Apologies if you have already received this. Please could you forward info on this forthcoming event to your networks?
Many thanks,
Catherine

‘What more can we do to create a better future for theatre in the West Midlands?’

Thursday 23^rd and Friday 24^th June@ AE Harris, 10am – 5pm

Please RSVP by Friday 17^th June to openspace@aeharrisvenue.co.uk

Dear friend

Eighteen months ago Alison Gagen invited us, the region's independent theatre community, to the original Challenge for Change Open Space event at The Crescent Theatre. The idea and the invitation grew out of collective passions and frustrations with theatre, about how we love theatre but still felt frustrated and dismayed with how it happens sometimes.

The event proved a fantastic catalyst for collective action and initiatives, some of them are obvious, others, equally important, are more subtle and tangential.  It spawned a working group which still meets; the 2010 Theatre Pledge; the On Call Initiative and helped prompt the BE Festival. It also enabled meetings and conversations, new partnerships and renewed alliances.  Since then much else has changed in the Theatre landscape. We feel it's high time for the region's Theatre Community to meet again in Open Space.

Please come and join us for two days in Open Space addressing the above question and ANY related issues.  This is a great opportunity for the theatre and performing community to gather and work on what could be improved; the things that we are passionate about and the things we wish were different.  The event will be facilitated by Nick Sweeting from Improbable who have pioneered the use of Open Space within the UK’s artistic community.

What is Open Space?

Although OPEN SPACE may be new to you, it has been used all over the world with great success. Unlike other conference formats, it is an exciting open-ended event that enables a self-organising group to use its collective imagination to set the agenda and deal with complex issues through a series of participant lead breakout sessions. This model:

·   Allows great results to be achieved in an incredibly short space of time;

·   Allows participants to be proactive in establishing and solving common issues;

·   Ensures that no-one will be bored by never ending key note speeches!  

By the end of the event the following will have occurred:

·   Every issue of concern to anybody will have been raised, if they took responsibility for doing that.

·   All issues will have received full discussion, to the extent desired.

·   A full report of issues and discussions will be in the hands of all participants

·   And YOU will have taken part in making it happen.

A strong point of Open Space is its ability to unite groups of enormous diversity, to that end we are encouraging everybody to participate.

Please forward this email to any theatre practitioner who you think would be interested in having their say.

The event will take place on Thurs 23^rd & Fri 24^th June @ A E Harris, 110 Northwood Street, Birmingham, B3 1SZ. Between 10:00 and 17:00.

RSVP

In order to feed everyone it would be useful to have a good indication of how many people intend to attend. Please therefore send an RSVP by Friday 17^th June to openspace@aeharrisvenue.co.uk. There is no charge for attending this Open Space event.

See you there......

Signed mid*point Steering Group

The mid*point steering group is made up of the following individuals:

Alison Gagen, Arts Council England

Amanda Roberts, mac

Catherine Edwards, Independent Practitioner  

David Allen, Midlands Actors Theatre

Ed Collier, China Plate Theatre

Harun Morrison, Fierce! Festival

James Yarker, Stan’s Cafe

Jane Packman, Jane Packman Company

Jonny O’Hanlon, Hamfisted

Laura McDermott, Fierce! Festival

Liz Tomlin, Birmingham University

Louisa Davies, mac

Mike Tweddle, Be Festival

Olivia Winteringham, Kindle Theatre

Orit Azaz, Independent Producer

Orla O’Loughlin, Pentabus

Paul Warwick, China Plate Theatre

Pippa Frith, Women & Theatre

Raidene Carter, Birmingham REP

Steve Johnstone, Black Country Touring 

Thomas Wildish, Foursight Theatre

 

This Call for Projects is launched by the CROSS VIDEO DAYS <http://www.crossvideodays.com/?lang=en> , which will take place in Paris on 15-16 June 2011. The Cross Video Days will bring together over 300 European professionals looking to face the challenges of the fast-evolving audiovisual sector through high-level conferences <http://www.crossvideodays.com/programme.html>  and an  international Market <http://crossvideodays.com/market.html> .

NTI Birmingham are hosting MacWorld's UK Final Cut user group roadshow tonight.

It's a great event for artists and creatives who use video in their work, and it's only a fiver to attend. We welcome Final Cut users of all levels to join us to explore the latest digital video solutions across the UK.

With coverage on new workflows for Final Cut Pro, tips and tricks to enhance your productivity as well as showcasing the latest gadgets available today, the meet is certainly one not to miss.

The Birmingham Roadshow takes place at:

Date: Thursday 31st March
Venue: NTI
Time: 6:30pm

TICKETS ONLY £5
BOOK NOW TO RESERVE YOUR PLACE

NTI Birmingham are hosting MacWorld's UK Final Cut user group roadshow tonight. It's a great event for artists and creatives who use video in their work, and it's only a fiver to attend.

 

 

Have you viewed one of the 4000 video clips featured on the Media Archive for Central England’s website?

 

If you have, could you take two minutes to complete a very short survey on your experience?

 

The uploading of this content was funded by the Digital Film Archive Fund (DFAF) and we are required to report the outcomes of this funding.

 

I’d be very grateful if you could spend just a few moments to take the survey below by close of play tomorrow – sorry that this is such short notice.

 

TAKE THE SURVEY