Independent Theatre - where to now?

I just received an email regarding a forum that B Sharp is hosting on 18 June at Belvoir Street Theatre. Of course, being on a weekday, I won't be able to attend but I encourage those of you not constrained by full time employment to check it out.

This is definitely a discussion that needs to start happening before independent theatre really starts to sacrifice creativity and innovation for commercial gain;


WHERE TO NOW?
TEN URGENT QUESTIONS FOR INDEPENDENT THEATRE

It’s time to ask what’s next for independent work and artists.

Artists, arts workers, policy makers, critics, audiences are all invited to a day of open conversation on Wednesday 18 June, to be hosted by B Sharp at Belvoir St Theatre.

B Sharp is committed to providing a platform for independent voices to be heard both on and off the stage. Anyone interested in independent work please come along. It’s not a forum or a panel discussion – it’s you and your ideas.

To get things started we’ve come up with ten urgent questions for independent theatre:

1. Why do we put on shows?
2. What stories are we/should we be telling?
3. Why does independent theatre matter?
4. What is a successful independent work?
5. ‘Innovation’, ‘contemporary’, ‘pushing boundaries’, ‘new forms’… what does it mean and why does it matter?
6. How do you grow as an artist?
7. How do we keep going?
8. Why do producers matter?
9. Where’s the money?
10. What are our training institutions for?

It’s a beginning, an opportunity to start the conversation, so that collectively we can continue to invigorate artists and audiences with terrific non-mainstage work.

All welcome but RSVP essential to rsvp.bsharp@belvoir.com.au

Please feel free to distribute through your networks to others who might be interested.

When: Wednesday 18 June, 10 - 4pm (lunch provided)
Where: Belvoir St Theatre, 25 Belvoir Street, Surry Hills