The Notnow RIGHTNOW digital micro-commissions

Notnow Collective is a migrant-led organisation based in the Midlands committed to platforming the voices and work of migrant, parent and carer artists. We are currently radically re-imaging the spaces within which we create and present work.

As our response to this re-imagining we are offering three £700 micro commissions to inspire artists in playful exploration of digital medium and to re-think how you make work and how your audiences engage with it.

Who are we looking for?

• Performance Artists – Theatre Makers/Dancers/Spoken Word/Physical performers/Cabaret Artists/Drag Artists/Voice Artist/Musicians, and all other! 
• People who identify as migrant or people with migrant heritage
• People who have a connection to parenting or caring (could be parents/carers, OR have people in their vicinity who are carers. Also, including those who are considering parenting or in the process of becoming parents!!)
• You might have experience of other languages or growing up speaking other languages
• You might have done some digital work or this might be your first experience

We want to support NEW IDEAS* from individuals, collectives or organisations who will use this money to develop their creative digital imagining.

What are we interested in?

• Playful work
• Work that explores parenting or caring during lockdown
• Work that explores relationships with language, separation from family, international travel bans
• Digital work – this might be pre-recorded video, zoom performances, live streams, audio, text message, VR and AR, multi platform, email- but not limited to these forms.

*NEW IDEAS or development of an EXISTING IDEA  but it should not have had a finished production.

What we offer?

• cash to kick start your creative thinking or help with further funding
• artistic support & provocation
• platform for sharing your RIGHTNOW micro-commission

We particularly encourage applications from underrepresented groups.

To apply please email Expression of Interest to our Assistant Producer Nicole Roman with “RIGHTNOW” in the title line: nicole@notnowcollective.com

Expression of Interest can be written, video or voice note. Please include the following:

1. What is your idea?  (if it is an existing idea, please give details of the development so far and any useful links)

What form does it take? 

Why do you want to make it? 

(400 words max)

2. Tell us about you as an artist or company and share examples of your work (300 words max. For examples of your work please use links and supply passwords, or We Transfer/Google Drive)

3. Why does working digitally interest or excite you? (200 words max)

TIMELINE:

9th April – Deadline for submitting your Expressions of Interest

19th April – Interviews with shortlisted candidates 

26th April to  24th May – Creation time for selected projects

Week of 24th May – Public presentation of the selected projects

If you have any further questions about the application, or require an alternative format please email: nicole@notnowcollective.com

We would like to invite applications for the position of ASSISTANT PRODUCER for the forthcoming digital commissions project, exploring caring/parenting as a migrant.

Notnow Collective are a Midlands based migrant-artist led organisation that place voices less heard in the centre of their work, with particular focus on advocating for parent/carer, migrant and multilingual narratives and artists.

We are looking for an early career creative, who identifies as a migrant or with migrant heritage, and who is looking to develop their producing skills. 

These digital commissions are an Arts Council funded project offering seed funding for 3 selected creatives/organisations.

The fee is £1500 for 15 days of work in total between February-June 2021.

Person Specification- we are looking for:

• Someone passionate about developing work with migrant/non-UK born narratives
• Someone with an understanding of what it means to be multicultural and multilingual
• Curious about performance making in the digital environment
• Computer literate, have a good understanding of Word and Excel and happy managing social media and basic WordPress website updating skills
• Great team player, good communicator, ready to learn and share their own experience and excited to support creative journeys
• If you are Midlands based, that’s an added bonus, but we welcome applications from all over the UK.

We especially welcome applications from people with parenting/caring/homeschooling responsibilities – the work is remote and flexible around your life commitments.

Outline of the duties:

• Assisting and supporting the lead producer in delivering the digital commissions
• Leading on the admin duties throughout the artist call-out and selection process (supported by the lead producer)
• Assisting the shortlisting process (supported by the lead producer)
• Participating in the interview process (supported by the lead producer)
• Leading on the designated day to day admin tasks and social media management
• Assisting the Arts Council evaluation on this part of the activity
• Leading on the communication between NNC and commissioned artists (supported by the lead producer)
• Regular updates of activity budget  

To apply please attach your CV and either answer the questions below in the word-document form, or make a sound/video recording of your answers. 

