Welcome to my first ever blog.

This one might be a bit lengthier than those that will follow as I feel I should write briefly about the past 4-and-a-bit months.

So where have I been:

Well I've been up and down from London like a yoyo for meetings and greetings including; the DCMS Jerwood Creative Bursaries Scheme launch, the ITC AGM, Devoted and Disgruntled and mentor meetings with the legend that is Ed Collier. I've also been doing a cultural tour of The North, from TakeOff festival in Darlington, 1927's show The Animals and The Children Took To The Streets at ARC in Stockton, as well as visiting The Carriageworks in Leeds, The Maltings in Berwick and Northern Stage, Theatre Royal and Live in here in Newcastle. 

What have I learnt:

How to fill in an Arts Council funding application form (and get the money!), how to hold a casting audition, how to market a show/festival including writing a press release, how to use twitter (I honestly had no idea and now I'm managing 3 different accounts),what a Devoted and Disgruntled event is like and probably most importantly what a producer actually does.

What's on my horizon:

Well I've fortunately got more mentor sessions where I become even more sponge-like in an attempt to absorb as much knowledge as possible. Most days are spent in this state mind, learning as much as I can and hoping no-one asks me something I don't yet know or understand. I also have a wedding to plan for next year, so that will keep me out of trouble, and pocket.

Make good choices everyone!

H 

Where have I been:

Well, since my last post I’ve been is Glasgow, which was actually almost warm, and they even brought the sun out for a bit, which was very kind of them. I’ve also been down to London for a mentor session with my amazing mentor Ed Collier, and to see the East 15 Contemporary Theatre graduates Showcase, which did not disappoint.

What have I learnt:

I now have a much more beneficial grasp on Excel, so that I can actually use it to create things like budgets and more budgets. A group of other bursary recipients and myself are attempting to organize an event, and I’ve learnt how tricky such a thing can be, though when it all comes together it’ll be marvellous. I very much enjoyed Twisted Tales at Northern Stage and Paines Plough’s Love Love Love at Live, and I thought A Night On The Tiles at ARC in Stockton had some great ideas. I have also learnt how to waltz, that I’m rubbish at picking winning horses at the races, and that talking about mortgages makes me feel too grown up.

What’s on my horizon:

This week I’m tackling how to write contracts, a bit of video editing, lots of tweeting about GIFT and discovering how to write an evaluation sheet.  I’m also going to be seeing Dylan Moran at ARC, Scratch Night at Live and Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf at Northern Stage.

Recommendation of the week:

BOOK: James Seabright – So You Want To Be A Theatre Producer?It is currently my bible, dictionary, thesaurus and encyclopaedia all in one.

Wedding Update:

Jon: “You know you can hire wedding dresses?”

Me: “I’m going to pretend that you didn’t say that.”

Less than 2 weeks and Lent will be over and I can have a bag (or several) of mini eggs, in the meantime, I’ll keep trying to convince myself that I don’t miss chocolate and to have some peanuts instead.

Make good choices everyone.

H

Where have I been?

I've been so busy I haven't even had time to write about it all.

I was down in London 2 weeks ago to meet some of my fellow DCMS Jerwood bursary holders. We had a rather fun if fraught day that had been amazingly organised by Ryan at Art Angel. The afternoon involved a treasure hunt style networking event that inolved giant grapes, circular journeys in taxi cabs and strangers thinking I was looking for a blind date. I can't wait for more fun and frolics at The Manchester International Festival in July, where they're hosting an event for us.

Speaking of big events and festivals...

Friday 29th April was, I'm sure you're all aware, an historic day. It was the very first day of the very first GIFT (Gateshead International Festival of Theatre). It was epic. It was also absolutely exhausting and even now, a week after it happened I keep being told that I look tired (which is always a polite way of someone saying 'wow you look rough').

We had over 30 artists and groups from all over the world perform in Gateshead. We even managed to entice some Geordies to cross the river and come and see some of the work!

