We are moving forward with the first year's programme at National Theatre Wales, and also starting to think about our longer term policies to support artists. It would be great to hear examples of good experiences you have had in developing you and your work - particularly those that supported engaged, innovative and international perspectives. Any thoughts?

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Thanks Sarah. How did you feel your own work developed through the experience? How important was the time spent with the rest of the group in your development? J
Hi John, Had another thought about this... http://www.amsu.edu/en/ Amsterdam Maastrict Summer University used to have a fabulous arts/culture programme back in the 1990's. People like Phelim McDermott, Bob Lockyear (dance for the camera BBC) and Blast Theory have run courses there. The programme has lost much of its glory but the quality of the workshops, the range of people brought together, the cheap food and housing support, the inclusive atmosphere was very special. You may already know it. Pippa
Cheers Pippa. Did that cross over at all with Das Arts - which you probably know fo in Amsterdam. a fantastic example of artist development, but a year long course, so not practical for everyone.
Artist development - "more than chucking on a few 'scratch' nights" - I totally agree.

A writer that I often work with once talked to me about when she was given a month-long writer's residency (at some other National Theatre somewhere...!) and the feeling she had of being given permission to be creative. I think that's what's great about intensive development experiences. But supporting that sense of permission and space beyond the residency/scratch night/work-in-progress period is that thing that's harder to get right...

I think keeping in touch is important. Staying interested in the artists. That's what's always made the biggest difference to me, in formal and informal artist development experiences.

P.S. Loving this site!
Thanks Annie. I think you are right - whatever the quality of the actual development period - from the bare minimum of the scratch night to the luxury of a month in the NT Studio, it's the ongoing connection in the longer term that makes all the difference. That's where a community of artists is crucial, because that kind of ongoing connection can't just be top down and one-to-one, it needs to be full of informal mentoring, chance meetings, unexpected collaborations.
The Springboard event at Sherman Cymru was great since it was an opportunity to really engage with writers and develop scripts without the pressure of a full blown production at the end but to have a level of performance to work towards. It allowed me to try stuff out and work with two very different styles of writing simultaneously. Would like to do this on regular basis through lunchtime/teatime theatre programme to reach a different kind of audience who just don't walk through the door for myriad of reasons of an evening.
Sorry John I have only just caught up with your reply. My inpiration continually comes from the actors, directors and writers that I work with. I'd love to have a look farther afield but this takes all my time. Things are hottimng up for you now. Really looking foward to your fist season. All good luck to everyone at NTW
Thanks Michael. Talking of inspiration, I continue to be inspired by the goodwill, ideas and provocations of this wonderful Welsh theatre community. It really feels like a unique place and moment to be making theatre.
And their wonderful talent and abilities.Making theatre is the easy bit. Getting lots of people to come amd see the brilliant work is what I find dificult and I have been on marketing courses!
There is a great professional development/bursary scheme managed by the Everyman Palace theatre in Cork, Ireland: each year they give €14,000 to an emerging artist for wahtever training they want.

The essence of what I like in this is that 1. it is a decent amount of money to pay for training experiences that you might not ordinarily afford(to complement all the theatre-placements schemes that seem to be so common nowadays where the theatre offers a space/support with marketing/technical stuff etc, but no expenses) and 2. it trusts each artist to develop their own vision for the training/development.
Last year I participated in "The Next Stage" - an artist development programme run through the Ulster Bank Dublin Theatre Festival by Theatre Forum Ireland with support from The Abbey Theatre. It grouped 16 cross discipline participants - actors, directors, writers, producers, dancers/choreographers etc and me a designer - who came together for the two weeks of the Festival to see all the shows, discuss and debate them and then participate in workshops and Q&A sessions with selected practitioners, both international and Irish. Not only did the experience allow me to see and engage with the various forms of practice on offer in Dublin during the Festival, but also in talking through them within the group we began to question everything and so it took on a kind of personal as well as artistic development role. It also worked as a peer networking session developing new working relationships. It has succeeded in bringing a new generation of theatre artists into the Dublin Theatre Festival with some of us 'graduating' this year to bring our own shows to the Festival!
You can get more info here

TheatreForum, together with the Dublin Fringe and Project Arts Centre, have also developed a programme called "Make" - a residential laboratory to help create new works of performance outside the traditional writer-led model
More info here

Good Luck for the Launch on Thursday!

Ciarán
Hi John,

When I was working at the Sherman 10 years ago (was it really that long??!!) I was fortunate enough to get a place on the NT Studio (London) directors course. This was an intensive (and free!) 2 weeks of workshops, show visits and a chance to examine our craft in depth. Sessions were facilited by a mixture of top names, and peers who were 'walking the walk'. That experience was absolutely phenomenal for me - and the subsequent ongoing contact with the NT Studio was also really fantastic under its then team of Sue Higginson, Diane Borger and Matt Strevens. I was subsequently invited back, as a peer, to run sessions with the following year's directors courses when I was at Theatre in the Mill, so there was an ongoing sense of support/contact. I do think that ongoing contact is vital. The only drawback for me at the time, was that the course itself was a bit London-centric, however the NT Studio at the time was very supportive of work elsewhere in the country, so that wasn't a major issue really. As someone who hadn't really undertaken formal 'hands-on' practical drama training, or had an opportunity to do any assisting (partly for financial reasons) this was an invaluable opportunity to be challenged and stretched in a safe environment. Plus, it was also really exciting to be part of a big national organisation - even if only on a 'bit-part' level!

As well as support for emerging/new artists, I do think there is a need for mid-career and later-career development opportunities - we always benefit from being challenged and inspired by others. I also think that NTW could look at ways of creating the environment for intergenerational training and development to happen. With an older, active and healthy population demographic in the UK, this is a really important area for theatre to explore. The revolution that has happened in our country over the past 30 years or so in young peoples work also needs to happen for the older generations - and these ares of work are, I feel, interdependent - neither can exit in a vaccuum!

In terms of international work, I've had experience of working with some wonderful festivals for emerging artists - such as the ACT Festival in Bilbao and the ITS Festival in Amsterdam - these festivals are led by some inspirational people who are passionately committed to encouraging new work to make the transition from training to employment. I'd be happy to pass on contact details if useful? Andrew

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