New Year, New You!

Posted 18/01/202226/01/2022 RuthEJWestLeave a commentPosted in Creative Industries, Health, Mental Health

If you’re anything like me and the majority of people I have met who work in the creative industries you struggle with your fair share of mental health issues.

Even if this hasn’t been directly diagnosed all of us sail through the ordinary waves of the arts world from the ebbing beginning of an idea, drifting into the creation all the way to its presentation, rising to our fullest heights before crashing back down after the event, before discovering what we should pursue next.

The natural rise and fall of The Arts Business.

January tends to form one of these lows, whether the darkness and cold of the outside world rears its ugly head in the form of Seasonal Affective Disorder or our winter projects have come to their expected close and now, armed with our New Year’s Resolutions we’re out to seize 2022 but with little idea of where exactly to start.

It is therefore important to nurture yourself through these times.

So here are the places you can start!

Healthy Eating

I’m not gonna lie, I find this one incredibly difficult. I’m a food girl and when I’m sad or angry all I want is a family-sized packet of cheesy Doritos, a 200g bar of Galaxy and a glass of red wine.

But truthfully, when I’m counting calories, following a diet plan or consciously eating less doughnuts and more vegetables, I do genuinely feel better, both mentally and physically.

I think it’s to do with taking control of my actions. By having control of that small part of my life it allows me to gain more control of everything else.

I’m also slightly overweight (although aren’t we all after Christmas… and coronavirus), and being lighter gives me so much more energy along with such a great sense of achievement it is difficult not to feel happier.

Although it’s not all about what appears on those scales. It’s more about creating a healthier lifestyle and making smarter food choices. So, next time you’re at Maccies and you order yourself a Big Mac Meal, you probably don’t need the extra Chicken Mayo Burger and Crunchie McFlurry.

I track my calories on MyFitnessPal!

Exercise

If you’re anything like me the very mention of the word exercise gives you horrendous flashbacks to running the 1500m at school for your rather large PE teacher who struggled to tie her shoelaces let alone jogging around the school field. But it releases endorphins improving your mood and lowering those stress levels. Ultimately it will make you healthier and happier, whatever you can squeeze into your schedule, every little helps.

That’s why you have to find the right form of exercise for you for me I like a variety. I love getting old school exercise DVDs and following along in my living room. I also like yoga and pilates, less cardio more strength building.

I love any form of exercise which creates the illusion you’re playing a game, so RingFit on the Nintendo Switch is great for me. But if you can’t afford a new games console, take a look at the older models in CeX. The Xbox 360 Kinnect has some great options from Harry Potter and Star Wars spin-offs, an adapted version of Fable for the true gamers or some actual exercise games from the likes of Nike and The Biggest Loser. The WiiFit was also bloody brilliant! And both of these are pretty affordable options.

Finally, at the start of covid… you know… back when it was a novelty… and we thought it would be over in a few months… like many others, I started Couch to 5K. And made it all the way through to 8 weeks where you run for 20 minutes without stopping! (Furthest I’ve ever run in my life.) And believe it or not, after only a few weeks of completely resenting running, I actually began to enjoy it. My body expected a run and was ready for it

Mindfulness & Meditation

I put these in the same category as they can be seen as a little wanky… but there are loads of different techniques and styles of mindfulness and meditation and, like exercise, you need to figure out which methods suit you.

I have a friend who told me the story of their mindfulness philosophy:

“I was walking through the park on my way to work and I saw a good looking tree. I thought to myself, ‘Now, that is one lovely tree,’ and went to continue. But then I thought, ‘No, don’t pass this tree by, why is it a lovely tree?’ And I pondered on its branches, the roots, the leaves, the age, the colours… and then I carried on with my day feeling just a little bit lighter.”

The best explanation of mindfulness I have ever heard! Both in its simplicity and its hilarity.

He’s not wrong though. Mindfulness is appreciating the positives in the world around you and meditation is how you switch off or divert the thoughts in your head for some well-deserved quiet time.

Find methods that suit you, I love listening to audiobooks using Audible and to ensure I’m fully engaged when I’m meditating I will repeat the words out loud after they have been said so my brain is focusing both on the task and the content, driving unwanted thoughts from my head.

If you’re looking for some beginners guides I love the Headspace app myself, so whether it’s reading, binge-watching your favourite series, taking a long walk or spending an hour in the bath, you’re bound to adapt mindfulness practise into a way that suits you.

Binge Queer Eye

Yes, this is a very specific direction but there are few things in this world that make me feel better about myself than watching these fabulous queens on Queer Eye with Netflix.

The Queer Eye peeps are so positive about everyone! They are really pro self-care but not in a way that detracts from your life or changes you as a person, just in helping you maintain the person that you are.

It is impossible to not be filled with a new bout of self-love and appreciation after watching even just one episode, so if you haven’t already, give it a go, and if you have, the new seasons just come out!

Read Unf**k Your Brain

When going into battle it is important to be fully equipped with all the possible intel you can acquire on your enemy so that you know exactly how to combat it.

That is exactly why if you’re struggling with any form of mental health problems you should read this book!

Unf**k Your Brain is by Faith G. Harper and uses science to help you learn to get over anxiety, depression, anger, freak-outs and triggers. And it is written in a very matter of fact and down to earth way, making it easy to understand and informative in a way that feels like you’re in a pub chatting to your mates, not just being spoken down to by a so-called expert.

