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Feast of New Theatre FORUM 2007
The Forum this year will be on the weekend of May 26 - 27 in the Arts Centre Venues (Hurst Seager etc), from 11am Saturday. See "Forum Programme" for the programme.
This year's speaker is Gary Henderson, a very experience playwright and theatre professional, who will speak and lead a discussion on Saturday. At the Forum, participants will also have a chance to hear last year's writers speak about their experiences, Elizabeth O'Connor, director of the Feast of New Theatre, will discuss Operate's work and future directions, and much of the weekend will be over to you, Open Space Technology style, to discuss what is important to you - ideas, problems, thoughts, information on the state of theatre in the South Island in 2007.
Brief report by Elizabeth O'Connor
A day and a half in the Arts Centre of Christchurch; fifty people over the two days; a strong move towards more networking among local theatre practitioners; a delicious home-baked and well-attended Sunday brunch; punting on the Avon at close of play; a rough calendar of Christchurch theatre over the next six months; an inspiration to actors and directors, as well as the thirteen writers and devisers who put forward sixteen submissions for the Feast of New Theatre.
On Saturday 8 July, everyone present introduced themselves. Sue Rider gave an inspiring address on how locally written theatre came into being, acceptance and high profile in Queensland, over a period of time. Her account was very encouraging; it made a strong locally written and devised theatre scene for Christchurch seem quite possible. The text of this address will be available on the website soon. Local practitioners Stuart Hoar, Kathleen Gallagher, Tony McCaffrey and Elizabeth O’Connor talked about the wide range of ways in which they’ve worked with new plays and scripts, both alone and collaboratively. People commented, asked questions and were given an outline of the Feast script development process, and encouraged to submit projects.
A strong theme of the afternoon’s presentations and discussions was that to write or devise for theatre, it’s essential to look clearly at what theatre is and does, uniquely: it’s live, it’s immediate, it’s about human behaviour, action and desire, it’s collaborative, it’s physical, it involves the audience. If you don’t want to work with these features, the recommendation was to write a novel or a poem.
Sunday 9 July was held as an open forum day, in which people could nominate any issue they chose for discussion, and a time and space were made available.
The following sessions were convened.
Producers and production resources (Helen Moran)
A playwrights’ cooperative (Teresa Mears)
Script development processes (Sue Rider)
New dedicated, professional theatre space (Martin Howells) - session joined with
The St James Theatre project (Nic Farra)
Publication: documenting stories of what has happened (Lucette Hindin)
Adult actor training and development (Kim Georgine) – session joined with
Quality training, mentoring and professionalism (Martin Howells)
Funding (Christina Stachurski)
E-communication (Miles Dalton)
What is Chch Theatre? – what are we doing and whom is it for? (Joe Hayes and Nic Farra)
Calendar of Chch theatre events over the next six months (Kathleen Gallagher)
Marketing and publicity (Christina Stachurski)
Here are brief reports of each session. Notes were taken and have been typed up by someone who wasn’t (couldn’t be!) at all the sessions – so if there are any inaccuracies, please let us know at info@font.ac.nz.
Miles Dalton agreed to help the group’s desire of better networking among the theatre community. He will (as of the time you are reading this, he has) set up a mailing system which will circulate items of interest (theatre activity and employment) to everyone on the FoNT mailing list, via an “undisclosed” list so that names and addresses are not revealed to each other.
Operate agreed to send everyone at the forum the list of email addresses they created – but Miles’ list is bigger. So, if you’ve got an item to publicise, send it to Miles, and it will hit the most people possible. miles.dalton001@msd.govt.nz
Three people attended this session, not a critical mass. They spoke both of a simple
support group and of a regular event in which actors might read scenes. Neither is organized at present.
Comments on the present actor /expertise scene included:
After initial training there is no support
Need for more classical training
Wisdom, training and experience are going to waste
There are few points of entry for those new to the Chch community – it’s difficult to get involved
Desire for peer groups and on-going training opportunities – NOT sporadic classes or workshops
Need for specific training for specific ability levels.
Potential solutions included:
On-going classes provided by theatre professionals
Workshops on auditions, dealing with casting directors, mask, dialects
Actors train with peers
The group expressed a desire to contact each other for further discussion, and to set up groups or conversations about movement, voice, Chekhov, stage combat and speaking verse. Courses might range from a day to a month.
