Smashy and Arty

Richard Huw Morgan and John Rowley (aka Good Cop Bad Cop) are doing wonders to raise the horizons of arts broadcasting in Wales with their labour of love - Pitch on Radio Cardiff and archived on the Culture Colony platform here. Very kindly, they invited Sarah Argent (one of the regular Open Space participants) and me down to their luxurious studios to talk about what’s been happening for Pitch 22. The broadcast is now up on the site.

As if you were there…

There are two positive commentaries on the day from Othniel Smith and Adam Somerset who both participated.

They can be found here at: http://blakeson.blogspot.com/

And here at: http://www.theatre-wales.co.uk/reviews/reviews_details.asp?reviewID=2684

 

What are we going to do about training and (retaining) young artists as future leaders?

Proposed by = Jain Boon

Participants = Simon Harris. Joined by = Ellen Groves, Sarah Argent, Kevin Lewis

JB: I am interested in Leadership Training for young people (not emerging artists) but for young people who are awaiting Drama School training or young people who have trained and are interested in the role of leadership. I am wondering whether there may be a place for Youth Theatres to be able to provide this training? We have a few young people who are not working and are waiting to train. There have been a couple of opportunities recently from companies Mess up the mess and theatre versus oppression that have provided leadership opportunities and they have relished this training. Some young people on B Tech performing arts courses have to look at the process of setting up a company and quite often they just want you to spoonfeed them.

SH: Well, unfortunately, some young people just want to be led.

JB: Yes we have had young people sending us(Gwent Theatre) questionnaires but not wanting to come and meet us and talk to us

SH: Phil Mackenzie at Sherman Cymru offers mentoring to some older Youth Theatre members. Maybe there is an opportunity through ACW’s ‘Reach The Heights’ funding – some of the young people you mention may be able to benefit from this money, its focus is on inclusion especially for young people who are not in education, employment or training.

JB: We have been looking at ‘Contact’ in Manchester for inspiration they have young people on their Board of Management.

 

How can we improve the relationship between writers and theatre companies?

 

 

Proposed by = Kit Lambert

Participants = Sarah Argent, Louise Osborn, Othniel Smith, Adam Somerset, Kath Chandler, Julie Barclay

KL began the discussion with two points

1  There is a lot of energy to promote emerging artists but that there is a stage after that when artists who have emerged and who are working professionally  still find it difficult to progress..

2 In his experience the spirit of new writing can be lost and sacrificed to the needs and desires of the  producing company..and that writers can feel dis-empowered

LO asked KL to define what he thinks good dramaturgy is?

KL defines it as

Challenging a writer to create the best work they can- and provoking a writer to respond positively to neccessary changes and editorial ideas…

but also that good dramaturgy is NOT for the piece of writing to spiral off in development away from the authorial intention…. he felt that writers often feel pressured to conform. He returns to his first point above – saying that theatres tend to go for the safest options..the best possible bet financially and that it is hard to be commissioned…Emerging artists seem to be encouraged even if they aren’t that good sometimes but the terrain isn’t prepared for a writer to progress..he accepted that he doesn’t expect work to be dished out ..there’s not a sense of entitlement but seed commissions are given out without a real commitment from the company…so they can be seen to be doing the right thing and with no outcome in a sense…so the trust and respect gained melts away to nothing..and that actually the company aren’t risking anything at all.

JB: I said that I had a seed commission and thats exactly right..that when i went back clearly stating my route to move things forward .. I was shown the door..with a letter of support to the arts council and since then i have been alone in my journey to realise my adaptation of an award winning book..

KL’s response to his question..by way of a possible solution was to say..that artists who have emerged could be given writing residencies in order to nurture the promise they have shown..in preference over successful and well established writers who perhaps don’t need the exposure as much. The residency could include money for clear discussion about a concept and outline and a piece that meets the needs of the company.

