This so called Career

Warning there now follows a rant!

Something has been gnawing away at me over the last few weeks and it was only the other night over a Jucy Lucy that all the pieces came together in my head and formed the argument I am now about to embark on, the principle of which is this- Theatre in the UK Sucks.

Not creatively, I actually think that as a nation of artists we produce some of the most interesting, diverse work on the planet. Its the support, or lack of it, that I have now come to realise will never be there. We may think we have a very generous arts council, who allow creative freedom, exciting new projects, when what we really have are a few select organisations that are considered "safe" to fund, none of whose funds go towards supporting the protagonists of such work- the artists.

The Minneapolis Children's theatre employs 5 actors on permanent contracts. They have security, benefits, the most recent actor has been here 9 years, the longest 40 years. They are neither bored nor starved of creativity as the constant output of shows, visiting directors and different approaches leaves every show feeling like a new job, and new challenge. In the UK the longest any actor can currently work for a company is the RSC and it is 2 years. 2 years! No wonder actors are deserting the industry in their droves, we have no security, every job must end and every few weeks we must start from scratch. How are we possibly supposed to nurture our talent, explore new boundaries if we're constantly worried about the next job. Now, of course, not everyone can enjoy such luxuries, and some companies use artists again and again, but the fact that nowhere in the UK can you work as an actor permanently is bizarre and tragic. It is also worth pointing out that the US has very little state funded theatre, no arts council, no hand outs, the Minneapolis Children's theatre survives on sponsorship and corporate donations alone, and does very well from them. That sort of funding is still in its infancy in the UK and I do believe all it would take is a professional fundraiser and a powerful argument to start the beginnings of a state free theatre, with a permanent source of private sector funders, and a permanent company. America does private sector fund raising incredibly well. We don't. So I suppose the message is, if the government aint giving you the money, go get it yourself.

As for the cause, or the project to do this with. Well, its worth pointing out our National Theatre at present makes no work for children, the RSC's output for children alone is minimal and the Unicorn (our biggest Children's theatre) has a shockingly low output of shows and a new building which is mostly dark. The Minneapolis Children's Theatre is constantly producing, constantly developing new work, and doing it for possibly the most important audience of all- children. So, a privately funded National Theatre for Children it is then, with a permanent acting company to boot. That's that sorted. What else needs fixing?

Alan