THREAD: Theres lots of talk about theatres working with communities . Hello!! Over here! We've been here all along! Ive had some terrible experiences and some amazing experiences with different places over the past 20yrs. Heres some examples. 1) A 12k tender.

I spoke to the community. They wanted a flag pole. Didn't want an arts project. There were 18 community members at the interview! We were clearly there to offer them some experience in commissioning but we knew we hadn't got it because a 'famous' theatre co had also been invited

They wanted the 'circus' to come to town. Most really want a big fancy photo opportunity. A buffet. Cupcakes and claps. Real community work emerges and is co constructed. Communities need to be involved from the start and be listened to! One com member here said

they were being 'taught what contemporary art is and until recently I thought a pile of bricks was just a pile of bricks". They didn't want art. They wanted a flag pole. They were not invested. They didn't own this idea/project.
2) The 17k tender where I was invited

for an interview and yet again proposed to start with some exploration, listening ideas (mainly involving a huge community egg and spoon race, some pop up performances as a way of gathering what was needed/wanted/would work). I was ripped to shreds.

I'd driven 2hrs for that privilege, written a bespoke proposal inc budgets/marketing as asked. I was told that that my idea "was not art". I was starting with the community. Inviting. Listening. Questioning. Listening. It was not a good day.

3) One theatre who said they wanted the community in their building but clearly didn't because of 'noise' and the toilets were too difficult to manage and the audience were not experienced in theatre and didn't understand that they couldn't take their prams in to the theatre.

Compare that to an amazing theatre who welcomed them in and all the noise, sweet wrappers and kids in prams that came with them.
Our projects take around two years from idea to delivery. Real community work takes time because you've got to build in the listening.

Theatres need and want to engage with communities? Well then you also need to engage with the practitioners who know their stuff. Who've made the mistakes. Who've got a pedagogy that they've tried and tested. Who are learning alongside their community.

You need to forget about the circus, put away that niggle that may be telling you that the quality is not the same. Talk to the applied theatre practitioners, the drama facilitator, the community outreach team, the FoH team. They know. Venture out. Do your research.

Go out to them to meet them. Buy THEM a coffee. Then listen.
(PS I love the actual circus obvs).