Basically I've started thinking about ways to output work in Cardiff, and, having been in a couple of different cities recently and seen their "vibe", I've been thinking there is a gap in Cardiff for a collective performance night for theatre, comedy, music and whatever is going really. Scratch that Itch kind of achieves this, but is mainly Swansea based, and basically I just want to see a bit more interaction between all the arts discipline and a ground level. We all have dedicated nights elsewhere, but it tends to be pretty sporadic. It would be nice to have another excuse to actually put work on and not be focusing on the level of its quality all the time.

So I thought I'd gauge people's reactions, see who's got ideas, and find out if there are any obvious nights I'm missing.

On another note, I've also feel like there is a gap for an arts based blog in Cardiff that does a listing of all the local nights and arts work, and wondered if anyone had an interest in this as well.

Either comment below or give me a message on here or at charliemhammond@gmail.com.

Ta.

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Comment by Charlie Hammond on August 30, 2013 at 3:49

Where are you thinking of renting Kelly? So, I feel like the way to proceed is to do lots of speaking other the next two weeks in general, make sure the people are there, and we can have a chat at Storiez next week and Word4Word? And Chris is right, we should get in contact with existing nights to see how we can team up/ expand/help? 

Comment by Christopher Young on August 29, 2013 at 9:03

Hello Both, I know a lot of people on the music front that would love an experimental/scratch/networking sort of night. And I've seen the Chapter Movie Maker nights and they're really fun, I think we could maybe link something up there or invite people to play something in a multi-discipline night. I'm going to go to the Word 4 Word night to check out some spoken word work and I'd love to attend a Swansea Scratch night but I haven't been able to make it down there yet. I have been to a Skills Swap and that was fun also. I think we could spread the word by attending things like this.

Comment by Kelly Jones on August 29, 2013 at 8:49

Am up for this , me and Anna have decided to join together and rent a space once a week an work on our solo projects together. Something like this might be useful? The more people you have the less it will cost for the space hire but then you run the risk of people just wanting to do their projects. I am interested in being involved :)

Comment by Brent Morgan on August 29, 2013 at 4:06

Totally open for meeting up for a sit down chat if you like. I am always open for people to help out to get events put on but I feel the start of getting any event established is by making sure people attend them and that starts by making sure people come to the Stories of the Streets event in Swansea and the Word 4 Word event in Cardiff this month. My only worry about going monthly is Chapters night recently struggled so much that it had to cancel an event so do people really want monthly events. It would be great if more people were engaged with this conversation to get a better gage what other people want or is it just Chris, you and me that want this type of event.

Comment by Charlie Hammond on August 29, 2013 at 2:02

I spoke to Devinda briefly today, workout sounding like it collaborated well with Itch last time. It's fine if you don't go for this because I understand Scratch is kind of your baby, but it sounds like you basically take the brunt of the  work on scratch, and obviously its a stretch for you to be looking over what is essentially three areas - Cardiff, Swansea and Newport. The ideal aim is to create a scene where a wide variety of people of sharing work more frequently. Would it be worth having myself, Chris and maybe a few others trying to look after Scratch in Cardiff, or certainly having some input into it, whilst you get people in Swansea and the over ares? I'm basically just trying to see if there is place for a regular, monthly scratch night. I feel that's always the best way to ensure something can start small and then build. The numbers are there I feel certainly within the students but its just getting them there, getting them to do stuff, as well as everyone else. Do you want to have a sit down and talk about it some time? 

Comment by Brent Morgan on August 29, 2013 at 0:29

A blog might be a helpful thing but I suppose in a way the community here acts in part as that blog for me. You can come check out up coming events, what people are talking about and discussing in the scene in Wales. I also think Buzz does a good job just unfortunately due to printing time restrictions some times events are put together too late to make the deadline. The date hasn't been set for the next Scratch yet but I am thinking December time. We have a mix of things of Scratch it basically works as you submit for time. With that time you can do what ever you want. The night isn't supposed to be just about sharing work but also about going and supporting work and just having a catch up with each other. We have had comedy, music, dance, script in had, poetry even people literally just pitching ideas to the crowd to see what people think is best. The night is for sharing work at any stage it is not for super polished finished projects more for people testing or exploring an idea in front of a friendly audience who can offer feedback. In terms of an impromptu rehearsal space TEAM also run an event called Workout which is designed to offer just that getting people together in a room and letting them explore things together at the last Scratch a lot of the acts had shared work they had explored at Workout. Another thing that might be worth check out is Skill Swap, it is a great way to meet other people who are doing interesting things that might be looking for some one to help them develop something.

