How to measure quality? Let me count the ways… at Assitej

When I went to Assitej2017, I knew about Arts Council England’s Seven quality principles. I did not know about the Danish Seven that had been in existence since the 80s.  Or the Australian Five. And then I remembered that Arts Council England has a further Nine.

Are we measuring what matters? Or is it even possible to measure? Probably not, art is inherently subjective so it is not possible to find a metric to measure definitively.  And in live theatre different performances will vary with different audiences. To paraphrase Francois Matarasso, we do not look to find if the show is excellent in some abstract sense but if it is excellent on this night, with this audience, in this place. And everyone will have their opinion, judgment and discernment. For Mr. Hisashi Shimoyama, from the Rica Rica Festival in Japan, a good piece of theatre for young people was one that encouraged children to continue to live. How do we measure this? Are their eyes engaged in the action? Is there a collective gasp at a reveal in the plot? Are they laughing at moments you expect, or at other moments? Are they talking about the show afterwards?

Mary Rose Lloyd from the New Victory Theatre suggested a definitive system of measurement is elusive as a Unicorn.

However, it is useful to have some questions and statements to prompt those conversations, whether with peers, with children and young people, teachers or other stakeholders. So for the record, here are the ways, as discussed at Assitej2017.

The Danish Seven

1. Artistic objectives

Does the company have a genuine commitment to its work?

Why this production? Why are they making theatre at all?

Is it evident that this particular company see the need of playing this particular play in this particular way at this particular time?

2. The Text (Alternatively in the case of productions with little or no text:the dramatic development)

Is there a dramaturgical development?

3. The Solutions to the staging

Meaning all the decisions taken in relation to the text eg. Design, music, direction.

What is the impression as a whole?

4. The Actor’s work

The characters – are they credible? Do they develop? Are they multi-faceted?

What is the interplay with the spectators?

5. Relations to the audience

Are the children (in the audience) taken seriously?

Does the production captivate its audience?

Is it clear that this particular company is concerned about addressing this particular audience on this special day?

Are they prepared to respond to the audience?

6. Relations between the intentions and the abilities of the company

Do the ambitions match the skills of the company?

7. Ethics

The ultimate and overall idea of the production.

What is the encounter?

Arts Council England Seven (for children and young people – all arts)

1. Striving for excellence and innovation

2. Being authentic

3. Being exciting, inspiring and engaging

4. Ensuring a positive and inclusive experience

5. Actively involving children and young people

6. Enabling personal progression

7. Developing belonging and ownership

The Australian Five (all arts)

1. Captivating

2. Emotional resonance

3. Intellectual stimulation

4. Aesthetic enrichment

5. Social bridging and bonding

The Arts Council England Nine (all arts)

Statements from which artists can invite audiences to tell them what they value about the work.  Each statement is scored on a simple metric scale.

1. Concept: it was an interesting idea

2. Presentation: it was well produced and presented

3. Distinctiveness: it was different from things I’ve experienced before

4. Challenge: it was thought-provoking

5. Captivation: it was absorbing and held my attention

6. Enthusiasm: I would come to something like this again

7. Local impact: it is important that it's happening here

8. Relevance: it has something to say about the world in which we live

9. Rigour: it was well thought through and put together

Diversity, difference and inclusion… in Theatre for Young Audiences in Africa and the World

“What voices get heard; what perspectives get listened to? When we speak, from what perspectives do we speak and to what extent do we acknowledge these?”

“How exclusive these forums are… How are we making sure that we acknowledge our privileges?”

The strength of the Cradle of Creativity ASSITEJ 2017 festival was that it included many different, less privileged voices in the debate and ensured that the debate was not just in the centre of the city but also in the Township cultural hubs.

English delegates have the particular perspective of working in the context of Brexit and with the Arts Council England’s Creative Case for Diversity.  This was highlighted by Erwin Mass and Liz O’Neill. 

The questions below are drawn from the excellent facilitators, speakers and delegates too numerous to mention by name.

- Is difference a better word than diversity?

- The etymology of diversity means ‘to turn aside’, is not ‘inclusion’ the approach we want?

- What are the feelings attached to not being included?

- If we look at the UK in the context of ‘inclusion,’ is the Brexit vote to exclude ourselves from Europe because we do not feel included?

- How do we ensure both quality and diversity?

- To what degree does relevance and intention inform excellence in art?

- Is it a myth that children are somehow innocent and outside concerns of difference and identity?

- How do we normalise difference?

- How do we talk about diversity in Central Africa where Cameroon has 250 different languages? (in addition to the 2 primary colonial languages)

- How is wisdom found in many different places?

It is not useful to close down the debate or draw conclusions, but to note how setting of Capetown provided the African and global dimension to open up a wide intercultural exchange on the theme.

Navigating the Cradle of Creativity - ASSITEJ 2017 conference and festival in Capetown, SA.

There was a lot to take in at The Cradle of Creativity, the ASSITEJ conference and festival in Capetown, SA. When I got off the plane I was wondering how to navigate my time at the festival.

So it was useful to start my first day with a keynote address from Dr. Matthew Reason who began by acknowledging his position, similar to mine, as a white, male, straight, able-bodied, middle-class white man.  Matthew said this was not to apologise but a simple acknowledgement that these identities are – or rather they pretend to be – unnamed and unmarked, not identity positions at all.

“It is both ethically and intellectually the right thing to do. I also do so for a more conceptual reason, which is that it raises a point to consider around intercultural exchange and diversity intersect with exnominative identity positions….  Roland Barthes used the term ‘exnomination’ to describe the way the bourgeoisie – broadly those in power – hide their name, remain anonymous, fail to refer to themselves as an identity position at all in order to naturalise their position and power.”  

And furthermore, of particular significance given the histories of colonialization, was my English identity.  For me, this was highlighted on a trip to Robben Island where our guide wanted to talk about where we were from. The role of the English, or rather British, in South Africa’s history became a conversation.  It was a starting point for shared discussion. 

Similarly, in another conversation with a professional colleague, we shared that we had both spent our childhood in Ghana, as children of Naval officers; White British and Black Ghanaian. For me, it was also a starting point for personal reflection.

Matthew continued his keynote by setting out a broader context.

“The significance of this point goes beyond myself and this paper to this particular audience at this particular conference, but to questions of identity, authority, diversity and representation more broadly. What voices get heard; what perspectives get listened to? When we speak, from what perspectives do we speak and to what extent do we acknowledge these?”

It was a context for me to navigate the shows, the conversations and a little of the history of Capetown.  At the close of the festival, the President of ASSITEJ, Yvette Hardie, noted how all the participants had been ‘marked’ in some way and acknowledged the importance of the festival coming to Africa for the first time.  Artscape, the main venue, originally built for white South Africans in 1971, was now host to some fabulous Black South African shows like Animal Farm and Karoo Moose. All around in township venues, the City Hall, Magnet and Baxter, theatres were full with shows from around the world and conversation.  Capetown the legislative centre of apartheid was now a witness to the vibrant intercultural exchange of ASSITEJ 2017, The Cradle of Creativity.