The Knot
A business bootcamp for theatre-makers – exploring the tools for making work and building careers at a time when the ‘business’ has never felt tougher.
WHAT IS IT?
Presented by New Diorama, Guildhall School of Music & Drama and Uproot Productions, The Knot is a week-long collective learning & development programme hosted in-person in London from 11-15 December 2023. The programme aims to upskill, empower and embolden early-career artists facing the big challenges for making theatre right now, particularly for those who entered the industry during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Why? Making independent theatre right now is harder than we’ve ever known it. We’re living through a time of crisis in an industry long at breaking point, and we don’t know what’s coming next. But we have hope, and we’re convinced that collectively we can find ways forward. We’re inviting participants to come together with leading organisations, facilitators and panellists – to share, learn, incorporate, and interrogate the business skills needed to create their own work on their own terms.
Over the week, The Knot will explore key themes and practical tools for our current moment. From fundraising and finance to leadership, management, communications and partnership-working – all aiming to help you to bring your projects to life, build longer-term capacity and imagine better ways of working.
There will also be food, drink, theatre trips, evenings out with new friends - and a party.
ABOUT
Across five days, we’ll explore five key themes - big, knotty topics where the challenges are constantly shifting, and nobody knows all the answers.
Collectively, through programme of seminars, workshops, panels, guest discussions, group coaching and peer sharing, we’ll look at:
Facing the challenges - how the industry ‘works’ (and how it doesn’t), and exploring alternative models in the face of system failure.
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Finance & fundraising - building resilience and confidence for independent theatre makers and small companies (when getting the money together has never felt harder).
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Leadership & management - strengthening skills and accessing practical resources, from putting together a team to handing difficult moments.
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Engagement & communication - exploring key insights and approaches for pitching, reaching audiences and working with participants.
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Learning & progression - from evaluation to building peer and institutional support all towards forging your own path.
Above all, this is an invitation for a group of people to come together with open minds, tough questions, and creative determination to face the current moment.
We have 5 spaces available for Guildhall School of Music & Drama Alumni.
Everyone taking part needs to be available full-time Monday-Friday 11-15 December 2023 to attend events at Guildhall School of Music & Drama and across London, including some evening activities.
In return, we’re offering:
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A £450 honorarium to every participant for their attendance, plus additional support for access and/or travel costs if needed.
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Paid-for lunches across the week as well as a cohort dinner and evening theatre trip in London - plus a party!
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A free week-long programme of workshops, panels, seminars and discussion with industry-leading practitioners.
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Support, reflection and guidance from the three lead programme partners, with a commitment to ongoing contact towards your next steps.
The places we are offering are for Guildhall School of Music & Drama Alumni.
The programme is designed for early-career theatre makers who work primarily as the leader and/or co-leader on their projects within independent or subsidised contexts. You might identify as a self-producing artist, independent producer, co-director of a theatre company/ensemble, or all of the above.
We define ‘theatre’ in the broadest sense – your practice could be inter/multi/anti-disciplinary, designed for theatre and studio spaces, outdoors, immersive, participatory, live art, contemporary performance or digital contexts.
The programme is for theatre makers who began their careers in or after 2019, focusing on practitioners whose early careers have been most significantly disrupted by the Covid-19 era. This could include recent graduates, new entrants to the industry, or those who have made a significant transition to making their own work in this time frame.
We want a balanced cohort who bring practical experiences and questions to bear on the programme. You will need some track record of making or presenting work, but this can look like many different things. Most likely, it means that you have led on 1-2 projects or pieces of professional work that you have built from idea to completion, involving engagement with funders and/or partners, audiences and/or participants, and other creatives.
You must be available and committed to participating in the entire full-time week in-person at Guildhall School in London, including some evenings.
We will reserve spaces for participants who are Black, Asian and/or from the global majority, Working Class and/or D/deaf or disabled.
APPLY
If you’ve read about our plans for the programme, what's on offer and the eligibility criteria,and think it’s for you - then we want to hear from you! And it couldn’t be easier to apply…
The deadline for applications is midnight on Thursday 2nd November and we’re aiming to let all applicants know the outcome by the following week.
We hope the process is stress-free and accessible, but if you experience any barriers or need further support to apply, please email us at alumni.mentoring@gsmd.ac.uk.
Complete the application form via the link below: