You love it you FLIRT!

Working in the arts is one hell of a party. It’s stressful, yes – there are times when you think that no one’s listening or that nothing’s going right, but when you get there in the end it’s all more than worth it. If you cry whilst producing something new and beautiful, it means you really give a shit about it. If you cry when it’s over, it’s usually tears of joy at the spectacle before you. It worked. It made a difference. And that’s all that matters.

But let’s disregard crying for the minute. I’ve experienced far too much laughter at Pavilion Dance South West to care about that right now. Today marks 6 months of me being in post as Youth and Education Coordinator. It might not seem that long, but this is usually the point where I start trawling Arts Jobs for the next big thing, because my contracts are usually ticking time bombs. Not this time. I am finally getting the chance to watch the progression of artists and young people as they work with us time and time again.

Don’t get me wrong, I love doing what I’ve done previously – coming along, making a big noise, putting on a huge show and disappearing into the night is, as far as I’m concerned, one of the greatest things on this planet. But what’s even greater than that, is to see individuals go from project to project, from strength to strength, and to become the artist or producer that you always knew they would. I now have the opportunity to do that. The thought of it makes me happier than I’ve ever been; even more so knowing how many laughs I’m going to have along the way.

It’s no secret that the crowd here in Bournemouth welcomed me with open arms. You only have to look at my Twitter feed on an average day to see just what crazy things we get up to. I warned everyone that it was only a matter of time before the craziness made it onto my YouTube Channel:

Playing pranks on apprentices sort of carves out their rite of passage. And I know that Chris knows we only do it because we love him to bits. I find it hilarious that we can spend one night in the theatre juggling hula hoops that are set up for the dance school the next day, and two days later we’re in the same space, scrubbing the floor like Cinderella after 80 kids have danced, and made plastacine dancers all over it.

Then there’s the film shoots and the video shoots; the ones I’ve done on and off for a few years with friend and filmmaker/photographer, Francesca Hughes. People see such things as either sexy or classy, and I’m here to tell you that they’re neither! Fran and I were much more likely to roll all over the floor laughing than end up panting from sexual tension; especially considering how much Fran likes to say “Bollocks!”

But, in a way, that sexual tension does come into the arts. I was having a conversation with a colleague the other day about how we’re all such flirts in this industry; and it’s not because the arts attracts that sort of person. In fact, it’s because we need to be – it’s how we get what we want, how we sell our shows, our art forms and ourselves.

  Besides, a little flirting never hurt anyone ;)