What have I learnt?
I have no shame in saying that it went brilliantly and that I'm proud of myself.  I'm also very grateful for the opportunity the festival gave me in allowing me to gain many skills and test my own level of competence.

I feel that I now know what it means to help to produce a festival, and how there are many more things I should have done in advance, but that you can never be prepared for everything and sometimes you respond to situations in the moment, and often the way you responded was probably the best you could have done whether you'd thought about it or not. I also deepened my love of post-its. They're amazing.

What's on my horizon?

I am now keeping my head down and ploughing all my efforts into Heartbreak Soup, a wonderful piece of children's theatre that we are taking on tour. The actor's are so good they make me miss acting (something that happens very very rarely). We're also trying to raise funds for young heart transplant patients and their classmates to come and see it. It's going slowly but we'll get there!

Wedding Update:
Me: 'Ooo look at all the pretty flowers in bloom in May.'
Jon: 'Do you have to have flowers at a wedding? Couldn't you just have twigs in a bouquet?'

Make good choices everyone!

H

Where have I been?

Well, it has been a while since last we spoke. I have been to Salisbury, Leeds, London, Manchester and most recently Edinburgh. A fair bit of traveling to Salisbury, Leeds and back and forth to London with Heartbreak Soup was first up – I even had my first trip up the A1 in a van. I was in Manchester for the Manchester International Festival, where I met up with my fellow DCMS Jerwood Creative Bursary recipients and had a jam-packed 24 hours of networking, skills development, show seeing and a tour of the incredible Doctor Who show The Crash of The Elysium. Edinburgh was a little less frantic though just as busy, with me seeing over 20 shows. Particular highlights included The Incredible Book Eating Boy, The Alchemystorium, The Adventures of Wound Man and Shirley, Donna Disco and Shlomo.

What have I learnt?

I’ve certainly learnt a lot about touring a production and what’s involved in successfully managing one. I’ve also learnt how to write a funding application, which may just come in handy every now and again. I had my first proper experience of the Edinburgh Fringe, and even did a bit of the old flyering. The event at MIF allowed me to meet a the majority of my fellow bursary recipients, and I think that we’re a rather impressive bunch. It was quite something to be sat in a room with what is the future of the arts.

I had my last mentor session with the inspiring Ed Collier, Co-Director of China Plate (among many things), where we went through a producers manual I had created for putting on a production from start to finish. It may just be the most useful bit of homework I’ve ever done. My skills set and experience is certainly building up, as is the network of friendly faces that I can now say hello to at events and such, as well as hoping to one day work with some of them. Oh, and I also discovered that I don’t like crab, but that I do now enjoy a fruity tea.

What’s on my horizon?

I’m coming towards the end of my placement here, only 2 months to go, but that doesn’t mean any slacking for me! A new project is always just around the corner…

Wedding Update:
I have found THE dress, and no, I’m not telling you anything.

Make good choices everyone!

H

Where have I been?

Well apart from the now almost monthly trips to London, I haven’t covered very many miles this past month. I have been to a few exciting places though, including the spruced up and with lovely leg room Theatre Royal here in Newcastle, and the damp but wonderfully atmospheric Vault space at Southwark Playhouse in London, and I spent a lunchtime sat on the roof last week soaking up the last of the sun.

I have also been to B&Q a few times. This I do not enjoy so much.

What have I learned?

That I have more knowledge and common sense than I often give myself credit for, that I do want to be a producer (though I do miss acting a little), and, that I am apparently ‘The Bridge Between Sport and The Arts’ (thank you Annie Rigby). I think I’ll have to put that on my next set of business cards.

What is on my horizon?

Even though or rather because I only have a month left, I am still beavering away and trying to soak as much knowledge and wisdom from Caroline and Natalie as possible.

Yes I am filling in a few job application forms, but I have had a small number of meetings with different theatre companies with regard to me possibly doing a bit of producing work for them, which is very pleasing and exciting.

Wedding update:

Jon has picked his suit and all that goes with it, and he looks very dashing indeed.

Make good choices everyone!

H

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