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Joli Vyann's Stateless
Stateless by Joli Vyann, the first circus company to become Point Associates. Photograph: Gigi Gianella
Stateless by Joli Vyann, the first circus company to become Point Associates. Photograph: Gigi Gianella

Investment in the arts must be emotional as well as financial

This article is more than 9 years old

Artists often feel at the mercy of the whims of funders and programmers. Venues should show that they care as deeply as those creating the work that is staged

The Point is a 300-seat venue in Eastleigh, Hampshire, which programmes contemporary dance, theatre and circus. We only started to support, develop and stage circus last year, but we have been developing artists at the Point for 10 years.

One of the things that makes the Point special is its residential rehearsal centre, the Creation Space, a beautiful double-height rehearsal room with aerial rigging points and integrated accommodation for 11 artists. It allows companies to live with us and immerse themselves in the development of a new piece of work.

Alongside our facility we run our flagship associate artist programme which has developed artists such as Hofesh Shechter, Stop Gap Dance, Search Party and Two Destination Language. Last year Joli Vyann were the first circus company to become Point Associates.

This year has given us a crash course in the complexities of developing circus in the UK. We have supported five new works in that time and each has faced its own struggles. One lost a crucial development week after a venue dropped out at the last minute; one found itself with nowhere to re-rehearse a large aerial show before its retour; a third was turned down for Arts Council Grants for the Arts funding with its production half made and tour dates fixed. In every case, we provided the company with use of our Creation Space in order to continue to develop their work and ensure that none of those companies had to cancel performances.

Gravity and Levity’s Rites of War in the Creation Space, Eastleigh. Photograph: The Point

But this is a risky business. These examples reveal how vulnerable such companies are to the whims of venues, festivals and funders. In every case, the company felt that vulnerability, and felt very unsupported and unloved. The company who didn’t get the grant that they had applied for felt that this reflected upon the quality of their work and undermined their confidence in what they were doing. They told me that they felt embarrassed to tell anyone about this perceived “failure”.

Which is where we could help. As they were associate artists at the Point, we supported them through this. In fact, as we provide associate artists with an office within our building, the letter was posted to us and it was our staff who gave the artists the bad news that their bid had been unsuccessful. We sat with the company and read their ACE feedback with them. We then put in place extra support to ensure that the show could still open in our venue, buying the company a precious couple of months in order to resubmit their bid. We spoke to Arts Council relationship managers who had been involved and explained that we as a venue had real belief in this company and this production. We supported them to resubmit the application which was successful the second time around. We provided a safety net. I am very proud that we did: the production featured in the London international mime festival last month.

To my mind, this is a crucial and important role for venues, particularly those receiving National Portfolio Organisation funding. If we don’t support and nurture artists and create a community around them, then where does that support come from? How many potentially great shows do we lose each year and which never get to be seen by audiences because of a missed window of money, time, or space? I’m making it sound very easy, but the Point is not a cash rich organisation. During the year I’m talking about we were not Arts Council funded. We didn’t solve these companies’ problems by throwing money at them. But we did provide space and, crucially, we gave them our time – and we cared as much about their show as they did.

Artists are constantly being asked to be financially resilient. But what about emotional resilience? When artists face rejection from a funder or a programmer, who is there to provide that sense of community and solidarity and empathy? So often the work that artists subsidise with time, money, love and belief is treated as a commodity, or just a product by venues. In an era in which our sector is constantly being asked to commercialise, this will only increase.

Which means that we have to be not just financially but as emotionally invested in the work that we want to share with our audiences, as those who are making it. Because when venues care as deeply as artists about whether a piece of work goes ahead and is seen, it’s a truly supportive collaboration that offers benefits to everyone: companies, venues and audiences alike.

  • This is an edited version of a speech given at the Circus Futures: Making Work of Quality symposium

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