The phrase ‘emerging’ was discussed . The idea that the perception of emergence is usually somewnere between 16-25… new writers submitting work have to be under 25..some acting events  ( 24 hour voices – Bristol Old Vic) are for young actors between 18-25, which has a useful place but doesn’t meet the needs of people of all ages emerging in the arts…

The point is made the that role of literary manager is controversial..why is one person responsible for the development of new work? Its possible that the opinion of one person cant always be the correct decision?

KL goes on to say that in discussion with theatre companies..they dont always give a clear idea of what they want…when he asked them ‘what kind of piece are you looking for?’..they cant answer..  and he goes on to suggest that at TV script meetings there is a clear brief about what is required from  the writer..and the theatre community could benefit from this..

LO comments that she is frustrated by being put into a niche as a young peoples writer director. She acknowledges that she has had some success but that now she is never offered anything different..the profession limits your pathway

KC comments on the positive merits of an anonymous generic call out for a script clearly not based on the pedigree or personality..she has benefited from this twice and enjoys the fact that her success is based on her work alone…

There is a discussion about the realtionship between writers and theatre companies

• writing not be read for months
• writing not being acknowledged by the theatre company and the idea that sometimes there is no response to the work sent in..
• its up to the writer to chase up the company
• the lack of respect and communication between new writers and potential employers..

The idea that people from a script reading team/or literary manager can make suggestions to change the work when thay have no concept of where the work comes from or what the writer is trying to say..but it is expected that their random thoughts about the work should be acted upon because they have the commissioning rights in their corner…writers feel insulted and flabbergasted by the brainstorming session on a play that can have taken years to write

the commissioning process seems vague..why dont we know exactly how it works?..a kind of closed door policy…leads us down a dead end street

whereas we did talk about theatre with good practice ..like the Traverse Theatre in Edinburgh who have vast administrative teams to meet the needs of the community, actors, writers..and this seems to work better.

There was a long discussion about Sherman Cymru…an agreement that we dont know how artistic decisions are made…and the question  -  Is a general manager ..an artistic director?…and if there isn’t an artistic director then what is actually happening there?

JB: I make the point that actors have experienced this for years…attending an audition and hearing nothing…paying out for auditions..with no clear indication of what the plan is or when they will hear the outcome..travelling for hours back from an audition to be told they are needed back there again the next day..with no travel expenses..etc ..etc…actors have been at the bottom of the heap for decades.

KL said there seems to be a culture of companies protecting themselves from these so called ‘hostile little writers’ who come along with their idea…and that its discouraging and debilitating…KL mentioned that he has felt so deterred that he had turned to writing for TV…because he felt there was no option for him to continue writing for theatre…

JB: Coming back to the idea of writing for theatre I suggested that if a writers idea could benefit from changes that would appeal to a broader audience then shouldn’t the writer be prepared to adapt to survive?…KL replied by saying that if the forum for discussion is open from the beginning of the process then it is possible to create a production that meets the spirit of the original idea and the practical demands of the producers/theatre company..but that the writer shouldn’t feel pressurised to do so.

LO mentioned the ‘Trojan Horsing’ principle…that often something is marketed as a certain product in a certain way and then the audience is given something totally different…it happens all the time…

JB: I make the point that at the bottom of the mountain there is plenty of space and air for us all to exist..that no-one feels threatened by the emerging ideas of contemporary artists but that as we grow ..and as we climb..there is less air for us all to breathe and we become fearful of the motives of people who it is perceived are only there for their own survival and progression..as we progress there is more at stake..and we close off our creativity based on the idea that we have to do what is finacially viable…a mixture of fear, personal politics, funding, subjective opinion and raging competition makes us all feels invisible and frustrated at times… we all make hay while the sun shines..and have to weather the storms too..

What is the relationship of theatre in the capital to the rest of Wales?

Proposed by = Sian Summers

Participants = Simon Harris. Joined by Angharad Lee and Nathan Keates

A feeling of lack of possibility in certain parts of Wales – Aled Jones Williams (playwright) on widespread sense of “ennui” – and loss of cultural identity.

