So .. I'm getting a picture of where this is going now. I spoke to the Arts Council Head of Music Helen Sprott and she suggested by applying for less money I would be more likely to get something rather than nothing. IE my chances of being successful increase the smaller my budget is... It's a question of presenting not only a strong piece for their consideration (which I have to presume Inanna is at this point) but also presenting an overall context for the work within the remit of the festival and the theatre hosting the festival. It has to have a wide reach as well as being a strong piece.
There are other intricacies to do with the Arcola and its current phase of development as a venue and its plans for the future. These are somewhat up in the air at the moment. They are currently recreating their business plan - so it appears that next year there may be a more consolidated and refeshed vision for the theatre and the role of the Grimeborn festival within that.
The plan that is emerging is to do a scaled down version of the piece this year - with a guaranteed opportunity to do a full scale version at next years Festival. This would make sense not only from the timing point of view this year but also that next year Arcola have finalized its plans and can move ahead with the festival fully integrated into their programming and marketing.
The trouble with doing a concert at such short notice is that the people I really want to be in it are not exactly available for the summer rehearsals all the time. It will be quite a juggling act to bring a team together.
I am wondering about just doing Act 2 this year. That would be half the show. So half the time needed to rehearse, half the budget, etc!
The more I think about it the more I like the idea.
4.07.2009
4.05.2009
Inanna/Grimeborn/Arcola and LIFEM/Kings Place
Finally, The Descent of Inanna (the opera I originally wrote in 1991 and revised in 2006/07) has been noticed by a promoter and will be staged (or semi staged) this summer. Horray!
The Grimeborn Festival of opera and music theatre opens at the Arcola Theatre in London E8 on August 24th 2009 and runs for 2 weeks. Inanna has been selected to open the festival on 24th August. Put it in your diary now.
It's lucky I decided to go to that Boxing Day party at Brian Davis's flat. There I met Roberto Tripinni - who came up to me and said
'we've met before...at the Vivien Ellis course on musical theatre - about ten years ago?'
'oh... yes...' I said searching my inner data base and getting bizarre references to that strange time..
We spoke for about half and hour and we agreed that the John Adams piece "I was looking at the ceiling and then I saw the Sky" was a good example of what we were, it turned out, both interested in, as a genre, aesthetic etc.
Roberto stayed in touch with me by email over the next few weeks and looked at the film extracts from Inanna on You Tube. He liked my stuff. Wanted even to collaborate on a possible musical and sent me interesting general info about events. He sent me the call for submissions from the Mercury Musicals Development network for the Grimeborn Festival.
I joined the network and this is what led to this current opportunity!
We are in discussion with the Arts Council this week about getting a grant for this project. It is possible that we may spread the project out for two years. This year it may be more practical to do a scaled down version of the piece and next year do the whole thing.
Here is what Alex Sutton, the curator of the Grimeborn Festival has said about the piece:
"The festival will open this year with Jenni Roditi's stunning dance opera
'The Decent of Inanna'. This is a truly unique work that straddles the
boundaries of opera, musical theatre, western art music and influences from the
Middle East and India.
From its opening bars the score dazzles with an immediacy that is so rare
within contemporary music today that it displays a perfect
understanding of its need to be a staged performance work.
Inanna really exemplifies everything that Grimeborn is about from its interest in
diverse cultures, theatre and drama to the vitality of the cast and their passion to
be part of the performance."
I will be posting regular blogs as the next few months unfold leading up to August!
I have further good news!
I now have an agent: www.redorange.org.uk.
I have been asked to open a Festival organized by this agency called LIFEM - London International Festival of Exploratory Music on November 4th this year. I will be performing in the beautiful Hall One at the amazing new Arts Centre Kings Place. I will be performing some of my recent music. Another date for you diary!
The Grimeborn Festival of opera and music theatre opens at the Arcola Theatre in London E8 on August 24th 2009 and runs for 2 weeks. Inanna has been selected to open the festival on 24th August. Put it in your diary now.
It's lucky I decided to go to that Boxing Day party at Brian Davis's flat. There I met Roberto Tripinni - who came up to me and said
'we've met before...at the Vivien Ellis course on musical theatre - about ten years ago?'
'oh... yes...' I said searching my inner data base and getting bizarre references to that strange time..
We spoke for about half and hour and we agreed that the John Adams piece "I was looking at the ceiling and then I saw the Sky" was a good example of what we were, it turned out, both interested in, as a genre, aesthetic etc.
Roberto stayed in touch with me by email over the next few weeks and looked at the film extracts from Inanna on You Tube. He liked my stuff. Wanted even to collaborate on a possible musical and sent me interesting general info about events. He sent me the call for submissions from the Mercury Musicals Development network for the Grimeborn Festival.
I joined the network and this is what led to this current opportunity!
We are in discussion with the Arts Council this week about getting a grant for this project. It is possible that we may spread the project out for two years. This year it may be more practical to do a scaled down version of the piece and next year do the whole thing.
Here is what Alex Sutton, the curator of the Grimeborn Festival has said about the piece:
"The festival will open this year with Jenni Roditi's stunning dance opera
'The Decent of Inanna'. This is a truly unique work that straddles the
boundaries of opera, musical theatre, western art music and influences from the
Middle East and India.
From its opening bars the score dazzles with an immediacy that is so rare
within contemporary music today that it displays a perfect
understanding of its need to be a staged performance work.
Inanna really exemplifies everything that Grimeborn is about from its interest in
diverse cultures, theatre and drama to the vitality of the cast and their passion to
be part of the performance."
I will be posting regular blogs as the next few months unfold leading up to August!
I have further good news!
I now have an agent: www.redorange.org.uk.
I have been asked to open a Festival organized by this agency called LIFEM - London International Festival of Exploratory Music on November 4th this year. I will be performing in the beautiful Hall One at the amazing new Arts Centre Kings Place. I will be performing some of my recent music. Another date for you diary!
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