And there you have it, just a few ways to smash the beginning of your year!

If even just one of these little things can have a positive impact on your lifestyle then I would love to know I’ve helped, so drop me a comment or message on social!

APP OF THE MONTH: Audacity

Posted 10/01/202207/01/2022 RuthEJWestLeave a commentPosted in App of the Month, Business Skills, Creative Industries

Name	Audacity
Product Description	By far the best, cross-platform, professional, audio editing software available online and the best thing? It’s absolutely free!
Availability	Available from the Audacity website
Key Features	· It’s available on pretty much every single mainstream operating system.· Use it to record live sound through a mic, mixer or direct recording of digital sounds. · Import sound files from anywhere and everywhere and export your audio files in multiple formats at once. · Provides an excellent sound quality: 16-bit, 24-bit and 32-bit. For those who have no idea what I mean, sound quality is measured in bits kind of like how image quality is measured in pixels. · It supports loads of plugins (or a programme which can be added to a piece of existing software to serve a specific function or purpose). · Really simple editing functionality where you can copy, cut, paste and delete as well as saving all your individual editing steps so you can undo and redo every minor detail to your heart’s content. · They have loads of special effects available right at your fingertips including fades, reverbs, distortion, track repair, click tracks, noise reduction and so much more! · It is super easy to use with loads of quick mouse moves and keyboard shortcuts to manipulate your tracks simply and quickly. · Built-in analysis to allow you to visualise the different frequencies of your tracks.
Prices and Plans	It is completely free software promoting free speech!
Biggest Pro	Other than the fact it’s free, it comes with a frequently updated, easy to use and incredibly detailed user manual! Take a look at the online guide for Audacity here.
Biggest Con	If you’re not knowledgeable on sound editing vernacular you might find some elements of this software tricksy but if you’re looking to upgrade your skillsets just get googling and YouTubing and reading that online guide and you’ll be a sound editing whizz before you know it.

Whether you’re setting up a podcast (like us), editing sound for a movie, a music track, a theatre show or an installation, whatever it may be, this is the best one available and will come at no expense to you and your company! It’s also a great new talent to add to the CV.

What do you use Audacity for? Let us know in the comments below.

BAD DAY GOOD STORY: The First Post

Posted 25/01/202106/07/2021 RuthEJWestLeave a commentPosted in Bad Day Good Story, Creative Industries, Mental Health

‘A Good Day is a Good Day, A Bad Day is a Good Story’ – Glennon Melton.

I’ve had many a bad day in my life.

You know the ones I mean. Those days where everything starts bad and gets worse.

You wake up to discover your alarm hasn’t gone off.

You groggily stumble into the bathroom to find you have run out of toothpaste and in your haste, smack your head off the door mirror.

You struggle to get dressed realising when you pull up your trousers you’ve put them on the wrong way… again.

You speed walk up the road in beautiful sunshine when all of a sudden, black clouds gather overhead, bringing with it a weathery apocalypse.

You have no coat, or umbrella, or sleeves.

You cross the road and step in a puddle the size of Brazil and deeper than the Pacific and completely ruin your (massively inappropriate for the rain) suede shoes.

You watch your bus pull up at your stop from 100 metres away, although it may as well be 100 miles, and despite deep down knowing that however fast you run you will never make it, you peg it towards your goal.

Your bus pulls away so you try to style it out but then you trip.

You ladder your tights and graze your knee.

You get up thoroughly embarrassed only to realise your bag has also flown to the ground, contents sprawled across the pavement and tampons gracefully rolling down the hill for the whole world to see.

You think to yourself ‘Stupid Gravity’. You glance down at your watch, thinking how could this day get any worse, to realise the screen has cracked, and it’s not even 8.30 in the morning!

Alright, so maybe this is a bit cheesy music video and you’re probably expecting Daniel Powter to wheel past playing a grand piano but you get the gist.

We’ve all had them. You work yourself up and then spend the rest of the day brooding about everything that happens however big (i.e. ‘AHHHHHHHHHHHHH a meteor is headed for earth. FML. This is the worst thing ever in the history of the world. Stupid fucking meteor. I never even liked earth anyway way. You rock-y bastard’) or small (i.e. ‘AHHHHHHHHHHHHH I dropped my pen. FML. This is the worst thing that’s ever happened in the history of the world. Stupid fucking pen. I never even liked you anyway. You pen-y bastard.’). Everything simply gets worse and worse, and worse and worse, until your vision is covered in a mist of black.

I think everyone can agree that on these shit days there is little to smile about, right? WRONG!

Now, with my new life philosophy, I look back on these days in a whole new light!

Don’t worry! And don’t stop reading!

I’m not about to preach to you some mindfulness preaching like how all I eat is Kale now which is feeding my brain so much that I know closely resemble Megamind or that this new yogarobics spin class I discovered releases so many endorphins that it is better than taking ecstasy or even that I found God on the backseat of my car next to a 2-month-old bag of Haribo (which to anyone who knows me could actually be feasibly true, my car is full of crap, loads of places for Jesus to hide). No, no no!

