Travelling, hopefully

Given that we are in the grips of recession, is it a good time to be looking internationally? Should it be a case of ‘British Artists for British Audiences’, or, at the very least, consolidating our existing audience? I believe not. If we are to have a meaningful conversation about quality then we need to think about our work in a global context. Of course, being local and rooted remain important values, but not at the risk of becoming parochial or nostalgic. Now is a time to have confidence in cultural dialogue – a kind of grass roots globalisation. One useful effect of the sharp re-evaluation of the economy means that it is 30% less expensive for international buyers to take work from British companies than it was a year ago. So it is not only philosophically valuable but also good for the economy.

Foreign language
A couple of years ago, Arts Council England (ACE) launched its first ever international policy, and we started to talk to the South East office about what this might mean for arts organisations in the region. We agreed that, with some solid partnerships in place, it might be possible not only to support the performing arts and dance companies in the region, but also build on the success of the Brighton Festival. It was clear that although companies and individuals were already working internationally, many were learning from experience rather than being guided. It was often the small logistical challenges that were holding companies back. What’s FEU tax? What size do sets need to be to be transported by air? Everyone told us that international touring is time consuming and often expensive – very few are lucky enough to be able to make it pay – but, ultimately, it is worth it for all the ways it develops our work.
Broadened horizons
Two years later, ‘caravan’ emerged as a two-part project; a training programme and three-day showcase delivered as a partnership between Farnham Maltings and Bright Festival, with the encouragement and support of ACE, the regional development agency, UK Trade and Investment (UKTI), Visiting Arts, and Brighton and Hove City Council. ‘caravan dialogues’ was a six-month programme of training sessions, available to all of the South East’s performing arts companies, which explored the opportunities and challenges of working internationally. Many of these sessions were delivered with partners who brought specialist skills and experience, including the Independent Theatre Council, Euclid, Visiting Arts and UKTI. Perhaps unsurprisingly, those companies who made the most of the training gained the most from the next stage of the programme – ‘caravan assembly’.
‘caravan assembly’ was a three-day event and part of the Brighton Festival. We introduced 30 international promoters to a selected group of the region’s artists, through performances, pitch sessions, extracts and networking sessions. We also ran a marketplace, breakfast seminar and launch event open to every regional company. A curatorial group helped select the companies and shape the ways in which the work was presented. Jon Linstrum worked tirelessly to find ways of accommodating the unconventional work that the South East appears to excel in producing: work involving bicycles; dance in the street; work for audiences of one; and three-minute guerrilla dances. We wanted a showcase that was as diverse as the ideas of the artists. Over 25 South East companies showed their work, with many more attending the marketplace. As a result, companies have been asked to tour in Botswana, Norway and Sweden. One company has had its next piece commissioned by an international festival, and at least one company is talking to the Vancouver Olympics’ Cultural Olympiad.
Open minds
There are international promoters with the resources and enthusiasm for UK work and there is support for companies to tour – depending on the part of the world and on the product. If you want to take work to a wealthy western European country then, reasonably, the majority of funding will need to come from that country. More help is available if you have a project and interest in working in a developing market. But be careful about assumptions of what communities might want. Whilst it might sound exciting to take a play about peace and reconciliation to Iraq, chances are that a production of ‘Cats’ is what they are looking for!
So, what lessons did we learn? We were surprised at the amount of effort needed to find the right international contacts prepared to commit the time and energy to attend the event. Delegates booked much, much later than expected and personal contacts were the most effective method. It made for a few sleepless nights. On reflection, we should have shown less work to more people. Whilst our instinct had been to try and show as much work as possible, the truth is that good work within a regional or national context doesn’t always equate to good international touring work. There really does have to be something unique about it. There is good contemporary dance or physical theatre the whole world over. One unexpected outcome was the extent to which companies spoke about how understanding their work in an international context had sharpened up their sense of what they do nationally. More than one company spoke of rebranding, others of thinking about a whole new audience, another of rebuilding its website. To their credit, one company who came in for some criticism from the international programmers, went home, cried, took their piece apart, rebuilt it, and swept the board at Edinburgh Festival. It’s not always about what happens on the day.
Thinking globally
We are now talking with Brighton Festival and our partners on how caravan might develop. With so many partners and so much encouragement, it was relatively easy to develop an event that promoted the very best of regional work. The challenge now is how that evolves into something that might also commission, invest in new ideas and work with other artforms, in the certain knowledge that having a critical understanding of our place in the world is key to improving the quality of our work