Gossip and speculation for the Independent artist – NSW Theatre Network & SAMAG State of the Arts
- March 2nd, 2011
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Two discussions in a week. Pretty big discussions. It seems Sydney is bracing itself for a change of government – a foregone conclusion considering the haphazard nature of our public transport system and the swinging voters of the west, so they say. So what happens when change is threatening? A small group mobilizes and others seem to sit on chairs and philosophize about art.
There have been two meetings in the last week –
One.Towards a Theatre Network NSW. The small- medium theatre sector is under represented/fragmented. David Williams (former Blogger and CEO of Version 1.0) and Nathan Bennett General Manager of Griffin Theatre Company have taken up Arts NSW’s offer to mobilize the NSW small-medium theatre sector and start the development of a NSW theatre network. This is in reponse to the Australia Council funding a National theatre network which needs a representative from each state – currently NSW’s representative is Arts NSW – not a very secure prospect given the upcoming election – and in my view not comprehensive enough as I am sure Arts NSW only are aware of artists they fund.
The proposal is that a Theatre network is started in order for the small-medium companies to have a presence for advocacy and awareness. the model would work under similar principals as that of the theatre Network Victoria http://tnv.net.au/ and perhaps lobby for more funding to the arts, more support for artists who work at the small-medium level.
Interestingly at this meeting – there was a few folk (I will loosely identify as baby boomers, male and what I would identify as upper ‘medium’ theatre sector) who were suspicious of the idea as it would take away from their potential funding their individual companies could receive for production. I suspect they did not read the meetings agenda or notes prior to their arrival at the meeting/are not aware of TNV – and thus are a case in point of why a network is needed – the problem with many theatre practitioners is that they just aren’t interested in anything but their own practice – they also don’t see each others work AND they are self-interested when in forums and talk about themselves and their own companies instead of having a wider perspective. In fact my opinion to those who are suspicious and regard such an investment in the creation of a network is – ‘that’s fine… you do your own thing… if you don’t like it, don’t join it.’ I suspect that the $90K salary mentioned that has been ear-marked for this advocate/administrator was one of the more contentious of the issues – as one person thought the salary would be around $15K.
Strangely, despite the discussion about “peak body or a network” discussion, all present at the meeting decided to say yes to a recommendation for ARTS NSW to fund the appointment of a representative who would be housed at Griffin Theatre Company offices. and the application is going into Arts NSW.
Two. SAMAG (SSydney Arts Management Advisory Group) State of the Arts: What is the role of Government in NSW Arts? “a lively discussion about the state of the arts in New South Wales, as we head towards a new era in State politics.”
Featuring Anthony Roberts, NSW Opposition Spokesperson on the Arts, Jan Barham, The Greens NSW Upper House Candidate and Mayor of the Byron Shire Council, Justin Macdonnell (Anzarts Institute), Dr Gene Sherman (Sherman Contemporary Art Foundation) and Katharine Brisbane (Currency Press). Unfortunately current State Arts Minister Virginia Judge is unable to attend. The session will be moderated by Patrick McIntyre, General Manager of the Sydney Theatre Company.
“Our state’s arts and arts policy dissected, discussed and contextualized; covering important and timely questions such as: At a time of shrinking public resources for all social expenditures, what should a government be doing to exert a leadership role in the arts? Why do governments tend to downplay the arts at election time and how can the sector best respond? Does NSW have different arts/cultural issues than other states? What does this mean for the proposed national cultural policy?…”
This evening was filled with a variety of arts organisations (not really independent artists – I suspect many artists were busy at their day/night jobs whilst the bureaucrats and politicians attempted to articulate the value of the arts.) Very quickly the conversation turned into a spruiking session from the Liberals and Greens candidates (and Virginia Judge wasn’t there – but sent in a wing-woman in her place who occasionally stood up to recite the Labor party line).
When James Waites stood to comment – saying that what everyone needs to remember is that artists have a hard time subsisting in Sydney as it is a very expensive city – and that the people who are always left out of the discussions are the artists themselves. And it’s true. We live in the age of the bureaucrat and the administrator – and that’s really who the meeting was for – the attendance list reads like a list of government funded organisations. james asked everyone to consider employing the artists – giving money to artists not just to the administrators…
In response, Patrick McIntyre from the Sydney Theatre Company bragged that the STC have 13 playwrights on commission at the moment “and we don’t have any expectation to produce any of them”. “That’s a shame,” I said. but really – who am I? An artist, an advocate, a young woman not on a raised stage, not on a panel of the privileged and without a microphone, without superannuation plan or an expensive suit. I am not an administrator. And again – this is also something that is desperately wrong with the arts in Australia. It is not good enough to have our writers and directors “working” at the STC as box office staff or in administration. How about the STC walk the talk about sustainability and give creative jobs to LOCAL artists instead of flying out their Hollywood friends to use our stages for YET MORE American stories with American accents and landmarks? And yet the STC gets funded by my AUSTRALIAN tax paying dollars…
I think it was Margaret Thatcher said something to the effect of “When artists don’t have much money you survive, and when you do have money you thrive” – which was an argument (repeated at SAMAG’s meeting ) that artists do a lot with a little. And yet it seems to me that bureaucrats often do a little with a lot. Just because artists love their jobs, are passionate about what they do DOESN’T mean they shouldn’t be remunerated for their work.
