I feel I have so much to write about. Its been an amazing start to the year. January is a time Kath and I try and get away for a week and then we return in time for the three day amazing Devoted and Disgruntled gathering. Whoever comes are the right people…and this time over 300 theatremakers and creative artists were there and masses of valuable discussions happened. Please please…if you don’t know what I’m talking about and you are serious about wanting to find more people in your tribe, whatever that professional creative tribe might be, then look up www.devotedanddisgruntled.com, go to the reports from this year and many satellite and previous sessions. Choose a topic from designers to equity, touring to writing, fracking to third nation kids. Explore what is making us hot under the collar, and inspired. Then keep an eye on the exact dates for next year and come. Be one of the 500+ right people for DandD10 next year.
I’m delighted that the Surgeries are going well: London Feb 8th – full, 6th March – spaces. Manchester 22nd March starting to book, then High Tide 12th April, with dates booked for Surgeries in York and Colchester and Edinburgh. Thank you Arts Council London for helping me spread the surgeries and get time to gather the book (see 22nd Jan Blog for more on the book).
StoryMusic is really buzzing in my head at the moment. Ltd Company set up. Trustees being invited to join the Charity Board. Great planning meetings to get my head around this global project. The most heartwarming thing is that when I get the “elevator pitch” right to creative colleagues many give me a wonderful smile and say “that’s beautiful”…and then they agree it is a mighty big project and Grady needs to uncomplicated it and make it very very clear if it is going to work. That is what I am currently doing.
My Russian clients are assessing detailed budgets I’ve just gathered for them. My Japanese clients are considering their next steps for a stage show. I’ve just had a fascinating meeting with a potential new Chinese project champion. The Kuala Lumpa cabarets I booked are in preparation. And in two weeks time I’m back for one more semester teaching at Anglia Ruskin after 14 months of holding the fort as teacher and course leader. The latter role has now been taken back in house so I don’t have to wonder what all those educational acronyms mean anymore.
And tonight I will go through pages of scrawls, notes, and contact emails from my D&D 3 days and try to connect with amazing people who it is a pleasure to call friends and colleagues. Tomorrow is a StoryMusic day for Grady.
More anon
Chris
Jan 29th 2014 – on the eve of the 2nd new moon of the month.
PS If you haven’t heard about Aphrodite Nights yet, a sensual evening for artists, created by the Authentic Artist Collective – then email me and I will get you hooked into that too…if it feels right to you.