Please send documents/WeTransfer or Google Docs link to: tina@notnowcollective.com with “ASSISTANT PRODUCER” in the title line.

The deadline: MIDDAY Friday 5^th February.

Interviews of shortlisted candidates via Zoom (or similar platform) between 8^th and 12^th February.

Application questions:

1. Please describe your producing/creative practice so far 

(no more than 400 words, 3 mins recorded/filmed)

1. Why are you interested in working with Notnow Collective and what do you hope to get out of this project? (no more than 400 words, 3 mins recorded/filmed)
2. How do you fit our Person Specification? (in no more than 300 words, 2 mins recorded/filmed)

As individuals and organisations find out if their ACE emergency funding applications were successful, positive and negative news is flooding social media. We’re entering the Post-Emergency Funding Era.

In solidarity with all the independent individuals and organisations who were unsuccessful in accessing financial support through the emergency fund, we propose a collective Zoom meeting to help us all acknowledge the positions we find ourselves in and for initiating thoughts around how we might move forwards, both collectively and as individuals. 

If you think you’d find value in this, please join us. Feel free to share as much as you want to share, or just watch and listen – there is no pressure.

* Please note: this Zoom is not intended to offer legal advice about funding avenues, furlough or SEISS. If people have questions around these areas, we can collectively find someone who can help. 

Zoom date: Monday 15th June 2020 at 11am

To sign up for the meeting please e-mail Tina at tina@notnowcollective.com with ‘PPP‘ in the subject line

Caring responsibilities, chaos, and pets in fully welcome in the video!

*title idea by Hannah Stone, Artistic Director of The Gramophones

Call out: Parent Ambassador for “Pepper & Honey” in Edinburgh, Feb-March 2020

Are you a parent with a young baby?

Do you attend activities and groups in Edinburgh with your baby? 

If the answer is YES, you could be just what we are looking for!

Notnow Collective is looking for Parent Ambassadors for our audience development programme in collaboration with Assembly Roxy. The parent ambassador will work on helping reach audiences for Notnow Collective’s show Pepper & Honey, which will be performed at Assembly Roxy on 13 & 14 March 2020, with a ‘Bring Your Own Baby’ performance at 2pm on 14 March.

We are looking for an individual who is a parent/carer local to Edinburgh, and very well plugged into local parent-baby groups, activities and places and local parents network.

You don’t need to be from an arts background, but should be curious about widening the ways parents of young children can engage in activities that are geared at them, not just the babies.

Notnow Collective specialise in baby-friendly, baby-welcoming and baby-proof shows for adults. We welcome babies into certain performances (‘Bring Your Own Baby’ performances) in order to enable parent/carer audiences to enjoy a “great night out” during the day, without needing to spend money on childcare.

Parents of young children often feel isolated or cut off from cultural experiences, and find a great benefit in being able to come to theatre performances that are geared at them but fully welcoming of their children.  At the same time, this is not something often seen or offered, and therefore we need to find ways of letting parent audiences know that this is happening in their local venue.

This is a paid opportunity requiring an estimated 10-12hrs of work for a fee of £150. Parent Ambassador activities will include:

• Taking out posters and flyers for different events and productions to different areas and places in the community.
• Spreading the word, via word of mouth, online platforms and social media, to target groups and individuals for Pepper & Honey

If you are interested in becoming a parent ambassador please email Claire, Notnow Collective Audience Development Officer – claire@notnowcollective.com. Please include your name, email address and home address and whether you are associated with a particular group or organisation in the area.

Call out: Sound Designer/Composer

Notnow Collective are looking for a Sound Designer/Composer to join our creative team for the forthcoming period of research and development, culminating in a preview performance at Derby Theatre on 30^thMarch 2019.

“Pepper and Honey” is a piece about migration, meaning of home, leaving and returning. The story is told through text and movement, and the on-stage live making and baking of traditional Croatian pepper biscuits. The piece is performed in both English and Croatian languages. The set design and the sound will work to represent two geographical settings (UK and a Croatian island).

We are looking for an artist who is very familiar with the beats, sounds and music from South Eastern area of Europe. We particularly encourage European/migrant artists to apply, and those with caring responsibilities.

There is a fixed fee of £1000 attached to this phase of the project.

The project is supported by Arts Council,  Derby Theatre and In Good Company.

