Conceived as a ‘cross between a coffee break and an African marketplace’, the Open Space symposium format was brought back to the Midlands professional theatre community by the Mid*Point steering group last week.  I missed the last round 18 months ago, so was very excited about attending, and I have to say my expectations were wholly exceeded!

The timing seems to have been perfect - the initial panic and despair following the funding slash and burn has begun to dissipate, leaving a determination to act and move on.  The question we were addressing was ‘What More can we do to create a Better Future for Theatre in the West Midlands?’ and the general vibe was definitely one of positivity.  Very refreshing not to have any of the usual winges of ‘there’s not enough money’, ‘there’s not enough work’, but rather ‘how can we support each other’ and ‘how can we enhance the quality of work’.

Particularly encouraging was the range of professionals

represented at the conference - producers, programmers,

writers, performers, and funders were all engaging on an

equal footing - and it was illuminating for me to get an

insight into the pressures, challenges and concerns which

impact the diverse roles within the sector.

Open Space works on a self-organising principle, where

sessions are convened wholly on what attendees wish to

discuss, and everyone has the opportunity to convene as

many - or as few - sessions as they wish.  We have to

remember only four simple instructions:

    Whoever comes is the right people

    Whenever it starts is the right time

    Wherever it happens is the right place

    Whatever happens is the only thing which could have

And follow the one law - The Law of Two Feet - which states that any time you feel you are not contributing anything to or learning anything from a discussion, it is your duty to leave the session and find somewhere where you feel engaged.  Even if that somewhere is at the bar - remember, Wherever it Happens is the Right Place!

The 2 days were what you made them to be which, in my opinion, is one of the reasons why the positivity levels remained so high throughout.  There was never enough time in each of the hour-and-a-half long sessions to go into any great depth of action planning for the future, but that is to be followed up later by any and all who wish to.  What we did get were snippets, starting points and inspirations to fuel us and propel us forward over the next 18 months.

And personally, I was happy to discover that my thinking isn’t as retrograde as I sometimes worry!  Ideas and concerns that I hold were echoed by others across the sector.  It seems I’m with the zeitgeist without even realising it!  Working in theatre can sometimes feel like a narrow existence, and it truly is good to talk, and remember that despite individual agendas we all have a shared passion.  And despite our varied job titles, we’re all people, and people like to communicate!  Instead of being scared of The Big Players, it’s good to touch base in a more informal and human way.

I look forward to seeing what West Midlands theatre will look like in 18 months time, and where we’ll go from there...