For directors, designers or producers thinking about forming your own theatre company.
Listen to the seminar followed by Q&As
Led by Sam Edmunds (Artistic Director of Chalk Line Theatre Company) this is for directors, designers or producers thinking about forming your own theatre company. The provides answers whether or not creating a company for your work is the right step to take, and if it is, where to begin. Additionally insights into the logistics of running a company and what this entails as a business are also included.
Sam Edmunds is a theatre director, producer and lighting designer. He is the Artistic Director of Chalk Line Theatre company, a Graduate Emerging Company of The New Diorama Theatre and an Associate company of the L&U Theatre. Credits with Chalk Line include: THE NOBODIES by Amy Guyler (Spazju Kreattiv Malta/Mercury Theatre/Vault Festival), TESTAMENT (New Diorama/Tobacco Factory/HOME/The Hope Theatre), LOST FOR WORDS (Imagine Luton Outdoor Festival).
Answers to questions
- If you’re setting up a Charity, how many board members do you need?
- How do you go about choosing a mission statement?
- What’s the best way to find a good bookkeeper and accountant?
- In Charity model, Why would people take the risk of losing control and being rid of as a director? Is the access to the grants the only benefit worth that risk?
- How did your fund your Edinburgh fringe shows without ACE or commission?
- How did you fund your first show with the company?
- Is it worth setting up a company for the very first show or is it better to do it as a freelancer?
- Is there public liability insurance policies geared for theatre companies?
- With trying to source funding to R&D a project before aiming to get it staged, are there specific streams or opportunities that would be good to be aware of? Or similar ACE/commissions avenue?
- Do you think it’s possible to be a director AND a producer for your company? Or is that too much for one person?
- There are so many companies out there… Unless your mission is really, really specific, is it more financially responsible to pitch your ideas to existing companies for collaborations? Could that also be better in terms of publicity?
- What advice would you give yourself when starting your theatre company? And what is your favourite thing about having your theatre company?
- As a starting company in London what do you think is a good amount of work to have developed previously to be considered a valid portfolio for applying along more official lines for funding/touring etc. Would you recommend creating as much small scale work in venues like theatre pubs etc as possible?
- What advice would you give about being collaboratively involved in a company with multiple individuals involved. What would you do if members are being treated unequally/not being involved in decision making?
- Do you know, how hard is it to break even on a small production as you’ve mentioned: 70-90min long with 3 actors?? What type of venue could offer that? My impression is that pub theatres are environments where is hard to break even so you must rely on funding.
- When you say small scale work, do you recommend writing your own work, working with writers or getting licenses for a play? What do you recommend is the best for getting audiences and building up the theatre company?
- When setting up a bank account for a company that chooses to work as an individual, do you register it under your personal name or the name of you theatre company please?
- Is paying less than the ITC minimum an option to you? I.e. the Kings Head have a deal with equity I believe where they can pay performers £275 for 20 hours a week. Is that kind of thing a valid route, or will you be looked at poorly (struggle to get actors and take repetitional damage) if you tried to do that?