By David Evans
With an election no longer on the horizon, not even lurking round the corner, but imminent, we can expect each party to attempt to outdo each other as they wave their "green" credentials. The Green Party would of course win were this the only topic up for discussion, but as it only forms part of the portfolio of issues, concerns, policies and special interests that will be squabbled over we will be left with the big three performing master classes of recycling and repackaging of each other's and their predecessor's ideas.
They all have policies - the Conservative have a "Climate Change and Energy policy" which is packed with big ideas and big commitments, they talk of a "decentralised energy revolution" and they will lead the way by cutting government's energy consumption by 10% in the first year of office.
The Lib Dems are delighted that the Green Alliance gave them "three green lights" and they are rather more specific in their support for renewable energy sources, and their opposition to nuclear power which the other two parties support. Like the Conservatives they like superlatives; "massive investment", "major insulation programme". They are a bit more microcosmic addressing domestic bills and how their "green infrastructure" will form the basis of a new economic model with new jobs attached.
The Labour Party has a more difficult role as they are already enacting part of their policy and they cannot snipe from the wings. They have already passed the 2008 Climate Change Act which as a legal framework has authority in the same way that the H and S at Work act of 1974 does and we all know how that has impinged itself on our lives. One of their main ideas is a "Green Investment Bank", perhaps an odd policy given the current currency of the banking fraternity.
All three parties are rather macho, everything is; "massive, big, comprehensive", but they are quite short on detail. Of course this is all made to look slightly absurd as you see Cameron peddling furiously round London with his car following him, and Gordon publically apologising for taking the occasional plane.
But how does this affect us? At the moment not a great deal, but as all their policies show, they are building up a momentum and pretty soon stringent standards will be imposed, and we should be ready for them.
The low hanging fruit of energy saving bulbs, turning off computers etc. have been discussed at length in the pages of Cueline and elsewhere, but it is depressing how little some managements and venues have done. Do they not realise that all sound energy saving decisions save money in the short, medium and long term?
Stage Managers can attend to their own activities, use recycled paper, print on both sides, turn off the lights, etc., but their influence is much wider. They set the tone for a project. Who sets up the rehearsal room? Who runs the shows? Your influence starts in the rehearsal room, if the management do not put out recycling bins, put them out yourself.
As part of the production team, you are part of the decision making process: use that influence. Despite the often pitifully slow process of government, certain councils have established very sophisticated recycling and reuse schemes. Contact them and find out how you can work together.
Battery recycling schemes exist, but they are not always very efficient, but what is stopping you drawing up a rota for people to take the old batteries to the local supermarket or library which offer recycling? Do any of you drive to work? Offset the journey by taking recyclable items to the local recycling centre (it used to be known as the dump).
The politicians are talking about saving the world, let us just concentrate on improving our little bits of it and then we might be better prepared for when they start making some real decisions.
An SMA member comments...
There are two associated issues I feel very strongly about, that I would like to add:
I did a lot of recycling on the last West End show I worked on, as we had newspapers, champagne bottles and beer cans consumed each show. I was shocked to learn the theatre bar didn't recycle (so I carried them to nearby recycling bins). The theatre bars produced many more bottles than the show did, so it just emphasised what a drop in the ocean it was that I was doing, to the point of ridicule. There's only so much 1 person can quietly achieve when the family of theatres around her is doing nothing. No bar or pub has any excuse not to recycle.
But my other real frustration which affects theatres heavily is water coolers. This is TERRIBLE for the environment, and also morally/ethically bad. But it seems to be so common, and even expected. Tap water is healthier, cheaper, ecologically and ethically better. It is important for actors especially to get their heads round this. I refuse to use water coolers and so often there is a sink not that far away. Does everyone have their own water cooler at home? Why are people so obsessed with them?
Wednesday, 14 April 2010
Wednesday, 10 March 2010
back from holiday with a vengeance
typical, start writing a blog and then of course simply run out of time.
