Arts Council England

#theatre2016

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#theatre2016 The link to the article I’m responding to.

My response. Sorry if it offends but I simply had to do it!

This is music to 3MT’s ears.

The point I believe Sheena Wrigley is making is one that has needed ‘dismantling’ for quite some time. Focus on elitism and ‘hierarchy’ has engendered: a “general air of dissatisfaction”.

Sarah Walters (@SarahCityLife), Manchester Evening News, kindly covered the smaller Independent Manchester producing houses in the Evening News recently. Hope Mill and Three Minute Theatre.

3MT has been ‘plagued’ with the ‘door-slamming’ syndrome from ACE and mainstream houses in Manchester for some years now. Even though it is an independent, unfunded producing house supporting local artists and theatre companies for the past five years. This is no longer financially viable for 3MT so like any other business, diversification and new products are essential for its survival. Had ACE and collaboration been forthcoming, local support would have continued. 3MT is also under the impression it is not a ‘hot-spot’ recently described following a question at an ACE seminar at 3MT. So funding is more difficult to access. ‘Other projects will be preferred’.

3MT and its Manchester Shakespeare Company has developed and supported local actors to claim productions on their CVs. Lack of financial resources has not allowed 3MT to pay skilled performers and understandably, they move on only to find that mainstream houses advertise for ‘volunteers’ on a regular basis.

In 3MT’s experience, ‘volunteers’ have been graduate actors and other theatre practitioners.

There is an endemic perception: ‘actors are desperate for work’ so they will do it.

With five years’ experience of this situation, you could say 3MT has been at the forefront of this topic.

As frustrated as the artists. 3MT

Contact: ginatfrost@outlook.com if you need to discuss this.

 

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Manchester Shakespeare Company Cabaret Night in aid of: FUNDS-FOR-FEES!

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FUNDS-FOR-FEES CABARET NIGHT with Manchester Shakespeare Company actors and practitioners!

https://www.indiegogo.com/campaigns/funds-for-fees-cabaret-night/edit/#/basics

We’re not what the Arts Council England are looking for. We submitted a perfectly sound bid.

Gina, an MSC director, retired performer and previous teacher of drama and theatre trained to become a successful fundraiser and knew what she had to do to submit a bid with rigour. It was a surprise when the bid failed on the grounds: ‘Preferred another project’.

Determination led the organisation to present an evening of cabaret with the MSC actors performing for their own funds. The 3MT Venue offered its space and facilities to allow this event to go ahead.

Gina shares her motto with the MSC cast and crew: ‘Never let anyone or anything slam a door in your face. Get up, dust yourselves down and ‘get on with it’.

It’s clear the cuts to Arts will have a further negative impact on actors and practitioners’ fees; a subject always in the headlines, quite rightly so.

Being creative and finding ways to overcome the things that try to set you back, is to continue to find ways to support ideas that promote payment for the work Manchester actors and practitioners have to do to ensure good drama on the TV screen and on the stage when you fancy a night at the theatre.

Manchester City Council and the Arts Council have significant funding to find for their new project: HOME and other city centre National Portfolio Organisations. How can we possibly expect them to find further funds for Arts on the periphery of mainstream theatre in the city? As we are independent, we are less likely to attract funding.

We hope you can join in the Indiegogo campaign coming up very soon. Do let us know if you would like to join us on Friday, 29th May to support this project.

Thank you.

Manchester Shakespeare Company

 

 

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