Why does eg. SE Wales and Wrexham struggle to access funding or assert its sense of identity?

The Pontio, Bangor – seems to be struggling to find the right people/approach in its mission to marry science and the arts. Ambitious mission but, where there is no expertise or previous tradition, who is going to pick this up and run with it?

Is development at the grassroots a better way to engage? Have the big initiatives sucked momentum away from certain communities to their detriment?

With Sherman Cymru acknowledging how difficult it is to maintain a level of production with the funding that it currently has and Clwyd Theatr Cymru well-supported but geographically remote from Cardiff, isn’t it time to think about strategically linking the two companies? Why not merge the two companies? Isn’t it strange that Cardiff doesn’t have a producing house with the same consequence as Mold?

Writers/directors seem to reach a glass ceiling in Wales. We need to move beyond catering exclusively for the emerging/developmental. What are artists emerging into? Lack of productions and lack of opportunity for career development is wasteful and harming the nurture of Wales-based talent. Artists are sick of feeling that they are second-rate and treated as such because they are Wales-based.

Attitudes are important – need to relate to people on their own terms. Top down approaches are not helpful.

Need to challenge ourselves too – seek out different experiences, types of theatre, theatre-making.

Are audiences considered enough in the choices that are made?

Proposed by = Geinor Styles

Participants = Kath Chandler, Ellen Groves

What are the responsibilities of theatre makers to respond to these difficult, volatile and confusing times?

Proposed by = Louise Osborn

Participants = Kevin Lewis, Kit Lambert, Jain Boon.  Later joined by Sian Summers, Carmen Medway-Stephens.

Louise

In the context of the “Spring Awakening” around the world, Great Britain seems to still be asleep.  People don’t know how to address their shared concerns and fears about wider economic, political and environmental issues.  Theatre makers seem to be equally silent on these global matters.  Surely the theatre should be a space to confront them?  At the moment, “edgy theatre” seems to relate more to explorations of form rather than content that reflects the anger, passion and genuine discourse that we feel a need for.  There is not enough meeting of form and content in most theatre that claims to be pushing boundaries.

Kevin

The relationship with venues is restrictive in terms of getting plays on about big issues.  They want known titles, safe bets.  For this reason, it is hard to make more political theatre and actually get it made/seen by anyone.

Jain

Venues need something they can sell.  Is Welsh theatre as a whole too “safe”?

Louise

Cold Spread, recent Cardiff production, didn’t feel safe as a piece of theatre, but still didn’t address these bigger concerns.  Often works instead focus on how people are ugly to each other on an individual, personal level.

Kit

One of the issues with making more political theatre is that too often the audience consists mostly of other theatre makers.  There is often a feeling of preaching to the converted, such as with the recent production of Serious Money at Chapter (“Greed is bad! Tories are bad! Aren’t we all wonderfully liberal?!”  The problem seems to be how theatre makers can take these debates to a wider audience.

Lou

Yes, we need to take braver work out into the world.

Kevin

Is this where the role of schools and TIE companies is important?  Often these companies can get political work seen by non-traditional theatre audiences.

Louise

NTW seem to be able to generate new audiences.  What is their role in tackling these national and international issues?

Jain

It is noticeable that since the Iraq war demonstrations there has been a lack of large-scale protest.  Does this reflect a lack of knowledge and understanding of the financial arguments etc.?

Kevin / Louise

This sort of theatre needs to be telling strong stories.  Site-specific or multimedia work is all fine, but people need the stories to help them make sense of the world they live in.  We all experience the fear for ourselves and future generations in relation to debt / politics / global instability.

Kevin

Reminds him of the old “All you need to make theatre is two planks and a passion.”  Where is the passion?

Louise

We need more content and message in the work we are creating.  What is making theatre about?