More info about the project here.

Key dates will be between mid Feb and 29^thMarch, rehearsing in Birmingham and Nottingham, with the performance on 30^thMarch in Derby. Some in-rehearsal dates will be needed.

To apply please send in a CV and a letter of interest outlining your practice, interests and experience. It would also be useful to link us to some samples of your work (video or audio).

E-mail: info@notnowcollective.com with “Pepper and Honey Sound Design” in the subject line.

Closing date: Midnight, 17^th Feb 2019

Call out: Performer

Notnow Collective are looking for a male actor 25-45 for the Oct/Nov leg of DadMan: The Bathtime Warrior national tour, following an injury of our actor. You would need to be ideally West Midlands based, a great performer, confident singer, good mover, and happy to perform in a show for adults that welcomes babies in the audience.

Crucial and unchangeable dates:

24^th Oct – Birmingham technical rehearsal

25^th Oct – Cast Doncaster

27^th Oct – Derby Theatre

1st and 2nd Nov –  Sqaure Chapel Halifax

7th Nov – Wolverhampton Arena

 5 days rehearsals TBC between 15th and 23rd Oct.

£1000 fee

Deadline for submission – midnight 26th Sept. Auditions 3rd Oct.

Please e-mail your photo, CV and cover letter to tina@notnowcollective.com with DADMAN ACTOR in the subject line.

BAME, non-British background, and actors with caring responsibilities particularly encouraged to apply.

More info about the show here.

Derby & Wolverhampton: Parent Ambassador call-out

Notnow Collective is looking for Parent Ambassadors for our audience development programme in collaboration with Derby Theatre and Wolverhampton’s Arena Theatre. The parent ambassadors will work on helping reach audiences for Notnow Collective’s show DadMan: The Bathtime Warrior in each city.

For more information click here. 

DadMan: The Bath-Time Warrior Tour announcement

Notnow Collective is proud to announce that our newest project DadMan: The Bathtime Warrior we has been successful in securing the funding from Arts Council and Sir Barry Jackson Trust Fund, alongside the partnership from MAC Birmingham, Derby Theatre, Attenborough Arts Centre and Wolverhampton Aren.

In a nutshell this means a considerable growth for our small organisation: we are creating a brand new show, our 13 venues touring circuit widens beyond our Midlands borders and we go nationwide, and we will be further exploring what baby-friendly theatre is and delivering a focused audience development activity throughout the next 9 months!

Check all the information and tour dates here. 

Call out: Parent Ambassador

Notnow Collective is looking for a Parent Ambassador for our audience development programme in collaboration with Attenborough Arts Centre, Leicester.

We are looking for an individual who is a parent/carer local to Leicester, and very well plugged into local parent-baby groups, activities and places and local parents network.

This is a paid opportunity on a freelance contract basis (£15 per hour) ideally suited to an individual on the parental leave, stay-at-home parent or a part-time/freelance worker. It will require about 10-12hrs of work over a period of 6 weeks.

Deadline for applications is 27^th April 2018. The interviews will happen on 1^st May at Attenborough Arts Centre and will be fully welcoming of children.

For more information and how to apply please check here.

Call out: Performer

We are looking for a male performer (25-50) to join DadMan: The Bathtime Warrior team and play the part of DAD #2. You will be required to work for 1 week on the final R&D phase, and then rehearse for 4 weeks before the show goes out on a national tour.

The deadline to apply is midnight Friday, April 13th!

For more information, dates and how to apply please look here. 

Notnow Collective are recruiting!

Would you like to work with Notnow Collective?

We are looking for a Project Manager, an Audience Development Officer and Production/Technical Stage Manager for the tour of DadMan: The Bathtime Warrior.

We are looking for three passionate, driven individuals, curious about finding the variety in the way we engage with the arts and “baby-friendly” set-up of performances, and excited about supporting a young and ambitious theatre company.

DadMan: The Bathtime Warrior is the second show by Notnow Collective, supported by Arts Council and Sir Barry Jackson Trust. The project includes nationwide tour throughout 2018 and 2019 and an audience development activity. We create work for adults to which we welcome babies. Our focus is to help the venues in engaging new audiences, in particular parents of young children. By the end of the project, we want to have helped the development of a stronger and more recognized touring circuit for baby-friendly work, laying the foundations for organizing a consortium of companies who create in this kind of immersive way.

