Action Planning Session: An international theatre festival in Birmingham for emerging companies and artists from across…

Convenor:

Mike Tweddle and Miguel Oyarzun

Attendees:

– Mike Tweddle, Miguel Oyarzun, Katerina Pushkin, James Dacre, Laura McDermott

Description:

An international theatre festival in Birmingham for emerging companies and artists from across Europe (low cost: it’s possible!)

- would reflect multiculturalism of Birmingham
- middle of June would be a good time: pre-Edinburgh (and other summer festivals)
- AE Harris would be an ideal venue: a place where people could eat, drink, party and perform. Also there’d be space for workshops.
- would need to rely on generosity and energy or volunteers to keep it low budget
- a more established company could run a workshop for the three days of the festival
- Laura talked about the history and nature of Fierce, and we discussed how this festival might differ from Fierce: being more for emerging or recently-formed companies
- could be worth scheduling at same time as international dance festival? The low-budget, exciting alternative. Like Forest Fringe in Edinburgh: the parasite festival
- companies would pay for their own transport to Birmingham, like at the Bilbao ACT Festival. With prize money at stake, workshops, so many performances to see, newer companies are often happy to make the investment.

After concluding the meeting we went to talk to James Yarker who said he’d be interested in having the festival at AE Harris. We have since put together the following proposal which imagines the festival taking place at AE Harris in June 2010. We’d love to hear from anyone that’s interested in exchanging more ideas or helping us make this a reality. Also, we need name suggestions! (We’re not sure about BE THEATRE.)

Please email any thoughts to Mike Tweddle: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

PROPOSAL:

Birmingham European Theatre Festival (BE THEATRE)
Produced by Suspension in collaboration with…

15-18 companies from across Europe will take part in BE THEATRE, selected from an open application process that will be announced through international festival and theatre school networks. Companies will perform a 30 min piece of new theatre work. They will be offered accommodation, meals and the chance to take part in as many as two training workshops per day. This in addition to a platform for their work, which will be watched by the other companies, Birmingham audiences and a panel of judges from the profession.

One production will be awarded the festival prize: £1500-2000 pounds towards the development of the piece, and (we hope) the opportunity to perform a full production of their work in Birmingham later in the year.

The festival will begin on Wednesday evening and conclude on Saturday night. The opening night will include a performance by an established touring company, who will then offer a three day long workshop to interested festival participants.

The AE Harris Building is wonderfully flexible and atmospheric, and offers the possibility for genuine communal exchange. Breakfast, lunch and dinner will be served in the venue. On Thursday, Friday and Saturday, morning and afternoon workshops will take place in the venue, with lunch in between. As well as the three day workshop by the guest company, there will be a single workshop offered each day by one of the participating companies.

Performances will begin at 5:30 in the evening, with three shows, then dinner, followed by three more shows. Between and after the performances there will be a bar, and live music performed by Birmingham-based musicians. On the Saturday evening, dinner will be followed by a performance from a Birmingham company, and then a closing ceremony with the awarding of the prize.

Tickets will be sold to the general public, perhaps at £5 for three shows, or £10 for six shows and dinner.

We would aim to programme 3 West Midlands-based companies and a further 4 companies based in the UK. This will mean that roughly 9-11 companies will be from abroad. Companies will fund their own travel, and so it is expected that applications will be received from emerging practitioners willing to make this investment in their development.

Accommodation will be sought in the private homes of the generous Birmingham theatre community, as well as those of further friends and colleagues. This follows the Hay Festival model, where such a system has improved the local community’s involvement in the event. Households who participate could perhaps be offered a free pass to the festival. We are very confident that we can count on people’s charity and hospitality in this regard.

Participants will be encouraged to attend events and performances in other venues around Birmingham [if and when they are free and not doing workshops]. We would like to discuss with organisations ways to collaborate on this.

Our first festival year will be very low budget, focusing on a simple, joyful exchange of food, wine, friendship and theatre between people of diverse backgrounds. We will reach out to the diverse artistic community of Birmingham and ask for their collaboration and creative input wherever possible.

The festival will be programmed and run by Suspension, a newly-formed international theatre company based in Birmingham. Company members have directed, produced and performed in shows at six international theatre festivals - including twice at the Bilbao ACT Festival (on which the model for BE THEATRE is based.)

We are confident BE THEATRE will lead to exciting new collaborations and developments for the Birmingham theatre scene, and will put the city on the map in a positive new way.