My Mantra is simple:

‘A Good Day is a Good Day,

A Bad Day is a Good Story’

That’s it. Simple.

They may be happy or sad memories. They may be filled with laughter or tears. They may be jam-packed days or a singular moment, but they are all stories waiting to be told.

So, roll up to witness the astonishingly absurd situations and ridiculous scenarios I seem to end up in, from bad dates to worse job interviews, sucky employees and crappy people.

Join me on a whirlwind adventure of my bad days that I have turned into good stories. And most of all, enjoy.

Illustration by Kirstie Notman – Illustrator & Artist

It’s Panto Time: Oh no it isn’t!

Posted 11/01/2021 RuthEJWest2 CommentsPosted in Creative Industries, Promotion, Theatre

Oh yes it is!

That time of year again, when usually I would be up to my armpits in dame wigs and glitter.

Alas with a countrywide lockdown keeping the theatres closed it won’t be the most traditional pantomime season…

But never fear!

I have been to ask the magic mirror on the wall and she tells me there will be a panto after all!

And I know what you’re thinking! There’s no way you’ll be able to keep up these panto puns for the whole post…

Oh yes I will!

With the help of the Good Fairy, I have scoped the country to find some awesome panto offerings throughout the UK, which will help you go from feeling like the back end of the pantomime horse to the star of the show in no time.

And hopefully, in the spirit of panto and with a sprinkle of pixie dust, I’ll help inspire your arts business to create some fun panto content of your own!

Cinderella: A Comic Relief Pantomime for Christmas

A star-studded Comic Relief, Christmas offering from the BBC with bonus illustrations from the legendary Quentin Blake and cameos from James Blunt, David Tennent, Sam Smith and Sir Mo Farah. Celebs adorn their own makeshift costumes and source their own random props to tell the story of Cinderella in true covid style, including a surprise Hollywood Mega-Star stepping up to play the panto horse!

Essentially, this is a rehearsed reading over zoom including lots of classic gags from the year like Button’s internet connection breaking up just at the moment he tries to declare his undying love for Cinderella, an interruption at the door for a Morrison’s delivery or people entering the scene on mute. It works because the cast was brought together on the same call and can play off each other, raising the banter to another level.

From the outtakes at the end, it is clear that the participants had a delightful time filming which you feel as an audience member. It goes to show you can have fun, make great content and raise money, all at the same time.

Check out the Comic Relief panto HERE!

My First Panto: Goldilocks and the Three Bears by The Garage

My First Panto clearly takes its inspiration from Children’s television, designed for the CBeebies target audience and tailor-made to keep toddlers and younger children engaged. It includes simple dance routines to join in with, engaging puppetry and simple, comic book style animation depicting great onomatopoeic words like splosh and splat, with brightly coloured cartoon-style sets and costumes.

You may think that restricting your work to a particular audience will limit your number of viewers, but by specifically devising and customising your work to fit a particular buyer persona your work becomes more appealing and stands out from your competitors. Another thing this show does brilliantly is utilise a small cast, which means that it is easier to create content whilst abiding by government coronavirus guidelines.

Check out The Garage’s My First Panto HERE!

Cinderella: The World’s First Interactive Live Stream Pantomime by PantoLive

Available until 31^st January, PantoLive has created a fully interactive online panto, cleverly produced using CGI and green screen bringing the panto experience directly to your living room with the special touch of Chris Johnson who makes for an awesome and engaging Buttons.

A great little addition to this show is the interactive audience buttons including all of your classic panto responses:

BOO!
Aww
Cheer!
Clap!
Behind You!
Buttons!

You don’t need to be a tech wizard to encourage this type of interaction in your content. If you choose to stream your work on Facebook live, for example, you can ask your audience to get involved by pressing the like, love, care, wow, haha, sad and angry buttons! Don’t be afraid to get creative with technology which already exists!

Check out Panto Live HERE!

The Scunner That Stole Christmas by The Gaiety

An episodic panto designed especially for the local community, filled with classic lines, characters, shout outs and even a chase sequence! The main narrator, aptly named Fairy Handwash leads the action where cast roam around the county of Ayrshire looking for the lost panto ingredients of Joy, Adventure and Togetherness.

At the end of each episode, they even give ways for the audience to send in their contributions to help save Christmas. This is like a masterclass in how to create User Generated Content (UGC) for your Arts Business. By asking the kids watching the video to contribute, not only does it engage them in the conversation, it makes them feel a part of your business, hence boosting your brand visibility and authority. The great added bonus is that they also created videos for your social media, which as we all know, can be a time consuming and arduous task. Sending in your best panto jokes or teaching your finale choreography are just two great ways you might involve your audience!

Check out The Gaiety’s The Scunner that Stole Christmas HERE!

#Panto_Demic! By Conquest Theatre

A cancelled panto season has left the baddies of the fairy tale world at a loss of what to do with their lives! Join them on a pre-recorded zoom call as they discuss their options for future bad deeds and figure out if they can get back to their usual terrible plots whilst the pandemic rages on, complete with song and dance and for the bargain rental fee, from Vimeo, of £7.

The genius Unique Selling Point (USP) of this panto is the stand out storyline twist. From Disney alone with their successful franchise of ‘The Descendants’ where we see the offspring of the Disney baddies coming of age, or their best-selling board game ‘Villainous’, which allows players to pick their favourite Disney Baddie and win by completing their awful schemes, we know that this format can be successful. This is exactly what Conquest Theatre has done with their online panto offering!