There is one thing that is certain- arts advocacy is at an all time low.
Is it because my generation are apathetic? Lazy? Overly obedient to their forebears? Or is it because we are so busy and exhausted from working all our supplementary jobs that we have no time/headspace/energy to lobby? I’m not giving up my fight yet – and nor should you. Let’s stop thinking as individuals and think and ACT strategically as a group. Let’s build a NSW Theatre Network – let’s put solutions on the agenda – not complaints and celebrate what artists are capable of – innovation, incredible transformative ideas- and let’s transfer that energy and skill to our industry/community.
I don’t know about you – but I am keen to see the result of the March 26 election…
You already know the result Gus – Coalition government with balance of power held by the Christian Democrats in the upper house.
Did anyone ask the panel about potential censorship of arts grants? Did they ask if the new government would honour the increases in arts funding made by the state government? Did they commit to continuing arts access for low-income earners, for western Sydney, for anyone disadvantaged or disabled?
The result of the election isn’t going to be interesting, but what they do to the arts portfolio will be?
Did anyone ask any of these questions or was it yet another epsiode of finger-pointing policy – “but look how much money THEY get!”…
Now, that’s boring.
Of course the Liberals talked big (and quite well especially in comparison to Labor and the Greens rep from Byron) about his vision and passion for the arts and did a “I’ll reveal ALL in MARCH” teaser.
It was alot of talk and politics – rememebr a room of administrators asking questions – not artists… so the politics and agenda was different. I think people were there to take notes on their own job security.
Disability was mentioned – by a vision impaired staffer at Accessible Arts NSW – who asked about the vision for those with disabilities – and was directly condescended to by Dr Sherman… and patronized by all BUT Justin Macdonnell who spoke articulately and concisely and compassionately (NB- I think he should be the head of the NSW Theatre Network.)
Was Mcdonnell also the one who dismissed any funding of western Sydney… you know, where 2 million people live?
I don’t think he dismissed it – I think he asked to talk about the WHOLE of NSW – Newcastle, NORPA and Wollongong. I think he was right to draw attention to when politicians talk about “the regions” they talk about Western Sydney – and NSW is much more significant than one location – i don’t think he was dismissing funding to western Sydney – just drawing attention to the scope of NSW that often gets neglected.
I dream of the day when – as a double-full-time working novelist, playwright and dramaturg – I get paid at least half as much as an arts bureaucrat. Then I’ll feel the structural investment in cultural institutions has really, you know, MEANT something.
Hi Gus,
I think you’re being unfair when you suggest that several people at the ‘Towards a NSW Theatre Network’ meeting were resistant to the idea because it might somehow jeopardize their future grants. I think such a comment is utterly unjust, untrue, and in no way recognises the substantial and sustained contribution that many of those present have made to the performing arts in Sydney over the last 3 decades.
The key points sticking points made at the meeting can perhaps be summarised in the following manner:
1. This idea has been tried several times before over the last 30 years, and has consistently failed. Before we leap in again we need to take stock of where we’ve been, and think carefully and collectively about where we want to go. There was a sense that the proposal Nathan and I were suggesting was too much, too quickly, and people were concerned that without further consultation, the possible network might be buggered up from the beginning.
2. The was great interest and concern about what the membership of what such a network might be. When we say ‘theatre’, what do we mean? What aesthetic practices and professional models fall in- and outside such a network? Given that non-producing venues are represented by APACA, the commercial performing arts companies by LPA, and the majors performing arts companies by AMPAG, should these companies be a part of the conversation? But if not, are we suggesting that Belvoir and STC are part of a different theatre ecology? Its a complex question, with lots of tricky nuances in which much potential danger lies. One of those present mentioned to me afterward that one previous attempt at such a network, CAPA, fell apart in 1984 due to a splitting apart of the majors and everyone else.
3. The NSW theatre landscape is complex, and NSW is far more than just Sydney. Regional artists and companies, as well as artists and companies from the west, south and north of Sydney need to be part of the conversation.
4. The needs of artists and companies across NSW are diverse, and whilst inclusivity is vital, any such network can’t realistically be everything to everybody.
So it was a very useful conversation amongst a strong group of theatre professionals, but its by no means the end of the conversation. There is an opportunity to act now, and we intend to do so, but the final outcome is far from certain. it’s only just begun.
[And on the SAMAG front, the political part was a waste of time. The lib candidate basically said that there was no more money for the arts (unless you are the commercial operation that is Sculpture by the Sea), and that any future increases in arts monies would have to come from other portfolios. The Greens candidate waffled amiably. The irony over all of this election is that Virginia Judge has been an excellent minister over the last 2 years, and that more has seemed to happen over the last 2 years than over the previous 8. I worry that all the recent momentum in arts will be lost after March. Perhaps if she retains her seat she could keep the portfolio as a cross-bencher?]
