Ways to meet new collaborators and talk about new ideas

So, after the talk, amid a frenzy of pie-eating, it seemed with lots of enthusiasm that the best thing to do about making things happen was to, erm, make them happen. So I posted the following on Theatre Bristol and some of us agreed to meet on Thursday 3rd:

As part of last night’s second To You To Me 2, there was a spirited discussion about the hope for an informal, regular meeting ‘space’ to meet new theatre creatives and collaborators, to talk about potential ideas, to inspire each other.
So, from this week onwards it has been proposed that we, the people within the theatre community who want to meet up, should do so, on a weekly basis.
We’re going to start this THURSDAY 3RD DECEMBER at 7PM, at the BRISTOL OLD VIC CAFE BAR. Please feel free to come and join us, have a drink or two, and talk about how to make things better for us all. If you can’t make it this Thursday, keep an eye on this site, and join us another time.
In addition to this, Residence have suggested that they will
be hosting regular ‘open studio’ drop-in times, to provide even more ways to keep involved with what’s going on. Contact .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address), perhaps, for further info.

Thursday, however, was a damp squib, a non-event, with all those committed, enthusiastic types not managing to make it out the house. Which left me thinking, that really, truly, I don’t want to be left coordinating any sort of networking event. I don’t even want to go to most networking events. They’re usually vile.

What I would like, I suppose, is to be able to connect with some new collaborators and to find out what they’re up to, how they make work, suggestions for new things to try, partnerships to experiment with. I’d really like to do this in a non-horrible way. If it could feel like being at the pub with your mates that’d be perfect, although this seems unlikely.

I know I’m probably asking the impossible, but I suppose the point of this site is to keep the conversation going. And I’m not sure the rushed decisions we made in our half an hour are what I want. So I’m not suggesting any more mass-meet-ups for now. What I’m suggesting is that if you have any bright ideas for getting to know new theatre people in a nice way, post them here. Right here. Or drop me a line at: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

hey Chris

Don’t give up so easily, I reckon…. I only read about that Thursday meet the day after it happened! not much notice was given, and those that did hear in time might have already got commitments, as I did.

My feeling is that there were too many people expressing their desire/need for a regular such meeting for the need/enthusiasm not to exist - give them/me a chance!

The other factor is, just before Xmas might not be the best time to start something up, people can be distracted and busy (I speak perhaps only for myself here). Praps we could try again in the New Year?

Sue

I’m really lucky in my job (creative producer at Theatre Bristol)in that I get to meet lots of people and talk to them about their ideas. I often suggest potential collaborators for them - people I think they will get on with or will support them or challenge them - people i think will add something to their project and help get things moving. Perhaps I could step up the pace a bit - encourage more people/new people to access the artist support scheme - i.e. come to talk to one of the three creative producers at Theatre Bristol. It is open to anyone making theatre in the city. Just email me at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) if you want some help with a project / your career / to find out about good people.

This is NOT instead of the suggested get togethers though. I understand the need and also the worry about ‘networking’ over friend-making and the worry about being stuck as a coordinator.

Perhaps there needs to be food or a shared activity - something to do so that people you like pop up without having an agenda. This is why I quite like To You To Me - I often make a really good connection with just 1 or 2 people instead of having a quick conversation with 30 people. Next time - one of us could suggest a session or even both sessions to encourage people to talk for 2 minutes about a project. An ideas summit, a pitching session, tell me who you are session, join me in the bar anti-session ???

Sounds like you’re after something more social though. I could probably be more useful - i.e. help with the coordination of something nice and social if it was at lunch time instead of in the evening. I often go to 2 shows a week and chat to my peers then so can’t fit in another evening. Not that I’m necessarily invited anyway - I’m not trying to take this over - just wondering whether there is something I can do as it is part of my job to help people meet each other. Is lunch time a possibility?

Lunch at BOV on the first Tuesday of the month? Or somewhere else but I or another producer takes charge of telling people and being there to welcome so that it does not feel scary or clique-y to newcomers? Or Chris - you announce on TB website so it goes into the Friday newsletter?

Mmmmmm.

Katie