Welcome Message

As you may know, this blog started life as a resource aimed at the members and Alumni of Birmingham University's Guild Musical Theatre Group.















Since then, I have realised that a great many artists I know could use a serious resource for discussion and debate of the major issues.















So, I open this network to any and all arts professionals who would like to use it. Over the years, I have seen some awe inspiring performances and productions by a great many talented and high ranking individuals, whose knowledge would be an asset to the artistic community. I invite these individuals and others to come forward, so that their achievements may be celebrated.






If you would like to write articles or make comments on this blog, please let me know. My contact email is on the link. Membership is free, and there are no obligations. Existing members are free to write as and when they want.








Its is also easy to forget, that we don't often have a chance to discuss or to think about the most serious issues affecting the arts. Despite all the progress made by online networks like Facebook and Twitter, there still needs to be a place where opinions can be viewed, and I hope that this will be such a place: a neutral ground, where all are welcome, and where knowledge can be shared.















Artists of all disciplines, I hope that this will assist your development and further networking. May this resource serve you well.















Best Regards,















James Megarry















Founder















Friday 1 January 2021

Changing Perceptions - The Arts as a Career Choice

It started in the men's dressing room, for an amateur show we were performing. My fellow men were discussing career choices, and we got round to the performing arts. "Ah well," they said dismissively, "95% of people never get a job in that industry anyway." In years gone by, I might have agreed with them. But from hard experience of the working world, I knew differently, and decided to push back. I pointed out to them, how hard it was to get a job in other industries too. They insisted that it was still much harder to perform for a living, and so we began a heated (but friendly) debate. But that got me thinking: why is it that the performing arts is not seen even as a full time profession or a choice of career?

In an era of Black Lives Matter and #MeToo; when stereotypes are being challenged; I believe it is time to challenge professional stereotypes in the workplace as well.  We need to be objective, and to take professions and industries as we find them. And yet when the performing arts is mentioned, we are drawn back into an outdated cliché. For the sake of young people's future in the arts: and to respect adults in the industry, we must be objective.

The Clichés

When most people talk about the performing arts, the clichés which come to mind, are:

  • That artistic professions do not offer stable, long term work
  • That creative people are not business-minded
  • That arts professionals are egotistical and that their working environments are hostile
  • That there are are very few opportunities and too many wanting to pursue them.
  • That artistic professions are therefore not a career choice, but a 'hobby'.

We have been told this for most of our lives. And most non-arts professionals seem to believe it. Again and again, full time performers of every discipline, tell me that they have been asked what their 'real' job is. People have assumed that artists will simply perform for fun. For example, in recent news, musicians at one music venue were asked if they would volunteer to play, to save costs: provoking outrage among the local artistic community. And this lack of understanding seems to extend to the production of the arts too: with Producers being asked if they could 'just do' a show.

In other words, the perception of the arts is that they are not seen as a choice for a full time profession, nor career. To me, this is reminiscent of the cliches in Roy Hindle's book Oh No Dear! Advice to Girls a Century Ago; in which women were advised against going into certain careers. And while this might seem a world away from the sexism of the 19th Century, the fact is that we are still thinking in stereotypes when it comes to the arts.

And stereotypes can negatively affect the perception of an industry: which is vital, to determine the support it receives. Funding, resources, and much more, are directly linked to our perception. But while some of these clichés might have truth in them, these shortcomings and hardships are no longer unique to the creative professions. Indeed, I have found many of the same issues and challenges in many other industries. And that is because they now share a characteristic, from the artistic professions themselves.

The Gig Economy

As a recruiter once told me, the term 'Gig Economy', gets its name from the performing arts. But while gigs were once exclusively for the artistic professions, now there are 'gigs' in every profession. So while full time professionals may have looked down their noses at their artistic counterparts back in the 20th Century; there is little difference now.

For example, when I auditioned a music college, the examiner told me that there are "thousands of talented singers", which is certainly true. But there are also thousands of talented administrators, financiers, Human Resource professionals, caterers, and recruiters themselves. Yet no hiring manager told me that when I went to work for these professions: even though it was true. 

Then there is the cliché of the self employed actor, struggling to find work. Again, while this may be true, it is by no means the only profession where this occurs. As a handyman once told me, he had gone from job to job by word of mouth alone: for twenty years. No job security, no benefits or welfare payments. Just job to job by word of mouth. Likewise, a self employed plumber I used to know, also told me that if he didn't find work, he didn't get paid. And as we have found during the current pandemic, over 5 million people in Britain have had the same problem. And yet no one says "you cant be a plumber: the jobs not secure." They take the job as they find it.

Prima Donnas of the Office

Another excuse for discouraging young hopefuls from going into the industry, is the cliche that its members are 'prima donna's or 'divas' who are self obsessed, and egotistical. From my voluntary work for arts events, it is true that I have found some of the artists or organisers to be more difficult than others. But in fairness to artists, outsiders arguably do not understand the demands of being on a stage. Performers must project boundless confidence and charisma and be self-promoting at every opportunity. Hence, in some cases, they may take themselves too seriously or have a heightened sense of their own importance. But ego is a human failing. It is not unique to the artistic professions. Indeed, having worked as a contractor to support many different organisations over the years, I have encountered 'prima donnas' in many of them.  

And besides which; in the business world, we are taught that there are 'difficult people' in the workplace and that we have to learn to deal with them objectively. There are many courses, seminars and books on 'assertiveness training', anger management and personality clashes to this effect. So why should artistic professions be regarded any differently?

