Notes On Spill Folk Academy, Day I + II (1/3)
First Day:
I) Moaning – or Morning? – Session: Get it out of your chest & let’s be done with it! (Did we succeed in doing it? Was the moaning gone & done with on Day II?)
II) Question: Expectations of being an artist? (What are they? What do the world expect from us? What do we expect from ourselves? Are my expectations only personal or professional? Do I need to think in terms of career? In terms of money? In terms of reputation? In terms creativity?)
III) Question: (Personal) Expectations of being an artist? (What’s the pinnacle of my journey? Showing work at the Barbican? Being invited by the British Council to collaborate with local artists in another country? Being a regular feature on a National Broadsheet? Being recognized by my own peers? – Which ones? – Receiving the biggest Accolade? – From whom? – Running my own space? Curating my own Festival? Enrolling on a PhD? Contributing to Research? Writing Academic papers? Struggling along to feel stable in my own practice? Or enjoying the struggle?)
IV) Centrism – London vs Regions (Are the Regions better at taking risks?)
V) Good or Bad Venues – According to? (My experience as a producer? Performer? According to Facts? According to personal, general, professional expectations (not being delivered)? According to the (poor) box-office? According to their (lazy) marketing campaign? According to (the lack of) trust, understanding, communication, collaboration, common aim, support & room for time, (re-)evaluation & flexibility between the two parties? What makes a good venue? The one who’s going to give you bums on seats? (Proper/More) Exposure? The one who’s going to bring (proper/more/significant) press? The one who understands your needs & makes sure your performance can be created/presented to its full capacity? Or all of the above?)
VI) Education Cuts
VII) Access to Audiences (Questions: How to get access to (more) Audiences? To the right audiences? To the relevant audiences? To the existing ones from a non-live art venue? Is access to audiences harder? More time consumming? A pratcice in itself? When do you need to think about it (in relation to your work?) To your practice? What about having or creating a following?)
VIII) Value of Live Art in : Economic terms. Cultural terms. Social Terms.
IX) The 9 to 5 culture: People who book work but don’t come to see it (Who are they? How many of those show no respect to the artist they book and his work? What does it say about the relations between them & the artist, in the short/long-term? What made them book the work in the first place if they don’t bother watching it afterwards? Thinking in economic terms?)
X) “If you’re selling tickets, you should pay the artists” – Yes, you should! (In theory…How about an understanding between the ticket seller & the artists? How about the artist’s level of experience, his work’s quality, the fact he/his work may not be ready, the fact he’s part of a mixed bill between newcomers, & big names? How do you justify his value to the audience if he’s not economically worth it? Can you pay him in another way? Can you pay for food, drinks on the night, for material, give an hour or more of your expertise to support him in the areas he needs it? What if selling tickets is your way to cover the costs? How do you share the rewards of a successful night with the artists? When does the ticket seller’s responsability starts and ends in this matter? Shouldn’t be as well the artist’s responsibility according to his own journey/experience/expectations to protect his property against exploitation?)
