Stephen Crocker

Every week at Norwich Theatre we welcome artists and creatives from around the UK, and the world, to Norwich.

For those returning, often as part of long tours, coming back to our city is always a treat.

For those visiting us for the first time, I really enjoy hearing about their discoveries and perhaps how their perceptions might differ from their actual experience. I cherish the times visiting artists have said to me: "I feel more creative here". 

We need to find a way of bottling this.

For any artist, the ability to deliver creatively is about more than talent and skills, it’s also heavily driven by the whole environment.

Norwich delivers this in buckets to visiting artists, but we need to also focus on what this environment is like for artists who call Norwich and Norfolk their home.

This autumn sees us launch an artist network for professional and aspiring professional performing arts creatives.

Staying connected with peers, meeting new collaborators, and benefitting from professional development are some of the key drivers of a rewarding career.

For those of us lucky to work within organisations these things are often readily available to us, but for freelancers there is no such framework, and times are challenging. The current economic climate negatively impacts many people in the creative industries, but its impacts are acutely felt by freelancers.

A vibrant freelance ecology is good for everyone: whether it’s sustainable career paths for young people; our joy in watching productions; or our pride in Norwich as a creative and entrepreneurial place.

Norwich City Council has recognised this and the value of our plans, by generously supporting the funding of this new network’s launch and I am really excited to see this come to life.
 
The network is a result of two years of focussed work with local artists and it will be tuned to their needs. Events, workshops, and networking opportunities will combine support for creativity and wellbeing alongside professional advice in topics such as marketing and writing bids for funding. 

Artists will also shape the network as it evolves. We have seen the benefits of co-creation (collective decision-making with all the communities with whom we engage) in our successful Creative Advisory Group.

We are committed to placing artists at the heart of our organisation’s strategic direction, alongside our peers and partners both locally and across the region, many of whom already do fantastic work to support artists.

There’s an exciting future ahead in which freelancers and organisations work together to join up the dots; strengthening our arts ecology to the benefit of all and making Norwich the most creative place in the UK.

Don’t Miss!

Norwich Theatre has supported a new Norwich physical theatre company, Vatic Theatre with their immersive new production Norwich Under the Water.

It is created for and performed in the atmospheric cloisters of Norwich Cathedral, from August 3 until August 12 as part of our Norwich Theatre Beyond commitment to taking work out of the theatre buildings.

With communities across Norwich and with climate scientists, Vatic Theatre explored the relevance of climate headlines to our lives: do they induce anxiety or encourage action?

Their voices inspired Norwich Under the Water a piece of physical theatre that combines movement and an original composition listened to through headsets.

It is a key production in our Creative Matters: Climate Stories season.

For more information and to book a free ticket, see www.norwichtheatre.org or call 01603 630000

Stephen Crocker is chief executive and creative director of Norwich Theatre