Comment by Charlie Hammond on August 28, 2013 at 11:44

Yeah I agree with a lot of what your saying, what's the date for the next scratch night? Well, Chris and i were actually talking about this today. Mainly we're at the stage where we sounding people out and seeing if there is enough of a place to get a regular thing going. To be fair I haven't actually been to a scratch night but I've only really just got to a place where I could go to a scratch night and do something and such. So my apologies. But, in my head, I guess the way in which I thought it might differ would be for it to a place where people wouldn't necessary even need anything prepared but they could just come and play with the stuff or people who were there, so it was more like a impromptu rehearsal space. And we were also thinking about how to expand it as far as possible, to get someone with some visual stuff on a projector, maybe running for the whole thing, bit of music, bit of comedy, bit of the theatre, and whether or not there is the possibility to sustain all of that mix. What is the general mix like at scratch nights? 

But you're right its totally about making a network which it feels like wales has under the surface somewhere it just needs a kick up the bum to get it all together. Now I know community is about connecting things, but I've been wondering if there is a place for an arts blog that has a weekly rundown of nights in wales, interviews with people and such, just to make everything a bit more concise and collected. Is that something you think could work? Once again its something that is time and work unfortunately, but its something that is playing at the back of my mind.

I guess a lot of creating this night is from a lack of clarity of when and where things are. Technically its no one fault but my own, its just these things can be hard to keep track of, and I'm just trying to work out a way to better facilitate communication. I would write more but I am positively tired and must go work on some applications.

Comment by Brent Morgan on August 28, 2013 at 11:03

Scratch That Itch can happen in any city when ever the only reason we don't hold more in Cardiff is there seems to be a lack of interest from people in Cardiff in Scratch nights recently the forge had to cancel a night in Chapter as there was not enough performers to put the night on. This sounds like such a good idea but I don't understand why everything needs to be so Cardiff centric people across South Wales are making interesting work. Newport has the massively talented Tin Shed Theatre and Mr + Mrs Clark. Swansea has a loverly collection of talent and Cardiff of course is where the main theatre scenes is. I feel we can do so much more by making a South Wales network opposed to just Cardiff we are stronger together than divided. I would love to say all of Wales but it is expensive to get up North. Realistically you can travel across Swansea, Cardiff and Newport relatively cheaply and the variety of talent across South Wales (This includes loads of places I haven't mentioned) I genuinely feel could create a scene not dissimilar to that of Bristol. At the moment it looks like the next Scratch That Itch will be held in Newport in a loverly venue called Le Pub and it would be nice to see some Cardiff people there it's not that far. I am also currently applying for funding to R&D a cross discipline event. As some one who has travelled across South Wales for the last 5 years heading to nights fairly regularly it would be great to see more people doing the same (and that's not to say that some of you don't) but for example if you feel Scratch is already doing something similar to this why don't we work together to make that night better and stronger opposed to diluting the field yet further with another night. I hope this comes across as a positive message as it is genuinely meant as one. If we want a night like this we need people willing to take part and willing to come and watch, the only way we grow a network is by attending other peoples nights not just our own or we just become our own cliquy groups. I do feel as a community we can get a little settled in our zones and nights we go to maybe we should all push ourselves more to get out and attend night we wouldn't normally and try to get more involved.

Comment by Christopher Young on August 28, 2013 at 2:52

Yea ok, four should be fine, will only be able to stay for a quick one! Where's you're house? If you want my number btw its 07772026564 - might be easyer to get hold of me that way.

 

Cheers

 

Chris

Comment by Charlie Hammond on August 27, 2013 at 5:47

Sometime around 4 any good? That's usually a good cuppa time for me. Do you wanna come to mine?

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