Q Theatre - What can Q do to support the industry?

Q THEATRE – WHAT CAN Q DO TO SUPPORT THE INDUSTRY

Convenor: Justin Lewis

Participants: Tracey McGuire, Susanne Ritzenhoff, Steph Rigold, Tessa Mitchell, Alan Parata, Emma Carter, Ben Crowder, Craig Cooper, Norelle Scott, Jeremy Anderson, Helaina Keeley, Amber Mc Williams, Emma Willis, 

Priority: SEVEN (16 dots)

Notes:

• Getting the right programming mix and quality will be critical. How will Q determine this?
• Funding for cost / accessibility
• Programming Policy – what is it?
• Suggestion that we look at Bats model: Loose policy. No one has a global knowledge of what will work. Keep it open
• Someone on payroll to develop people / work
• Bats has brand – is about the productions
• Bats brand is ‘anything is possible.’
• Diversity is Q brand
• Industry driven – not top down
• Watch This space a good model for development: open and honest with artists, small seed funds, small commissions
• NTi Development workshops were great and should be done again
• Not over facilitated
• Q should be practical: a resource centre, networks, lists, databases, marketing, people in industry, website information
• Central point to get messages out
• Deliver marketing
• Stay in touch with what industry wants
• Trust artists let them spend the seed money as they like: give them a small amount and they can fail, not too many reports
• Network of creative producers – use the pool of talent that is there. A variety of people – quality and range
• Coordinate programming with other venues
• A venue not a funding agency
• Connection with audience
• Biggest support deliver audiences to artists
• Strong marketing focus
• Campaign for every show?
• Umbrella marketing
• Arts precinct marketing
• Use Facebook etc
• Bar staying open after show is critical
• No plastic cups for patrons
• Education: set up a regular audience, students of theatre
• An interface to connect to audience
• Concern about big companies taking too much space
• Sense of Community
• Brand not too tight
• Q passport – students under 20 cheap tickets
• Quota’s written down as policy (a la Bats)
• Entrepreneurial fund good
• How to create a bridge into the space for new hirers?
• Limited bureaucracy
• Co Operative ethos: spend money in right places, not on cleaners and security. Let companies contribute to upkeep and keep costs down
• Watershed was industrial, things could break and it was OK
• Not too much polish
• Use other spaces in building for emerging artists
• New NZ work
• Get to see work from other NZ cities
• Flexible approach about costs / packages for hire – let people use own techs
• Give people the keys and let them play
• Reduce obstacles
• If people don’t have the skills support them
• Allow free ushers
• A community – people want to pitch in
• Will people feel like they belong ( old ushers at Court who own the place and set a tone)
• Don’t pigeon hole audiences as old.
• There is a demand for provocative work
• Important how Q frames new work for the public – especially cutting edge work
• Tour work from other cities
• Partnerships with other venues
• Match work and audience to the space
• Audience development key for Q: UK strategies, Pay what you like, need lots of personal engagement too, Barriers removed e.g. PI community like to attend in groups
• Opening hours for shows (8 pm starts?)
• 30 minute lunch time shows
• Late night shows
• More flexible for audiences
• Allow different paths for getting stuff on
• Have a conversation with hirers / people looking for support – not too formal in applications
• Studio have own programme
• Develop cost models for hirers
• There should be lots of things happening in the space all the time – different ways for people to engage
• A quota of Maori work?  some commitment to programme
• Matariki season?
• Keep the community support