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ANNUAL REPORT ON THE ACTIVITIES OF WRiTEON
April2014 to March 2015
Contents:
1.Introduction
2.Workshops and Development
3.Performances
4.Community and Communications
5.Finance
6.Conclusion
1.Introduction
WRiTEON has continued to provide opportunities for writers to see their work staged or to hear it read in a workshop setting orin an informal script sharing and feedback evening, and to give actors and directors experience of working with new writing.
We again presented two seasons of new work in the ADC Theatre Bar, as well as a third Corpus Playroom Project, in July 2014, andcontinued our Improv courses and directing workshops,as well asdeveloping new writing workshop courses.
Over the year, we staged a total of 11 evenings of short plays, predominantly by local writers (both experienced and first-timers), with a few writers from further afield visiting Cambridge to see their work performed.We have continued to strive bothto be inclusive and to furtherimprove the quality of our offerings, in every possible way.
We carried out a Member Survey and looked carefully at the results and, with the aid of this and a series of discussions, first by a subcommittee and then the whole committee, we have recently completed the redefinitionand clarification ofour Aims and Objectives.
- Workshops and Development
Improvisation Workshops
Our Improv Tutor, Clare Kerrison, continued to run regular Beginners and Improvers courses throughout the year,prior tomoving away from Cambridge, in April 2015. In anticipation of hermuch-lamented departure, she handed over the mantle to Melanie Taylor, who has successfully continued this offering into 2015-16.
Directing Workshops
We again held two Directing Workshops; one in the lead-up to each of our annual seasons. These moved from Ross Street Community Centre to The Corpus Playroom from April 2014, which has proved extremely suitable, as well as being more financially viable and bringing in new people from outside WRiTEON, via the listing on The ADC/Corpus Playroom website. Actors are invited to join us for the afternoon session so that the trainee directors can practise on them as well as each other.
Writing Workshops
We ran a new “Write That Play” Workshop series over four Saturdays in October and November 2014. This was so successful that we ran another in February to March 2015, changing the initial weekend format to eight shorter weekday evening sessions.We have found that we seem to be getting a better uptake on courses than on stand-alone writing workshops and the writers particularly enjoy the sessions when we invite actors to come along and read aloud from their scripts to give a taste of how they might transfer to the stage. The actors seem enthusiastic about participating in these too. We were delighted to get the agreement of Cambridge Junction to hold both series in their upstairs Boardroom. This also led to us being invited to stage some extracts from the workshop pieces as part of The Junction’s Community show, “Views From the Bridge” but as this took place on 1st April, this performance technically belongs in next year’s report. We also ran some small-scale writing workshops with a few of our writers, alongside homeless people and support workers, at Jimmy’s Night Shelter in September 2014.
Feedback Group
Informal feedback meetings took place12 times over the year.These are now hosted in various different people’s homes, to try to make them more accessible to those wishing to attend. Attendance continues to average 8-10 (out of the 83 on the mailing list!). Scripts read aloud and discussed have included screenplays, radio plays and musical theatre, as well as stage plays and monologues. Some scripts tried out in feedback group this year have again gone on to be submitted for and accepted for our staged readings while writers whose submissions have not been accepted have taken the opportunity to get some insight into why that might be and how they can improve their chances next time.
Practical Skills
In August 2014, we ran a technical workshop in The ADC Bar and, in September 2014, we held an information evening for people interested in taking on the role of Producer (and perhaps ultimately Artistic Director) in future seasons.
Polar Inspiration
Our long-planned collaborative project with the Scott Polar Institute began with a special visit for interested writers in September 2014. A period of script writing and development then followed. The performance of the scripts which made it through to the final stage was deferred until April 2015, to fit in with The Institute’s own programme of events, with the agreement of Cambridge City Council, who had granted us a small amount of funding towards this project. This will therefore be covered in next year’s report.
- Performances
Our two main annual seasons were each overseen by an artistic director, with a different producer responsible for each performance night.As previously, scripts were anonymised before being read and assessed by a panel. Each performance in these seasons incorporated the usual audience feedback opportunities, both in the form of open discussion after each half and the provision of feedback forms and a box to place them in, once completed.The simple act of bringing the houselights up between pieces to encourage audience members to write on their form has increased the amount of feedback received.
