Somewhere to Talk has been initiated by Take Me Somewhere to provide support to artists as they navigate the impacts of the Coronavirus pandemic. Initially intended to provide support to up to 20 artists, Somewhere to Talk is now extended to all 36 artists who applied, through partnership with four Scottish organisations and six more qualified coaches.
The Project
Somewhere to Talk was set up to support up to 20 artists to explore the challenges they are currently facing through coaching. Artists were invited to apply for an hour long, 1:1, remote coaching session with qualified coach and TMS Artist Relationship Manager Kim Simpson, providing a supported space to focus their plans or simply to have time to reflect. Each eligible artist also receives a £100 bursary. This is in recognition of the need to get money to artists, for whom work and opportunity have been massively impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic, with as little pressure as possible.
Somewhere to Talk received 36 applications. Thanks to Lucy Mason at EPAD, who contacted Take Me Somewhere to offer to support the project, we then approached several Scottish performing arts organisations and networks to find out if they might support the project too.
EPAD will be contributing to the bursaries and matching five Edinburgh based artists to coaches that they work with year-round. The Work Room, Birds of Paradise Theatre and Puppet Animation Scotland will be providing bursaries to the remaining eligible artists. And as a result of generous support from qualified RD1st coaches Lizzy Maries, Anne Langford, Fiona Winning, Emma Abbey, Holly Conneely, Caroline Pearce, EVERYONE who applied to Somewhere to Talk will access a coaching session.
Following the large response from artists and the will from partners to support the project as it develops, Somewhere to Talk has evolved into a pilot for exploring coaching as an ongoing offer within artist development. As such, we will be undertaking a light touch evaluation of the project to see whether and how this might be something to continue. After the project, Kim will be in touch with Somewhere to Talk partners to explore if and how this might be extended and how Somewhere to Talk might exist as a shared endeavour into the future.
The Partners
As well as working with us to provide coaching and bursaries, each of these partners is keen to ensure artists are signposted to them to offer sector and artform specific support and advice where appropriate. Each partner has responded swiftly, flexibly and generously to supporting the artists who have applied.
Edinburgh Performing Arts Development (EPAD)
https://epad.masonbone.co.uk/
Edinburgh Performing Arts Development (EPAD) is a support programme for professional independent performing arts companies and artists based in Edinburgh. Focusing on three areas of activity; Space, Support and Networking, we facilitate opportunities for Edinburgh’s professional performing arts sector to develop, share resources and build better connections. Our aim is to help the performing arts sector in Edinburgh be better connected, more self-sufficient and stronger.
During the Covid-19 period, EPAD are offering the following additional opportunities:
A weekly lunchtime online gathering. This will take place every Wednesday at 1.00pm until further notice. Please join us to check-in with peers and colleagues to share questions, ideas, concerns or solutions. We will run these sessions weekly until further notice. Everyone from Edinburgh's performing arts community is welcome to join us. The sessions will last up to 90 minutes and you are welcome to come and go as you wish: https://zoom.us/j/786538031
We will make our EPAD Support Surgeries available online, scheduling additional regular slots for you to discuss any element of your practice or projects. The next sessions are on Wednesday 6th May and you can find out more and book here.
The Work Room (TWR)
https://theworkroom.org.uk/
The Work Room (TWR) is an artist-led, membership organisation for artists working in dance, movement and choreography. Our mission is to empower artists to lead in their practice, enabling them to make high quality, pioneering dance for diverse contexts at home and internationally. We are committed to supporting a sustainable environment for independent artists working in dance in Scotland and from our purpose-built studio space within Glasgow’s Tramway, we host residencies for choreographers. With our studio currently closed, we are adapting our programme and work to respond to this situation. We are currently supporting artists and fostering the independent dance community in Scotland through:
The Work Room Socials - taking place on line every Friday, 2-3.30pm, these are an opportunity for dance artists to come together and share what is currently affecting their practice and day to life.
Talk it Through - individual surgeries with TWR team in members in navigating through the different funds available, and providing support with application processes.
For Now... Bursaries - emergency financial support through bursaries of up to £500 those within our community who are most in need due to loss of earning and require immediate support ahead of accessing other funding streams or income support.
