I just got home from attending my the Under the Radar forum in Metro Arts as part of Brisbane Festival and I figured to write notes and publish it here and see what can come out of the discussion that I have noted down.  Folks from UtR/BF and other audience members were also keeping notes and for those who have stumbled upon this blog entry and would like to share their own notes, please state so in the comment and I shall add it in.  And the same for those who wish to further discuss about the points in BCI.

I have grouped together similar dot points underneath particular headings.  Each dot point represents a point made by an individual who attended the forum and is written in first person.  If you feel that I have misinterpreted a statement and have placed it underneath the wrong heading, please let me know and I can amend it.  LT is short for Lyndon Terracini, Festival Director of Brisbane Festival, who was on the 'hot seat'!

Season duration

• I wish that Under the Radar is longer and have more local artists involved - that would be an interesting proposition.

Curated or non-curated

• (LT possibly in direct response to the event from the previous heading) From last year's forum, artists wanted it to be curated.  They felt work that they are making is important.  The more there is (in fringe events), the better anyway.
• I support curated and non-curated.

Ticketing

• 5 for $50 is good but it doesn't book you a spot
• One of the Brisbane Festival folks responded by stating that they had technical difficulties in getting the ticketing system up and running to be able to book spots.

Lectures/talks/workshops

• It would be a good idea, like in the Melbourne Festival, to have more lectures, forums, and talks.
• HS: I personally think that it would be great to see workshops.

Positioning Under the Radar

• Visual sign (HS: I think she meant branding) to be more performance based
• LT: When we started, it was an invasion of stand-up.  We want it to be theatre fringe, primarily for performance.  It became a theatre fringe and people now have positioned Under the Radar with theatre fringe.

Audience

• I echo talk on demographics - what is your target demographic?  There's a big age-wide gap.  For example, the demographic in Edinburgh Fringe is wide in the age gap.  There were teenagers, there were middle-aged people doing shows.  Can the demographic be wider?  For example, people who subscribe to Queensland Theatre Company, LaBoite, etc tend to be my age (HS: It was a bit dark, I'd say she's in her late 30's?).
• (LT in response) Target demographics don't even enter the mind.  With the Under the Radar committee, it's all curated, it's all about the performances.
• Perhaps offer Under the Radar packages with the main festival show ie double ticketing.
• There's a fragmentation in the festival.   
• (LT on the Spiegeltent) There are no after show parties, these are in the Spiegeltent and you can meet the artists.  It hasn't been widely publicised this year but every artist has this information in their artist kits. 

Online spaces / Digital

• (LT in response to quality of the Rembrandt streaming in the second cinema when the first sold out) We streamed the Rembrandt fascination lecture, quality of the streaming is all up to the venue.
• A website feature like Google earth or street view in helping interstate and new folks locating the venues.
• All artists who are in the festival to become part of the site and have access to a forum, online community etc.

Use of different spaces / Street Feats

• I like the TNEE (Total Nowhere Emotion Expansion) - it's interesting to have it going around Brisbane.
• What about taking the programme outside Metro Arts.  Site specific work doesn't happen around Brisbane much so congratulations on that. 
• In taking to other spaces, let's move it to the suburbs like Paddington.  Look at different spaces  Have a look at what Newcastle is doing.  Audience in the suburbs can be exposed to new, exciting, different works.  Program in local halls, schools and they may even come into the CBD to look into the program more.
• LT: Carnival's Edge started this year and it might grow.  If it's up two weeks early, that wold be an interesting proposition to take (HS: I think that's in relation to moving some of the UtR shows to where Carnival's Edge is now in Southbank?)
• New venue means that it's possible to have a more demanding/technical show.

Metro Arts

• Congratulations on Under the Radar for the festival and good work on Street Feats.  Regarding the venue, pro of Metro Arts is that it's central.  Con is that Metro Arts is difficult to have shows that penetrate the market and it's difficult to get full house and to also make up for the funds going into the show.  Is it possible to have Under the Radar going to another venue.
• LT (in response to above) We want Under the Radar in Metro Arts because it's central.  When we did Street Feats, that was good.  As it grows, there are a few options - another venue,  move to a large venue (and potentially have it going 'mainstream')...but we need to be careful not to lose the quality, that it doesn't become too sanitised.  But the point is that it's growing.  Intention: Get it to grow and then to fly.  It may happen next year, in two to three years time.  It's up to you - do you want satellite venues, to keep it in one central venue.
• There's room for it to be in other venues.  Having Under the Radar show with a mainstream show could be of value.  However we appreciate Brisbane Festival in helping out.
• As audience member, I love low technical expectations.  More focus on the raw performance.
• (LT in response to above) That's what I meant about losing what is here.

Artist Support (both accepted artists in the festival and artists in general)

• Really wish that there was more support for recent migrants.  I came to Brisbane to be more creative but we can't get grants because we are not eligible.  We can bring expertise,  money, skills.  
• (LT in response to above) There are no restrictions like that with Under the Radar, it's open.  (HS: this issue would be more properly addressed to the policy makers?).  Another person's response is that there are organisations that can assist with those issues.
• Have a kick start type of program such as Next Wave
• Artists won't get the same amount of support in non-curated works. 
• Financial ability for artist on par with artistic viability.

More Fringe!

• It's not fringe, how can it be fringe when it's accepted?  There's opportunity for non-curated fringe, no quality guarantee.  28th November in Brisbane, 4 venues, free space for artists to perform, it's a one day event.  It's non-curated and open access (HS: here's a Facebook page about em).
• (There was a question regarding the event date) I am from Adelaide Fringe - ideally it would be good in festival timing.
• (In response to above) The event and organisation timeline was due to be in late November because we started talking around August this year.
• Success of fringe is fed upon success on large festivals which is bad for Brisbane because few large central venues.
• Problem is things like public liability insurance being expensive, contract is 20 pages long, there's too much systems and guidelines.  Just makes things harder in general.
• There should be a guide for new people applying for example, when they look into the site they can find out about what they need to know to gain entry.

Overall the forum took a good two hours, with Lyndon Terracini continuously coming back to the attendees requesting further questions or comments that they would like to voice out.  Brisbane Festival runs from September 12 to October 3 with the Under the Radar program running from September 18 to October 3.  Go here for the full calendar!