Behind the Scenes

Tags: Opportunity,

A new series of practical workshops and seminars delivered by leading UK experts designed to build on the range of capacity building and professional development programmes already undertaken as part of the British Council’s global arts provision.

'Producing and Programming' with Gary Hills and Emma Stenning in Moscow, November 2012. Copyright: British Council
'Producing and Programming' with Gary Hills and Emma Stenning in Moscow, November 2012. Copyright: British Council
'Marketing & Audience Development' with Jo Taylor from Morris Hargreaves McIntyre in Belgrade, 2012. Photo: Sonja Zugic
'Marketing & Audience Development' with Jo Hargreaves from Morris Hargreaves McIntyre in Lagos, January 2013. Photo: La’Royal Concepts
'Lighting Design' with Michael Mannion in Zagreb, September 2012. Copyright: Nikolina Stepić Čupić
'Lighting Design' with Michael Mannion in Zagreb, September 2012. Copyright: Nikolina Stepić Čupić

Behind the Scenes addresses what needs to be in place for artistic ventures to be successful. It aims to develop skills, knowledge and new multi-lateral networks across a broad constituency – embracing and empowering practitioners operating at all levels within the local cultural landscape, from traditional state-run venues and festivals, to smaller independent companies and arts agencies. Underpinning the project is the idea that people operating in different tiers of the industry locally can benefit and grow from cross fertilisation and greater interdependence, rather than by seeing each other as competitors.

Further Information

Behind the Scenes is aimed at key staff who work or aspire to work in the relevant departments of the organisations involved rather than artistic directors or other creative/executive staff (unless the latter have direct responsibility for these supporting functions).

Behind the Scenes aims to:

Increase managerial efficiency
Help generate new audiences and greater income
Create new opportunities to promote locally produced work in increasingly competitive national and international markets
Provide wider economic benefits for the countries involved

Workshops, residencies and seminars can be delivered as a ‘one-off’ multi-subject package in the context of a festival or venue wishing to deliver a capacity building project in a short period, or can be spread out over a longer period. Modules can be rotated around a number of ‘sub-regional hub’ countries over a longer period in order to encourage greater cross-border flow of information and the increased mobility and networking of local practitioners.

Modules are designed for a maximum of 24 practitioners (with the exception of the Lighting Design modules, which are for a maximum of 12) drawn from one large country where the performing arts sector is widespread or from a cluster of smaller countries where it is less so.

Techniques explored in relation to some topics, such as Marketing & Audience Development, potentially have universal cross-art form appeal and could be broadened out beyond the performing arts sector (if capacity allows) or repeated for practitioners from a second sector if preferred. Where appropriate it may be feasible to include inquisitive up-and-coming Ministry of Culture/local government officials in certain sessions as well.

Local partners in host cities should be arts-based institutions with established national (and ideally) international profiles that have a track record of supporting creative clusters and engaging with cultural policy. These could be ‘flagship’ producing theatres and/or festivals and arts associations/agencies that have suitable managerial infrastructures in place. Working primarily with experts from established UK venues, the potential to foster long-term professional links between their organisations and their contemporaries in local performing arts constituencies through this initiative is considerable.

Locations

Marjanishvili Theatre, Tbilisi, Georgia
1st Mar 2013 - 30th Apr 2013
Marjanishvili Theatre,
Tbilisi,
Georgia
British Council office, Lagos, Nigeria
1st Mar 2013 - 30th Apr 2013
British Council office,
Lagos,
Nigeria
National Theatre, Accra, Ghana
1st Mar 2013 - 30th Apr 2013
National Theatre,
Accra,
Ghana
State Theatre of Young Spectators, Baku, Azerbaijan
1st Mar 2013 - 30th Apr 2013
State Theatre of Young Spectators,
Baku,
Azerbaijan
Macedonian Opera and Ballet, Skopje, Macedonia
1st Mar 2013 - 30th Apr 2013
Macedonian Opera and Ballet,
Skopje,
Macedonia
Zagreb Dance Center, Zagreb, Croatia
1st Mar 2013 - 30th Apr 2013
Zagreb Dance Center,
Zagreb,
Croatia
University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, South Africa
1st Mar 2013 - 30th Apr 2013
University of Johannesburg,
Johannesburg,
South Africa
British Council office, Almaty, Kazakhstan
1st Mar 2013 - 30th Apr 2013
British Council office,
Almaty,
Kazakhstan
National Museum Institute, New Delhi, India
1st Mar 2013 - 30th Apr 2013
National Museum Institute,
New Delhi,
India
British Council office, Kolkota, India
1st Mar 2013 - 30th Apr 2013
British Council office,
Kolkota,
India
Montenegrin Gallery of Art Miodrag Đurić Dado, Cetinje, Montenegro
1st Mar 2013 - 30th Apr 2013
Montenegrin Gallery of Art Miodrag Đurić Dado,
Cetinje,
Montenegro
Armenian Center for Contemporary Experimental Art (ACCEA), Yerevan, Armenia
1st Mar 2013 - 30th Apr 2013
Armenian Center for Contemporary Experimental Art (ACCEA),
Yerevan,
Armenia

Behind the Scenes

Locations

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Behind the Scenes

Locations

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