To research the best play, writer and audience development models in English speaking theatres

Key Findings:

There were three principles that resurfaced in many meetings. These values were artist development, flexibility of development models, and audience development being equal to creative engagement.

Artist Development over Production Development
Artist development, not only project development, came up time and time again. At Berkeley Rep this was termed artists not products. At the NT seen in residencies that didn’t aim to result in shows in a that company’s theatres. This principle is clear too in The Royal Court’s long-term commitment to writer development. Christopher Burney, Producer at Second Stage and Adam Greenfield at Playwright Horizons both told me that while they had positions at their theatres, they worked for the theatre industry as a whole. Long term relationships, open-ended development and, importantly, development that doesn’t end in production are still seen as success, for both artist and company.

An Open Development Process
Many theatres and centres told me that allowing artists to decide the culture, form, and timing of their development process was key. The Theatre Centre allows theatre makers a budget and recourses over a three-year period to be used as they see fit. Factory Theatre refuses to use a predetermined development mould as they don’t want a “signature on the work”. Crowded Fire aims to decolonise the development process. Not only does this support interesting and unique theatre, but it also supports diverse artists. 

Audience Development is Creative Engagement
Theatre companies that were accessing new audiences were engaging with those audiences as part of the work. Why Not Theatre makes work that is completely integrated to multiple language groups. NToW embeds creatives in local communities, employs local community members as advisors, and allows community members to decide what the production in their area will be about. Mixed Blood views community, not theatre, as the goal.

Keywords: Theatre, Theater, Plays, Play Development, New Writing, New Work, Playwright, Theatre Directors, Audience Development