An update on Creative Ecology Wiltshire

CEW – Keeping in touch                                                                                         June 2012

With the conclusion of CEW’s pilot year people may understandably be wondering “what is happening next?” or “where has CEW gone?”.    This one page update is designed to provide a brief update to respond to those questions.

Outcomes from the pilot year

• A great deal of learning from a challenging pilot year has been gathered through the evaluation process and reflected on by the governance group. The year officially concluded at the end of March, which was when Dominic Somers’ contract concluded. The year contained many positives but also some significant failings.

• A number of CEW supported artists and projects have been successful in achieving G4A and other  investment including:

o   Richard Conlon and his Cleave verbatim theatre project

o   Curious Company and its Little Mermaid site specific performance project

o   2 Destination Language and its Flint micro festival project

• The theatre and dance community in Wiltshire is growing with 218 artists or practitioners now with profiles on the http://www.danceandtheatrewiltshire.net/

which now connects interactively with sites across much of the south west of England

• It has been recognised that CEW did not serve the dance community well during the pilot year and also lacked leadership, effective communication and an interface with the marketplace for artists and practitioners

• In order to provide some continuity between projects CEW continues to employ Aimee for a few hours a week to maintain the website and social networks and send out regular news updates like this one

• As part of the future planning process two new people have joined the governance group, Gareth Machin, the Artistic Director of Salisbury Playhouse and Peter Tyas, Head of Arts and Archives at Wiltshire Council (the latter in an observational capacity)

Planning for the future

• A new project called CEW2 – Producing Potential – has been developed which, subject to investment from ACE, will run from October 2012 to December 2013. The ACE G4A application was submitted on 18^th June ‘12

•  CEW2 intends to develop and deliver a bespoke dance and theatre producing service for Wiltshire that responds to ideas, artists and projects and helps turn them into reality.

• CEW2 is designed to champion artists and practitioners working in Wiltshire and seeks to bring their work to fruition and find outlets for it.

• CEW2’s role is to provide the connection between makers and markets, between local artists and venues and between practitioners and participants, which is so essential in a rural county.

CEW2’s objectives

CEW2 will:

• Provide a structure (locally and regionally) for dance and theatre practitioners to network with each other, as well as with arts promoters and other stakeholders

• Provide support for dance and theatre practitioners to develop their skills in creating high quality performance and participatory work and bring it to the marketplace

• Produce dance and theatre projects, from idea to realisation

• Increase the marketplace for dance and theatre work made in Wiltshire

• Research and develop a business strategy for longer term sustainability

CEW2’s people

The CEW2 team will be:

• The CEW2 team will comprise two freelance experienced Creative Producers: one for dance; another for theatre, both with a developed knowledge of how performance and participatory work is created, resourced and delivered

• They will be the creative drivers of CEW2, able to work with a range of stakeholders, including new and established practitioners, arts promoters, funders, commissioners and regional networks

• The Creative Producers will be led by a Business and Development Producer who will provide the strategic and business development for CEW2 and for the artists and practitioners CEW2 supports

• This key strategic role will secure and manage the resources to enable the delivery of CEW2’s objectives, and drive the development of the marketplace for Wiltshire artists’ work

•  It will also ensure effective communication between CEW2 staff and its governance and between CEW and its constituencies

• The governance group responsible for developing this new project, bringing the resources to it and recruiting the paid staff team are:

o   Roz Conlon, Dance Development Co-ordinator, Activate Performing Arts, Dorset

o   Alan Harding, Dance Practitioner and Lecturer in Dance at Wiltshire College

o   Gareth Machin, Artistic Director of Salisbury Playhouse

o   Deryck Newland, Artistic Director, Pavilion Dance South West (ex.  Director of Salisbury Arts Centre)

o   Emma Procter, Extended Services Cluster Manager, Wiltshire Council

o   Joel Staley, Deputy Director, Institute of Contemporary Interdisciplinary Arts, University of Bath

o   Peter Tyas, Head of Arts and Archives, Wiltshire Council (observer)