Extracurricular Education

Week one of term break has passed. However, the learning did not stop for me. On Monday I attended a seminar about copyright and intellectual property. This is just the kind of thing that excites producers. I know it doesn't sound glamorous but, for those of us looking for new sources of creative work, the topic is very relevant.

As producers, it most often falls to us to make sure we secure all the necessary permissions  to create and perform a piece of theatre. If we are creating a new work, we need to understand our obligations to the writers and/or creative company. If the work is based on already existing material such as a book, we need to secure the rights to use the book in a stage adaptation. If the script already exists and we wish to mount a new production, then there are contracts that must be signed for that as well.

Navigating the standard practices and understanding British laws on such matters is crucial for a producer's success. After all, one doesn't want to invest resources into a new show only to have the the individuals who have claim to the intellectual property pull the plug for the show. I won't go into the details of the lecture here but if you are interested in these subjects, there are plenty of online resources. And there is ITC. 

ITC is the Independent Theatre Council here in the UK. Headquartered in London, they are a fantastic organization that hosted the seminar I attended on Monday. ITC offers a series of training sessions for those in arts management. I first discovered them in 2010 when I was living in London and went to a seminar on how to start a theatre company. Since my return, I have been keeping my eye on their offerings and was thrilled to be able to attend Monday's event. 

Membership has its privileges: Theatre companies and independent theatre producers can join ITC as members. Members not only get a price break on the cost of seminars but they can contact the team at ITC for advice and resources to help ensure success. The goal for ITC is to encourage ethical and productive practice for the companies that make up the theatre landscape here in the UK.

If you are in the UK I highly recommend you look into ITC and all they have to offer. If you're not in the UK, have a look in your region to see what support theatre makers can access near you.

Until next week...

Take care!

-m