sustained theatre

In conversation with Femi we spoke on a number items in relation to British theatre. Femi started by highlighting three key ambitions for 2010.

'My three things to achieve for theatre in 2010 are

1. To pass Tiata Fahodzi over to its new artistic director in a fabulous state of health – prolific, pulsating and penetrative. It has always been my ultimate ambition to take a bow at a point where the company is best placed as a highly sought entity. I feel that time has come.

2. To continue contributing to the grand design of what British Theatre ‘should’ be best perceived as. The British stage still has a long way to go in redressing its cultural imbalance. One is immediately ‘confronted’ with this harsh reality in any key national or regional flagship building through their faces of governance, administration, management, programming and of course the big give-away, audiences.

3. To aspire, influence and effect change. The natural next stage for me post my TF month is to work towards realising these three aspirations. The real apparatus for this is running a building. 2010 will definitely continue to fuel that ambition'

What is your Mantra?

“Tiata Fahodzi’s new mantra is about expanding upon the respect and admiration built up through formidable years of successful creative partnerships and co-producing, an affiliation to the work delivered by a culturally diverse theatre company aimed towards an all inclusive British audience.

It has a focus on the producers market and development of audiences, key essentials and ingredients that are needed for development of theatre in Britain. No matter wherever theatre takes place, its advantageous for producing houses, regional partners, to progress its build of audiences, and form a ‘habitual delivery’ in its programming practise. Buildings responding regularly and consistently on an ongoing basis opposed to encouraging ‘one off’ items/visits as is experienced when touring new work.’’

This form of ‘habitual delivery’ is key to our work as a company. Tiata Fahodzi are a company formed in 1987. We’ve had the same mission statement ever since. It’s artistic director’s appointments in recent years at the Royal Court, Almeida Theatre and New Wolsey Theatre, Ipswich have all radically shifted the visibility and profile of the company, evolving the way Tiata Fahodzi delivers theatre. As a company or as an individual creative practitioner, the work in these venues has assisted the growth, quality and recognition of Tiata Fahodzi’s theatre practise.

“What’s interesting is that the ‘all inclusive British audience’ vision has encouraged traditional British theatre expectations finding compatibility with very distinct cultural sensibilities. It is also vital never to lose sight of the key element to success with the work we deliver at these theatre venues - imposing sustained time and effort to really make impact.”

“As we tour our work, it is important that venues focus and sign up to the full delivery of the company’s work and the specific marketing mechanisms needed to assist the growth of its programming and audiences. We should not be ‘nomads’ turning up at venues, pitching up stalls, attracting first time audiences and then departing leaving them literally in the cold for another 12 months.

The victory for any genuine partnership between company and host building is developing a sustainability of a product over a medium to long term basis. We’ve constantly battled against the phenomenon of a meagre 5/6 week production run in a specific venue that suffices the annual reports and often ‘raged’ for a infinite rhythm to take root, that creates a pattern for ongoing delivery of both new work and audiences”

“What should be happening is a regular trafficking of knowledge of the work and the various creative art forms that we use to develop and produce our theatre experiences. The knowledge needed to be embedded from Black Sector experience requires to be within the national theatre consciousness itself, from the cultural make up of boards, and further empowerment of artistic leaders to change the way venues deliver and work with companies”

Many thanks to Femi for the conversation!