The nature of the story being told determines the process by which it is told. Scripts aren’t always the main theatre-making process. Devising may include introducing objects into the space.
Writers should allow themselves to write what they wouldn’t expect.
Check out the book “Scriptwork”.
Go into the community for research.
Improvisation is a great tool.
Renee’s article on the creation of “Wednesday to Come” reminds us that we create work in a community which includes actors, director and dramaturg. Playmarket is a resource, but creating theatre needs time.
There was a conversation on Maori and Pakeha theatre and the extent to which they have developed separately in New Zealand.
Relevance, passion and entertainment were all raised as reasons to write. For some, motivation was a simple as a bird singing in the morning – that is what we do! (Elric Hooper apparently used to say that amateurs do theatre because they love it, professionals because they must.)
Script development was described as what you choose to make a stand for in a play (e.g. for a passion or to make it viable), and need not be according to any formula.
Cultural differences were discussed, as were commonalities – wanting to be loved and supported. Reference was made to Rotary’s approach to supporting people in business to be leaders themselves.
Playwriting was described as celebration of life and identity; David Williamson was quoted as saying “the playwright is the story-teller of the tribe”. The nature and tone of the stories (grace, beauty, anger etc.) depends on how urgent it is to tell them. History was mentioned as a critical component in understanding identity and contemporary experience.
In the contemporary world, theatre offers the refreshing possibility of a community where what you contribute is what you are. Conventional social hierarchies are disrupted, and judgments are made differently from the way they’re made in the “real” world.
The pleasure of applause was matched, in some actors’ experience, by hearing silence and sobbing at the end of a play. Theatre and its subject matter hold an incredible range of concerns, interests and motivations, but this diversity is united by what Sue Rider called a “contract of shared imagination” made among the writers, actors and audience.
There was a call for playwrights to have more clarity about what they are trying to do when they write a play, and to take themselves seriously as storytellers. Some present were dubious about reverent revivals of recent “classics” such as “Look Back in Anger”. The discussion about that play focused on how social needs related to theatre change over time. During the second World War, people sought escape in works like those of Ivor Novello. After it, they became ready to examine and learn.
The discussion returned to Chch theatre, and how that relates to Chch’s physical surroundings, increasingly multi-ethnic makeup and colonial history. Ngaio Marsh, Stephen Eldred-Grigg, Mervyn Thompson, Keri Hulme were among those recognized as playing a critical part in shaping the literary identity of theatre in Chch. Chch was perceived as having always had strong elements of both radicalism and conservatism.
Discussion turned to how the nature of theatre venues varies among NZ cities, the rash of theatre closures in Auckland in the 19803, and the need Chch has for accessible independent venues. The strong identities of venues are critical in developing audiences, and a guarantee of an on-going space could be a kernel of a new Chch theatre identity.
This small discussion group reinforced the importance of community to the creation of theatre, and the need for common vision and authentic response. Equally necessary are means of knowledge transference, so that, for example, the Loopen Experiment can know about the experience of the clinic and other devising groups in past years.
About the question of “relevance”, Lucette quoted an inspiring person who told her once, “Your work is what is right in your face” – that is what you have to make work about.
For more information, contact Lucette, Elizabeth or Stela at Operate Trust ph 374 9696 lucette@font.org.nz
Tony McCaffrey had already noted that in self-introductions, no-one at the Forum had identified him- or herself as a producer. The group discussing the need for producers commented that the role was undervalued. At least one practitioner was looking urgently for a production manager, essential for a project, and did not know where to go.
There was a suggestion that workshops might be offered for technical and production workers, to learn skills such as stage management. Several people present offered themselves as possible mentors, if required.
Two items were brought to attention: The Producer’s Handbook, a resource available by email (probably from Creative NZ but contact Operate if not), and the Music and Audio Institute of New Zealand, MAINZ. The Producer’s Handbook was put together a couple of years ago with a special eye to the touring circuit in NZ. MAINZ (part of West Coast based Tai Poutini Polytech) runs one and two year courses in Auckland and Chch in technical and event support, and audio engineering, and appreciates live theatre work experience opportunities for its students. It would not want to undercut professionals on a fully professional gig, but can provide helpers for productions with an element of training. Tony Rabbett runs the course in Chch, and can be contacted via 365 9195.