Birds of Paradise Theatre (BOP)
https://www.boptheatre.co.uk/
Birds of Paradise is Scotland's only disability led theatre company, working across three key areas: BOP Theatre - our creative productions, touring nationally and internationally; BOP Development - our work supporting young / emerging disabled artists to overcome any barriers they experience in forming a career; BOP Strategic - our work with the sector to increase accessibility to the arts for disabled people.
During the CV19 period we are working hard to support disabled artists and others who are feeling the impact of the situation we are now in. Activities we have begun in response include:
Virtual Cuppa - a weekly Zoom gathering without a formal structure - this is a chance for people to connect and share with each other.
Make it Accessible - an online working group, offering support to theatre makers keen to learn more about how to make their work accessible.
Scenes for Survival - we are partnering with National Theatre of Scotland on their "crisis responsive artistic online project".
Puppet Animation Scotland
http://puppetanimation.org/
Founded in 1984, Puppet Animation Scotland champions puppetry, visual theatre and animated film in Scotland and internationally. As well as our annual manipulate Visual Theatre Festival and the Puppet Animation Festival, Puppet Animation Scotland provides year-round networking opportunities, funding opportunities, practical advice, support and encouragement to all artists working with puppetry, visual theatre and animated film. We promote and celebrate these art forms as valued art forms integral to Scotland’s rich and diverse cultural life. Since 2000 Scottish puppetry companies have presented their work to over 1,850,000 people throughout the UK. (PAS: Annual Surveys/2000-2019).
During the current crisis we continue working to support artists within our community in the following ways:
On our website we have posted a number of useful resources
We are also about to launch a regular series, Puppetry@Home. Six Scottish-based puppeteers, selected from applicants, will each film a short, how to make a puppet video, which we will then post on our website. Puppeteers will demonstrate how to make simple glove, rod and shadow puppets, as well as a tin can zoetrope, for children of all ages, as well as those with additional support needs.
Coaches
Lizzy Maries
https://www.lizzymaries.com/coaching
Lizzy Maries is a Creative Collaborator and Coach, with over ten years experience in the cultural sector across Dance, Museums and Arts Education. Her coaching focuses on positive solutions, allowing the coachee space, time and creativity to do deep work with their own thoughts so they can safely explore and clarify their goals, and create a plan to achieve them.
Anne Langford
www.annelangford.me
Twitter @Langg
Anne makes theatre, as a devisor, director, performer and facilitator. She makes theatre happen as a producer and mentor to other artists. As a coach she supports people to face challenges and make change. Anne is driven by her values of creativity, generosity, integrity, rigour and kindness. Through her work as an Artist in Residence, Facilitator and Director internationally and across the UK Anne has worked in different models of participation and engagement, with people aged 5 – 85, in formal and informal education settings and with young people and communities and made interactive work to engage people around the issue of mental health.
Emma Abbey
Emma Abbey is a dynamic, tenacious and ambitious dance producer passionate about access to high quality dance for all. Currently Head of Engagement at Pavilion Dance South West, Emma is an open minded collaborator with experience across producing, engagement and community working through previous roles at Green Candle Dance Company, Rambert Dance Company, East London Dance and English National Ballet. Emma is an RD1st accredited coach which builds on her collaborative ethos and passion for enabling and supporting others towards achieving their goals.
Caroline Pearce
https://www.luxicreative.com/coaching
https://www.linkedin.com/in/clmp7/
Caroline Pearce has recently qualified as an RD1st Relational Dynamics professional coach, this work builds on 20 years of experience supporting individuals and teams across the cultural sector and beyond to identify and achieve their own vision. The formal coaching process is a relaxed and person-centred conversational approach through which I support you to develop in your work, life or career and better understand how to achieve your aims.
Fiona Winning
www.fionawinning.com
https://www.linkedin.com/in/fiona-h-winning-7897152a/
Fiona Winning is a recently accredited RD1st Coach. She brings a varied visual art practice and 30yrs experience of working with people from many different settings, as a teacher, trainer and facilitator. Fiona sees coaching as a safe space for you to ‘think out loud’, as you explore the issues on your mind, consider possible options, looking at them from different perspectives, and with your new thinking, move forward.
Holly Conneely
Holly Conneely has worked in arts marketing for over ten years and recently qualified as an RD1st Relational Dynamics professional coach. She is an experienced communicator and regularly collaborates with artists, particularly playwrights and theatre directors. As a coach she supports individuals to establish their own goals and explore how they might work towards them in a relaxed, non-pressured way.