REPORTS AND COMMENTS ON PANeK’S WORK

Comments on PANeK networking events

“For me the PANeK meeting was great and well timed since networking is all important at such a young stage in a new companys' life …

It was good to meet people I already knew but also to discover what other arts people were doing and developing and it's always refreshing to meet other creative people …

I think the setting was very conducive, relaxed and informal but on occasions it might be nice to have more formal gatherings (but not too many!) I think the only thing that would have been useful was for everybody to introduce themselves and their work as I didn't have a chance to talk or mingle with everyone.

It was a real treat to see Faulty Optic, who I was familiar with and thought combining both networking with seeing a performance was brilliant.”

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PANeK Networking Meeting
Orange Street Music Club, Canterbury
Thursday 25th September 2008, 5.30 – 7pm

In attendance

Agenda
5.30pm – Welcome drink an informal networking
6.15pm – Presentation from The Two Wrongies and Q&A
6.45pm – Informal Networking
7.00pm – To Cathedral to see Dallas Sweetman

About the Wrongies

• Met at Brighton University, Dance & Visual Art under tutorage of Prof Liz Aggiss
  
• Have been working together for 9 years and in our own company since 2005
  
• Work now comprises of cabaret based vignettes, a 1 hour show, a work in progress created last year, and most recently a walkabout act ‘Duck Pond’ commissioned by Winchester Hat fair (our first ever commission!)
  
• The Two Wrongies celebrate and re-interpret the double act in a funny, crude, un-restrained honest female sort of way.Pushing the Locker Room mentality in a brave exposé of the female sexual psyche,their onstage relationship, playful rivalry and absurdist humour is not for the faint hearted.
  
• We share a love of bad jokes, filth and the power of dance. We create work with comic prowess, inspired choreographed moments & a considered visual impact…we are ‘ the double act who dare to do the dirty!’
  
• At moment developing theatre show and planning touring for it in 2009

Support for the Wrongies

• Supported artists at The Basement, Brighton
  
• 2 mentors: artistic- Liz Aggiss, Business/ marketing – Helen Medland
  
• ACE funding
  
• Artistic development at Nightingale Theatre Brighton

Getting support

• Think about what support you need and then go and find it (i.e. is it just rehearsal space, is it help with funding applications, company development?) If you don’t know what you want help with – how can someone give you the right help?
  
• Who in your area could support you? Venues / arts officers / colleges / other companies etc. Make contact with them and build relationships…invite them to see your work…ask around…and ask for advice.
  
• Go to workshops – you may meet some amazing people who not only inspire your practice, but who may be able to give you work / recommend your company to others…word of mouth is a great publicity tool.
  
• Need marketing in place to tour – website / show reel / postcards / showings people can come to
  
• Think of gimmicks – how can you grab a booker / promoters attention – e.g. we make nipple tassels to put into the pack
  
• Think of it like branding – needs to be concise and have an overall feel – if it keeps changing people will get confused – this is a fun thing – not a horrible corporate way of looking at it.
  
• Document everything! – Pictures & video – performance documentation as well as specific publicity photo shoots / show reels
  
• Get your work exposed – take as many opportunities as you can…this not only helps develop your artistic practice but opens new opportunities and exposes your work
  
• Find programmes that support artistic development – are there scratch nights in your area? Look at The Basement & BAC
  If these things do not exist in your area – then make them happen! Think of all the contacts you would make!

Getting funding

• Meet with your Arts Council officer – they are there to help you!
  
• Before applying for funding get partner support – for our ACE application we had The Basement (company development / marketing mentoring), The Nightingale Theatre (in kind rehearsal & performance space), & South East Dance Agency (financial support for a mentor).
  
• Take time to write the application – and get feedback – get anyone and everyone to read it – they will identify where you haven’t been clear. Write it and re-write it – it’s a great way of understanding your vision and development. (Took us 2 months to write ours)
  
• Be realistic and be completely unrealistic! Go for your what you really want to do – allow yourself to make that work you’ve always wanted to make even if it seems not fit nicely into a little pigeon hole – aim high…but don’t think that you’ll receive £20,000 for your first project when ACE have never even heard of you – you have to build up trust (if you do receive £20k for your first project then we’ll pay you to write ours!)

