Back to The Future Labs
A series of solutions-focussed conversations between freelancers and organisations to find ways to support freelancers through the current crisis, employ as many as possible in the reopening of theatres, and include us in shaping the future of our industry.
Series One
Monday 5th October:
What are solutions for immediate, possible and inclusive activity?
Panellists:
Tom Bird, Yamin Choudury, Alex Clifton, Ailin Conant, Daniel Evans, Vicky Featherstone, Helen Griffiths, Matt Humphrey, Simon Sharkey, Lisa Spirling, Libby Todd and Andrew Whyment.
Chair: Peter McKintosh
Support: Jack Hudson
Wednesday 7th October:
How can we engage and invest in freelancers while traditional routes are affected?
Panellists:
Daniel Buckroyd, Freddie Crossley, Deborah Dickinson, Paul Goldsmith, Louise Gregory, Susan Kempster, Lora Krasteva, Titania Krimpas, Eleanor Lang, Robert Softley Gale and Matthew Xia
Chair: Rachel Bagshaw
Support: Jack Hudson
Friday 9th October:
How do we progress and develop work on diversity and inclusion that was started prior to the pandemic?
Panellists:
Rachel Bagshaw, Sonali Bhattacharyya, Tracey Childs, Suba Das, Harri Marshall, Peter McKintosh, Prema Mehta, Charlotte Mountford, Chinonyerem Odimba, Emma Rees, Indhu Rubasingham, Jenny Sealey and Leo Wan
Chair: Emma Jayne Park & Arran Pallan
Support: Jack Hudson
Thursday 15th October
Follow up session
Panelists from all of these discussions were invited to a follow up session in which the chairs reported back from each discussion, the panelists divided into breakout rooms to return to their conversations having had time to reflect, and everyone presented their personal ideas, conclusions, or commitments. These final thoughts were recorded during the session by Julia Miranda in graphic notes.
Audio Described Graphic Notes
Series Two
Monday 26th October:
How do we protect the freelance backstage workforce, including technical and making professions, if we can’t go back to work until next year?
Panellists:
Ben Arkell, Sarah Bowern, Joni Carter, Sharan Foley, Sarah Hamza, Paul Handley, Sunita Hinduja, Chris Marcus, Euan McLaren, Thomas McWilliam, Vicki Mortimer, Alex Reedijk
Chair: Peter McKintosh
Support: Jack Hudson
Wednesday 28th October:
How can we provide support, ongoing training and meaningful opportunities for the future freelance workforce?
Panellists:
Martin Bright, Mimi Findlay, Lucy Hall, Amy Leach, Wezi Mhura, Rajiv Pattani, Tom Piper, Amy Rodger, Nicky Shaw, Andrew Whyment, Alistair Wilkinson
Chair: Arran Pallan
Support: Jack Hudson
Friday 30th October:
How can we ensure the freelance voice is heard in making the theatre that we come back to environmentally sustainable?
Panellists:
Igor, Sarah Booth, Paule Constable, Josie Dale-Jones, Rosie Elnile, Jamie Hale, Paul Jozefowski, Dave Moutrey, Gemma Swallow, Jennifer Taillefer, Jack Thompson, Bea Udale-Smith
Chair: Emma Jayne Park
Support: Jack Hudson
Thursday 05th November
Follow up session
Panelists from all of these discussions were invited to a follow up session in which the chairs reported back from each discussion. The session was recorded and is available to watch and thoughts were also recorded during the session by Julia Miranda in graphic notes.
Audio Described Graphic Notes
Series Three
Monday 23rd November:
What provisions and structural changes can we put in place to maintain the mental health and physical wellbeing of freelancers?
Panellists:
Julie Clare, Elise Davison, Caroline Horton, Susan Kempster, Sohail Khan, Imogen Kinchin, Catherin Kodicek, Naomi Mwasambili, Emma Jayne Park, Lou Platt, Hannah Treadaway, Erica Whyman
Chair: Rachel Bagshaw
Support: Jack Hudson
Wednesday 25th November:
Freelancers from communities underrepresented in the arts are most at risk of having to leave the industry. What do organisations need to do to ensure this does not happen?
Panellists:
Bill Bankes Jones, Lucy Davies, Sue Emmas, Ned Glasier, Alexandru Istudor, Prema Mehta, Andrew Miller, David Moorst, Hannah Quigley, Amit Sharma, Caitriona Shoobridge, Lian Wilkinson
Chair: Leo Wan
Support: Jack Hudson
Friday 27th November:
How can we give freelancers more of a voice within the power structures of organisations?
Panellists:
Maria Aberg, David Byrne, Anna Fleischle, Charlotte Geeves, Jim Hollington, Jess Murrain, Ian Nicholson, Rachel O’Riordan, Athena Stevens, Adele Thomas, Kate Wasserberg, Richard Watts.
Chair: Andrew Whyment
Support: Jack Hudson
Thursday 3rd December
Follow up session
Panelists from all of these discussions were invited to a follow up session in which the chairs reported back from each discussion, the panelists divided into breakout rooms to return to their conversations having had time to reflect, and everyone presented their personal ideas, conclusions, or commitments. These final thoughts were recorded during the session by Julia Miranda in graphic notes.
Audio described version coming soon
Aims
The immediate aim of the Labs is to find ways to support freelancers through the current crisis, engage them in the reopening of theatres, and include them in shaping the future of our industry. Each discussion will be conducted in the pursuit of these solutions, not just as a talking shop.
At the end of the series, we hope that we will be able to present these solutions in a way that organisations will be able to put into practice moving forward.