The job is specified by the number of days. We strongly encourage people with caring responsibilities to apply as it will be up to you how you spread your working hours, and where you do them from. We will regularly meet and update on the progress of the phases of the project needing attention. Fundamentally all we want to know is that the job is done, and done well!

If you want to find out more about each position and how to apply please click on the job title you are interested in.

Project Manager

Audience Development Officer 

Production/Technical Stage Manager 

DadMan: The Bath-time Warrior at Departure Lounge Festival in Derby Theatre

Present day, UK. Father walking down the street pushing a pram. He runs into a neighbor who remarks: “Giving Mum a day off?” Suddenly the ancient battle-horn is sounded, and the warriors are called to arms. Only, this battle turns out to be very different.

DadMan: The Bath-time Warrior is a story about surprise, shock, change and fireworks of love.

Developed by two Croatian mothers and performed by two British fathers, it’s aim is to search and recruit the warriors for a battle that no one ever fought till now.

An eclectic mix of fiction and science, intertwined by intimate stories and combined with an epic combat with vacuum cleaners.

Book your tickets here. 

Wonderwoman on tour part 2 – Lincoln, Wolverhampton and Redditch

We are packing again and hitting the road with our Wonderwoman, show for adults with baby-friendly matinee. Don’t miss the show!

3rd May 2 pm & 7 pm, Lincoln Drill Hall, LN2 1EY

BOOK

5th May 2 pm & 7 pm, Newhampton Arts Centre, WV1 4AN

BOOK

6th May 7.45 pm, Palace Theatre B98 8AE

BOOK

Little Earthquake Mentoring Scheme

We are delighted to announce that we just became a mentored company on Little Earthquake Mentoring Scheme for the next year! Together with Noctium, theatre company from Coventry, we will enjoy all the advice, support and tips from experienced co-directors Gareth and Philip.

Check more about Little Earthquake theatre and the amazing work they have been doing since 2005!

http://little-earthquake.com/

Wonderwoman on tour part 1 – Birmingham, Stamford, Louth and Leicester

We had a wonderful time performing Wonderwoman in mac, Stamford arts centre, Riverhead Theatre and Upstairs at the Western. In each venue, we had a baby-friendly matinee and an evening show.

Here is some of the audience feedback:

• Wonderful! What an incredible show – funny, touching, moving, well scripted and totally accessible with little ones. Thank you for making me feel not alone with my feelings!
• Loved it. Could relate to so much. Fab ending.
• Great show, funny, engaging….says the things we’re all thinking but don’t say out loud. Soft mats and nappy throwing are hit!
• Oh my goodness me…that was just fantastic. It made me both howl with laughter and about to cry…. I only wish I could come again with other mum friends. Will definitely recommend. Thank you!
• Fabulous – thoroughly enjoyed myself. Thought-provoking and highly pertinent accurate. Wishing you every success and looking forward to the next one.
• Tina and Kristina, you were fabulous. Thoroughly enjoyed my first time back in the arts centre after 1.5 months. Loved the show.
• Accurate. Funny. Spot on!

Scratching new material from The Fatherhood Project at Scratch That Itch Night in Derby

We were part of an exciting night of new work at the Derby theatre, scratching some new material alongside other associates of In Good Company.

After Tobacco Factory Theatres in Bristol and Maia Creative Nights in Birmingham, we scratched new material from our project in development The Fatherhood Project.

Here are some feedbacks from the audience:

Loved it! Loved the hoover stuff! Very true to my experience and being a new family.

Really interesting seeing the subject matter from the male perspective as generally used to seeing it from the female perspective.

Loved the element of mirroring the show and the hoover advert.

It’s very interesting, not like anything I’ve seen before.

Enjoyed the research and the hoover documentation. Really interesting to look at it from the male perspective and see where your female voice sits in it.

Really great scratch – loved it! Can’t wait to see the work’s development.

Nice balance of comedy and sincerity.

Great to see this angle on parenthood. So far the piece feels warm-hearted, light, accessible. Definitely interested to see where it goes from here and how the story develops.

Felt beautifully honest.