Fir a bit more info on Macdonnell, it’s good to read this;
http://anzarts-institute.com/uac.htm
Hi David,
thanks for your response… And thanks for spear-heading this – I hope you do not take my comments as an attack on anyone – my aim was to show the ACTION of you and Nathan and the INACTION of the SAMAG panel – Apologies if my pre-coffee/morning brain did not make that clear.
but here’s my response –
1. I appreciate your defence of the key companies that voiced a concern that the money to fund such a network would somehow come out of the budget available to the artists from the Arts NSW – but it was truly my impression that some were concerned that this was money that would be taken away from them. And I may have got that wrong – but I sensed a lot of defensiveness – and a bit of a tone “we’ve tried this before, it’ll fail again, what’s the rush, and this person better be worth their money” feeling about the meeting. Perhaps I am alone in this. that’s fine. That was my impression – and I don’t mean to pull anyone down or misrepresent anyone – I am reporting my impression or the initial reaction of some of the more confident speakers of the group and in my experience there is always a “whoa, hold on a second” from the older guard at all arts meetings.
2. More than the term of “performance” versus “theatre” label -I think that it is very easy for the small and independents to get lost in the conversation when the majors (and those on triennial funding) are involved. I thought that this was addressing the SMALL-MEDIUM theatre sector (as per the discussion at NSW Parliament last year which was for the small-medium sector) – perhaps this needs to be re-defined. Is there a definition for what is “medium”? I don’t think members of the MPAG are medium – or is that too scary to admit – that perhaps people who have a company that has less than $250K turn over a year are small-medium?
3. Growing up in rural Australia as I have- and knowing that my parents have probably seen less theatre in their LIVES than I see in a year – the regional imbalance is palpable. Personally, I for one am sick of arts being inaccessible and Sydney-centric! Bring on including the regions.
4. Of course it can’t be all things to all people – but I think the people who need a network are the ones who are alone and unsheltered – the “small-medium” -(wasn’t that on the agenda and on the invitation? or perhaps I misunderstood?) not the ones who are on salaries and have affiliations to other advocacy bodies. Surely this is about empowering the voiceless and engaging the voiceless to have a voice? The ones who are not under the umbrella of the organisations who have been making “substantial and sustained contributions” – but the artists who want to be able to be sustainable enough to stick around for the next 30 years to make a contribution. To give representation to those who may be intimated by the confident voices of the medium sector – what about them?
And I hope the conversation can continue and I intend on being a part of it – at very least representing my self and those other independents and small companies that are doing it completely alone, without infrastructure, without triennial funding, without support of other organisations to provide them with a voice in discussions that shape arts practice in NSW.
Thanks for that Gus, your tone did imply an attack, so I’m pleased that that wasn’t not the intention.
For a question about what ‘small-to-medium’ sector entails, there’s a useful summary in Jackie Bailey’s research report ‘Love your Work, online here:http://www.australiacouncil.gov.au/research/theatre/reports_and_publications/love_your_work_training,_retaining_and_connecting_artists_in_theatre
All of the ‘small-to-medium’ sector under this formulation are legally constituted organisations, mostly funded by various tiers of government. in the Ozco’s view, among the theatre s2m’s funded by them are the what they call ‘Key Organisations’, and in NSW these are Performing Lines, Playwriting Australia, Stalker, Legs on the Wall, Griffin, version 1.0, Hothouse Theatre, Urban Theatre Projects, PACT, Shopfront, ATYP, Powerhouse Youth Theatre, Monkey Baa and Theatre of Image. There might be more, but they’re the ones I can think of off the top of my head. There are plenty not funded by Ozco, including TRS, Merrigong, Darlinghurst Theatre, Milkcrate, the Ensemble, Q Theatre, etc.
When we talk about the majors, that’s specifically the companies funded by the Major Performing Arts Board. In terms of theatre in Sydney, that’s effectively Belvoir, Bell Shakespeare and STC.
The unfunded and project funded groups and companies are generally referred to in funding parlance as ‘the independent sector’ (though unsurprisingly I think the term ‘independent’ is somewhat more complex than just this, and indeed it is used to encompass different territory in various awards categories for instance. As I’ve said elswhere, independence is always in the eyes of the beholder).
So yes, following the TNV model – set up by the small-to-medium companies with support from MTC to benefit the small-to-medium and independent sector – we had proposed a model primarily oriented at the s2m companies and the independents, though the major companies were also invited. Of our initial invite list of people who’d previously indicated interest in the idea of a network at previous Arts-Minister-convened events, the split was about 50% S2M, 40% independents and 10% majors, which was pretty close to the attendance on the day (though there were a couple of last minute cancellations from some of the independent RSVPs and one major). I had very useful conversations with a number of independent producers and directors, artists and managers from S2M companies, and a rep from the majors. And its also important to note that many people wear multiple hats, working for more than one part of the sector.
Anyway, it was a useful conversation, and there’ll be much more. Stay tuned.