Recap on our Sunday, 7/26/09, Young Artist Gathering! .. what you've been waiting for!

ATTENTION: all who have been waiting for the video and recap of the meeting.  No excuses here, but after extensive trial and error, we realized that Steven’s camera was BROKEN.  Therefore, here are bits and pieces of what we discussed. I tried my best to summarize so definitely comment when you have more to add! Also, shout out to Leslie Fitzwater for the thorough notes she took!

---We started with introductions – our name and “what we make.”  About 40 folks were there, including 6 “mentors.” 

---I gave a shpiel on why we had gathered:  This is a community we want to stay in and/or come back to.  This is the community we want to protect and defend.  Let’s establish communication now between us and about this.

---Gracie then talked about new theatre companies started by some of our own (Look at previous post for more information).

Now the fun part……

QUESTION ONE the group discussed was: WHAT KIND OF COMMUNITY DO WE WANT TO GROW INTO AND UP IN?

            The resounding answer was: the kind of community we’re lucky enough to have here in Milwaukee now!  You can’t replace people as if they were parts of a machine and expect to maintain community.  Our teachers are NOT replaceable.  They have led the way for us.  They have invested in us as people and artists.  We love them.  It is a characteristic of Milwaukee that there are genuine human relationships here in the artistic community that are precious and don’t always happen in other places.  Mature Milwaukee actors are known in other places.  And here, it is good to see outside people coming to perform, but it is also important that venues here be work places for great local talent.  We want to support a strong, human ethic.  There is a way to make a change without destroying what’s been built up before.  It’s about being respectful of the people in your working community.  If we in the Youth Forum know each other and cooperate with each other, there’s a better chance of a bright future here. Our interests are in common.

 QUESTION TWO the group discussed was: HOW CAN WE LEARN ABOUT FACILITATING GOOD BUSINESS, BUDGET, ARTISTIC VISION, AND THE MESSAGE TOO?

            It was said that we need both artistic quality and good management.  It’s not one against the other.  Artists and managers need to talk honestly and just more about what it takes to do their jobs.  On this question, Patrick Schley and Alan Piotrowicz had a lot to contribute.  But for the group as a whole, there was admission we just don’t know enough.  We need to listen more and seek out more resource people.  We need to study.

 QUESTION THREE the group discussed was: WHAT CAN WE DO NOW TO HELP/HOW CAN WE FIND OUR OWN VOICE?

            We can attend the Art’s Advocacy Breakfasts to help and to find our own voice. (Look at previous post for more information). Also, this blog can help us find our own voice.

 ---We ended with a “check-out”- how we were feeling at the end of the meeting. This was anything from “I feel like we accomplished something today” to “I’m hungry.”

NOW, let’s make sure that we continue talking. Comment, comment, comment away!! Yah! 

-E