As I was going away on 13th Feb, the last week in the office was absolutely mad, trying to make sure all the urgent stuff was done, including, of course, the new tax guidance for stage managers and agreeing who could say what to the Stage about it. Very very relieved as it's turned out OK, if not ideal. For the majority of stage managers it's good news. If you want specific advice, email the office, and you can download the new guidance from the SMA website members' area. If members only knew how much time this particular subject has taken up in the last three months!
Being away for two weeks in Berlin was fantastic - I didn't get a two week stretch holiday last year at all and it's just really nice not to have to start thinking on day 4 about packing up again.
But coming back, as usual, had its moments - the tax office had sent a completely erroneous demand (more work for the accountant), I had 342 spam emails at home and then the wasing machine broke down. I'd braced myself for a funny week in the office and so it proved - it took me till 4.30 on the Wed to work my way through all the emails (I mean, not just read them! Deal with them!), and Thursday was one of those awful days when I did lots and lots of small things - like sorting out a response to our auditors at the SMA with queries on the accounts, trying to organise the next Production Managers Forum session at PLASA Focus in Leeds, working on finding somewhere to hold the AGM in May, catching up on training with Kat who was in on Thursday afternoon.... but by the end of the day you don't actually feel you've achieved anything, just almost, but not quite, ticked a lot of things on your list.
Oh yes lists. I'm a great believer in lists, well, I guess it's the stage management background. There's an art to doing them, though, isn't there? So they make sense to you, yes, obviously, but also so that I prioritise in the best way. There are now 3 bits to my list...what's on this week in terms of meetings;....what's really important in terms of big jobs.....; all the small niggly things I'd also like to get done this week.
So this week, for example, had a staff meeting for Tuesday, a scheduled phone call from the Cultural Leadership Programme (follow-up evaluation on the Stage Managers for Managers project a couple of years ago), a meeting with Daisy Gladstone who is interested in editing the September Cueline, a meeting with Andrew de Rosa, new Chief Executive of the ABTT, time to discuss training and the Cueline coming up with Kat Nugent on Thursday, and finally showing Kate Astbury, one of our Board members, how she can help us with the mailings for the SMA Awards which she has kindly offered to help with whilst The Enchanted Pig is being shipped back from the States for a UK tour.
Ah, that was just the meetings.... I think I'd better get on with some work now I look at the list.....
Barbara
As I was going away on 13th Feb, the last week in the office was absolutely mad, trying to make sure all the urgent stuff was done, including, of course, the new tax guidance for stage managers and agreeing who could say what to the Stage about it. Very very relieved as it's turned out OK, if not ideal. For the majority of stage managers it's good news. If you want specific advice, email the office, and you can download the new guidance from the SMA website members' area. If members only knew how much time this particular subject has taken up in the last three months!
Being away for two weeks in Berlin was fantastic - I didn't get a two week stretch holiday last year at all and it's just really nice not to have to start thinking on day 4 about packing up again.
But coming back, as usual, had its moments - the tax office had sent a completely erroneous demand (more work for the accountant), I had 342 spam emails at home and then the wasing machine broke down. I'd braced myself for a funny week in the office and so it proved - it took me till 4.30 on the Wed to work my way through all the emails (I mean, not just read them! Deal with them!), and Thursday was one of those awful days when I did lots and lots of small things - like sorting out a response to our auditors at the SMA with queries on the accounts, trying to organise the next Production Managers Forum session at PLASA Focus in Leeds, working on finding somewhere to hold the AGM in May, catching up on training with Kat who was in on Thursday afternoon.... but by the end of the day you don't actually feel you've achieved anything, just almost, but not quite, ticked a lot of things on your list.
Oh yes lists. I'm a great believer in lists, well, I guess it's the stage management background. There's an art to doing them, though, isn't there? So they make sense to you, yes, obviously, but also so that I prioritise in the best way. There are now 3 bits to my list...what's on this week in terms of meetings;....what's really important in terms of big jobs.....; all the small niggly things I'd also like to get done this week.