MaD (Monologues and Duologues) Festival
This took place in the ADC Bar over four evenings in May and June2014, comprising20piecesby 15 writers, brought to life by a total of 28actorsand 17directors.
Green Pieces
Following thesuccess of ‘ANGLES’ in 2012 and ‘A Twist of Lemon’ in 2013, we decided to do a third Corpus PlayroomProject, in July 2014, entitled ‘Green Pieces’, for which we invited writers to submit plays on a “green” theme,however they chose to interpret it. The show comprised 16 actors performing 14 pieces by 10 writers. Sadly this production was not as well-received as its two Corpus Playroom predecessors. The green theme was not a great success as all the selected pieces ended up seeming rather samey. The upshot was that we decided that this project had now run its course and should not be repeated in summer 2015.
First Stage
For the second year running, we didn’t receive enough scripts for this season by the original deadline (a total of 17, of which we accepted 9). This was again resolved by announcing a second deadline, by which we received 23 more submissions, from which we accepted another 10,making a total of 19 pieces by 15 writers.These were performedby 46 actors, under the guidance of 13 directors,over five Sunday nights in October, November, December (the more spread out season being due to The ADC having other bookings in the Bar some weeks).
Improv Performances
Our Improvers Improv courses each end with a graduation performance by the participants,often inspiring audience members to become participants in future beginner courses. These performances took place in July and November 2014in the Basement Theatre Space at CB2.
- Community and Communications
We continue to build and maintain a sense of community within WRiTEON and tofoster links with the Cambridge community and the wider arts network.
Membership
Our membership fee is only compulsory for writers submitting scripts for performance events but others are encouraged to support us financially by becoming paid-up members, if they so wish, and members can claim discount for some workshops, which often encourages people to join for the first time. We had 68 paid-up members by the end of 2014-15 and, todate, we have 54 paid-up members for the current year, 10 of whom have committed to paying annually by standing order.
WRiTEON News
Our mailchimp newsletter mailing list is up to 648 (an increase on the 625 reported last year) and there were 13 editions of our newsletter sent out in the course of the year.This publicises our own events, as well as other opportunities for writers and actors and local events of interest to our members and also shares some of the achievements of members of the WRiTEON community.
Website
As well as providing our members and supporters with information about our current programme, our revamped website continues to be the first point of contact for writers and actors seeking a local outlet for their skills. In addition to the many who join us in response to a personal referral, it is always pleasing to hear that others have submitted a script, attended a casting, afeedback meeting or even a party, having happened upon us while browsing on line.
Social Media
Our WRiTEON Facebook group has 480 members and our Twitter account has 273 followers. Facebook is one of our main publicity tools for performance events, castings and workshops, as well as enabling other relevant events and opportunities to be shared amongst our community. Our Twitter account is not used as much as it should be but WRiTEON News is always shared via it, immediately on publication.
Combinations
We have started to publicise WRiTEON events via Combinations, the Combined Actors Newsletter.
Social Events
We again held two parties; one in the summer (June 2014) and one in the winter (January 2015)in members’ homes, each of which was well attended; enabling people who had worked together on various projects to reconnect, as well as those involved with different WRiTEON activities to meet for the first time and potential new members to find out more about who we are and what we do. We also held our first quiz night, in September 2014, which proved to be a fun social occasion, as well as a fundraising opportunity.
Beyond WRiTEON
Again, in 2014 and the early part of 2015, we had news of our writers going on to achieve successes elsewhere. Both actors and writers often hear about new opportunities through WRiTEON or go on to pursue projects of their own with others they have met through us.
- Finance
While some of our 2014-15 activities continued to be partially funded by a small grant from Cambridge City Council, this income came to an end at the end of that financial year, due to major changes in their funding policy. We have received a pledge of an anonymous donation, equivalent to the previous council funding, for the next five year, so currently there is no threat to the continuation of our programme. However, the decision to start holding two fundraising quiz nights a year, will hopefully ensure that we are able to do the things we want to do without increasing the cost to participants too much and without having to worry about not having enough funds.
- Conclusion
I would like to thank the committee, the producers, directors, actors, techies and workshop leaders; who made it all happen, as well as our writers, for sharing their work with us, and our audiences for supporting us.
Julia Bolden
WRiTEON Chairperson
July 2015