2017 Feed

Did you watch or see Yerma?

Yerma_-_National_Theatre_Live

NTLive broadcast live from the Old Vic on August 31st 2017. It will be shown in cinemas internationally from September 21st.

I'm interested to hear how you feel about being in an audience watching a live-streamed piece of theatre rather than being in the actual audience.

Does being in the live-stream audience change the experience?

Do you think had you been in the actual audience it would have added anything?

Did watching the live-stream feel different from seeing it?

I'm very interested in audience experiences.

The text in bold are questions I emailed to a friend who attended the live screening. I asked her to consider these question. She received the email after seeing the performance and her responses were honest, revealing and showed great awareness of her audience experience. There were some plus points and downsides she shared.

I'm writing this blog post hoping to widen my enquiry.

If you saw the live stream of the production please answer in the comments or email me [email protected] if you'd like to share privately. If you are interested in my research please email also.


Favourite Things

Favourite-things

Online community, digital curating. YouTube subscription, Instagram Stories. Blogging and giveaways, Facebook page groups... these are few of my favourite thing!

I love digital. Mobile computing is just... I think my younger self would approve. I like augmented analogue just as much. Being able to fuse the modern and the traditional tends to bring a greater sense of satisfaction from the resulting manifestation be it event, artwork or life lesson.

and yes Brown paper packages tied up with string... these are a few of my favourite things.

Last month I ran a giveaway in the Equity Online Branch with 10 Equity branded torches. Entering to win one was simple. Visit the Online Branch Chat Room, locate the Torch Giveaway chat thread and add your name to the comments. To some, it may seem trivial but in the absence of a marketing or development budget (all Equity branches are run my member committees and not financed by EquityHQ) building the Online Branch through small acts of curiosity is the epic battle of engagement at zero cost. Why? Believe me, I often ask myself that very question. The Union that provided a foundation for contractual stability in many of the jobs I have undertaken over the years, I want to give back.

I also want to keep moving forward. New horizons are opening up where the old traditions start to encompass the new media while new continues to innovate and find ways to demand our creativity before the mainstream catches up and negotiates contractual situations and conditions.

Equity's online branch is an exercise in monitoring digital adoptions. Who can, who can't, who will and who won't. The organisation is the attraction and the communication platforms and engagement option have to accommodate the members. The most effective and cost effective don't always align. Multichannel, multi media, most accessible are different in many cases. Building a holistic community from a multitude of networks is an evolving process requirement cross platform teams with a central hub. In theatre, this is the production office serviced predominantly my stagemanagement.

In theatre, this is the production office serviced predominantly my stagemanagement.

Who is your stagemanager?

Are you familiar with the role of stagemanagement?

What is the equivalent department that looks after cross departmental communication, resource acquisition and distribution?

When this is a topic for another post.

 


Election Daze Long Eaton - What went down?

Open Space Hurrah!

2017-06-05 16.15.50

  • What is political power?
  • How biased is our political system to protecting the status of a (real) ruling power?
  • Is politics in the UK broken?
  • Is political debate in the UK too narrow or simplistic to take in the dynamic of the wider world?
  • How do we improve/raise voter turnout?
  • Do we really have democracy in the UK?
  • Is voter apathy used as a strategic tool in political thinking?
  • What if we get a hung parliament?
  • What became of the BNP?
  • Is Politics too short-term?
  • Why is politics so short-term?
  • Do we need a new voting system?
  • Did Brexit break tribal politics?
  • Why isn't politics talking about the future impact of IT?

Another Equity Online Branch GiveAway - entries close 14th July

July-torch-OLB-giveaway2

The last giveaway back in February was, I hope you'll agree, a bit of fun and certainly brought new members into the branch. It also reminded me that the branch has international members too who are a long way from home.

Here's the Chat Room Thread from the first giveaway if you're inter...

This time it's for TEN Equity torches. These branded torches were taken to Glastonbury to and handed out to members performing who visited the Equity 'tent'. I managed to get TEN so here we are with another giveaway. Same as before visit the Online Branch Chat Room thread set up for the giveaway and add your name in the comments.

It's as simple as that.

Continue reading "Another Equity Online Branch GiveAway - entries close 14th July" »


No planned test of the Fire Alarm today.

HSG16_periscope_venue

At a venue based event, 'housekeeping' tends to include 'there is no planned testing of the fire alarm system today', the location of the toilets, timings of the key elements of the day, invariably the prescribed hashtags and perhaps the wifi code.

TOP TIP:  hashtags, Twitter handles and wifi code should be on 'table talkers' on each table, printed to appear at the top of each page of the event schedule/programme or on an easy to hand out info flyer.

For the extended audience, it's one major thing, 'What to do if the internet goes down'!

Continue reading "No planned test of the Fire Alarm today." »


Digital Hustings - It's all part of the Online Branch Experience.

