Roisin Markham

In an attempt to understand great storytelling I’ve listened to podcasts, read articles, done short courses and follow marketers. However I wonder is the answer really with theatre makers?

I’ve just finished reading The club at the edge of town by Alan Lane. It’s excellent and I highly recommend it. Not only is it an amazing example of socially engaged arts practice, salaried equal pay and a pay what you want arts model but it is also an antidote to desperate times. An easy to read made accessible by Alan’s style and impeccable storytelling. He is a master of story telling and making. I’ll probably read read this book again.

Everyone should read this book.

It had been on my reading list since March when I listened to one of my all time fav podcasters interview with the author. Manda Scott is one half of Accidental Gods , she interviews Alan who is the Artistic Director for Sung Low. He talks less about the book and shares his background, the creative work he is involved in and the theatres response to the pandemic. The creative work is magical big and innovative as it is small and local during the pandemic. Link at the end of blog post.

I love the simplicity of Sung Lows rules of practice

Be useful

Be kind

We go again tomorrow

Sung Low Theatre Company, UK

Alan is critical of funding models, he speaks of how much the Opera gets in direct contrast to kids not having crayons.

I consider access to the arts and creative expression a human right. However we need our social foundation to be secure (housing, food, water, education, health, etc) or we are unlikely to engage in creativity.

This access to all to the arts and the opportunity for all to access their own creative expression was deeply rooted in my own arts practice (studio and community 2005 – 2015).

I’m still thinking about the arts as a lever for change and story telling. Not through commodification but through arts for change, arts in action and the beauty of a great arts experience for the soul.

Read this book, listen to the podcast, get inspired. If desperate times are not the point when art can be a critical intervention to surprise, revive, inspire, inform and pause our harsh realities then what is art for?

We are in a climate crisis. We need critical intervention – calling all artists come out and play…

Accidental Gods Podcast with Alan Lane