How do we make sure local performers and creatives are used by Midlands theatre companies?
- Convenor:
- Tracey Briggs
- Attendees:
- David Bannett, Vanessa Oakes, Lette Leedham, Hannah Grosson, Sayan Kent.
- Description:
The group felt this was the wrong question and that the question should be: Are local performers and creatives used by Midlands theatre companies.
Though the figures could not be known for sure without a survey, anecdotally the group felt that the answer was:
Yes - local performers and creatives are used by Midlands Theatre companies, particularly the smaller ones as it makes economic sense.
What constitutes a local performer and creative? Someone who was born and bred here but moved to London? Someone who has moved to live here from elsewhere? Someone who trained here? The group felt it could be any and all of these things. Though for reasons of finance a local performer or creative could be defined as someone not requiring subsistence or relocation fee.
Often local performers and creatives are sought by personal recommendation rather than from formal auditions/interview.
Companies such as Women and Theatre, Foursight, Catalyst/Language Alive, Zip Theatre, Midlands Actors Theatre, Talking Birds, Stan’s Cafe and the Midlands Arts Centre often use locally-based performers and creatives.
Legislation from the funding bodies which asked companies in receipt of funding to hold auditions at their base as well as London, would be useful to encourage those who don’t look locally to be more proactive in this area. Also there would be nothing wrong with holding auditions at a company base only, particularly for those smaller companies who do not have the money to hire space in London for auditions.
Stronger legislation such as bringing in a quota system could be unhelpful and disruptive. No artistic director wants to be told who they have to employ and performers and creatives would not want to be in a job where they’re not really wanted and they are only there because they tick a box. Such legislation could create a difficult atmosphere in the work environment.
It was felt bigger companies such as the Birmingham-Rep, Coventry Belgrade and the Leicester Curve did use local performers and creatives in their outreach and education work. But it was felt that there may be a glass ceiling where local performers and creatives are not considered for the more prestigious work taking place in the main houses.
The New Vic Theatre in Newcastle under Lyme has always been very good at seeing locally-based actors as well as actors based elsewhere, and always offered auditions in both London and at its base. This was a good model that perhaps some of the larger regional repertory theatres should follow.
A positive attitude reaps rewards and it can be extremely beneficial to work in other regions and not become boring and stale because you only working within a small pool of theatre companies. Bringing in fresh blood and new ideas from performers and creatives from other regions can also be beneficial for the theatre companies based here. But for economic reasons and to make sure companies engage with the communities they serve, they should always make sure to look locally.
We should encourage Midlands theatre companies to celebrate the use of local performers and creatives in their programmes as this may help to stop the talent drain to London and bring more engagement between theatre companies and the communities they serve.
Performers and creatives need to take responsibility and if they wish to work for Midlands theatre companies in their local region they should make sure to be familiar with their work. Wanting to work with a theatre company just because they’re near your house is not a good enough reason for an artistic director to want to use you. As many casting/employment decisions are influenced by personal recommendation it is important to network and not just rely on well written applications.
Note: the term performers and creatives is used to define actors, writers, dancers, stage managers, freelance theatre directors, choreographers, theatre designers etc.