WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO ABOUT THEATRE AND THE PERFORMING ARTS
IN 2012 AND BEYOND?

Feel like you’ve had this conversation before? Feeling disconnected? Feel like your voice isn’t heard?

This is the time and event for you to move the debate on.

London 2012 Festival, Improbable and Curve invite you to the grand opening of the
The Devoted & Disgruntled 2012 Roadshow: 21 June & 22 June 2012

At a crucial time for theatre and the performing arts in the UK, the Devoted & Disgruntled Roadshow seeks to engage people in a nationwide conversation. Curve takes great pleasure in inviting you to our unique theatre to kick start a ground-breaking nationwide conversation that could reshape the theatre landscape.

Devoted & Disgruntled is your chance to make theatre better. If you care about theatre, if you watch it, make it, organise it or wish it was different, you are the right person to come along.
Led by Improbable and supported by Curve, Arts Council England and Locog, the Devoted & Disgruntled 2012 Roadshow is touring the country as part of the London 2012 Festival and offers you a chance to meet others who are passionate about theatre, have the conversations you really need to have, and make things happen.

The events use Open Space technology (an effective practical method of thinking about and discussing ideas which does use a lot of post it notes but isn’t based around a board table or flipchart!) to capture the zeitgeist of the arts in 2012, and facilitate the emergence of a new era of connectivity and creativity for artists and audiences throughout the country.

Join us over the two days and let’s work together towards making theatre better and making better theatre.

Devoted & Disgruntled Leicester is a free two-day event at Curve theatre, Leicester on 21 June 2012 4pm – 10pm & 22 June 2012 10am – 6pm.

Devoted & Disgruntled is part of the London 2012 Festival, a spectacular 12-week nationwide celebration bringing together leading artists from across the world with the very best from the UK, from 21 June to the 9 September 2012. For more information check www.london2012.com/festival

Phelim McDermott's invitation:

Do you love theatre?
Do you find it frustrating?
Do you feel audiences don't get a voice?
Do you feel like an outsider in your own profession?
Have you just started out and need support?
Been in the profession for years and feel jaded?
Is your region always left out of the discussions?
Do you usually dread discussions and meetings?
Are you looking to change things?


In 2012 for the first time ever, you have the opportunity to take part in a unique nationwide conversation.

In 2006 I wrote a heartfelt invitation and the first ”Devoted & Disgruntled: What are we going to do about theatre?” took place. This was an open and collaborative conference, a chance to check in with the theatre community, share the news about what we were doing well, talk about what we could be doing better and take action on how to improve things.

Devoted & Disgruntled has subsequently become an inspiring annual three day event and since then there have been over 100 offshoot D&D events. Some have been monthly themed satellites, some have been regionally based like D&D Scotland and D&D North East, some have been international events like D&D New York and Vancouver. These conferences have kept the important conversations alive and have lead to companies being formed, venues being opened, festivals started, shows created, and many other projects and initiatives.

The Devoted and Disgruntled Roadshow has come about in response to numerous requests for these conversations to reach beyond London, and engage with all parts of the UK. So as part of the Cultural Olympiad we are going on the road, holding D&Ds in twenty different locations round the country, and we are going online, launching a new interactive D&D website, which will record and connect all the D&D events.

In theatre, as in so many things, it can feel like the agenda is set, and the decisions are made by a faceless, unreachable "them". We wait for "them" to talk about what we think needs talking about and for "them" to solve our problems. Guess what? "They" aren't going to do it. But you can, and D&D is the place to start - so if there are questions that you think should be asked, projects you want support on, things you want changed, join Improbable this summer on the Devoted & Disgruntled 2012 Roadshow in a conversation that could reshape the theatre landscape. This is a unique chance for your voice to be heard and for us to listen to each other, face to face and online, locally and nationally. Join us and let’s work together towards making theatre better and making better theatre.

Phelim McDermott and Improbable

DEVOTED AND DISGRUNTLED LEICESTER
    What are we going to do about theatre and the performing arts in 2012 and beyond?

    A 2 day event
    21st June 2012, 4pm – 10pm
    22nd June 2012, 10am – 6pm
The Curve Theatre, Rutland Street, LE1 1SB, Leicester   

Open Space has been used successfully all over the world. It is an exciting open-ended event that enables a self-organising group to use its collective imagination to deal with complex issues and it will achieve this in an incredibly short space of time. By the end of the event the following will have occurred:

Every issue of concern to anybody will have been raised, if they took responsibility for doing that.

All issues will have received full discussion, to the extent desired.

A full report of issues and discussions will be in the hands of all participants.

And YOU will have taken part in making it happen.    

ACCESS
Improbable and Leicester Curve are committed to ensuring that Devoted and Disgruntled is a democratic and accessible event so please contact the Improbable office to discuss your access requirements.

Voice: 020 7240 4556
Email: office@improbable.co.uk
SMS: 07939 378607

Devoted and Disgruntled Leicester is wheel chair accessible. We are offering BSL  interpreters, but please book 2 weeks in advance to ensure we are able to provide a suitable service. Our information is available in a range of formats. Assistance dogs are welcome

ACCOMMODATION

The Ramada Encore Leicester is a superb stylish city centre hotel within 1 minutes walking distance of Curve, and it is offering a special price for D&D participants coming to Leicester.

Any D&D participants wishing to stay at the Ramada Encore Hotel on the 21st June will need to do the following:
 
-          Call the main hotel line – 0116 366 0150
-          Quote the code – ‘cur2106’.
-          Rate will be £60 B&B single occupancy and £70 B&B double occupancy
-          To guarantee the booking you will need credit card details

You can read more about the hotel here.
 
PARKING

Customers at Curve can park at the Rutland Street NCP car park next door at a special rate. For details of the car park click here.

D&D participants can validate their Rutland St NCP day parking ticket for £3.90 at the Curve café bar or ticket office and this will be available on both days.