So this week, for example, had a staff meeting for Tuesday, a scheduled phone call from the Cultural Leadership Programme (follow-up evaluation on the Stage Managers for Managers project a couple of years ago), a meeting with Daisy Gladstone who is interested in editing the September Cueline, a meeting with Andrew de Rosa, new Chief Executive of the ABTT, time to discuss training and the Cueline coming up with Kat Nugent on Thursday, and finally showing Kate Astbury, one of our Board members, how she can help us with the mailings for the SMA Awards which she has kindly offered to help with whilst The Enchanted Pig is being shipped back from the States for a UK tour.
Ah, that was just the meetings.... I think I'd better get on with some work now I look at the list.....
Barbara
Wednesday, 10 February 2010
Catching up with myself?
Never!
I finally managed to get home, very late, last Wednesday and Thursday, but I did feel I'd got a real grip on the Production Managers' Forum which has been a little neglected of late, but now has some interesting meetings lined up. And I managed to get most of Cueline together, just leaving myself the Editorial, Training and Events pages to do over the weekend....
Friday, though, was my fun day - as a regular contributor to the Stage I get invited to their New Year party in the saloon of the Theatre Royal Drury Lane. It's a great event and I met quite a few SMA members there... We talked about the new West End agreement (boo, hiss), the BAPAM (thumbs up) - that's the British Association for Performing Arts Medicine, and that covers stage managers, too, it's a charity which can help you access specialist advice for free. And I spoke to Stephen Spence of Equity about the tax situation - more official news on that very very soon. I even met Moira Stuart and she's terribly nice! It's a place to do business, agree meetings, exchange gossip, find out what really went on at this or the other theatre, and network network network!
Back to the grindstone at the weekend - two articles for the Stage to finish, plus that Editorial for Cueline...
Tuesday - this is my last week before I'm off on holiday for two weeks, so trying to get even more things than usual crammed into 3 days. We have a staff meeting to update each other and find solutions to various little or big problems - much better done in a group than on your own! But this is my short day, so just about have time for that and ploughing through the accumulated emails before dashing off to pick up the kids.
Wednesday - well, today has been interesting, what with conversations and emails with the HMRC, still trying to finish the last bits of Cueline, the accounts having come back from the accountants with some queries, Netbanx still causing me a headache as I'm trying to get the system off the ground which will allow the SMA to take credit cards over the phone, too (the website one is now up and running!!), yet another member complaining (quite rightly) that there are so many unpaid jobs advertised on SJP, negotiating a venue for the next Board meeting and training course, and being really happy that membership numbers have gone up again this month! Oh, and I finally got round to writing the Training and Events pages for Cueline which is just as well as David Ayliff is coming in tomorrow to finalise and print it all out with me...
time to go home!
Barbara
I finally managed to get home, very late, last Wednesday and Thursday, but I did feel I'd got a real grip on the Production Managers' Forum which has been a little neglected of late, but now has some interesting meetings lined up. And I managed to get most of Cueline together, just leaving myself the Editorial, Training and Events pages to do over the weekend....
Friday, though, was my fun day - as a regular contributor to the Stage I get invited to their New Year party in the saloon of the Theatre Royal Drury Lane. It's a great event and I met quite a few SMA members there... We talked about the new West End agreement (boo, hiss), the BAPAM (thumbs up) - that's the British Association for Performing Arts Medicine, and that covers stage managers, too, it's a charity which can help you access specialist advice for free. And I spoke to Stephen Spence of Equity about the tax situation - more official news on that very very soon. I even met Moira Stuart and she's terribly nice! It's a place to do business, agree meetings, exchange gossip, find out what really went on at this or the other theatre, and network network network!
Back to the grindstone at the weekend - two articles for the Stage to finish, plus that Editorial for Cueline...
Tuesday - this is my last week before I'm off on holiday for two weeks, so trying to get even more things than usual crammed into 3 days. We have a staff meeting to update each other and find solutions to various little or big problems - much better done in a group than on your own! But this is my short day, so just about have time for that and ploughing through the accumulated emails before dashing off to pick up the kids.
