Tuesday, 28 February 2012

all by myself (don’t want to be) independent producers and artists, how can we work together?


Convener: me ~jo hammett

Participants: lots but the ones I recognize were clara Giraud, ruth dudman, emily coleman, jo Crowley, alex somebody, lots of others, sue emmas, please add…

Summary:
So I started off saying that there is a new wave coming through of independent producers who work around the out skirts of the formal producing companies such as fuel, artsadmin, Crying Out Loud etc, with and independently of.  They often work with a bunch of artists, alone. 

There also artists working alooone.  How can we come together to collaborate as indie producers and artists?

Indie producers: clara said it’s a lonely business this, really useful lonely busting techniques are joining the ITC monthly forums (though you have to be a member) meeting up for tea and coffee to share best practice and advice and skills.  Also independent dance manager’s network also really useful.

SOUP: Emily and Ruth talked about soup, they are an informal network, who meet and work together and are now recently collaborating on producing a project together. They are based in brighton.  Sometimes they work from each other’s kitchens, they share knowledge, problems, resources, tea, biscuits.  It sounds really good.

Jo Crowley: talked about her work as an indie producer, is currently working with ridiculusmus on a busray scheme to work with (six producers) to create an informal network there (sounds really good), she’s done lots to support new theatre happen.  Jo said the importance of working independently is to find independent solutions.  Informally in clusters and learning from each other across the country.  Jo and the chaps from soup, often meet up and go on self-made residencies (this sounds great!) supporting each other.  Jo C said make independent connections, but let’s remember the networks that haven’t worked for example the online producers forum, which went quiet.

Producer’s networks are their strength perhaps we can share them a bit more.

We all agreed, we want something informal, administrative-lite please.

We talked about the possibility or artists collaborating and sharing producers eg time won’t wait (? I may have made this up) and artists trying to find producers (this is hard) and artists and producer match making sessions (informal pitching sessions by both Ps and As).

Online community: we talked about an online community, for example a twit-a hash tag ‘all by myself, don’t want to be’ or a facebook group, or a google group or a meetup.com or a …. Lots socially across media to look at…

Physical community:

A chap called alex talked A LOT about the southbank centre RFH member’s bar and foyer work space, apparently he’s not on commission to increase membership but advocated buying membership there to use their meeting and work space on the top floor.  A lot. 

To be fair Alex talked about other really useful pointers, particularly, one point, that we could do with a co-workers space, as the institutions don’t have anything to incorporate us indies (space is a premium) but perhaps there are easy ways they can support us Indie lot?  For example unbooked meeting rooms, or a spare cupboard.

Clara suggested Chisenhale Dance Space, somebody suggested Birkbeck Uni,

Then roland from theatre delicatessan came over and suggested perhaps there was room within his new space?  I got very excited at the prospect of this.  Maybe there is a way we can make this work,

Conclusion: I am not alone. 

Possible spaces to work in, short term, medium term and long term, online and offline and in between, yes maybe, sue emmas from Young Vic wants to help us take this up, ay, Sue?  Sue? Where are you Sue?

Possible collaborators: yes, lots of people wanting to not be alone.

Potential work already done: well done team.

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