap-around activities, what it’s about, whether it will work flat on the floor with no audience rake. Be specific.

19. Some shows may need toning down for some promotors esp re swearing etc. Company needs to be able to adapt to this. The promotor knows what will work for his/her venue – may be a Methodist Church Hall.

20. On the road be aware that you’ll be travelling miles and miles, that your promotor may arrange meals and even accommodation. Also that if something breaks, don’t panic. Villages are full of expert resources and someone will probably be able to help.

NRTF conference notes Environmental Sustainability

Sustainability – How Green is my scheme?

 

1.       Why should we become more sustainable?  Rhodri Thomas

Cynnal Cymru – Sustain Wales Not-for-profit org that support organisations and government to achieve their sustainable development objectives.  Membership organisation (free).

Pinpointed the Arts as a target area to advise and support.  Much good info in www.sustainwales.com re conference that targeted this sector.  Lots of practical advice.

Sustainability encompasses everything in our working and everyday lives.

Talked about expediential growth – how it creeps up on you without you noticing.   

It is this kind of growth that we see in relation to:

·         World population development – is the question that there are too many of us, or more that there are too many living inappropriate lives that affect the environment, and are un-sustainable – we are using 3 planet of resources, in the USA they are using 5 planet of resources.  Thus there are billions of people living on crumbs.  But more and more people are wanting resources.

·         As population growth is expediential, so is species extinction.  This is unparalleled in our history.  We would have to go back to the dinosaurs to see this level of extinction.  If there is an expansion of one species, there is going to be extinction in the other.  However, at what point does this become critical.  Is it 5 minutes to midnight, or has it passed?

·         We are passed the point of survival of the fittest – it is more about co-existence.  If we lose pollinating insects, we will starve. If we lose sea grass beds, we will lose fish.  If we lose coral reefs, we will lose the places where fishes reproduce and grow, and life in the sea will collapse and oceans will become barren.

·         Expediential growth is seen everywhere – in the life cycle of stars, for example – as does a cycle of peaks and troughs – growth and decay.  We are the first civilisation to understand this, and use technology to take action to avoid a trough in terms of extinction etc.

·         We are living in an age where we our existence will be identifiable through rock, rather than just soil samples.  In every handful of sand throughout the world, there are pellets of plastic that will never, ever disappear.

·         We have to find alternatives to Oil.  Everything we do uses oil, plastics, clothes, food etc.  However there are some very good alternatives – e.g. Pepsi-co’s new bottle that is made from 100% plant derived plastic.

We are in an age of transformation.  We can choose our future…

·         It is the opportunity for us to have our renaissance, or enlightenment.  We are possibly living through this right now.  We are not certain of what to do next – and there is fierce debate with regards to this.  However, we are no longer debating the devine right of kings.  We need to question the rights of capitalism that dictates that growth uses finite resources.  We need to try new ideas to make prosperity/growth work and little/no cost to the environment.  

·         Business as usual is not an option.

·         If arts is not involved, then what is the point of arts?

·         We have emerged from great depressions and a willingness to re-make the world – out of this came the NHS.  We can be confident that we can do this kind of thing again:

o   Solar energy is going to be a HUGE player.  You can pay back a loan for instillation within 7 years, and then you have free energy.

o   Proctor Gamble announced that all their factories will be running on renewable energies by 2015.

·         Theatre should be a place where we ask how we live.  This is a wonderful opportunity to be an artists – to be living at a time of profound and vital change.

BUSINESS AS USUAL IS NOT AN OPTION

 

2.       What are the challenges to be overcome?  John McGrath, NTW

 

·         Posed questions for groups:

o   What data do you have?  What is your impact?  Is it better to have site specific work that people travel to in cars, or would it be better to create a set somewhere where people do not need to travel as much?  This can be confusing as we do not have access to the data

o   We do not always control the environment that we work in.  E.g. we can only encourage people to travel in groups and avoid one person, one car

o   There is a genuine fear of ‘bad’ art.  If it carries this message ir could be seen to be lecturing, and not engaging.

o   However we need to get over the above and take some kind of action, remain exciting – but take action on how we do things and the way we do it.

·         NTW is in much the same arena as small scale orgs when it comes to sustainability.

·         There is a model that uses existing infrastructure, works are re-used as tours travel around the country.

·         Lots of support, including Julies bicycle,  Arts Admin, Volcano, Ashton Foundation etc.  

 

 

3.       Ideas, hints and tips – Lori Fraton.  The Centre for Business Relationships, Accountability, Sustainability and Society (BASS), Cardiff University.

Its more than our carbon impact, but also about the impact we make in relation to the use of our natural resources.  So here are some tips?

This applies to ALL companies, ALL individuals.  Both create waste, and use energy.  Although individually we may make a small impact it is the cumulative effect.

We are travel, use energy, produce wage and buy.

·         Can we get people to use public transport and car share?

 

WE need to stop and get to know the activities and possible impacts:

Stop and identify:

·         What do we use to build sets?  What wood do we use?  What kind of paint do we use and how do we dispose of this?  

·         Think about what we are going to do, before doing it.

·         What routes do we take on our tour – can we reduce travel and distance?

·         Stop, and re-use.  At the start of a production think about if you can source materials for elsewhere, can the materials be recycled.  If we are gentle with sets can we re-use?

·         Monitor what we do?  How much energy do we use?  Switch of the lights, turn off the computer.  Often need to offer incentives to get people to do this.