Try to think of unique angles in your content which will appeal to viewers in a way that your competitors don’t.

Check out Conquest Theatre’s #Panto_Demic! HERE!

Jack and the Beanstalk by Ulster Theatre Company

The most traditional of online panto offerings comes from the Ulster Theatre Company. It is a pre-recorded show (like the live streams offered from the National Theatre) of Jack and the Beanstalk with all the features you would usually expect from a Christmas show, and a pantomime cow who can perform Riverdance.

Whilst we can’t get to the theatre you shouldn’t be frightened to pull material out of your archives. It isn’t just for the major companies like The Shows Must Go On and Shakespeare’s Globe. You can either present this content for free with a suggested donation or set it up to have a rental fee, like the Ulster Theatre Company has, charging £9.99 per household, much less than you would usually spend taking your family to the theatre and no less of the quality! A really great panto! It’s available until the 31^st January 2021.

Check Out the Ulster Theatre Company performance of Jack and the Beanstalk HERE!

Cinderella ONeLINE and Short Cinders by Alliance Theatre

This is one of the most brilliant theatre endeavours I have come across this pandemic. Since Autumn, Alliance Theatre has been compiling performances from a cast of 350 participants from all across the globe to contribute to this wacky and brilliant retelling of Cinderella. Characters morph into other versions, with multiple community members playing their part, bringing to life everyone from Cinderella herself to the Pumpkin who longs to be her coach! They have also developed a completely different short retelling of Cinderella so there is no excuse to not get your panto on!

This is User Generated Content (UGC) used in the best possible way. What I really love about so-called amateur productions is the clear passion everyone contributing has in the success of the project. Basically, everyone is having a lovely time and that makes you have a lovely time watching it! Why not have a think about different ways you can use your audience to not only create great content, but have the best time doing it.

Check out both Cinderellas from Alliance Theatre HERE!

Goldilocks and the 3 Bearz by Basel English Panto Group

This is an awesome contribution from a small company across Europe in Switzerland who are introducing the very British Tradition of Pantomime to the local community of Basel with the opportunity for locals to take part themselves. And let me tell you they have definitely nailed the panto concept! The specially arranged dance routines and covers, including the disco classic ‘Love Shack’, really helped me to get my panto fix this year!

This can also act as a stimulus for your arts business. Are there any traditional art forms or shows that are performed elsewhere in the world that could be reimagined for the British stage? Get your research on and really push the boat it here! I assure you there will be groups all over Facebook with enthusiasts like yourselves just longing for a platform to experiment, from Japanese Noh Theatre, Indian Harikatha or the traditional Commedia Dell’Arte of Italy find your niche and have fun with it.

Check Out Basel English Panto Group’s Goldilocks HERE!

And I’m afraid that’s it for now, (oh no it isn’t, oh yes it is) but we would love to hear about any online shows you’re putting on this panto season! Just hit us up in the comments below and we will do our best to share them on Social Media!

How to Perform a SWOT Analysis on your Arts Business

Posted 12/10/202008/11/2020 RuthEJWestLeave a commentPosted in Administration, Business Skills, Creative Industries

As a second lockdown looms and we are all wondering what is in store for the creative industries it’d be easy to hunker down and get back to our main mission of 2020: trying to complete Netflix.

But don’t rest on your laurels!

Use this time as a chance to analyse your business and create a plan for the future.

The easiest way to do this is to create a SWOT analysis for your arts business. Now, I’m sure many of you have heard this term before but haven’t necessarily put it in place for your business.

Simply put, SWOT stands for:

When creating your SWOT analysis just take it section by section and ask yourself the following questions:

STRENGTHS

How strong is your product or service?
- Whether you’re a theatre company creating a show or a gallery retailing prints it is important to look closely at what you are selling.
What is your Unique Selling Point (USP)?
- What makes you stand out from the crowd? Are you a musician that can play the drums and electric guitar at the same time? That would be your USP.
What makes your company stand out from your competitors?
- Perhaps you’re a wedding photographer, what makes you different from all the other wedding photographers out there? Are you an airbrush expert? A master at taking action shots? That is most definitely a strength.
What business areas and departments are your best?
- If you’re a performer you might be amazing at coming up with social media content for your marketing, or great at sales! Think about all the different departments of a traditional business and which ones you ace.
What assets does your business own?
- Take an up and coming arts centre, a key asset might be an office and multipurpose arts space in a bohemian suburb of a city. That would be a mega-strength!

WEAKNESSES

What are the weaknesses in your products or services?
- Be objective here, where does your arts company fall short or where could you see room to improve.
What is your brand lacking?
- For example, are you up to date with all the latest technologies? If you’re a comedian, you could be well suited to Tik-Tok so if don’t yet have an account this could be a weakness.
In what areas are you vulnerable to your competition?
- If you’re a new business you might lack the staff base that your competition has, this could be a vulnerability.
What business areas and departments are your weakest?
- I know here at the Arts Business our weakest department is our accounts! But we have transformed this into an opportunity enrolling in numerous online courses in bookkeeping to improve.
What assets are you lacking?
- This could be anything from lacking external office space to having a limited following on social media. Take these in your stride and create business goals around them.

