Theatre, making art in difficult times and surviving as a freelancer
Creative Thinking in a Time of Crisis
A blog about theatre, making art in difficult times and surviving as a freelancer
By Sophia Hatfield
Today has been a tough day for theatre people. After weeks of uncertainty, new advice from the government means our beloved venues are even more likely to take a hit. And for Stute Theatre, a small, project funded organisation (which basically consists of me and a pool of wonderful freelancers and collaborators) we’re frantically trying to put contingency plans in place that keep us afloat. Several emails and phone calls later, I am determined to make sure our valued team is still able to bring Common Lore to new young audiences far and wide! And I want to make sure that in this difficult time, the arts are still able to survive and give people the release they need from the uncertainty, the anxiety and, of course, the dreaded panic-buying.
Lots of other organisations are in the same boat as us. There’s been a firm knot in my stomach for several weeks now. The reality of being an artist for most people is ongoing uncertainty, with little or no financial safety net. I’ve had countless phone calls with worried colleagues and creatives talking about how hard it is right now, but also how lucky we feel to not be worse off. Because, of course, the number one priority is keeping people safe. Protecting the most vulnerable in our society, protecting our NHS, but also protecting our values and holding on to the things that bind us together as communities.
But when public venues are struggling and we’re advised to keep our distance, how can we in the arts, theatre-makers, and everyone maintain a sense of community? As tempting as it is to give up and dissolve into a 12-week long Netflix binge, I’m determined to keep Stute Theatre afloat and try and find creative ways of keeping the arts alive.
We are artists after all! A fact that I’m proud of. When theatre people are hit with a challenge, our resilience and creative thinking comes into its own. Somehow we dream up wonderful and inventive solutions to seemingly insurmountable problems. It’s what we do best.
So... Stute Theatre will be growing its creative community online.We’ll still be doing our best to make sure our live performances go ahead as planned, where it is safe – but we’re planning to face any disruption with a creative twist.
If our rehearsals are disrupted, we’ll be doing them digitally.
If our performances are affected, we’ll be finding ingenious ways to bring this work to as many people as possible using other platforms.
Stand by for blogs, video content, educational resources and a backstage look at a different style of theatre-making.
And if you’re a school or youth theatre in need of some remote learning content or a bit of creative-thinking magic – get in touch via our contact page here: www.stutetheatre.co.uk/about and we’ll see how we can work together!
Photos by Lucas Smith Photography
