Miranda Johnson looks at the benefits showcases can offer to emerging dancers.
The government?s response to last year?s Select Committee report on Dance had much to say about the need to strengthen the economics of dance. But how do venues sell the work of new and emerging artists in a way that makes staging it a reality? As Mike Ockwell, Director of the Wycombe Swan, puts it, ?If you?re going to present dance you have to be passionate about it because the economics are very tight.?
Like the Wycombe Swan, The Point in Eastleigh is particularly keen to tackle this problem in the South East. In January, The Point put on a highly successful showcase for new and emerging dancers, called ?The Spring Collection?. The Point?s Director, Mary Dawson, believes that getting the economics right ? for both venue and artist ? comes down largely to audience development and the work venues put in long before specific performances are booked: ?The technical needs for contemporary dance are high. The lighting tends to be very complex, which results in quite a lot of pre-rigging time, though the great advantage of our long experience of programming contemporary dance is that we have a technical team who are used to working with dance companies and understand their needs. Despite this, from the venue?s perspective it?s very important how we approach our audience development.?
The Point has been successful in this respect, with audiences for contemporary dance averaging over 70% of capacity. ?From the moment we opened 10 years ago,? Mary adds, ?we?ve focused on developing our audiences for dance because of the awareness that economically they?re high maintenance.? With companies programmed by The Point typically charging a basic fee of £1,500 to £3,000, it is important to make the most of the opportunities their visits offer ? for venue, artists and audiences.
The Point is generally keen to include outreach work (typically schools workshops), open rehearsals and post show discussions alongside companies? performances. As Mary says, ?It?s terribly important the professional programme is embedded in outreach work. It?s far better financially for the companies, allowing them extra income from workshops and projects. The venue also gains greatly by giving audiences a sense of ownership of the work being offered, so that over the years you?re building up a sense of trust. At The Point we now have a risk-taking audience.?
This trust is vital for the visiting dancers, who rely heavily on the venue to promote the performance in an area they are unlikely to have performed in before. Hofesh Shechter, runner up in the Place Choreography Prize last year, and who headlined The Point?s ?Spring Collection? in January, is in no doubt of the value of showcases from the financial point of view of the artist: ?Showcases give artists in the earlier stages of their choreographic careers the opportunity to present work without having to depend on funding for touring. As I?m currently trying to raise my profile, I need to increase awareness of my work, particularly outside London. I?m not currently funded by the Arts Council, but do have work to present, so I?m dependent on showcases to give me the exposure necessary to further my career. I hope these opportunities will help to put me in a better position to book a national tour in the future and therefore apply for the appropriate funding.?
Suzie Leighton, Senior Dance Officer at Arts Council England also underlines the difficulties emerging dancers face: ?For dancers, producing work is expensive and their careers are short and precarious. The finances of dance are often fragile. Showcases from venues able to work with emerging dancers are invaluable in allowing audiences to see exciting new dance, to develop dancers? careers and in that way to underpin the whole economy of dance.?
Mary Dawson concludes, ?Like many mixed venues we programme dance alongside more commercial cash cows. We also use the advantages of co-promoting and shared audiences in partnerships with other organisations. Fundamentally, though, it is contemporary dance that makes The Point the creative hub it is ? which means we work hard to get the economics right.?
Miranda Johnson is a partner of RM Communications.
t: 01962 890208;
e: mirandajohnson@btinternet.com