The Optimists 2024 course wrapped earlier this month, so we caught up with one of our cohort Raymond, to find out what he enjoyed about the programme, what has influenced his approach to producing, and what are his biggest takeaways.
China Plate Theatre: a name I had heard, and which had stuck with me because my Nana used to tell me a story that lived in the blue-and-white Willow Pattern motif on her plates, cups, more. Its design shows a pagoda, a willow tree, a Chinese garden and other elements, so a China Plate indeed!
Scroll forward a few years, and when (inevitably!) I turned my back on a ‘proper’ job to concentrate on writing/creating for theatre, I first tested myself with a couple of small Musical Theatre projects. And then COVID turned all the lights out!
So, turning lemons into lemonade I pulled forward a couple of ideas in readiness as “it will be over well before the end of the year”, including developing a single song into a full show; putting a polished-up tryout project online as a free theatre night-out in lockdown, and occasionally working a little more, on what by then, was becoming a passion project – devising a cross-arts production of the Willow Pattern story, something for which I had earlier started composing its now-completed music suite.
© Arnim Friess
Of course, COVID hung around longer than everyone would have liked, sadly decimating theatre in the process and raising genuine concerns about its recovery. Then at a ‘How Can New Writers Get Their Work Seen By Producers’ seminar, a producer on the panel told me “Make. It. Happen!” I wondered how? And then wondered some more… until sometime later, along came China Plate – Optimists (2024) Producer Training course and answered my question.
I was very fortunate to be offered a place, and across the courses 10 sessions I was provided with an awesomely valuable awareness of matters ranging from Pitching and Budgeting to Venues and Touring, via Marketing and Management and more…learning what a Producer knows, as much as what a Producer does, which is ALOT!
With sessions presented at supporting theatres, by appropriately skilled members of China Plate, and with guest presenters from across the theatre spectrum, it is hard to imagine that the education received could be bettered.
The depth of what was presented certainly required focus and concentration, but it was all a natural process anyway, not ‘lectured-to’ but ‘explained-to!’ It was a great way to accumulate knowledge and understanding through open discussion, including some fun brain-stretcher exercises that opened a couple of completely new doors for me.
© Arnim Friess
And that’s only half of what the course gave me, the other half being maybe even more valuable… a network, colleagues and open invitations to ask/check/engage anytime, new friends, industry introductions around your major local theatres, and maybe just a little ‘China Plate Optimists (2024)’ cachet 🙂
And since? It has only been a few weeks; however, I actually started some rewrites as the course went along, polishing or replacing what previously I was satisfied with: loading my ammunition!
The Optimist courses are structured as a learn-how-to-be-a-Producer programmes, however they are immensely useful to all specialisms in theatre because knowing other people’s jobs and how they mesh, adds massively to the easy-flow between a team’s different areas, increasing the professionalism of all.
My intent when applying was to move forward as a self-producer for my own works, maybe now and then help someone else’s project to its debut perhaps. It still is, but it is also easy to see other options because of this new insight and awareness. Members of past years’ Optimist cohorts can now be found in substantial positions in this wonderful industry, so keep an open mind.
For me, let’s see how self-producing goes and what it brings. It will be challenging I know but it is going to be fun, I’ve made my mind up! Thanks China Plate!
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To find out more about The Optimists, you can visit the programme page here, or get in touch with our Training & Development Producer Kristina Hall at [email protected]