Wednesday - well, today has been interesting, what with conversations and emails with the HMRC, still trying to finish the last bits of Cueline, the accounts having come back from the accountants with some queries, Netbanx still causing me a headache as I'm trying to get the system off the ground which will allow the SMA to take credit cards over the phone, too (the website one is now up and running!!), yet another member complaining (quite rightly) that there are so many unpaid jobs advertised on SJP, negotiating a venue for the next Board meeting and training course, and being really happy that membership numbers have gone up again this month! Oh, and I finally got round to writing the Training and Events pages for Cueline which is just as well as David Ayliff is coming in tomorrow to finalise and print it all out with me...
time to go home!
Barbara
Tuesday, 9 February 2010
In the SMA office
Never a dull moment at the Stage Management Association, though I have to confess my whole life is a bit like that - too many interesting things to do and not enough time to do them in!
Anyway, just to add to the fun, I thought it about time that the SMA had a blog, so maybe YOU can tell us a bit more about what YOU're doing, and we at the SMA can tell you what exactly we're up to.
So what are we up to?
Well, there's three of us who work in the office, as you know. Sally is the membership chief honcho and spends the whole of Monday and Tuesday in the office, often part of Wed or Thurs or Fri as well. And she deals totally with the Freelist. On her own. Giant round of applause here, please. She is the person with the most fantastic attention to detail, ever, even by high stage management standards! I'm hoping I'll persuade her to write her own account of what she gets up to on here soon!
Kim is administrator and queen of the website and also deals with a myriad other things - printing out Cueline, organising meeting rooms for the Board meetings, writing up the minutes from those meetings, getting all the stuff ready for various trade shows, and being the life and soul of the party at any SMA events. But again I hope she will tell you a bit more about her work herself at some point. Kim is in the office every Tuesday and Friday and often an hour or two on other days, depending what's on.
Mmmm, what do I do? I find it difficult to summarise, so I might just tell you about my last week... but essentially I'm responsible for the SMA, accountable to you, the members, and the Board of Directors. In consultation with them, and Sally and Kim, we decide on strategies and directions and policies for the SMA. I also do all the representing and going to talk to people. Oh and setting up new initiatives or dreaming them up in the first place... You see what I mean about it being difficult to summarise? Ah, I forgot - I edit Cueline, too... It's a bit like 'stage manager' - I do everything else, and by the way I'm in charge!
So I'm in the office generally on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. But last Tuesday was an exception - I'd been invited by Cirque du Soleil to an event they were holding at the Royal Albert Hall for the industry, to talk to some of their backstage staff and have a look around backstage. I couldn't miss that - I've been trying to write an article about them for Cueline and/or the Stage for three years! And they'd even organised an interview with the stage manager for me! I was really looking forward to that.
Sigh. It nearly worked - yes, I did get to meet their Deputy Technical Stage Manager, their Production Manager for the Royal Albert Hall and the Touring Services Director (that is one hell of a job description, more on that another time!), but the stage manager was - you'll never guess - on paternity leave (spot first big difference to 'normal' UK stage management). And the other stage manager (they have only two - more on that another time) was busy rehearsing something on stage. Grmpf.
Still, plenty of material for an article, but another year to wait for the next Cirque stage manager who calls one of their shows to come to town!
Wednesday. Stage management and tax issue - have Equity cracked it? Still holding our breath though Equity confident. Lots of emails about that. Also, emails since previous Thursday to catch up on - we only have one email address in the office, but use different colours to mark emails for different staff. I'm purple and usually on a Tuesday I have a sea of purple emails to wade through... even more so last week as I wasn't even in on the Tuesday. Urgent ones, obviously, do get forwarded to me at home, or Kim or Sally ring me up, but most stuff can wait till I get in and it's much better this way - at one point, I was doing emails all the time at home and actually felt I was working seven days a week, though I wasn't if you totted up the hours - but I wasn't getting a proper break. Now I feel I'm much more productive on the 3 days I actually work (well, often I do do Fridays as well, but just till 2pm). Long conversation with one of our trainers who is worried a pressing family commitment may get in the way of the course planned for us. We postpone the decision till this week. Pay some bills, set up all the Accounts spreadsheets for this year as our financial year ended December and I've just sent off all the stuff to the accountants. More emails and phone calls trying to finalise the technicalities with Netbanx which will allow us to take credit cards not just on the website (yippee! that's up and running now!), but over the phone, too. Re-write some of the website as Kim and I went through almost the whole of it the previous week to decide which bits needed tweaking and updating.