You can then use these answers to help you establish your Opportunities and Threats.

OPPORTUNITIES

Where could you make improvements in your company?
Can you build upon your weaknesses?
Can you turn your problems into opportunities?

THREATS

Are there barriers or obstacles which may affect you entering your chosen creative industry?
Are there external factors (for example a tumultuous government or a global pandemic) that may cause problems in your chosen market?

We all know, as artists, it can be a struggle to brag about what we’re good at and admit to our shortfalls which is exactly what can make performing a SWOT analysis tricky. The difficulty comes in looking objectively at these aspects of your business.

There are a few things you can do to get into the swing of it:

Start by performing SWOT analysis on your competition! It is easier to nit-pick at a company that isn’t yours, and once you have discovered their strengths and weaknesses you will find it much simpler to spot your own. Also, you might even find a gap in the industry which your company could fill.
Have a friend or colleague perform a SWOT analysis of your business. Bringing in external opinions or utilising your staff who see your company from a different perspective can be a great way to reveal strengths and weaknesses you may have otherwise been unaware of.
Get in a consultant to do it for you (like the Arts Business). If you’ve got the money this can be a great way to spend it as an external consultant is much more likely to be impartial when analysing your company.

This will enable you to successfully construct a plan of what you can do to improve and how the things you are already awesome at can help you to become even more awesome!

REMEMBER: If 2020 has proved anything to us it is that the world is always changing and we need to be ready to adapt and evolve with it.

So, don’t just do a SWOT Analysis once! Think of it more like a cycle to enable constant growth and development.

Have you done a SWOT analysis on your Arts Business? We would love to include it in this post as an example! Let us know in the comments below or contact us.

My Lockdown Corona-Coaster

Posted 28/07/2020 RuthEJWestLeave a commentPosted in Creative Industries, Mental Health

I know I haven’t been around for a couple of months! I can only apologise! Like much of the population I have been slowly losing my mind.

I stopped watching the news in April because I couldn’t bear to learn what preposterous idea Boris and his team of terrible Tories have come up with next. Instead, I have been learning what’s going on in the world through hilarious memes shared across various different social media platforms with friends that I’m not allowed to see, all of whom are in places I’m not allowed to go to.

So, here is my Corona-coaster in action, all the way up and all the way down and round and round in bloody circles, until I have reached what will hopefully be slightly more consistent plateaux.

Weeks 1 to 3 when we were assured by our Prime Minister that we would only be in lockdown for 3 weeks I was filled with optimism. Finally, time to get my shit together. I would start ‘couch to 5k’, a new HIIT plan and a new diet to boot! By the end of lockdown, I would not only look great, but I would feel fabulous!

I would also start a new drive with The Arts Business. This was the time! Yes, I had lost 90% of my contracts due to the fact that I’m predominantly based in the arts and events industry but heck! Everyone would be in the same boat. We could get through it together. This was going to be great; I was finally going to do all the things I never got around to!

How was I to know this theory was so flawed!

I am used to travelling to different places to visit friends and colleagues up and down the country every weekend. I was just starting Am Dram season at The Core in Solihull, having just finished up Annie the Musical (with my dog Molly playing Sandy, she was amazing FYI.) I was ready to spend every other evening for the next 3 months in the wings! I went out for dinner dates, babysat friends’ children, went to rehearsals for future shows. Even on home office days I went to coffee shops and bars to mix up the monotony of working from the same desk all day.

I would hazard a guess that not once in my life, even in my darkest periods of depression and anxiety, had I ever been more than a week without at least entering someone else’s house, let alone travelling more than a 10-mile radius to go to the supermarket and back.

And so, my initial breakdown began.

I sat in the garden and cried. I know I’m incredibly lucky to have a garden, and I’m not sure I would have lasted as long without it.

This was the longest of my meltdowns so far: I ruined my sleeping pattern; I spent countless days watching hours of easy television; I let the monotony of life take over me. The death counts and number of cases weren’t getting lower that quickly and the only news we had was that lockdown would be extended by at least 3 weeks…

At least 3 weeks? What does that even mean? To me it meant things weren’t getting better, maybe they never would.

However delightful my housemate is and however lucky we are to be living in a world where we can see anyone we want in a matter of seconds via video link, it just wasn’t the same, isn’t the same, as seeing someone in real life!

A friend who was also struggling dropped by to gift us an overspill of baking (sooo lockdown, am I right?) She ended up staying for 6 hours! At a reasonable social distance of course.

And so, our weekly sanity garden gatherings began.

I mean, one thing lockdown has had going for it is the weather. Basically unheard of for Britain, but those first few months were filled with brilliant sunshine 95% of the time. The world may have been falling apart but at least the sun was out and I hadn’t had to fill up my car with petrol for a month.

Swings and Roundabouts right?

I had reached the (albeit slightly selfish) conclusion to ‘F**k Coronavirus’! If it was my time, I thought, then it was my time. I’d rather be out living my life than die in between the same four walls watching bad TV with only a tan (and a pretty awesome dachshund) for company.

Don’t get me wrong, I wasn’t being stupid! My Dad, for example, is high risk, so I wasn’t about to head over to his house and lick all the door handles, but I needed something.

