Last month I attended the Centenary Convention of the Critics’ Circle (drama section) and, fully intending to blog about it here, I then flew out to the Netherlands to perform with Phileas Fogg Theatre Company, flew back again for a shift as a Giggle Doctor and to play in the European Laser Quest Championships - ok, not exactly work, but worth a mention I reckon - and then back to the Netherlands to rehearse a new actor into our show, before beginning the second leg of the tour.

Realising that today is the last evening that I can write this post and still begin it with a vaguely recent-sounding ‘last month’, I decided that I needed to knuckle down and post my thoughts.

Held at the newly Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, we were welcomed to the event by Principal Gavin Henderson, who raised an interesting point: why isn’t the value and relevance of criticism taught as an integral part of college and university drama programmes?

Thinking back on my own theatre degree at the sadly missed Dartington College of Arts, I realised that - without being labelled as such - we were all being educated as critics within our own artform, training as we were in dramaturgy and modes of artistic production and reception.  Nevertheless, even from this privileged position, we were never made overtly aware of the links between our work as creators, and the work of professional critics.  As Mark Fisher commented during the first panel discussion, ‘What a critic does is basically the same as a director or a dramaturg, but their role comes at a difference place along the timeline.’

Even though I have been viewing theatre critically my entire adult life, I’ve only recently begun to explore the role professionally.  The mid-morning session on ‘Theatre Criticism Now: what’s the point’ gave a great insight into the different responsibilities critics hold to their various readers in the short and long-term, and - with two of the panel currently under notice of redundancy from national newspapers - current trends and changing forms.

From my position as a performer and producer, I could recognise the views put forward by the panel of theatre-makers in the session on ‘Being Criticised - the industry view’, but found it refreshing that a discussion could take place between what are often seen as rival factions; more dialogue between performing artists and reviewers can only strengthen the essential symbiotic relationship.

One of the current emerging trends is that of ‘embedded critics’, working within companies and institutions.  Whilst not without its dangers, this way of working is also beginning to bridge the gaps in understanding about the value of critical communication; criticism as a ‘team sport’, as Matt Trueman puts it.

The final session, ‘What Next: challenges and solutions’ - and indeed the whole day - was over far too quickly, and there was no real time for discussion on any of the points, only soundbite comment.  The notes I took, however, will be keeping me fueled into the future, and informing my own progress developing as a circus critic.

At the very least, the value of sharing good arts criticism is that it encourages critical and analytical thinking in all aspects of life (Kate Bassett) and, in a society replete with dumbing-down factors, this is a much needed commodity!