Above all, why does this matter so much? It matters, because of the dreams of countless young people, for a career in the arts.

The Next Generation

Years ago, I had the honour of representing young performers, as Youth Adviser for amateur theatre in my region. At the time, my experience of youth work was limited but I was keen to support the next generation of performers. Like many adults, I had grown up with certain cliched views about young people. But when I came to support the young performers in my region, those views were completely blown away. 

I had thought that young people weren't enthusiastic about the stage, and that we adults had to engage with them more, to get them interested. But as I soon found out, the opposite was true. Every youth group and section in my region was massively oversubscribed. Two of the major societies even had waiting lists as big as the societies themselves! 

And the talent was brilliant. As I visited shows around my region, I saw great thespian, operations that ran like clockwork, and a dedication that moved the heart. While reviewing auditions for one youth show, for example, I saw a young auditionee who had styled her hair face and clothing into the exact image of her character. She was 10 years old. We expect dedication from adults, but this kind of dedication from a child was extraordinary. 

And it only got better. My own youth society s performance of Les Miserables (School Edition) was beyond excellent. In the death scene, not one performer moved an inch. But all then rose to give some of the best vocal and dramatic performances I have ever seen. The standing ovation wasn't just from the proud parents. We all leapt to our feet to give applause. 

And that was when I realised a very important truth. These talented young people have given their all for a career in the arts. They have put their faith in us. But by discouraging them from pursuing their passion, we are failing them as adults. They deserve better from us.

'Just for Fun'

People often respond to the demand for hopefuls to pursue arts as a career, by saying that they can perform 'just for fun'. And yes, the arts can be a great hobby. But to those who say this: consider the life stories of Eddie the Eagle, Michael Jordan and Muhammad Ali. What would happen if these icons had been encouraged to play their sport 'just for fun'? Would millions have been inspired as much? 

In business terms, doing arts 'just for fun' is taking the Path of Least Resistance. It is an easy way out, and not the best one. While it may seem like a sensible option in the short term; a person loses major opportunities in the process.

'Not Viable' 

The closure of theatres and other performance spaces during the pandemic has been seized upon by some, as proof that the creative professions are 'not viable.' As per the Tweet by former member of Parliament, Edwina Currie:

“If your industry is making nil money right now, with nil customers, with no prospect of recovery for ages...please I beg you. Go do something else.” 

But by that logic, we need to put things in perspective. For example:

  • In the fuel industry for 2020 alone, BP Lost $20 Billion,. 
  • For High Street Retail in first half of 2020, Ted Baker sales dropped 1,370% 
  • In aviation, Flybmi  Airline went bust in UK and Virgin Australia filed for equivalent of bankruptcy 
  • In hospitality, a fifth of jobs lost in the sector for 2020
So should professionals of these industries be asked to "do something else"? No. Our economies have been hit by the worst global pandemic since 1918. Millions of lives have been destroyed and billions more have been damaged. And many industries have been heavily damaged as well. That does not mean that they are no longer viable. They can and will recover, with the right investment.

What the Arts Provide

It is important for us to remember what the creative professions provide to our society and our economy. The question has been asked behind closed doors by investors and politicians alike: what do the creative industries do for our economy? Besides their statistical value, these are the two most important services that the arts provide for the general population:

Entertainment. Since the pandemic began, an array of professionals, from radio DJ's to TV actors, have been working full time to keep people entertained during lockdown. Being away from family, friends and colleagues, and being unable to socialize, had made home entertainment a necessity. And this is an important service, which arts professionals provide.

Self expression. Art provides an important release for people's emotions, and is arguably good for wellbeing. Online singing, home dance classes, are just some examples of this. And wellbeing through artistic performance, is arguably an important service to society.

The Solutions

So how do we make sure that the performing arts is respected as a profession?

There are several ways to change the perception of the industry. These are:

  • Reframing. Arts managers, creative teams, crews and performers should not allow outsiders to dictate how they see themselves. They should think of themselves as professionals first and foremost, in the industry they chose.
  • Digital streaming. This would allow artistic works to reach millions more people, and increase arts fanbase to the same size as their sports counterparts. The musical phenomenon, Hamilton, has already inspired millions of future musical theatre performers; and the same could be done with thousands of similar shows.
  • Direct career paths into the arts. According to the Prospectus magazine, the pathway for Theatre Directors and Producers, into the industry is unclear. Therefore, organisations such as Directors UK, could help to establish such pathways, to give graduates a clear way in.
  • Student Alumni networks. By having joint student- Alumni showcases would allow students direct access to the industry. They in turn, could give the Alumni the innovations and voluntary assistance they need in their work.
  • Student volunteers in amateur arts. To avoid undermining paid professionals, students could be invited to volunteer for their work experience, helping amateur societies, dance and music groups. This would ensure they gain experience without, being a substitute for paid interns.
Conclusion

Respect matters. All people who work for a living are entitled to a certain amount of respect, regardless of what they do. To achieve this, we need to challenge our own perceptions of the performing arts as a profession and as a career choice. Investors need to see, that in our post Pandemic world, the arts industry deserves as much support as others. And now that all professions operate by short term contracts in our Gig Economy; we need to be objective and take artistic professions as we find them. A profession is a profession, an industry is an industry. That is all that should matter. 

SOURCES: