? A design for life My recent time in New York opened my eyes to a lot of different ways of thinking, and flagged up some big differences between the ways we collaborate in the UK from how they do in the US. One of the main differences which stood out - and something which I've often questioned myself - is how designers seem to be considered a much more crucial component of theatre making on the other side of the Atlantic. It begs the question - why are we not collaborating with designers at an early stage in the creative process? For years I've been fascinated with the work of designers in theatre, and how much good design can enhance a production - from early theatre visits to see work by the likes of Complicite and Kneehigh, I was struck with just how much the visual and aural elements added to each piece. Seeing how the likes of Ultz, Miriam Buether, Jo Scotcher and Laura Hopkins are being increasingly recognised for the quality of their work - not to mention the lighting and sound design by artists such as James Farncombe, Adrienne Quartly and Malcolm Rippeth - is...

? NY/LON Threads Having recently spent a week in New York – taking part in the TS Eliot US/UK Exchange organised by Old Vic New Voices – I’ve been thinking more about international collaboration between the US and UK. Living and working in a cosmopolitan city such as London sees various nationalities come together frequently to create work – but how can we find ways to work across the Atlantic? Being in New York was an eye-opening experience, as we learned a great deal about the complexities of working in theatre in the United States; with theatrical unions such as Equity having far greater power than they do in the UK, there are a number of barriers to any non-natives wishing to work there. Getting a visa to work seems almost impossible due to the desire to protect jobs for home citizens, and unless you can prove categorically your job cannot be done by any American employee then the likelihood is you won’t be working there any time soon. Of course, this is an admirable approach to take – but the restrictions in place also do not allow resident graduates and emerging artists many opportunities to develop their skills...

? As the London team prepare to head home, Dan Baker sums up the final days of the TS Eliot US/UK Exchange The time has come for us to head back to London. It's been a long week, with lots to take in - but it's been rewarding. Sunday was another fairly relaxing day, which I spent a large part of catching up with another of my New York friends. Firstly meeting for brunch, we spent time catching up and finding out how she was faring back in New York before having a nice walk through Central Park - she gave me a run-down of the history of the park and showed me the various different sites before she headed off to an audition - the life of a New York actor! After we went our separate ways, I met up with producer Sara and writer Sabrina for a catch-up and a bite to eat, before Sara and I met with US producer Avi to attend a talk with Tony Kushner at the Public Theater. Having not seen The Intelligent Homosexual's Guide to Capitalism and Socialism With a Key to the Scriptures I was concerned that the talk would...

? It's party time in New York for the TS Eliot US/UK Exchange team - Dan Baker reports back... Okay, tonight was the 'Final Fling' party. I'm allowed to have had a late night. Today was pretty slow, fortunately; after such a crazy day yesterday, I took advantage of the opportunity to have a bit of a rest in the morning before indulging in some more touristy activities. So, today I had a nice walk around New York. First on my list of places to visit was the site of the World Trade Centres. Having flown to New York out on the day it was announced Osama Bin Laden had been killed, it was strange to visit the site - and having seen all the images on television, I thought it important to see the site to get a true sense of just how big the buildings were. It's safe to say it's mindblowing just how big a gap there is, and to imagine the sheer horror and devastation of experiencing it all happening at close quarters. From there I walked around the financial district to see Wall Street, and checked out the view from the Brooklyn Bridge, before...

? The New York showcase for the TS Eliot US/UK Exchange is over - Dan Baker gives us the inside scoop on how it all went down... So, the showcase is over! It was a MAD day. After so much prep work this week and before, the London team on the TS Eliot US/UK Exchange took to the Vineyard stage and showed the New York audiences exactly what the best of emerging British theatre talent has to offer. But it didn't happen without us all putting blood, sweat and tears into it... Arriving at the Vineyard for a 10am start, each company was allocated limited time to tech their pieces; having not had a chance to work in the space, this meant a lot had to be done in very little time. As producers ran around finalising the details of the event, directors took control of ensuring all technical details were up to the standard required - and actors filled the space, getting their bearings and imagining the auditorium full of people who may be able to offer them work in New York. With the support of the fantastic production team at the Vineyard - not to mention the...

? As the TS Eliot US/UK Exchange team return to the rehearsal room, Dan Baker explains how the experiences of the week thus far have reinvigorated the rehearsal process Day Four in New York. It's time for us to remember why we're here. Having had a hectic few days dashing around New York and acclimatising, today saw us return to the grindstone and rehearsing for our showcase pieces. Amongst all the excitement of meeting some amazing people and learning about how theatre exists in New York, the showcase had drifted to the back of our minds for many of us - but it was important we didn't forget that presenting our work is a key factor of the Exchange. The showcase represents a great opportunity to show an invited audience of New York theatre professionals what type of work is being made in London today, and having already got a sense of how different the culutures are it's going to be fascinating to see the reaction our work gets. In order for it to be up to the standard required, though, it was essential that we rehearsed whilst in New York - if we only rehearsed in London and...

? It's Day Three of the TS Eliot US/UK Exchange, and Dan Baker gives us a run-down of the meetings he has attended - potentially leading to transatlantic producing opportunities in the future... Day Three in New York has been an epic day. Having recovered from my jetlag following a good night's sleep, I awoke knowing the day ahead would require me to be at my best - Wednesday had been set aside as the day for meetings for producers, directors and writers (with actors having workshops). With my diary packed from 9am until 7pm, I loaded up on business cards and CVs and headed out - with New York being such a competitive city, such preparation is essential. The day actually started in quite a relaxing way - the producers got together for a meeting over breakfast, to discuss the week thus far and to ensure there were no major problems ahead of Friday's showcase. With things being so crazy since our arrival, it was great to just be able to have a catch-up and see each other properly - especially considering what awaited us...rain. Lots of rain. My first meeting of the day saw me dash through...

? Dan Baker gives us an insight into Day Two in New York for the London team on the TS Eliot US/UK Exchange, as things step up a gear... Another day in New York down, and we're now well and truly into the swing of things. Firstly, I have to admit that I thought the Metro would be an easy system to navigate like the tube. I was wrong. Spending two hours trying to make a 45 minute journey to our first morning meeting proved that. Not the best start to the day, that. Anyway, once I had finally negotiated the journey I arrived at the Vineyard Theatre for a panel discussion with the theatre staff - giving us a an insight into what they do and how they work. Interestingly, this was also the morning the Tony Award nominees were announced - which got lots of press coverage, unlike our Olivier Awards - and the Vineyard racked up twelve nominations. With a very excited panel to greet us, they gave us a full insight into the background of the company and exactly what it is they produce - as well as letting us know more about what the...

? Producer Dan Baker gives us the low-down on what the first day in New York has entailed for London participants of the TS Eliot US/UK Exchange... We’ve arrived in New York. That’s WELL exciting. It’s a funny day to be arriving in the US – I awoke this morning as the news was breaking about Osama Bin Laden, and as the London team for the US/UK Exchange began to arrive at London Heathrow stories began to filter through about the reaction to the news in New York. With a large number of us seriously deprived of sleep, there was something of a surreal feeling to proceedings... Reassuringly, everyone arrived at the airport and no-one forgot their passport – so we’ve been able to fly out with a full contingent. In the taxi to the airport there was the fear gnawing away that one of my actors may not make it, and it seems to be something the other producers had thought about; the fact it didn’t happen made the journey a lot calmer! As we caught up with James and Rachel from the Old Vic and received our tickets and travel itineraries, there was a definite air of...

? Producer and social media co-ordinator Dan Baker prepares to jet off to New York, and gives us an insight into the preparations made for the TS Eliot US/UK Exchange So, in a matter of days those of us taking part in the TS Eliot US/UK Exchange will be boarding a flight at London Heathrow, and making our merry way over the Atlantic to New York. Understandably, we’re all pretty excited about this. The chance to take part in the exchange brings a number of exciting possibilities to the fore for those of us taking part, regardless of whether we’re actors, writers, directors or producers. Those of us involved are at a stage in our careers where we’ve begun to establish ourselves in London and beyond, and hopefully we’re on our way to long and successful careers in theatre – but it is important that we maintain momentum by making the most of any opportunities afforded to us. Although London is undoubtedly the heart of British theatre – like it or not – it would be foolish for us to think it is the be-all and end-all in terms of where we should be working, and the possibility of...

? A bit of a Cock-up? With the untimely demise of the Cock Tavern, a number of questions have been raised about the practices of their parent company. But are they all fair? We’ve recently learned that the Cock Tavern – holder of a Peter Brook Empty Space Award and home to OperaUpClose, who produced the Olivier Award-winning La Bohème – have been forced to close down, due to a lack of licensing and serious health and safety concerns. As many who have been to the venue will no doubt agree, it was never the most comfortable of places to attend a performance, and who knows what would have happened should there be a fire? – but the quality of work was largely of a high standard, put together by an ambitious young creative team. Adam Spreadbury-Maher and his collaborators were rightly lauded for what they were attempting to do, and varying degrees of success followed – from the aforementioned Empty Space Award to the small matter of winning an Olivier, via the appointment of Spreadbury-Maher as Artistic Director of the legendary King’s Head Theatre. But now much of the goodwill generated from this spell seems to be dissipating...

