March 11, 2007

STAGING THE FUTURE II
Mounted by the Theatre Artists Charitable Trust (TACT) at Circa Theatre, 1 – 4 March 2007

(See the end of this article for the full schedule)
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SHOCK REVELATION

The performing arts are not included in the government definition of Creative Industries!
The New Zealand Trade & Enterprise website describes the sector thus:

"Creative industries is a diverse sector, which includes screen production, television, music, design, fashion, textiles and digital content. New Zealand has already established competitive advantage in some niches within the sector, notably, screen production and post production, and has a growing reputation across a number of other areas including fashion and design."

Hence the following RESOLUTION was put and passed without dissent:

"That this Symposium ask the Council of Creative New Zealand to bring together a group of theatre practitioners and advocates to develop a business case for professional theatre across New Zealand regions and broadcasting, building on our professional base, education and local networks including local government."

To have your say on this, go to the A Business Case For The Performing Arts  forum

CROSS-SECTOR COLLABORATION – What the …?

In a brilliant stroke of provocation, discussion facilitator Danny Mulheron stirred up the Sunday morning  Symposium session with the news that Creative New Zealand (CNZ) is strategising to open up the main stages of Recurrently Funded Organisations (RFOs) to Independent Project Groups (IPGs) in order to give them greater exposure and revitalise audience interest with more cutting-edge theatre …

Just as the stew was beginning to boil, John McDavitt of CNZ arrived to explain the notion of Cross Sector Collaboration:

It seems that CNZ is looking at ways that RFOs and IPGs can be funded to collaborate. The initiative aims to connect two funding pools that have hitherto remained separate. Nothing will be imposed on RFOs – they will have the right to decide whether or not they wish to collaborate with an IPG, and either may initiate a potential collaboration.

To have your say on this, go to the Cross Sector Collaboration forum

(See the end of this article for the full schedule)
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QUOTES AND PROVOCATIONS 

New Zealand is landscape pornography. If we didn’t have such nice mountains we’d have better scripts.

– on what theatre is …

Theatre is a buffer against this 24/7 Emergency Zone we call Life.

Theatre unravels or exposes truths that are not readily visible in our everyday world but which are relevant to our lives.

Good theatre is inherently better on stage than it would be in a book or on screen.

– on plays, playwrighting and production

A play is considered for production when it has a strong theme, is relevant, challenging … and has great parts for actors.

Ninety minutes is long enough for a play. You have to have a really good reason to go longer.

A well-written (well wrought?) play is simultaneously inevitable and surprising.  

While our conscious mind may avoid conflicting thoughts, unanswered questions and difficult emotions, our subconscious mind embraces them. (This applies to play makers and their audiences alike.)

A playwright needs to be both the ‘mad artist’ and the ‘prim secretary’.

The more impediments you put into your life, the less likely you are to have writer’s block.

Good and intelligent actors can be a playwright’s greatest aid.

New work = risk = growth

There is no better development than production.

– on drama schools

It is not a drama school’s job to be prescriptive about what a student’s tastes should be. Our job is to pass on the skill that will allow them to make a living in the profession.

– on marketing & sponsorship

We are not selling the play but the experience you are going to have when you come to see the play.

Ask not what the sponsor can do for you but what you can do for the sponsor.

Appeals to altruism don’t work.

A sponsor can take our product and when communicate it to their clients, it makes them look sexy.

– on touring

It’s hard to sell solo shows now on the touring circuit. But they are the ones that remain more readily available. We don’t produce larger scale works and keep them alive with the creative and production teams in place.

Local authorities should stop thinking about their convention centre / performing arts venues as money earners only and think of them like libraries that get funded every year to provide a crucial community service.
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STAGING THE FUTURE II – the schedule:

Playwrights & Directors workshop: 1 March, 2007
Facilitated by Dr Christopher Mead, Artistic Director and CEO of PlayWriting, Australia

Symposium: 2 – 4 March, 2007
Mounted by the Theatre Artists Charitable Trust (TACT) with Circa Theatre
Sponsored by Creative New Zealand, Playmarket and the Museum Hotel
Moderated by Ian Fraser, chairman of TACT

Day 1 was a Working On New Work workshop for playwrights and directors, facilitated by Dr Christopher Mead, Artistic Director and CEO of PlayWriting, Australia.

Days 2 to 3 traversed:

Creating New Work
keynote address from Joanna Murray-Smith, Australian Playwright

The Perfect Child / First Steps on Stage, facilitated by Mark Amery, Playmarket,
Panel #1: Chris Mead, Hone Kouka, Joanna Murray-Smith and Roy Ward
Panel #2: Dave Armstrong, Briar Grace-smith, Vivienne Plumb, Paul Rothwell, Ken Duncum

Leaving the Nest / The Big OE
Local producers discuss the challenges of touring – Chair: Ian Fraser
Panel: Lissa Twomey, Artistic Director NZ International Arts Festival; Fenn Gordon, Tandem Productions; Caroline Armstrong, Armstrong Creative; Stewart McPherson, Stetson Productions; Justin Lewis, Indian Ink.

Design/Future Directions
A presentation and panel discussion – Chair: Steve LaHood
Ralph Myers, award-winning Australian designer
with Jennifer Lal, Stephen Bain and Andrew Brettell.

Programming for Maximum Effect
A presentation by Dr Chris Mead
Contributors: Susan Wilson, Circa Theatre; Alistair McDonald, Fortune Theatre; James Ashcroft, Taki Rua Productions; James Hadley, BATS

Directing our Passion
Kiwi directors and performers in a round-table discussion – Chair: Ray Henwood
Colin McColl, Auckland Theatre Company (ATC); Cathy Downes, Downstage Theatre; Willem Wassenaar, freelance director

Arts and the Media
A conversation – Chair: Ian Fraser
with Ray Gill, Arts Editor, The Age (Melbourne); Lynn Freeman, Arts Editor, Radio New Zealand National (& theatre critic, Capital Times); Tom Cardy, Arts Editor, Dominion Post

Marketing and Sponsorship
An ideas session – Chair: Carolyn Henwood
with Michael Pryor, General Manager, Marketing and Communications, Sovereign; Vivian Bridgewater, General Manager Relations and Advancement, AUT; Chris Finlayson, MP

The Actor as Collaborator
A group of actors share their views – Chair: Carolyn Henwood
Panel: Miranda Harcourt, Roger Oakley, Madeleine Sami, Julian Wilson

Introductory remarks: Ian Fraser; Hon Judith Tizard, Associate Minister for Arts Culture and Heritage
Cross-Sector Collaboration
What is it and how can it help us make great theatre – facilitator / provocateur: Danny Mulheron

Open Forum …

The symposium ended with a reading of Joanna Murray-Smith’s new play, Female of the Species, with a following discussion facilitated by Renée.