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PANeK networking meeting

1^st May 2008, 6.30pm
Trinity Theatre, Tunbridge Wells

Present: Cathy Westbrook(PANeK); Jonathan Salisbury (Trinity); Sonia Overall (Theatre of the Small); James Frost (Theatre of the Small); Amanda Oates (Shepway District Council); Sally Staples (Kent County Council); Philip Dart (Chalkfoot); Claudia Leaf (Chalkfoot); Dee Ashworth (Gulbenkian); Jane Churchill (Strangeface / independent); Tony Hill (Brook Theatre /  Fuse Festival); Bethan Tomlinson (Strangeface); Jo Dyer (animate)

Apologies received: Rosie Turner (Canterbury Festival); Mandy Hare (Hazlitt); Will Woollen (Theatre Royal Margate); Vronni Ward (Maidstone Council); Robert Jarvis (independent); Sue McCormack (independent); Philip Woodrow (independent); John Holmes (SAM); Accidental Collective; James Kemsley (Quarterhouse); Sarah Wren (Kent County Council)

NB prior to the networking meeting, a meeting for venues took place (attended by Cathy Westbrook; Jonathan Salisbury; Dee Ashworth, Tony Hill and Dawn Badland from Applause) at which the need for facilities and support for venues to help and develop companies was identified.  PANek has applied to Kent County Council to develop various shared marketing projects which will also benefit companies.

Agenda

As this was the first meeting in West Kent there was no formal agenda and the meeting consisted of information sharing between participants.

•       Bethan Tomlinson described the work of Strangeface (www.strangeface.co.uk) who have been resident at Trinity since 2004.  Their experiences as a resident company have been hugely positive with many opportunities for mentoring and peer support.  Strangeface were selected to be part of the Caravan international showcase in Brighton in May and they hope to develop their international touring.  They were also able to take advantage of having their show captioned by Stagetext (www.stagetext.org) which was accompanied by free deaf awareness training.  Captions help many people who are deaf but do not use Sign Language.  The “machines” cost many thousands of pounds – but may be something a consortium might consider purchasing.

•       Dee Ashworth reported on the Gulbenkian Theatre (www.kent.ac.uk/gulbenkian).  The loss of ACESE RFO status will affect the programming of about 20 shows – mainly contemporary dance and live literature.  The theatre is working closely with the University to increase commercial income.  They have also recently completed a piece of research into the place of theatre in Higher Education.

•       Tony Hill from the Medway Theatres (www.medway.gov.uk/theatres) reported on the role of the Brook Theatre in Chatham as a performing arts hub providing office and rehearsal space for companies including Loop Dance (www.loopdancecompany.co.uk) and Play On Words (www.playonwordstheatre.com).  There is currently space available for another company.  Medway also runs the ACE-funded Fuse Festival, which after this year will become a series of “branded” events integrated into the Brook’s annual programme.  A new way of working for the Brook is the recent integration of the arts marketing team into the overall, centralised corporate marketing team which will have many advantages.

•       Philip Dart and Claudia Leaf reported on Chalkfoot’s (www.chalkfoot.org.uk) recent developments, especially since the loss of ACESE RFO status.  2007 had proved to be a highly successful year for the company with a national tour of an outdoor version of Peter Pan, which culminated in Kensington Gardens; tours of The Ragged Trousered Philanthropist and Laurel and Hardy and The Tempest in Canterbury.  The company have been sustained by the huge amount of positive audience support they have received.  They have been working on a new Business Plan which looks at how they can support rural touring of other companies and rural festival development, future work with the Centre for Public Innovation (around mental health issues) and with Future Creatives (the new incarnation of Creative Partnerships.)

•       Jane Churchill is an independent set-designer who has been working with Strangeface.  She is also artist-in-residence at the Town and Country Association (a charitable trust connected to a housing association) who are very interested in using the arts to support community cohesion.

•       Sally Staples reported on the ongoing restructuring of the Arts Unit at Kent County Council.  The regeneration posts are due to commence in June, but there are still delays on the adoption of the other posts.  Sally is indebted to the goodwill and hard-work of the out-going staff.  The deadline for KCC’s Arts Investment Fund was last Friday and applications to the value of approximately £450k have been made to the fund – which has £200k available.  In some ways, this is gratifying – indicating the level of activity, ambition and aspirations of those working in the arts sector in Kent.  On the other hand, it will be a very challenging experience to make hard choices.  It is hoped that in future years the system will be more pro-active, looking especially at the arts infrastructure for Kent.  Since Sally has been in post she has been increasingly aware of the need for a web presence for the arts in Kent and is looking at how this might be resourced.