Arts Council Grant for Wonderwoman The Naked Truth tour

notnow Collective received Arts Council grant for the tour of Wonderwoman The Naked Truth! 

We are taking the show to Birmingham, Stamford, Louth, Leicester, Derby, Lincoln, Wolverhampton, Redditch and Coventry.

Book your tickets here!

Notnow Collective is associate company for In Good Company

We are over the moon to announce that we have been selected as one of the associate companies for In Good Company. And this means 2 very, very exciting years ahead.

In Good Company is a professional development program for artists making work in the East Midlands which aims to engage, develop and inspire, and is led by Creative Producer, Ruby Glaskin. The scheme was launched in 2014 by three partner venues, Derby Theatre, Create Theatre in Mansfield and Attenborough Arts Centre in Leicester, with the support of Arts Council England. It has now developed into a 5-venue partnership to include: Mansfield Venues (Old Library, Palace Theatre), Lincolnshire One Venues (Lincoln Drill Hall, South Holland Centre, Guildhall Arts Centre) and The Brewhouse, Burton.

In Good Company has been a vital addition to the artistic landscape of the East Midlands, receiving a second grant from Arts Council England of £116,000 in July 2016.

Numerous applications were received, 12 companies were invited to pitch and following in-depth interviews, we are now delighted to announce that the associate companies, artists and graduates for 2016-18 are:

Flickbook Theatre, a Lincoln-based company who are intent on devising vibrant and brave theatre. They are experimental and multi-disciplinary theatre makers who glory in the little absurdities of real life. Their philosophy is ‘Whatever floats your boat’ (but doesn’t sink anyone else’s).

notnow Collective, founded by two regionally-based Croatian artists, Tina Hofman and Kristina Gavran out of necessity to make their caring roles visible and explore ways of integrating parenthood into both professional practice and quality theatre experiences.

Louise White, an artist who is passionate about theatre without a fourth wall and whose work is highly interactive and creates a sense of community – devised theatre with participation at its heart, a mix of autobiography, social contexts and a pinch of the ridiculous.

David Ralfe, an artist who trained at the Jacques Lecoq Theatre School and on the National Theatre Director’s Course. For the past five years, David has been creating and touring shows with his company On The Run, and he is currently working on international projects in China and Georgia with the British Council. Over the coming months, he’ll be setting up a brand new company, based in the East Midlands.

you can find more information about In Good Company here

Scratching new material from “The Father” at Prototype, Tobacco Factory Theatre

On Sunday 23rd October at Tobacco Factory Theatre in Bristol we are part of Prototype program: experiments in theatre. With other wonderful artists we will be sharing new materials from our new piece focusing on fatherhood.

The Father

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Mothers who make meeting in Birmingham

This is an invitation to come along to the new Birmingham-based branch of Mothers who Make, a growing national initiative aimed at supporting mothers who are creative practitioners – professional and/or passionate – writers, painters, actors, dancers, musicians, film-makers, producers, designers,….every kind of maker welcome, and every kind of mother. Also please feel free to bring along your children, of any age, whether they are inside you, beside you or running round the room. Mothers of older children are also extremely welcome.

• When: Friday 17^th June 12-1.30pm
• Where: Randle Studio, mac birmingham
• Why: Read on below….

If you would like to attend please email us at: notnowcollect@gmail.com

 

Mothers Who Make was founded by Matilda Leyser, a London based performer and a writer. notnow Collective teamed up with her wanting to support mothers makers in our local area.

notnow Collective was founded by Tina Hofman (theatre maker) and Kristina Gavran (writer) with the aim to explore how to continue professional career whilst being a parent. Our first show Wonderwoman: The Naked Truth just finished the run at mac Birmingham, and are booking a tour for 2017.  It looks into different sides of motherhood, career and multitasking, and was inspired by Lyn Gardner’s article “Parents in the Arts Need To Stage a Revolution”.

Initially we thought we were the only mothers- artists struggling to keep it all going, but with the research and networking over the past year, we found out there are so many facing similar questions, uncertainties, joys and frustrations. Being a mother is regularly accompanied by feeling of missing out, guilt or feeling of letting someone down, whether this is within our family, or our career. However, our work as individual artists, as well as notnow Collective, is profoundly influenced by our mothering and caring role, with all the order and chaos that comes with it.