It was around week 8 (day 310) that my mood swings were so intense I was living like a yo-yo.

By week 12 (day 1456) I thought if I do another quiz on zoom imma lose it! And I bloody love a quiz!

Week 16 (day 32, 851) I couldn’t find any motivation to do anything at all! I mean, if I can’t motivate myself to get off the sofa and work the day through how the hell are children meant to motivate themselves to home school.

Finally, week 20 (day 1,287,345) I know I needed to get a grip. Work out the negative, focus on the positive.

I went through therapy a few years ago where I learnt that I thrive in other peoples’ company and that had been completely lost in lockdown. I love group socialising! And even though I’d probably had more contact with my friends over social media than ever, it wasn’t the same as actually seeing someone in the flesh, and not freaking out if your hands accidentally brush over a tea cup.

I decided that mental health needed to take precedent. Not just mine, but my that of my friends, my family and my colleagues.

So, we expanded our bubble, again responsibly. I know it’s not entirely in line with government guidelines (but who can understand that bag of contradictions anyway?). My friends who had been reaching out, struggling and felt all alone were brought together to get through whatever this life is and whatever it was going to become.

I watched the ‘Dear… Lin Manuel Miranda’ documentary on Apple TV and he said that if you have an idea that won’t leave you alone, that idea that keeps tapping you on the shoulder saying: “Hey, remember me, I’m here, I’m awesome,” you’re bound to do it eventually. And chances are that’s the one that will work.

So, The Arts Business will be my Hamilton

I started to count the little things as wins. I find it very easy to listen to the negative voices in my head, the ones that tell me I’m not doing enough, I’m not good enough, I’m not healthy enough, I’ll never be enough.

Which isn’t true…

I’m pretty awesome actually.

I have started to chip away at my to do list, things that I had fully intended to do at the start of lockdown.

I bought a new laptop and phone as a kind of business loan to myself. No more blaming my laptop (which FYI was not fit for purpose).

I stopped playing games completely obsessively (major deal for me).

I give myself credit for doing short bursts of work with different activities in between.

I decided to focus on me and hopefully the rest will follow.

Anyone else struggling with lockdown?! Let me know.

You’re not alone.

La La Land: Fantasy vs. Reality

Posted 24/02/202025/03/2020 RuthEJWestLeave a commentPosted in Creative Industries, Music, Theatre

*SPOILERS AHEAD*

I don’t live in LA, nor have I ever been, but in the same way I’m sure that no movie about American High School has actually accurately depicted an American High School I am positive that La La Land does not accurately depict what life is like for an out of work actress and struggling jazz musician living in Hollywood. Feel free to stop me if I’m wrong (those of you who are struggling actors in LA will know better) but Emma Stone seemed to swan in and out of mansion parties as if this is the normal way to network. The production parties I’ve been to have mainly consisted of a theatre foyer with a dodgy catered buffet and box wine but who am I to judge? Maybe life is that different across the pond. Now, I’m not stupid. I know that embellishment is added for the sake of entertainment. I’m not here to pick holes…

Despite the mixed bag of reviews I received before finally getting round to seeing it myself and the poor singing and dancing that is bettered every year on Strictly Come Dancing aside, I think La La Land raises some important truths worth pondering over which tend to play out in our careers and businesses, wherever we may be in the creative industry.

I was mentoring a young actor, a year into her drama degree, who moaned that she was sick of her retail job and was looking for something, anything, even remotely associated with theatre, her chosen specialised field. Isn’t this what Mia (Emma Stone) does? What Seb (Ryan Gosling) tries? What we all do? Many of us start off in the arts working in bars or restaurants, front of house or box office. So long as it is part of a theatre or gallery or festival or music venue we feel in the thick of the action and it’s ok for now. And I commend these people! The passionate dreamers! Our dreams get a little more jaded as we age but we start off fighting!

The audition process illustrated in La La Land unfortunately can be faithful to real life, which is a shame. When they are run by bored minds who no longer really care about the work they are involved in they leave hopeful actors worn out and weary, hope dying with every rejection, like Mia. She tells us she has been ‘trying to make it’ for 6 years and basically can’t be bothered with it anymore; dejection and fear has settle in.

The general consensus across the creative industries is that no one gets into the arts for the money so the moment you stop really loving what you’re doing is the moment you should stop or at least change course. Sometimes it’s the rebuffs, sometimes the lifestyle. I used to work in stage management and found my decision pretty much came down to this: Do I want to have a social life or do I want my work to be my entire life. The love wasn’t there any more, so I left. But what can I say: lady theatre dragged me back, just down a slightly different path.

Obviously, everything works out in the end, in the film at least. Mia becomes a Hollywood Star due to the unprecedented success of her one woman show and Seb uses the money he made in his modernised Jazz band to fund his dream jazz bar business. Obviously not entirely realistic but very Hollywood (and with a dream ballet sequence, the likes of which haven’t really been seen since Oklahoma!, who is complaining)!

So what should you take away from this movie? What is the moral? Sorry to sound pessimistic but dreams don’t always come true, at least not in the way you think. I think the moral is that your life has to adapt with your craft, sometimes we must compromise and other times we must evolve.