? Online presence I've spoken here before about the benefits of the internet in bringing creative communities together, but how can we directly engage with the platforms available to us to make the most of them - and how do we get the balance right to ensure we engage with audiences, and don't ignore their input? It can be incredibly easy for the internet to be used by companies merely as a PR tool, and a number of venues only engage with it in this way - an approach which is understandable considering how much further it can reach as opposed to more traditional forms of marketing. Although it can be more difficult to measure success of a marketing strategy delivered online whilst analytical tools are still developing, with a number of venues now using Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems such as Tessitura and Patron Edge it is possible for much more information to be fed into one central database - and subsequently more departments are able to pull and cross-reference the data they require with ease. But statistical analysis only tells part of the story. Online presence brings with it a need for 'brand identity' - the ways...

? Protecting the playwright As a producer who works largely in new writing, I’m always fascinated to observe the process a writer undertakes – between first draft and first night a number of things in a script can change, and watching a piece grow stronger is one of the joys of the process. But as a community, we must ensure that writers are protected to enable them to develop without feeling pressurised. For many emerging writers, the starting point for them to seeing their work on stage often comes through sending unsolicited scripts to venues with active literary departments who stage such work – the likes of the Royal Court, Soho Theatre and Theatre503 will often be the first places to try. Should the first reader like the script, then it will usually be passed onto a senior reader, before detailed feedback is provided to the writer – or if it is not to a reader’s taste, then it may be returned with no feedback at all. Often the process is a long one – it isn’t unusual for a writer to wait up to twelve weeks for a response – and if no feedback is provided then it’s...

? Blogging and previews (in response to Matt Trueman) Matt Trueman's Guardian blog regarding the etiquette of bloggers reviewing previews has proved to be incredibly provocative - both the original article and Twitter have been alive with responses from critics, bloggers, theatre makers and punters seemingly either agreeing with his views or suggesting he's deposed Hosni Mubarak as Public Enemy Number One. Both as a theatre maker and as a blogger who doesn’t write reviews, I have huge respect for those who do – and who spend their own hard-earned cash to see a show through choice and then let others know their opinions. 'Opinions' is a key word here when dealing with bloggers; by-and-large, bloggers aren’t driven by an agenda to serve a particular audience or readership like professional reviewers are - and I think this is where Matt's choice of incendiary phrases such as "the cynical practice of reviewing previews" has led to people taking exception and focusing on the apparent divide between blogging and professional criticism. The bloggers I've met reviews shows because they love theatre, and enjoy analysing and commenting on what they watch; they're not driven by a cynical motivation to get hits to...

? Fun in the Theatre At a recent Devoted and Disgruntled satellite event, I met two members of Filskit Theatre – a company using innovative projection techniques to make work for younger audiences. As producer of EmptyBox Theatre, it was great to talk to people who make similar work and to discuss how exciting it can be to make. Having worked with young people in various capacities for nearly ten years, I’m incredibly passionate about finding ways to engage them through theatre – with such potential existing to experiment with ways of working, young audiences can be transported to different worlds through simple techniques. Pantomime can be a fantastic example of how children can really get into theatre – when an audience of hundreds of families can get involved in the play they are seeing performed, it breaks down the fourth wall and helps the experience be more enjoyable for all. Work for these audiences can continue to be so beyond pantomime. Travelling Light are a great example of a company who have inspired my own practice. A few years ago I saw their production of Shadow Play, which was a non-verbal piece for young children – and I’ve...

? Creative Communities 2.0 In my early days as a graduate, not living in a major city meant I relied on the internet to find out what interesting things were happening within the arts; sites such as MySpace allowed me to make contact with people whose work sounded interesting, and allowed me to feel part of a larger community of artists. Fast forward to 2011, and the Internet has proved to be invaluable to huge numbers of artists in building relationships and promoting their work across seemingly vast geographical boundaries. As we approach the sixth instalment of Devoted and Disgruntled – hosted by Improbable – it’s fascinating to observe just how many people are going who I have some relationship through online networking; unlike some such events where introductions often rely on scanning name-badges and making dry introductions to people, attenders at D&D6 may have already established something of an online relationship to skip this step – thus leaving more time for debating the questions raised during the weekend. Engagement & Diversification Beyond Devoted and Disgruntled, events such as Twespians and Surviving Actors provide opportunities for attenders to meet people they may have an online relationship with - and...

