More than a thank you: An appreciation post for advocacy for independent arts organisations and artists

Next month, Beyond Face will turn 11 years old. Throughout our 10th year, we have planned and launched a birthday campaign to tell the story of the work we have done, why we do it and what is coming next for us. The campaign is rolling out in three stages and we are currently in our second phase: advocacy. You may have seen quotes from partners on our social media platforms, celebrating the importance of our work over the past decade. And as we approach applying for the next round of NPO (core funding from Arts Council England) looking ahead at our future activity and at the impact of our work, advocacy is very much at the forefront of the team’s mind. Therefore, it felt fitting to write a blog post highlighting why advocacy is essential for organisations like Beyond Face while also showing how it is a mutually beneficial tool for artists. Plus a rare occasion to advocate for ourselves - leading by example is important!

In the Cambridge Dictionary, Advocacy is defined as public support for an idea, plan, or way of doing something. The act of speaking publicly about something is powerful. It reinforces its existence, informs people, raises awareness and public recognition allows for the person, place or thing to understand the impact they are having. As someone who has grown up in the South West and committed to stay here to forge a career as an artist, I used to hear regularly that “there aren’t any global majority artists in the region” as a reason for having to outsource talent from London. I knew of course that this wasn’t true but without local organisations’ knowledge, trust and awareness, how much can an independent artist hope to challenge this statement? So when I first joined Beyond Face, what a breath of fresh air! To be able to be part of a community which amplified global majority artists and empowered us to stand up and say “We are Here!” It was therefore a fitting title to our Artist Development programme. That was a lesson in the power of advocacy and impact from an early stage of my career.

Within our artist development strand, championing  the artists we support and the work they produce is fundamental and helps to bolster their growth. Between 2020 and the end of the last financial year, Beyond Face has invested £27,000 into writers development alone. We held our first scratch night 10 years ago, began our first artist support programme the Beyond Ensemble in February 2019 and have cultivated several offers since. Our regular scratch night programme We are Here to Share was the catalyst to launching our associate artists programme. And from the seed planted from the conversations, discoveries and ambitions within We are Here to Write, the We are Here to write scratch nights, We are Here to Read (script feedback), The Next Draft (short-term support to support you to get to the next draft) and Writers Commissions have flourished. We introduced the rotational assistant facilitator role so that group members can take a more active part in the content and planning of the sessions. As this demonstrates, the offers within our programmes come organically, responding to what is shared by the artists we support whilst also ensuring each offer upholds our artistic ambitions. It comes from a want to give global majority artists in the region the means to meaningfully develop both their work and their practice, recognising the limitations that might currently exist due to location, artists’ other responsibilities or barriers due to racism and discrimination. Almost all of our offers come with financial investment for artists included as well as in-kind support from our team. 

One of the best things about We are Here to Write is how supportive an environment it is, how everyone uplifts each other when they share their work, their wins or their losses. The group feels like a space filled with warmth and joy existing in an industry which all too often can seem like a closed shop. We do what we are able to try and open this up, for example with our recent in-person gathering with the Bristol Old Vic literary team or our Bring it to the Table sessions. These sessions which we run across all of our strands have been created to redress the balance, giving the opportunity to share your hopes, ambitions, frustrations and challenges. Though they are spaces for you to share and be heard, the intention is also that the big themes and outcomes that are shared can influence the future path of our work in the years to come.  It also means we can shape the sector, going into conversations with partners and funders knowing what artists need us to advocate for on their behalf, being able to highlight where the gaps currently are for artists. It is also worth noting that the industry can sometimes still feel  like a closed shop to us too with barriers such as our location and the communities that we represent seen as reasons to dismiss or overlook us. We know the impact that we have across all of our work, indeed we are currently exploring how to tell that story in the most effective way.

And so, as evidenced above, advocacy really is at the core of what we do. However, despite Beyond Face’s longevity, we are still infantilised by some. Despite the work and trajectory we have achieved, we are still offered help. Having members of our community speak up for us, having champions who will uplift us in various spaces costs nothing but is incredibly powerful. But how can you be an advocate? If we have supported your work, tell people when you speak about it. When you are writing a bio, consider including Beyond Face and your involvement in Beyond Face’s programmes like We are Here to Write. If you meet someone who you think would benefit from Beyond Face’s work, encourage them to get in touch with us. Don’t underestimate the impact that an inclusion of Beyond Face in the acknowledgments of your play for example carries. We are fortunate that our relationships with artists we support tend to be long-term and far-reaching. Being a long-term member of We are Here to Write and sharing this demonstrates your lasting commitment to your craft and practice.  As we are not a theatre building and with our work happening in the South West, it can feel like our offers don’t carry the same prestige as theatre buildings or organisations based in the capital. But being a small and nimble organisation operating outside of a theatre venue is the very reason we are able to offer long-term support,  meet with you individually for support or read your play and give feedback fairly quickly.  

The best thing about advocacy is that it costs nothing, and the smallest mention or public support can have the biggest impact. Perhaps it can sometimes seem like arts organisations don’t ‘need’ that public endorsement, so I want to emphasise that independent theatre companies and arts organisations would actively welcome it. Of course, this should always come from a place of truth and authenticity too.

And so, even though the world and therefore this industry is nowhere near perfect, we will continue to celebrate your wins. Indeed, the best part of my job is the opportunity to champion and uplift the brilliant artists and work that we get the chance to interact with. So here’s to continuing to support all the brilliant work you are creating and together we can carry on advocating for each other!

-Corinne Walker, Artist Development Producer