The speech that struck me was that of Keith (John Legend) who tells it Seb Straight:

“How are you gonna be a revolutionary if you’re such a traditionalist? You hold onto the past, but jazz is about the future.”

He has remembered something integral: art is a business. To stay on top we need to roll with the punches. He takes traditional jazz and gives it that contemporary, commercial twist for a new audience who, with any luck, will look into the origins of where this music came whilst continuing to carry it into the future with them, introducing a new audience and a new, evolutionary art form.

Seb makes his money in this band uses it to fund his dream bar. Clearly, during his time spent with The Messengers Seb has learnt a few lessons, which are reflected in the bar set up. The layout of his club takes us back to a 1940s feel of what jazz bars would have felt like, something which is fashionable at the moment, especially if you’re looking for that new hipster hotspot. It serves fancy drinks in fancy crystal, also super trendy, as opposed to the fried chicken sticks he originally longed for (now presumably reserved for the end of the night). Then the jazz is the cherry on top. He has nailed a business which gives him an outlet to perform the music he wants, whilst turning over (we hope) a profit.

You might be thinking this is a corporate way to analyse this movie, I prefer realistic. So, look at Seb’s success, cut past the romance, the song and dance, the bright colours and remember to keep business and at the heart of your operation. Drive your desire constructively to developing your values alongside the current climate with the aim of breaking even or making money so that you can reinvest it and do more work that matters to you and your viewers! Adapt your mind set and progress with the times.

Your enthusiasm will always show in what you produce. When things get tough, always remember your audience can see more than you think. After all as Mia says:

“People love what other people are passionate about.”

What did you take from La La Land? Any business strategies you think I’ve missed? Or opinions your yearning to share?

Last night Some Am-Dram Saved My Life

Posted 30/12/201924/03/2020 RuthEJWestLeave a commentPosted in Creative Industries, Mental Health, Theatre

I know that this blog is primarily about how to apply business skills to your Arts Business, but I will from time to time bring mental health to the forefront of discussion because I think it should be openly discussed and it’s an important conversation.

The Arts Industry is rife with people who struggle with their mental health and (although I will admit that I have no scientific research behind this) I would argue that there are more individuals battling with invisible illnesses like anxiety and depression in this industry than in any other.

Sometimes working in the arts feels like a constant uphill climb. We are encouraged to go out there and live our dreams, but we are never told how hard it is going to be. The hours are long and the pay is often low. Environments can be stressful, and experiences can bend you to complete breaking point.

Now please don’t get me wrong:

I love the arts!

And however much there are times I want to pack it all in and runaway forever Lady Theatre keeps dragging me back! There is nothing like the creative industry. The rush, the excitement and the passion!

A few years ago (without going into too much detail) both my personal and professional life began to crumble and I started to fall apart. I went on long term sick leave with the diagnosis of depression and anxiety and vowed never to work in the arts industry again.

After a year of struggling I couldn’t even bring myself to open my laptop and the idea of searching for a new career made me feel physically sick but I knew I needed to do something, if only to appease my friends and family to show them that there was light at the end of the tunnel.

A neighbour had told me about a charity panto that would be taking place in February called: ‘Goldilocks and the Three Martians’.

“They always need volunteers to help with props and set” I was told. She passed on my details and found out the rehearsal times for me.

So one Friday, when I was having a good day, I decided to push myself to attend a rehearsal. I was instantly introduced to the Head of Props who immediately gave me a copy of the script, talked me through all the things which needed making and invited me for a meal to meet the rest of the crew.

I went, I chatted. I was instantly enveloped into a family of different personalities who had one key thing in common: they LOVE theatre.

Now, a year later, I am the official stage manager of this year’s panto: ‘Sinbad goes Down Under’ and I have been involved in crewing, building and propping the entire amateur dramatics programme in the Solihull Area.

More importantly, I have learnt how to manage my depression and I have remembered why I fell in love with the arts industry.

I used to be quite the cynic about amateur dramatics. Basically, I was a bit of a snob. I felt like there was a strong divide between “professional theatre” and “amateur theatre”. To a point it is instilled in you at arts school that you are somehow better than that, above it.

But there is something beautiful about amateur dramatics though. It is pure and innocent. There is none of the economic politics. Everyone is there because they love what there doing, whether that is onstage or off. They have become an immediate community of likeminded friends.

And they have reignited my desire for this industry and helped me find my way in this beautiful life.

If ever you’re feeling lost in what is often an overwhelming world, I implore you to seek out the hobbyists in your industry! They may not be the most professional, the most innovative or have the highest production values but none of that matters! They are the most positive and passionate groups and they just might relight your fire.

The Escape Room Evolved: ‘Stab in the Dark’

Posted 25/11/201924/03/2020 RuthEJWestLeave a commentPosted in Creative Industries, Entertainment, Theatre

It is always important to keep up with the latest trends in any industry and in recent years the entertainments world had been taken over by Escape Rooms.

If you don’t know what an escape room is basically where have you been? There are hundreds, if not thousands of these up and down the country.

The trend began in the Japan and the concept is simple: get “locked” in a room must solve a series of puzzles to escape.

These come in all shapes and sizes, at a variety of prices and in any possible theme imaginable! Great for team building activities or just fun nights out with a group of mates they are generally popular little money spinners!