“How to carry our creative selves and our children, our work of mothering and of making, is the focus of this group. If you are a mother and a maker, and if you wonder how to do both these things with fullness, I would love you to come.” Matilda Leyser

Join the national community of Mothers who Make on Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1484128908536006/

And use our Twitter handle: #motherswhomake

After the performance

So, Wonderwoman: The Naked Truth at mac was truly successful! We managed to accompany a fabulous team of creatives with Hannah Silva taking the director’s chair and Georgie Lee being the most wonderful stage manager! More than that, we had babies in three out of four shows, and one of the shows had over 75% carers with babies in the audience! Big thumbs up for Tim Hodgson and mac Birmingham for being really passionate about investigating artistic practices: believing that parents in the arts should still have access to work, and to be able to see high quality work whilst being with their babies!

Keep tuned in, we’re planning a Wonderwoman: The Naked Truth tour for early 2017!

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Tickets on Sale!!

Tickets for our show Wonderwoman – The Naked Truth are on sale! Come and join us for our relaxed, baby friendly matinee or evening performance.

Where? mac, Birmingham

When? Sunday 22nd May 2pm (relaxed) and 5pm

Tuesday 24th May 12pm (relaxed) and 8pm

You can book your tickets here 

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Mother’s Day at Derby Theatre

On 5th of March, Mother’s Day, we were scratching some new material of‪ Wonderwoman The Naked Truth‬ at Derby Theatre as part of Scratch That Itch and got some lovely feedback from the audience.”Funny characters. Great dialogue. Love it.”, “Loved the adult/kids crossover”, “Engaging”, “The nursery rhyme style collective participation was enjoying and funny.“

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International Womens Day with Wonderwoman

Our friends at The Old Rep Theatre invited us to test some more new material from Wonderwoman:The Naked Truth! As part of the celebrations of the International Women’s Day notnow Collective are joining an all female line-up at an evening event, starting at 7pm.

However, as a special bonus, The Old Rep have organised a 2pm matinee for all who cannot make it to theatre in the evening, including parent/carer-baby audience. So, come and give as some feedback on our progress!

Tickets are bookable through www.oldreptheatre.co.uk

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Scratching at MAIA Creatives Scratch

21st February 2016

We will be scratching some brand new raw material from Wonderwoman: The Naked Truth at MAIA Creatives Scratch evening  at Centrala in Digbeth  on 25^th Feb 2016 at 8pm. Notnow Collective are joining  line up of fabulous artists who are all trying out their brand new material. Come and give us your feedback!

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Funding from Arts Council for Wonderwoman

30th January 2016

We are delighted to announce that we were awarded funding from Arts Council England for the development of our first project Wonderwoman: The Naked Truth.

The project will be developed in partnership with mac, Birmingham and The Old Rep, and will open at the mac in May.

So far we know there will be four performances on different days, including two relaxed parent-baby performances for carers who wish to see theatre but have to bring their babies along.

Watch this space for more info.

signing papers for Arts Council grant

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notnow using #RadicalChildcare at Impact Hub Birmingham

9th Decembre 2015

This autumn Impact Hub Birmingham and Famalam teamed up in delivering the pilot project Co-Work/Play as a part of #RadicalChildcare response.

notnow Collective took advantage of 3 out of four pilot sessions. This meant super-focused 3 hours of work for us, and super-creative play for our children. We are also proud to affiliate the birth of our company and launch of our website to this amazing subsidised initiative.

Read more about our experience  on our guest blog post here

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Wonderwomen at The Old Rep Theatre

October 30th 2015

In October we were delighted to be a part of the second ever New Work Nights at The Old Rep Theatre. This was a beginning of a beautiful friendship.

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notnow at PIPA conference

October 17th 2015

On October 16th 2015 at Young Vic Theatre in London we participated at the launch of Parents In Performing Arts (PIPA) initiative. In practice, this meant having a full theatre with over 400 people and over 70 children discussing the reality and the future of being a parent in the industry. This positive experience proved that having kids present at the conference resulted in a very unique, but well managed, responsible and humane atmosphere, which is a practice we look forward to seeing develop.
PIPA’s work is currently focusing greatly on improving the services for London artists, and we are going to be this initiative in the Midlands.

You can find out more about PIPA campaign here