Enterprising Communities has helped to fund the Feast of New Theatre. Miles Dalton, representing EC, suggested anyone seeking funding needs to find out the goals of the funding providers whom they are approaching.
EC is not interested in business as usual, but is interested in new projects that are sustainable and have employment outcomes – artistic or admin. Projects need to be designed to become self-funding. EC is looking for groups that give commitment in the form of money, time or other things. Approaching a range of funders is suggested, to spread the risk for both parties.
Creative New Zealand has also helped to fund the Feast of New Theatre.
Asked about how much money CNZ will give different types of project, John McDavitt gave illuminating answers. Through its programme of Creative and Professional Development, though CNZ wants to see a group put something in itself, money, or contra, it might fund 75% for some projects – seldom 100%. For new work production, less than 50% might be funded – this would be more likely if other sponsors and supporters had been sourced – e.g. pub charities or other trusts. Projects focused on presentation and audience development, e.g. re-mounting productions or touring shows, might be funded to less than 40%.
Funding priorities have changed from July 1 this year, and will be stable for three years. John McDavitt recommended that future applicants for CNZ funding should try to match at least two of the following priorities (for details check the CNZ guides available from CNZ’s office in Chch):
Involve cross-sector collaboration. This could mean independent companies put on productions in Court 1 or 2, gaining access to the skills and productions know-how of recurrently funded organisations like the Court, while retaining artistic control.
Maintain/develop a theatre profession skilled in a variety of genres and styles. Street theatre, puppetry and other non-mainstream theatre skills need to be kept in the mix and funded when appropriate.
High-quality practitioners and productions focused on audience.
CNZ will soon start to measure and publish the following (for projects they fund):
How many people come to a show
How many productions there are of NZ plays. About 15% of NZ plays currently get a second production, and CNZ would like to see this lifted to 25% or better, to help develop and refine NZ plays before they are taken overseas.
How the project artistically evaluates the success of the work – suggestion of appointing a couple of people outside the production to do peer review criticism of the production.
Discussion ensued on the CNZ theatre panel process. John McDavitt said that the five current panel members represented various ages, genders and occupational areas. These panel members are drawn from nominations, on a two year rotation. The panel now works on a ranking system: Out of 100 applications received, 50 may meet the criteria, but only 15 can be funded.
A group discussion generated the final random final notes about what might happen to applications for funding:
While NZ stories are important, kiwiana isn’t. (It has other defenders.)
NZ has a cultural heritage and is involved in a cultural investigation, but is experiencing less influence
Get letters of support from unexpected people inside the sector
There is a need in Christchurch not only for a dedicated and independent theatre space but also for a focal point for the theatre community.
The Tuam St (St James Theatre / Assembly of God) space is now empty. It has a gallery and stalls (c. 500 seats?), is versatile (used for live performance and film), but deteriorating and needs work. It has a history of vaudeville.
The only person involved (Nick Paris from Film Festival and Alice in Videoland) is co-ordinating efforts to claim it as a cinema, but is open to other uses. He is driving efforts to raise money and get other people on board.
The asking price is $2.6million, plus repairs. It is not currently available for rent.
Is it registered as a Historic Place? Check with council.
The group discussed setting up a formal group like a supporters' society on the model of the Court Theatre (a trust which employs managers etc.)
This trust is planning to rent the old Metro cinema (creation) to create a new theatre space and institution along the lines of Bats in Wellington. This would mean taking a percentage of box office and a booking fee rather than charging a set rate, thus making it accessible for groups of different sorts.
Dayle Hunt is the driving force behind this project (with a trust board of 6 or 7 including Adam Hayward and Julia Sadler), and is waiting to hear (very soon) about funding.
They plan to have about 120 seats in theatre style (raked).
It was decided to write a letter of support to Red Theatre from those present at the Forum.
Stuart Hoar has suggested proposing a “National Theatre” on the model of the Scottish National Theatre, which is virtual, does not have an existing physical space and thus facilitates the transferability (tourability) of theatre.
There was a discussion of the marketing of Creation and the need to build audiences. There is a Creative New Zealand guide to audience building.
The group completed a venues list that is now available on this site.
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