So, what happens when you take these to the next level?

Enter Show Up Productions.

From 1^st October 2019 Show Up Productions will be launching the previews of their ‘Immersive Crime Scene Experience: Stab in the Dark’

Young Essex based entrepreneur Rachel Dingle has taken the concept of the escape room and turned it on its head:

It’s 1995. There has been a murder in a prestigious fashion store. You have been called in by the local police to help the investigation.

Spend an hour in the crime scene looking for clues and collecting evidence.

Take your findings to the police station where you can submit evidence for forensic analysis, speak to witnesses, and eliminate possible suspects.

Can you solve the case?!

This isn’t about speed. It is experimenting with the concept that guests are specialist detectives brought into investigate and solve a murder with live, talented, multirole-playing actors to assist you on your journey.

This is a completely immersive, interactive event but, more to the point, by playing on the ever growing and continually popular Escape Room market Rachel has developed a completely unique theatrical experience.

If you’re in the Southend-on-Sea area go and check it out! This is one not to be missed! Get your tickets HERE.

But could your company jump onboard the Escape Room train?

There are loads of ways you could play with the general concept of the Escape Room that would encourage a new audience to get involved with your arts organisation so put those thinking caps on.

Not only do these not have to break the bank but they could also be great money spinners and raise your profile:

KnowEscape currently have somewhat of a monopoly on the portable escape room. Their travelling Escape Bus covers everything from personal parties to professional events across the UK.
Similarly, container entertainment has been growing over the last few years (meaning shows that are built into recycled lorry containers). Darkfield do great things with containers, and although I know this isn’t strictly speaking an escape room, they are a fantastic example in simplistic theming and concept that can easily be toured. They use surround soundscapes through headphones in the pitch black utilising your different senses to create horror genre environments.
Museums and Galleries are a great place to experiment with the Escape Room. They have the existing space available to play with performative experiences and are generally only open during the day so contemplate evening openings in limited spaces to attract that 9 to 5, Monday to Friday working crowd in midweek!
Already running an escape room? Have you thought about kid-friendly rooms, shorter in length and easier to solve. You could run these in your existing rooms during half terms and holidays to boost those sales and increase your audience? Doing this may even inspire the parents and guardians to come back and try these escape rooms for themselves!
Hit up the corporate market by expanding your escape room into full day experiences. Companies love a team building daily excursion! You could even incorporate some of the immersive aspects Show Up have thought about in order to expand!
Don’t have a venue? No problem, think about developing ‘escape cities’ or ‘parks’. Online treasure hunts are growing and their biggest pro is that walking round a city is free! Remember though: this isn’t quite the same if you’re running tours or public treasure hunts as there is a certain amount of red tape that needs cutting and permission that needs gaining!

And this is only spin offs for escape rooms! Every week brings a new fashion, so keep your finger on the pulse when it comes to the latest trends and think about how you could use these in your organisation!

Find the Perfect Idea to Start your Arts Business

Posted 16/09/201924/03/2020 RuthEJWestLeave a commentPosted in Business Skills, Creative Industries, Start Ups

Why Start an Arts Business?

It’s terrifying putting yourself out there and letting out your artistic endeavours in the world.

I hear excuses almost daily about why brilliant artists and entrepreneurs shouldn’t start businesses in the Creative Industries. Generally, these people are amongst the most hard-working, inventive and organised individuals but they are scared of the risks often entailed with starting a new enterprise.

But, there are numerous reasons to set up a new arts business:

Creating (or manufacturing) new work (products or services) which can be seen and directly sold, whether that is a new piece of art for someone’s mantelpiece or a performance that you want to be seen by the right audiences. This type of business can be taken directly to the customer.

The want to distribute others work – you could be a gallery owner, a receiving house, a fringe venue, a music academy, a poetry publisher, a producer, the list goes on. You can take this work either straight to the audience or to other businesses so there are two avenues you can go down.

Running events or finding a product you think someone else will benefit from. Think your Theatre in Education (TIE), art workshops and school holiday activities. Not for profit organisations or charities come with plenty of perks to like claiming Gift Aid on donations and the ability to claim back VAT.

Some people are simply on the lookout for business opportunities where an investment, either monetary help (funding or equipment) or through giving time and advice to help others start a business, or in many cases in the Arts run themselves as a business, is traded for a return on their outlays later. This is the agents and producers of the industry or opportunities like residencies provided by galleries.

Most Arts Organisations start out in one of these categories and then quickly diversify in order to turn over profit to drive the main organisation aim. Once you have thought of your initial idea then you can branch out:

As an example think of a specialist antique shop that collect their stock and run their business in different ways:

Some stock they buy in from markets and sell on
Some shelves or sections they rent to clients and sell the stock on their behalf
Some products they display for free and split the profits with the owner
Some articles are faux vintage bought in new to sell on at a more substantial margin
Some items are handmade from recycled antiques
Some run a café alongside their shop
Some host specialist auctions at weekends
Some run courses to teach hobbyists more about antiques

You get the idea. There are always multiple strings on their bow to help sustain their business and, more importantly, their passion. So, think about your passion and how it can be funded.

Have you come up with your great idea but don’t know where to start? Or maybe you’ve diversified your portfolio to fund your passion. Tell us in the comments below!