•       Amanda Oates reported on the Folkestone amphitheatre programme and the new venue, due to open November 08, Quarterhouse.  Amanda has also been supporting the rural touring initiative by working with the Tower Theatre.

•       Jo Dyer of animate community arts has devised The Beijing Challenge working in partnership with Canterbury’s Sports Development team which will be “performed” at various venues over the summer.  See www.myspace.com/animatecommunityarts and www.animatecommunityarts.com

•       Jonathan Salisbury reported on how Trinity (www.trinitytheatre.net) has coped with loss of ACESE RFO status combined with reduction in Tunbridge Wells funding.  Savings have been made in running costs and the focus of the programme has changed from a pro-active programme of contemporary theatre to a much larger proportion of hires.  There has been a new emphasis on earned income through sponsorship and charging for activities such as youth drama workshops.  It is hoped that some long-term projects will sustain Trinity’s involvement in producing new work.    

•       James and Sonia Frost run Theatre of the Small (www.theatreofthesmall.co.uk) and a number of performance initiatives (including Winter Tales) in Sandwich.

Meeting closed 7.45pm with participants going to watch Strangeface’s The Last Resort in the theatre.
Many thanks to all who attended.

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PANek Networking Meeting - 20th February 2008

Attendance

Timing

1. 5.30pm –registration (bar)
2. 6pm – Intro and news (Cathy Westbrook)
3. 6.15pm - Print distribution logistics (Impact)
4. 6.30pm - Opportunities at the new Folkestone arts centre (Sharon Senior and Emeline Fevotte)
5. 6.45pm - Outline plans for a creative network in Canterbury (Becky Mumford)
6.  7pm -  informal networking (bar)
7. 7.45pm - Mem Morrison's Leftovers (theatre)

NOTES

1.Impact presentation
Impact was established as a print distribution company in London, then covered Brighton Festival and established a relationship with Sussex Arts Marketing.  Later, Impact established a route in Kent (Kent 500) primarily for their key client, Howletts / Port Lympne Animal Park.  This main route can be broken down into more specific areas (e.g. Kent Holidays or Kent Hotspots). 

Impact can devise bespoke routes in negotiation with the client .  They can use MOSAIC and Office of National Statistics information combined with their drivers’ experience and a client’s own knowledge and experience to devise a route. 

In London, Impact do “subject” runs (e.g. Jazz) but this is found to be less relevant to Kent. 

Impact is able to take a mixed drop of leaflets from several different organisations.

Prices negotiable depending on number of leaflets and time between “top-ups” (top price quoted is £750 for 20,000 leaflets for one drop to Kent 500 but down as low as £50 for smaller piggy back runs). 

See www.impactprintdisplay.com for contact details.

2. New Arts Centre for Folkestone
The Creative Foundation in Folkestone is involved in a major arts-led regeneration project which includes encouraging creative businesses and the building of a new arts centre.  The arts centre which is due to be complete in Autumn this year will have a suite of offices on the top floor and a bar as well as the performance space. 

The offices are intended as a “hatchery” for creative businesses, especially the performing arts.  There are various spaces available, and rates are negotiable depending on need, starting at about £50 per week.  There are options for hot-desking and sharing spaces.  CF are keen to hear from interested companies – see www.creativefoundation.org.uk for more information and contact details. 

The Creative Foundation will be promoting aspects of their own current programme of work (Folkestone Triennial and Folkestone Literary Festival) and will be developing a programme for the Centre from Spring 09. 

The Centre will have an open hires policy so will be available to all.

The Creative Foundation team would also like to hear any technical requirements of any companies and practitioners so that these can be built into the Centre from the start.

3. Graduate retention
Issues of involving graduates in their first steps after finishing their courses were raised, and the need for more direct contact between current graduates and what is happening beyond the university. 

Various possible strategies were discussed, including possible website, networking event(s), database, placements in Kent companies and a Kent Showcase.