It’s been ten days since I struggled into a car with coat and scarf and bag and laptop and heart and flustered hair and buzzing ears and lots to say and nothing to say and fingertips fizzing from live-tweeting the Australian Theatre Forum 2013.

It’s taken me sometime to digest the forum as a whole: to find out what actually happened at the forum- what worked, what was valuable and to find out what is the value of going to an event like that.

So, to back track somewhat, some months ago when it was announced that the ATF was open for registrations it was revealed that there was limited spaces for independent artists and they needed to apply to attend (as everyone does). There are limited spaces. The forum happens in one place at one time. As one disgruntled tweeter pointed out that the ATF was not following it’s pledge from 2011 which was to ensure that the ATF was webcast live – and it wasn’t. (Not sure if we perhaps were being a little over zealous in 2011 about the state of the NBN…) Read more

COMING TO A CLOSE: NICOLE BEYER
A few short thank yous from the organiser of the Australian Theatre Forum, Nicole Beyer (Of the Theatre Network Victoria) – including speakers, sponsors, bloggers, caterers… and the HUGE amount of resource that saw hundreds of Australian Theatre practitioners in the same room – and many also online and interacting with blogs and tweets (near and far.) Read more

And the last day of the ATF and Jane and I were at it again: first up a Keynote from a former-performer now entrepreneurial restauranteur: MissChu… that’s right… this one you can find HERE

KEYNOTE: NAHJI CHU
MissChu, Queen of Rice Paper Rolls, speaks about her own approach to what’s not possible and breaking the rules.
Read more

And so after lunch some more Working Sessions and Presentations, but truth be told I was sort of ready just to snuggle into bed and let all the issues of the Forum gestate: but like so much of the performing arts, a restlessness continues building on top of ideas, and feelings…

But instead, I found my way to the Courtyard theatre to hear some myth-busting from/about the Majors… in fact I was curious to know what the assumed myths were… So I plugged myself in and listened… Read more

Ah, the Majors! That golden chalice! That pot of gold! The sweet spot on a fresh pillow! The Major performing arts companies the big end of town – big budgets, bit shows, big annual turn over, big audiences.

(Isn’t it fascinating that an artform obsessed with collaboration has so much status obsession and so many hierarchical structures?)

Interestingly for many the Majors indicate the legitimate end of art making and cultural expression in the country. For one I’ve had an interesting relationship with several majors as a freelance independent artist (very publicly so) – In the past I’ve been invited to

PANEL: ARTISTIC DIRECTORS, MAJOR THEATRE COMPANIES VISION AND REINVENTION
Chair: Stephen Armstrong(SA); Speakers: Geordie Brookman (GB), Leticia Caceres (LC), Wesley Enoch (WE), Peter Evans (PE), Mike Finch (MF), Brenna Hobson( BH), Matt Lutton (ML), Polly Rowe (PR) Read more

FORUM ADDRESS: TONY GRYBOWSKI THE AUSTRALIA COUNCIL FOR THE ARTS
Hear from the newly appointed CEO, Tony Grybowski.

A little bit of a shake up. It’s true. In recent months the Federal Government (in relation to the arts) has been shaken like a snow globe… papers fly like flecks of snow and we watch in wonder. Or perhaps it’s more like the lotto – watching the swirl of numbers seeing them slowly slip into slots. A National Cultural Policy is announced (the first in 17 years) check it out HERE , Minister Simon Crean is reshuffled out of the deck and the very charming and arts-aligned Minister Tony Burke steps up and into the job and introduces himself to the Arts and Cultural sector immediately (yes I was there – being charmed by his enthusiasm – but you can read more about that HERE) – and the Australia Council has a staff reshuffle… Read more

Australian Theatre Forum | Canberra Theatre Centre | Wednesday 27th May

The Australian Theatre Forum is THE theatre foyer of all theatre foyers. A huge milling massing mob, a swirling swilling symphony of conversations, bright bubbling people talking on telephones, kissing cheeks and giving knowing nods. In this foyer independent artists stand alongside Aritistic Directors, Festival programmers, performance artists, live artists and playwrights stand with Education officers, Directors, bloggers and venue managers – its a cacophany of charisma this foyer.

And not for the faint-hearted. Read more

The Australian Theatre Forum is possibly one of the most significant events on a theatre person’s calender. It is the almighty convergence of venues, companies, organisations, bureaucrats, artists, touring companies. It may appear to be a little strange that an industry which is largely foyer-dwelling and highly present in social media AND practiced in conversation needs such an event.

But it does. Read more