Images Below: Unity Festival Cardiff 2024 - Artist Exchange - Wales Millenium Centre
In the Spring of last year, I was awarded a Creative Steps Grant by the Arts Council Of Wales. The award was designed to help me to build and expand my creative network,
as a professional artist living and working here in Wales. In very practical terms this has meant that I have been able to afford to go and meet other artists, companies and other people, working in theatre buildings and arts venues, who can help me and support my continued growth and development as an artist. The money has also allowed me to go and watch work and meet the performers and people making it, to help to broaden my awareness of what work is currently being made here in Wales. Crucially this money has given me the means to feel better connected and less isolated as a freelance artist who is living and creating work in rural west Wales. It has also filled me and inspired my own practice by exposing me to watching other people's work. This is so critical as a maker, we can not create in isolation or without being fed by other people's creativity. As artists we require connection and inspiration to be able to generate new ideas and make work.
Images Below: Unity Festival - Street Theatre Acts & The House Of Deviant Drag Show!
As a freelance artist, it is incredibly difficult to continuously self motivate; to be your own boss, seek work, create work, attartc work, be the creator or your own work, put yourself out there and up for jobs, apply for funding, create and run your own workshops. To keep yourself going morally, creatively, financially, when you're not sure where the next work is going to come from, and or if it will come at all. It takes such a huge amount of deep inner strength, resilience, courage, willingness to take risks and lean into the unknown. It is also regularly demoralising emotionally as we are still not valued culturally or socially by many. Being an artist is still often seen as a 'cop out', not a 'proper job', or 'real career'.
Images Below: The Cardiff Burlesque Festival 2024 at Chapter Arts Theatre.
Yet being an artist, an actor, a performer, a writer, a director, a producer, a painter, a poet, a dancer, a musician, requires a level of dedication and commitment that few other jobs or careers will ever ask, or need from you. And in the current climate, more than ever in my lifetime, it has become an act of political and social defiance, to keep trying, to be a creative. With funding cuts left right and centre, curriculums being stripped of the arts, as none-necessary, low income benefits that previously helped artists in hard moments, no longer exist. Less venues and buildings, Youth Theatres closed, all over the place and less jobs, than ever before. So this is a particularly difficult time to be an artist, to say the least! And if you're now a freelance artist, without a salary, it is, really, really, hard work.
Images Below: Mid Powys Youth Theatre - Half Term Intensive Theatre Week 2024
This grant also enabled me to make some totally new connections with organisations who I had not previously encountered, and that in turn led to me getting some new work.
I was lucky enough to work with the MPYT for their half term week, facilitate and lead them through a devising process in which they created a new, original piece of work. I feel deeply privileged to be able to work with young people in this way, and also to be working with one of the Youth Theatres still going in this part of Wales. These spaces are utterly vital, crucial, for these young people and for their communities. A safe space for young people to express themselves, process their feelings and views on the world, be creative, expressive, take risks, push themselves out of their comfort zones and to grow.
The other people I have met thus far as a direct result of this award, have already really helped me; to feel more connected, to feel the very tangible presence of my wider community, as an artist here in rural wales. To know there are other people like me who are battling on, working incredibly hard, to ensure that the arts do not die here, that we do still have rural theatre, youth theatre, people making work and supporting the next generation of people who will make it, to flourish and grow. I already feel infinitely better informed than I was when I received the grant, and way more directly related to other spaces, artists, people, venues and organisations here in Wales, than I was, previously.
Being an artist, in the performing arts world requires so much energy, commitment and relentless passion, drive, tenacity, determination, self belief and beleif in the world. It is an extraordinary thing to chooswe to pursue for a lifetime, and an entirely vital part of sociierty, eductaion, culture, science, medicine, and even business. The arts feeds, it all.
I was really feeling the absence of more connection within my artistic community, when I applied for this award. As a neurodivergent artist, who has a lot of past trauma, and who struggles with ongoing mental health challenges; it is integral that I have communities and connections beyond myself, in other artists, companies, venues and organisations, that can help and support me, both as a human and an artist. So that I can make great work, contribute ideas, inspiration, creativity and can add value; to our artistic landscape.
Covid was difficult for everyone, in one way or another. And for those of us in the performing arts it was so tough because our entire industry ground to a halt. I had only just moved back to Wales 18 months before Covid hit. So I had not yet made many new connections, or built myself many relationships or artist communities here. It takes time, money and support. It was really wonderful to meet all of the people I have met thus far as part of this project. And particularly excellent to work as a director with these truly amazing young people, many of whom are also neurodivergent. Being able to practise our craft, whatever that is, be it directing, writing, performing, is so integral to us feeling able, confident and secure in the knowledge, that we have not forgotten how to do what we do. That it hasn't been lost in the years of not working, or working much less. To be able to rebuild that in ourselves, by having the support to get out there and do what we do; is so vital. I am deeply grateful for this award and the opportunities it has given to me.
Image Below: Who Killed Charlie Kirk? A political MTV takeover by MPYT 2024.
Comments