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Comment by Amy Hodge on July 1, 2011 at 3:03

So much to catch up on, sorry to have been slow! I’ll write a few bits and if there’s things I’ve strongly missed shout and I’ll give my thoughts.

It is a great idea to have a place where writers can sit and read I agree, and also good to have a place to sit and quietly write.  There will be designated areas for writing in the new building but its not clear how big they will be in the redevelopment yet.

Reading each others work, could totally happen at the Sherman, easy to organise. It does happen within our writer groups at various stages, so within the stuff we are setting up inherent in that is about writers sharing dialogue with each other about their own work but I appreciate that isn’t accessible to people who aren’t part of groups.

The studio (Venue 2) is going to be designated to new writing, which is exciting and the intention of the first season is for us to produce two pieces of commissioned new work on the main space (venue 1) which has been a clear ambition we've had for a while so I'm excited that that is being realised.

I think its  a great idea to put this convo on radio. A library too, fab, as Tim says we've haven't got the monies to roll it out independently perhaps we should meet up withthose who are keen so you can get the ball rolling and the Sherman can host it in in some way and provide the infrastructure? We have a moderate library that Sian lends out stuff from that can at least provide a decent starting point. 

I think it’s worth saying that from all the writer development work that has been going on at The Sherman and across Wales we feel incredibly excited by the wealth of talent that is coming through our doors, giving us lots to work with for now and the future.

keep the thoughts flowing, its great! 

Amy

 

Comment by Chris Ricketts on July 1, 2011 at 2:17

Thanks for the interesting contributions.  We've clocked there's a discussion happening and will be getting up a response to some of the good points being made before too long.

 

On one of the more recent ones, focussing Venue 2 when we reopen towards new work and new writing is very much our intention.

 

Off now to see how the steelwork for the new rehearsal room and workshop block is looking.

Comment by Kevin Johnson on July 1, 2011 at 1:59

Not sure if I'm stating the obvious here, but I've managed to pick up a lot of plays from charity shops, Oxfam & the like. They tend mostly toward the 'classics' but there's plenty of new ones too.

 

Anything on the internet will suffer from some sort of copyright interference, so always live by the Pirates of the Caribbean code: "Take what you can, give nothing back!" 

Comment by meredydd barker on June 30, 2011 at 23:35

Isn't all of this 'pastai yn yr awyr' until someone, anyone, from The Sherman says something. I'm all for organising parties in other people's houses but until we get the keys...

Comment by Greg Cullen on June 30, 2011 at 15:36

Yes Stapes, the second space at the Sherman should be a dedicated new writing venue for us but also to bring international new writing to Wales.

 

Tim, "A Greg Cullen shelf"....Would I have to sit on it?  And what happens when they want to lock up at night? I mean ok, but would the Sherman stretch to a sandwich and a torch? I could bring my own cushion on the proviso that my mum could visit on Sundays.

 

Love you guys. X

Comment by Rebecca Gould on June 30, 2011 at 10:51

. Hi, I thought I posted something here last night but it's gone....maybe I am finally going nuts. Anyway in brief I was saying that the britsh library in London has a good collection of all the plays ever performed. And, we sent the Made in Wales archive of scripts to the national library in Aber, I boxed it up - it took weeks due to the fact I kept stopping to read -some great old welsh plays there.

Would be great to air all this discussion on the radio, I'm absolutely hopeless - watch my inability to string a coherent sentence together on the Chanel 4 devolution discussion - but I would love to listen.

I was at the RSC today and in passing talked to someone in literary about the RSC archive, we were agreeing that is so important because theatre can be so temporary but we can learn so much if we have access to it. A mate, Taryn Storey, has been part funded by ACE and the Theatre Museum to do a phD on making their 'new play, archives more accesible, I wonder if something like this might be possible in Wales?

I co-run a project called theatre science and our researcher [Dr] Jess Mordlsey along with Will Thomas at Warwick were funded by the Capital centre, now IATL, to make an archive of our last project at the Eden Project, it's a bit rough around the edges, but is a collection of interviews with the writer, designer, director etc plus digital copies of the book, production notes, photos, audience comments etc. Students and the Wellcome Trust audience have commented favourably on being allowed into the process which, as much as I hate to admit it, can be quite closed and exclusive. I am currently working with Synergy Theatre on a project in a school in Southall, we have an MA student from Central following the process, she is observing and writing up the workshop/rehearsal sessions. from my point of view it's brilliant to have someone whose job it is just to observe and reflect with you afterwards. Her findings will available more widely to other students interested in work with ex offenders - Synergy mainly works with new writers who have been in prison.

The partnership between Warwick and the RSC has been, and continues to be really successful and I understand the Almeida are starting something similar. It seems to me something like this in Wales would be great in terms of reflecting on the work, creating a context and giving more people access?

Comment by Richard Huw Morgan on June 30, 2011 at 4:43

I've been following this conversation with interest for the past week, and was wondering if any of the group would be interested if broadcasting the debate to a wider audience? Together with partner in crime John Rowley I'm producing a weekly Arts programme, Pitch, for Radio Cardiff. Our usual format is to have two or three guests in the studio, but was wondering whether members of this group might be interested in setting up a private discussion in person / public debate to allow as many participants as possible to have their say. This could be recorded and then put out 'as live'. Another option is a phone in programme, which might be better for non-Cardiff based members of the group, with the group decideding amoung yourselves who the two or three studio guests might be - we'd aim to reflect, rather than dictate the agenda.

As the original discussion revolved about fora for debate, and the role of the Sherman, perhaps the Sherman might be interested in facillitating this debate? Let us know your thoughts, either here or via our facebook page and we'll take it from there

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Pitch/217695751597075

Comment by Lisa Parry on June 29, 2011 at 23:32

Think that article's fair. Marketing terrifies me in London, less so in Wales. In London, I sometimes get the sense that writers are being sold as a brand/marketed, rather than just being allowed to work. Hence companies like Drywrite being so crucial. Sometimes I think theatres are a bit too keen to chase the media to sell tickets. Nature of the beast I know. And there's an issue of lazy media coverage too with the same stories being done again and again - next big thing/new political playwrights etc etc. I think it might help if theatres had more writers involved in the infrastructure sometimes.

Comment by meredydd barker on June 29, 2011 at 23:23

http://www.guardian.co.uk/stage/theatreblog/2011/jun/28/noises-off-...

 

Sorry to butt in with this Lisa, but it's worth a read before the capricious orcs who edit the culture pages at the Guardian nix it.

Comment by Lisa Parry on June 29, 2011 at 22:28

Also, just another point, I agree with John's point: It would certainly be easier to access for the kid in mid-Powys starting to write in her bedroom.

But - we might be trying to reinvent the wheel here a bit maybe? You can access anything you like on interlibrary loan for about 30p. That's how I got hold of scripts when I was in my teens. Maybe campaigning for better library provision/awareness/campaigning to stop the cuts is the way forward; making the point that you can get drama scripts by working with the library service.

We're also assuming everyone has internet access too re a bushgreen model and lots of poorer households simply don't. The stats are so class-skewed on broadband etc it's worrying. 

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