DigitalHustings01

Several of the London Branches have held a series of Hustings events providing an opportunity for committee election candidates to share their perspectives on why they want to stand and as an opportunity for members who are voting to meet the candidates seeking support in getting them elected.

Continue reading "Digital Hustings - It's all part of the Online Branch Experience." »


EquityUK - 2017 Committee Elections - why you should vote.

It's an Equity Election. This time it's for members who are going to represent us on the various Equity Committees. There are Industrial, Specialist, Diversity and Regional Committees where candidates have put themselves forward with the intention of giving you a voice and to forward their own agenda to make the industry a better place to work in from their point of view.

OLB_EquityElections_banner_ee2017

Within Equity, every member is assigned to a constitutional register. Members can select additional registers where they feel the information communicated to those registers would be me professionally advantageous.

Then there are committees. All the registers are represented by one of the committees.

Here is a list of the constitutional registers.

Continue reading "EquityUK - 2017 Committee Elections - why you should vote." »


Introducing Election Daze

Election_Daze_-_Birmingham_-_Birminghamcover image from ImpactHub Birmingham's promotional page for this event and venue hosts for Birmingham's Election Daze event.


The first Election Daze event is taking place in Birmingham tomorrow (May 8th) just days after a round of local elections and now just a month before the UK once again turns out to vote.

Lloyds invitation is "Come and have the conversation about politics that you’ve been desperate to have."

This video was my opportunity to share with you the calm reflection in which Lloyd approaches his work as a social artist. As both consumer and creator of culture I agree with Lloyd that it is we who have to determine the parameters of the conversation and take it to those in a position to manifest our cultural conscience.

The question at the centre of all the Election Daze events is, The question we’ll be working on is simple: “What are we going to do about politics?”

Not How or Who or When but What.

Show Links
Lloyds Blog - Perfect Path
http://www.perfectpath.co.uk

Election Daze facebook group
https://www.facebook.com/groups/289609118128268

The Election Daze Reporting Hub
https://electiondaze.wordpress.com/

Eventbrite Page for May 8th OpenSpace event
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/election-daze-birmingham-tickets-34074363338

Underscore Music: http://www.purpleplanet.com


What's in a Stage Manager’s digital tool box?

I have on occasion been referred to as Mary Poppins, one time when a friend was asked at a party I was also a guest at ‘You don’t happen to have, xxx do you? My friend replied, well I don’t but I expect CJ does! I opened my kit bag and yes I had a whistle! I was visiting friends in York at the time but a stage manager is never truly off duty! It’s deep in our psyche.

MaryPopins-Astonishment

The revelation of the whistle about my person prompted - wow you are like Mary Poppins. The word had got around! Yes, I can’t go anywhere without a tool kit and a myriad of items that one day might come in handy.

So what about my digital ‘carpet bag’? Before sharing what’s in it I think a definition of the structure of the ‘digital carpet bag’!

Working on the move the apps you use, how you connect to them and the smoothest transition from desk to devices is important. That is the toolkit for this article.

Continue reading "What's in a Stage Manager’s digital tool box?" »


Equity Online Branch Goodies Give Away - 01

OLB_GGA01

The First Equity Online Branch Goodies Give Away

Equity Members are active on Facebook and Twitter. Many members also have Linkedin profiles. There are other professional networks such as Spotlight, Casting Call Pro or Stage Jobs Pro. Visiting the Online Branch you will always know you are connecting directly with fellow members. From the feedback we have received, that factor is very important to those who have joined. For others for whatever reason don't use Facebook or Twitter.

In the Ensemble Facebook Group recently (a fabulous group for industry professionals working in musical theatre), a member suggested Equity make logo pin badges for members to wear with pride to champion our allegiance to our union. As an annual representative conference (ARC) attendee for several years, I delight in my ownership of such a badge handed out to representatives on registration. I wear mine proudly on my coat lapel. 

Members can visit Equity's HQ, Guild House in London and request one but they are not 'merch for purchase'. Not everyone is in central London, it's a major reason why the online branch was conceived. After the recent meeting taking me to head office, I requested some pin badges to give away in a small initiative to encourage Equity Members to opt into the branch and to give existing members a call to action. Drop by, say Hi.

So would you like to be entered into the draw? Here's how it works.

  • Drop by the online branch, visit the Chat Room thread called - The First Equity OLB Goodies Give Away and post your name in the comments.
  • 10 names will be drawn at random from the list of names after midnight on 19th Feb
  • If your name is the first selected from those who log-in and post their name, a parcel will be sent to you with the items in the photo.
  • Nine further Online Branch Members from the list will receive pin badges and Equity pens.

If you are an Equity advocate, council member, branch chair, secretary or PRO feel free to share even copy and paste this to send to members. Get in touch if you'd like to run something similar. This is a direct link to the Chat Room Thread http://bit.ly/olbgga01