Pause! I'll carry on another day... too late now... Hopefully at least one more post before I go away on holiday (shock, horror) for TWO weeks on Saturday!
Barbara
Anyway, just to add to the fun, I thought it about time that the SMA had a blog, so maybe YOU can tell us a bit more about what YOU're doing, and we at the SMA can tell you what exactly we're up to.
So what are we up to?
Well, there's three of us who work in the office, as you know. Sally is the membership chief honcho and spends the whole of Monday and Tuesday in the office, often part of Wed or Thurs or Fri as well. And she deals totally with the Freelist. On her own. Giant round of applause here, please. She is the person with the most fantastic attention to detail, ever, even by high stage management standards! I'm hoping I'll persuade her to write her own account of what she gets up to on here soon!
Kim is administrator and queen of the website and also deals with a myriad other things - printing out Cueline, organising meeting rooms for the Board meetings, writing up the minutes from those meetings, getting all the stuff ready for various trade shows, and being the life and soul of the party at any SMA events. But again I hope she will tell you a bit more about her work herself at some point. Kim is in the office every Tuesday and Friday and often an hour or two on other days, depending what's on.
Mmmm, what do I do? I find it difficult to summarise, so I might just tell you about my last week... but essentially I'm responsible for the SMA, accountable to you, the members, and the Board of Directors. In consultation with them, and Sally and Kim, we decide on strategies and directions and policies for the SMA. I also do all the representing and going to talk to people. Oh and setting up new initiatives or dreaming them up in the first place... You see what I mean about it being difficult to summarise? Ah, I forgot - I edit Cueline, too... It's a bit like 'stage manager' - I do everything else, and by the way I'm in charge!
So I'm in the office generally on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. But last Tuesday was an exception - I'd been invited by Cirque du Soleil to an event they were holding at the Royal Albert Hall for the industry, to talk to some of their backstage staff and have a look around backstage. I couldn't miss that - I've been trying to write an article about them for Cueline and/or the Stage for three years! And they'd even organised an interview with the stage manager for me! I was really looking forward to that.
Sigh. It nearly worked - yes, I did get to meet their Deputy Technical Stage Manager, their Production Manager for the Royal Albert Hall and the Touring Services Director (that is one hell of a job description, more on that another time!), but the stage manager was - you'll never guess - on paternity leave (spot first big difference to 'normal' UK stage management). And the other stage manager (they have only two - more on that another time) was busy rehearsing something on stage. Grmpf.
Still, plenty of material for an article, but another year to wait for the next Cirque stage manager who calls one of their shows to come to town!
Wednesday. Stage management and tax issue - have Equity cracked it? Still holding our breath though Equity confident. Lots of emails about that. Also, emails since previous Thursday to catch up on - we only have one email address in the office, but use different colours to mark emails for different staff. I'm purple and usually on a Tuesday I have a sea of purple emails to wade through... even more so last week as I wasn't even in on the Tuesday. Urgent ones, obviously, do get forwarded to me at home, or Kim or Sally ring me up, but most stuff can wait till I get in and it's much better this way - at one point, I was doing emails all the time at home and actually felt I was working seven days a week, though I wasn't if you totted up the hours - but I wasn't getting a proper break. Now I feel I'm much more productive on the 3 days I actually work (well, often I do do Fridays as well, but just till 2pm). Long conversation with one of our trainers who is worried a pressing family commitment may get in the way of the course planned for us. We postpone the decision till this week. Pay some bills, set up all the Accounts spreadsheets for this year as our financial year ended December and I've just sent off all the stuff to the accountants. More emails and phone calls trying to finalise the technicalities with Netbanx which will allow us to take credit cards not just on the website (yippee! that's up and running now!), but over the phone, too. Re-write some of the website as Kim and I went through almost the whole of it the previous week to decide which bits needed tweaking and updating.
Pause! I'll carry on another day... too late now... Hopefully at least one more post before I go away on holiday (shock, horror) for TWO weeks on Saturday!
Barbara
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