Benjamin Monk

I cannot possibly picture things being any bleaker. Are we just jacking it in?

So much of the UK’s international stature is based on higher education and in particular on arts and humanities. If the government allows these institutions to collapse it would be unbelievably short-sighted

dear theatre, not so long ago we talked abt letting go of burnout culture and toxic work environments we still can.

or they start with one and there vision and mission drift as their own continued survival becomes the primary concern.

dear theatre, this is how you do it. this is access. for real. if Dan Fishback can do this, so can everyone. learn. listen. do. #theatre

MAP Fund Retires National Regranting Program With major funders Duke and Mellon pulling out, the 35-year-old program, which awarded nearly $40 million to performing artists, is ending.

I'm genuinely shocked www.americantheatre.org/2024/12/13/m...

Drama has a powerful positive impact on young people As drama teaching faces cuts at school, it must be remembered the profound effect on society’s youth it has, and the force for good it is

Since 2017, arts funding from national bodies, including for drama, has been cut by 16% in real terms across the UK.

In 2024, 41% of schools no longer enter any pupils for Drama GCSE.

INSPIRE — Lily Einhorn

I’m excited by my coaching programme next year. It’s low cost, it’s needed, it’s tested. But how do I get the word out? What newsletters and mailing lists do you read? Help a woman out. www.lilyeinhorn.com/re-inspire

"...individuals operating as independents in the arts are at a disadvantage when faced with the hyper-competitive trickle-down economic regimes..." -Susan Jones, independent arts researcher.

https://buff.ly/3VNc5w9

#FreelancersMakeTheatreWork #WeAreCreative #Freelancers

Simple things the theatre industry could do to to make life easier for workers …

Number one - a standard universal basic application form for jobs so that people applying for multiple roles didn’t have to fill in a new one each time.

Difficult to describe what a dangerous moment we are in.

The owner of Twitter/richest man in the world/closest adviser to the next US president is promoting a far-right Tommy Robinson (!) documentary to his 200 million followers.

This is the mainstreaming of violent, Islamophobic fascism.

The Guardian view on 30 years of the national lottery: winners and losers | Editorial Editorial: From the Angel of the North to the Eden Project, it has transformed the UK’s cultural landscape. But public funding for the arts is still needed

"Lottery grants were intended to work in addition to public funding, not to replace it. In propping up crumbling arts infrastructure, the lottery has helped let governments off the hook. Funding for the arts should not depend on crossing our fingers." www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

“Write every day” is really good advice as long as the bar is incredibly low imo. Write even one word every day and you’re nailing it. Understand that most of it will be garbage no one ever sees. Writing every day is the practice of making your ego less important than actually making stuff.

dear theatre, one day we will wonder why so many chose exclusion rather than inclusion

One thing I find interesting about the echo chamber complaint is that an echo chamber just won a presidential election.

Put aside the convo of whether it’s “good” or “bad” for a moment. The far right has devoted enormous resources + time to building echo chambers & loathes spaces they don’t control

Introducing New Resources: Global Conflict & The Climate Crisis - Freelancers make theatre work Our new resources cover Global Conflict and The Climate Crisis, the support available for freelancers and what we as freelancers.

New resources are now live on our Support pages, focusing on Global Conflict and The Climate Crisis. Explore support for arts freelancers, ways to contribute to change, and a growing library of tools.
Learn more here: freelancersmaketheatrework.com/global-confl...

#FreelancersMakeTheatreWork

Some important news: American Theatre is now on Bluesky, so now not only can I repost our stuff here, you can follow us directly at @americantheatre.bsky.social.

My essential Theatre books which I use all the time :

2: Theatre of The Oppressed - Augusto Boal

This, with Boal’s Games For Actors and Non Actors, has been my guide to practical, democratic theatre making. This year, I’ve used Boal as inspiration in my playwriting classes and workshops

Over the next 20 days

My 20 essential Theatre books

1: IMPRO - Keith Johnstone
My foundational text. The most direct route to creativity. I couldn’t have been a playwright without it. Plus the essential sequel IMPRO FOR STORYTELLERS

People talk about “leaving theatre” but there’s a big difference between the industry and the artform.

Labour source: "For someone who’s not doing it to avoid inheritance tax, he seems to have an intimate knowledge of the next step he’s going to take to avoid inheritance tax."

Read the full post here:
exeuntmagazine.substack.com/p/on-bringin...

More than one in three children in poverty as UK deprivation hits record high Exclusive: Study finds almost quarter of UK population living in poverty, reaching the highest level this century

UK deprivation levels have risen to the highest in the 21st century, according to a landmark report. More than one in three children are now in poverty and a quarter of adults.

It is a scandal - but so is the pretence that any of this is normal. www.theguardian.com/society/2024...

Social media produces such echo chambers! Why, before Facebook & Twitter, I was forever inviting racists and homophobes round to dinner so I could listen to their views of the world, yes that definitely happened.

NEW BLOG POST!

We spoke with @hollywilliams.bsky.social all about bringing @exeuntmagazine.bsky.social out of hibernation and what we can expect from the publication as they go live again today!

bit.ly/3ZmJaAx

@nytimes.com
@theindependent.bsky.social
@thetls.bsky.social

So much about this sends me into a rage: that children’s theatre is seen as lesser than ‘normal programming’, that children don’t deserve to experience theatre, that it represents the wider British society disdain for young children, etc.

[noticing a group of people having a nice time at the park] enjoy your echo chamber