Youth sector at risk as small-to-mediums squeezed

Fireface by Marius Von Mayenburg, Presented by  Stories LikeThese and atyp, Image via kjtheatrediary

Theatre people talk a lot about ecology.  It’s a useful metaphor for attempting to understand the complex inter-connectedness of the groupings, individuals and organisations that make up the “industry”.  It speaks to the notion that these connections and inter-dependencies can sometimes be hidden and surprising.  Contemporary usage can’t help but carry an underlying suggestion of fragility.  We are so often used to discussing ecologies that are under threat through one influence or another.

For the past seven years or so I have spent the majority of my time in the Theatre for Young People (TYP) sector.  One of the things that struck me upon entering the youth sector was how strong its supporting structures were. There was a dedicated industry magazine, multiple large scale festivals dedicated to serving different age groups, and a peak body that held regular national conferences to build links, develop skills and address industry wide issues.  The sector had a powerful understanding of its own importance and a clear role at the local, national and international levels.[

In the years since, I have seen considerable evolution in the landscape.  Forms of theatrical expression and presentation contexts for young people have become more diverse.  The explosion in Belgian companies using young people as performers in professional theatre has had a powerful influence here.  Companies that previously engaged with young people primarily as audience are inviting deeper participation and engagement in the creative experiences they provide.

There is greater emphasis on expanded audience reach right across the sector, and companies have been shifting their models to achieve this.  Some companies have completely re-invented themselves to make work that fits into the available presentation opportunities.

High profile presentation opportunities in major festivals have opened up for youth sector companies making work for family audiences. Major presenters have had a long commitment to programming for young people, and some of the major companies also see opportunities in developing family audiences.  Youth sector companies in turn have been embracing these opportunities. 

At the same time, some of the previous structures that supported youth arts have morphed into other entities or disappeared.  I have had it suggested to me that on balance the sector is not as well supported as it once was.  There is an argument for that, but mostly what I see is a sector that does not dwell in the past, wholeheartedly embraces change, and is working hard to make the most of every new opportunity that emerges.  

The youth sector’s ability to take advantage of arising opportunities stems from a clear understanding of its role, and a deep commitment to responsiveness.  The sector is marked by a disciplined and rigorous approach to understanding the relationship between artist and audience. It is also marked by an enthusiasm to create theatre for an audience who don’t have pre-conceived ideas about what theatrical forms best reflect their lives and experiences.

Another powerful asset to the sector is its interdependent relationship with independent artists. There are no dedicated youth theatre companies in the Major Performing Arts Group.  All of this country’s incredible array of youth companies exist in the small to medium sector.  TYP companies rely upon artists developing skills and technologies at a high level in the independent sector where processes and expectations are often freer.  Artists have a very detailed and considered understanding of the context in which they create work, and the audiences they are serving for any given project. Without artform and artist development in the independent sector, the small to medium companies simply won’t have enough high caliber artists to work with.  Already this ecology is desperately fragile.

The recent Australia Council Review was an admission that it was time to re-evaluate whether the national body was operating in the best way that it could.  This was a source of anxiety for companies currently relying on its funding.  A major body such as the Australia Council doesn’t undergo such an extensive review without expecting to shift the funding landscape in important ways.  There were going to be winners and losers out of that process.  Combined with movements at the State level, such as the Queensland Government’s de-funding of youth arts companies, and the Victorian experience of the new Organisations Investment Program, instability has been a constant within the small to medium sector generally, and the youth sector in particular.   

But amidst the uncertainty, there was considerable confidence that the Australia Council would run an informed process. There was trust that they understand the interdependence of the ecology, and that changes were going to be made with due consideration of the causes and effects of those changes.  Small to medium companies who were successful in receiving six-year funding would have at last received some of the stability they need and deserve.

It is no exaggeration to say that artists working in the youth sector see lives change.  Whether because of a workshop in which a young person finds their voice or gains powerful insight, or in the audience of a show that sheds new light on a character or situation they identify with, or as a result of the infinite and extraordinary array of experiences that youth arts provide young people, we see how much our audiences and our participants love and value the art.

You might read this as an argument for youth sector exceptionalism.  Actually it is not.  I’m writing about the youth sector because that is where I do the majority of my work.  I fully expect that every part of this country’s small to medium arts sector could tell a similar story in their own context. 

The small to medium sector does incredible work on tiny budgets, and is flexible and responsive to its audience and its collaborating artists.  We serve local, national and international audiences.  We run workshop programs and residencies.  We work into the programs of major arts organisations, and non-arts organisations.  We are very focused upon being accountable for the funding we receive and on making sure we support different parts of the ecology.  We also are very receptive to changing community priorities and needs.  Most could not do any of this without the independent sector and the artists that are supported by its projects.  And yet, in the current landscape, it is the independents and small to mediums who consistently fall into the bracket of organizations that need to justify the investment.

Youth arts companies, along with all the other small to mediums, have been operating in conditions that require high levels of efficiency and accountability for a very long time now.  We are central in a highly integrated and interdependent ecology.