Posted on October 21, 2011 by Live & Local

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.

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

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.

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.

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.  

 

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.

Catherine Paskell

Encouraged everyone to tweet, and to connect to @cpskall and @ntw

 

Site Specific work.  Game based.  Worked with gaming company so that the environment was the set, and the audience are the characters and the ‘players’.

All about local community and putting audience at the core

·         The beach was about the ‘missing generation’ 20-30yr olds.  

·         Where are the individuals of this age in North Wales?  

·         Why is it that people leave their home towns and why do they stay away, or what makes them come back 

All this was unearthed through the beach and asked through a digital narrative.  

Developed two characters Charlie and TG and gave them a facebook page:

·         Through these facebook pages the story developed online.  

·         You could follow their stories before even a script had been developed.  

·         Wanted audience to develop relationships with the characters.  

·         The audience were already on the journey.  

·         Everybody was working together to make it work.

A result of this work was that a fanpage then developed around The Beach.

Video diaries were made by actors of each day leading up to the performance which were pasted on facebook,  They show the journey of the actors, many of the experiences became part of the “script” (e.g not being allowed to camp because you are in the 20’s)

The Beach, the show asked individuals to play a game that allowed them to answer the question of how to bring back the missing generation.  Got these audience geed up to go and bring back the missing generation.

However, when they were ready to go on the beach, they came across the “curtain twitchers” who tried to prevent the audience completing their task.

All stories/games were inspired by local people and local events/stories.

The show sold out with full teams – but people came to watch and advise the players – therefore participation went beyond the audience.

In the end the curtain twitchers decide what team wins to bring back the missing generation – therefore uniting the community in one aim.

All curtain twitchers are still involved with NTW through “the team” that shapes the future of NTW.

Also recorded 1 min videos of what was happening back stage – it wasn’t polished and finished, it was REAL life!  Shows you  that you don’t need much time or technology – just a phone and 1 min.

Photos put up on facebook so that people could tag themselves.

Would rehearse on the beach so that people would simply stop and watch and interact.  Many of them not theatre goers.  Could also approach groups of young people and get instant feedback on what was being rehearsed.

Community felt , rightly, that they owned the production – as it was about them, involved them, was created with them

Ended up in top 10 things to do in Gracia magazine!

Being digital is not about having skills – it is about getting involved, getting talking, and learning through and with other people.

  

Producing lots of site specific work for BCT, and live casting and connecting through digital media.

BCT is an urban touring scheme covering the West of the West Midlands.  Support promoters and produce own shows.

Local people inform, research and engage with productions.  Each project a new venture from the previous

BEHNA – written by a Punjabi writer, all action takes place in a kitchen.  Decided to therefore set it in a kitchen.  Still booked through traditional box office system.  At weekends audience would go to rented flat  – during the week the show would tour around private houses kitchens.  Approx 25 audience members.

Pre show party involved partying, dancing, eating etc.

So….. then thought about how to open this very intimate show up to a wider audience – so delivered the show via a webcast, using a private home’s kitchen:

·         Problems getting the best web connection

·         Should it be live – decided that the show was about being “live” not recorded

·         Got a holding page for the webcast

·         Started an online engagement campaign:

o   Discussion groups

o   Posted questions about the issues raised in the play

o   Wedding photos online gallery

o   Behna party pack – anticipated that people would watch in groups and encouraged them to have a party, so suggested recipes, henna painting etc.

o   Reached an audience of 300 – an additional 60% covered the world, and covered 3 continents.  

o   Onsite audience of 25, in a kitchen the actors did not work

o   Unexpected highlight was the live chat.

o   But, there was problems in terms of the quality of the webcast- the sound was not great, and the image was somewhat pixilated.  People overcame this by wearing headphones or adding speakers.

o   People with older hardware struggled with the webcast

o   Those with more experience of digital were more forgiving than virgin users, that were expecting high quality.

o   HOWEVER 78% of audience would watch again.

o   With hindsight, need to manage the audience expectations – e.g. say that this is an experiment, don’t be shy to do so, won’t put audiences off.

 

·         Wanted to learn from the lessons

·         Ensured a better signal through a satellite link-up

·         Developed Behna portal/website and brought someone else to manage and present this.

·         Worked with social media expert to blog, interview etc.  He helped generate interest ahead of show

·         Each character blogged in anticipation of the show.

·         For actual webcast, had a smaller audience of 10 (invited) to give control and flexibility.

·         Took place in kitchen that the actors new

·         This time:

o   481 computers logged on

o   721 includes estimate of those watching in 2-3’s

o   Delivered on weekend rather than mid-week as before

o   16 countries, (most UK, USA, Canada, France)

·         End result was of a much better quality.

·         Ensure content is right for webcast

·         Plenty of time for set up, test and play

·         Manage expectations appropriately

·         Build in house capacity/buy in expertise

·         Clarify contracts early

·         Agree life of webcast

·         Copyright of webcast

Online environmental lends itself for you to explore remote engagement with new audiences

 

Q&A:

Budget:  

Bobby: 1st time for digital £3.5k 2nd time £7k 

 

The beach

Digital budget: the cost of a battery, because at the core you had expertise and we used free social media so that real people could access it.  Carl was brought on as a crew member

 

Q:         What about man hours?

A:         The beach took 6 months to deliver, but included 4 months of weekends.

BCT 4 weeks rehearsal period.  Webcasts were set up by professionals, so time was limited.  More time was spent on on-line activity the 1^st time as this was done in-house.

 

Q:         how did you get people to be involved digitally?

A:         The Beach:  we just did it as we would normally.  We also approached local people and help them set up facebook pages, and help them engage with the project.

            BCT: Actors were international so they helped engage new audiences. Targeted traditional audiences of cultural mix.  2^nd time wider audience because engaged media company.. 

·         Helen Featherstone from Arts Council England talked about their aim to embrace diversity in programming.

·         Nike Jonah from Decibel talked about the showcasing event that has been running since 2003 and aims to increase the touring potential for artists who don’t normally have that opportunity, to raise their profile and to encourage networking.

·         In 2009 the showcase opened out in line with the Arts Council’s diversity agenda to include more than BME artists working in England and now includes diverse practice eg black ballet or issue based work.

·         The focus is about the work and how the work is made, and price is very important.

·         There are 3 ways to present work at the showcase: tour ready, work in progress (promoters have the opportunity to invest financially or artistically), or the pitch strand in which artists are given 10 minutes to present ideas. This year a market place has been developed for around 65 companies, and a new bursary strand has opened up for rural touring promoters. 

·         Many artists taking part in showcasing had not heard of rural touring until very recently, but those that have taken part in rural tours (Cleveland Watkiss, Rasa and Charlie Darke) had reported very positive experiences.

·         Decibel is working closely with NRTF and Ralph Lister has been tasked with signposting shows that are suitable for rural touring at this year’s showcase.

·         Amanda Rigali from the Arts Council said that showcasing offered the important role of introducing artists to promoters even if that specific work is not suitable or ready for rural touring.

·         An observation was made that it may be useful to remind artists to keep rural touring in mind when they are developing shows.

·         Sian Kerry from Arts Alive(rural touring scheme in Shropshire) and Bobby Tiwana from Black Country Touring (urban scheme in the West Midlands) talked about their inter-generational urban/rural community exchange project.

·         They had identified two communities – Stiperstones (very small, isolated and rural) and the Community Action Programme in Smethwick (diverse and urban) and developed the common ground between them which would try to address the rural issues of mono culturalism, and the idea that artists come and go very quickly in the community.

·         Ambassadors were recruited from each community and exchange visits were arranged between the groups. Although on 56 miles apart geographically, the urban school represented 35 different countries and languages.

·         The urban visit to Stiperstones involved a walk up to the Devils Chair (involving a car boot full of wellie boots and identification of different types of poo), a visit to an industrial heritage area, a mask workshop with VAMOS theatre company, tea and cakes with a brass band accompaniment, and a Bhangra evening which involved the whole community.

·         The rural visit to Smethwick started with a trip to The Public, an arts building with interactive exhibitions, a bus tour of the town, a visit to a Mosque, a singing workshop with Black Voices, making Rangoli and a performance by Vamos.

·         The project succeeded in firing up both communities and opened up new horizons for the children involved. Plans to keep the project going were included in the NPO application for both schemes, but the school in Stiperstones is under threat of closure so all their current energy is being focussed into preventing this.

·         The funding for the project came from the CAP centre and several small applications, so core funds from Arts Alive were not heavily used.

·         Alan McLean from Black Country Touring talked about his project working with deaf shows, deaf promoters and deaf audiences. Through researching the project he had found a lot of deaf groups, and set about identifying a show that people would want to see. 

·         A partnership was formed with Deafinately Theatre and the Deaf Cultural Centre and research had identified that people wanted to see more BSL theatre. BCT had a history of partnership working, so these skills and experiences had been very useful in taking the project forward.

·         Work had been done to identify deaf people to facilitate bringing shows to deaf clubs, and although it had not been particularly easy, a deaf promoter had worked hard to open up the space for other companies to work in a particular club, and workshops have successfully involved other people.

·          Black Country Touring has instigated the idea that involving promoters ensures sustainability.

·         A new work has been developed called Gold Dust. There are performances during July and August in the region, and it is hoped that an online presence will allow other promoters to see a clip from the show.

·          Gill Vickers, Live Lincs – chair – pleased that Huw Lewis reinforced the importance of working with young people.

·         Working with young people enables us to re examine rural touring – how and why it works, and we can learn techniques of digital/emarketing from them.

·         Hilary Farr (Night Out) and Christine Smith (Gwent Police) talked about their project working with Young Promoters in performances and workshops. The scheme is very flexible to allow a bespoke package to be developed depending on the age and abilities of the children.

·          One of the positive outcomes had been building their relationship with and changing their perceptions of the Police force.

·         Guy O’Donnell, Arts Development Officer for Brigend County Council introduced the Young Critics scheme which had been set up by the Council as part of their remit to support cultural activity in all parts of Brigend.

·         The scheme addresses the issue of a lack of archive material following a live performance, and gives an opportunity for young people to get their voices heard. The intention is to attract young people to attend performances and then use social networking and blogs to feedback their experiences – extending the reach of the arts into the younger generation.

·         Chelsey Gillard and Rachel Williams from Brigend Young Critics talked about their experience of the scheme and showed examples of their blogs. They had received tutoring from a local critic and taken part in workshops to teach them how to review, and where to post the reviews.

·         Most of the activity is online, and sets out to encourage debate and comment. By using the National Theatre Wales blogging community and links to Facebook and Twitter they were reaching a different audience through the different media.

·         As well as traditional methods of reviewing, the Young Critics have used comic book style graphic writing and video logging through Flip Videos.

·         Venues and companies are excited by and encouraging of the scheme.

·         One aspect of taking part for the Young Critics had been learning to accept negative criticism of their reviews and to understand that their words have consequences.

·         Claire Smith from Rural Arts Cheshire had spent a long time developing different schemes for different groups and needs of young people and had decided that one size fits all does not work. She has been developing a project designed to get new audiences and to engage young people in the transformational nature of theatre. She has developed partnerships and a model that can be repeated and will have a lasting impact.

·         Since 2006 the scheme has produced 3 shows and 1 DVD resource.