? New Tricks Due to the recent wave of cuts, there is increasing competition for financial support at all levels of the arts. Consequently, pressure is building on already limited pots of funding. So, what other options exist for those of us looking to survive? ‘Philanthropy’ is the buzzword being thrown around at present, but this can be a daunting prospect for many smaller companies, as they have limited time and resources to forge new relationships, and are unable to employ staff to specialise in fundraising. However, there is a variation on the theme which is proving much more accessible to those of us at the thin end of the wedge: crowdfunding, a model which continues to grow in the UK. Crowdfunding enables companies to harness the power of the Internet to draw attention to their project and attract potential funders. With websites such as Kickstarter and Indiegogo having proved successful in helping companies in the US to secure funding, the opportunity has now arisen for companies like Box of Tricks to reap the benefits on these shores. In the past philanthropic fundraising for Box of Tricks’s productions has been restricted to approaching people with whom we have already...

? Trading Places We’ve recently seen the announcement of the news that the Bush Theatre will be moving home in 2011 - after 38 years at their current space, they will be moving just around the corner to the old Shepherd's Bush Library. This is fantastic news for a brilliant venue - but is moving home always a good thing? The Bush have established themselves as one of the leading Fringe new writing venues in the UK, and a number of leading writers consider the venue as something of a 'spiritual home' - a place where they've felt truly supported and nurtured, in order to help them produce the best work possible. I've consistently been impressed at how ambitious The Bush have been for such a small venue - they constantly look beyond their own walls when producing work, engaging in co-productions with other venues and having a strong touring presence across the UK. Current Artistic Director Josie Rourke has firmly established her credentials as a talented director through work with other venues across the globe (including the powerfully moving Men Should Weep, currently playing at the National Theatre), and having worked with The Bush as Project Manager on...

? Digesting the Cuts I think it's only fair I follow everyone else's lead and comment on the effect the Comprehensive Spending Review (CSR) will have on theatre and the arts - and now Arts Council England (ACE) have announced their latest Regularly Funded Organisation (RFO) grant figures, we can see exactly what this means to arts organisations. Despite the attempts by various people within the arts (and outsiders who appreciate them), campaigns such as I Value the Arts have ultimately been ineffective in convincing George Osborne and co. to not slash away at arts budgets. Firstly, let's be clear here - there have been a number of cuts to core services which will have a massive impact on vast numbers of people in the UK, and thousands of people's lives will be seriously damaged by what has come out of this review. The cuts are ideological, which is made perfectly clear by the Government's decision to ignore predictions and projections by a number of economists and to push ahead with cuts on an unprecedented scale. With Vodafone and Osborne himself (amongst others) being let off or avoiding paying large tax bills which could be reinvested into the economy...

? An Edinburgh virgin speaks! Theatre producer and IdeasTap member Dan Baker has taken a show, Norman Shadowboxer (pictured above), to Edinburgh for the first time. Here, he recounts his experience as a first-timer... Before this year’s Fringe Festival, I’d only visited Edinburgh once before. It was six years ago, when I was a poor student finishing my first year of university – subsequently, my visit was fraught with much penny-pinching, and not enough trips to go and see shows. I did go to the zoo, though. Fast forward to 2010 – and I now find myself as a proper theatre producer with a show at this year’s Edinburgh Fringe. Bringing a show to the Fringe is a pretty unique experience. I’ve a fair bit of producing experience under my belt, but the Fringe is such a unique situation that you might as well abandon any pretence of working in your normal way and steel yourself for a month of emotional highs and lows. Let’s get the lows out of the way first... Before anything else, you have to prepare yourself to lose money. Alas, Edinburgh Fringe is not a place where you’re going to make millions as first-timers...

??? So, it appears that the DCMS are preparing to scrap the UK Film Council in yet another ‘cost-cutting’ measure employed under the coalition government. I can’t help but think this is a STUPIDLY BAD idea. Now, it goes without saying that cuts need to be made – as we could be on the brink of a ‘double-dip’ recession, savings need to be made in order to ensure the economic stability of the country. However, is taking a big pair of scissors and cutting away at the heart of culture and media really the wisest thing to do? We all feel the same way when we hear of cuts to core services such as schools and hospitals – making sweeping cuts in these areas affect the quality of life in the UK, and we are all against that. But what of the effect culture has on our society? The UK prides itself on having a rich and diverse cultural history, and has exported many of its talents and works to global audiences. Since being established in 2010, the UK Film Council has played a big part in supporting the work of both emerging and established UK film makers, providing...