Kit

Is there a problem with the corporatisation of theatre making?  When working with venues or organisations, there seems to be more of a pressure to play it safe.

Louise

Does funding make us produce sanitised work?  Are we too scared of losing our comfortable situations to follow our instincts?

Kit

Still the question of how to engage the public in these debates.  Art can take on a role in this protest.  V For Vendetta masks have become a symbol of international protests.  What are the symbols we can create?

Louise

In the last 20 years, it feels like “agit prop” has become a dirty word.  It is no longer fashionable to make angry theatre.  Have we all become too civilised and sophisticated?

CARMEN JOINS

Carmen

Have recently written a new play which she sees as “not safe”, but now struggling with finding somebody to make it.  If you rip up the rulebook too much it becomes unmarketable.

Kit

It is frustrating to hear politicians talking about using theatre projects to reach out to young people and prevent gang culture / future riots.  I was working on exactly that sort of project in the spring with Kompany Malakhi, and the Arts Council withdrew all funding from the company.

Jain

Yet Arts Council Wales talked about withdrawing funding because companies were too safe.  It seems there is a conflict here.

Kevin

Are there quicker and cheaper ways to make theatre in response to current events.  Do we need to explore more rapid response work?  Boal?

Louise

Was recently involved in a project in Butetown (NTW, community engagement).  She set artistic tasks to explore certain questions faced by the community.  The result was passionate and angry.  What can you do with those /debates emotions once they have been created?

Carmen

Are we afraid of litigation?  Being too outspoken?  Failure?  Reprisal?  Is it easier to make what you want outside of “corporate” theatre structures?

Louise / Kevin

Community engagement seems to be key.  It is important to respond to what a community wants to make theatre about, and not to impose this from outside.

Kit

Do we feel able, as artists, to take responsibility for exploring and analysing these huge global problems?  Do any of us really understand the politics / financial issues?  How can we overcome our own doubts about these things in order to write and create passionate debate?

Kevin

The world has always had a certain “end of the world” feel.  Every generation feels like the apocalypse is coming.

All

Important questions:

What are the stories we need to be telling?

How can we get them to a wider audience?  And a younger / less predictable audience?

How can we make protest fashionable again?

How can we overcome the fears involved in making this sort of theatre?

SIAN JOINS

Sian

If you ask members of the community to make a piece of theatre, would they actually want to?  Are we imposing our own cultural values on them?  How else can we get them to engage?  Shouldn’t we be looking at their own forms, not just our own?

Louise

But the passion and anger is still there with these groups.  If you work with them on finding a way to express it, it is still just as relevant.

Kit

And often it is just about language.  “Theatre” and “Play” might be scary words, but you can find alternative ways to engage with different groups.

Sian

Do we have the right to try and impose theatre on these communities?  Isn’t it patronising?

Kit

The spoken word in performance is already used by young people to express anger and protest, if you look at performance poetry, freestyle etc.  Surely it is just about finding the right sort of theatre?

Do we need better community spaces to engage with the wider public?  Places that can genuinely be used by all sort of local people, catering for a range of arts events that don’t all appeal to traditional theatre-goers.

Carmen

How do we package the protest within what we are doing?  Why was a play like Accidental Death of An Anarchist so successful in its day and since?

Kit

Is it the combination of comedy and anger?  Finding a balance and genuine relationship between the entertainment and message, so that neither cancels the other out?

Louise

Accessibility is very important and comedy is a great way of doing that.

Kit

Nobody wants to be ranted at, or feel like a one-sided political argument is being crammed down their throats.

All

Important to find the confidence to go out and create work that tackles issues we are passionate about and not feel like we have to play it too safe.

Is there too much theatre going on in Cardiff?

Proposed by = Angharad Lee

Participants = Nathan Keates

No, really… is there a problem?

Proposed by = Othniel Smith

Participants = Phil Mackenzie, Sarah Argent, Adam Somerset, Bethan Marlow  Later joined by Simon Harris.

Is there a problem?