Skip to main content

How do you respond?

A free weekly Zoom discussion series examining practical vocabulary for speaking up.

Over the last few years, the core of OFEN Co-Arts Platform’s practice has become an analysis of the context surrounding art making, including working conditions and the role of arts in wider society.

With How do you respond?,  we wanted to create a space to discuss common situations which arise in the performing arts and negatively impact people, thus contributing to an unsustainable industry.

In planning these sessions, it wasn’t at first our aim to give a workshop or to teach a methodology, but the more we talked about this scenario the more we realised that we do have certain methods which works for us. We want to share some of these ideas, and learn from yours, in the hope that this exchange can support our practices in some way and aid in advocating better working conditions. 

When: Every Wednesday 18:00 (CEST – Central European Summer Time – ie. most European countries). Time conversion: UK 17:00, New York 12:00, Los Angeles 9:00, Mumbai 21:30. 

Where: Zoom – register below. Once registered, you will receive a Zoom link via email 1 hour before the discussion group starts. (If you don’t receive this, please check your spam/junk folder or contact us at office@ofencoarts.com)

Cost: FREE

Open to all people who work in the performing arts

Agenda and Topics

  • 28th May 14:00 CET
    Friday

    You’ve got the job but your pay is low and we can’t pay you travel or per diem.

  • 4th June 14:00 CET
    Friday

    When the director/rehearsal director makes an appalling sexist joke and everyone laughs along because they don’t know what else to do.

  • 11th June 14:00 CET
    Friday

    You’re questioned by the director (in a sarcastic tone) “is your body fit at the moment?” 

  • 16th June 18:00 CEST
    Wednesday

    A director/manager sends you an urgent email on the weekend.

  • 23rd June 18:00 CEST
    Wednesday

    It’s 5 minutes until finishing and the director asks for a run of the 20 min work.

  • 30th June 18:00 CEST
    Wednesday

    You hear one colleague speaking badly about another. 

  • 7th July 18:00 CEST
    Wednesday

    You witness someone being told to play a stereotypical character based on their perceived cultural background.

  • 14th July 18:00 CEST
    Wednesday

    You are directed in a way that you don’t like or find productive. 

  • 21st July 18:00 CEST
    Wednesday

    You and the other performers have feedback for the director but you don’t know how to present it.

  • 28th July 18:00 CEST
    Wednesday

    Someone sexually harasses you in the workplace.

How do you respond? is partly supported by DIS-TANZEN which is funded by the Bundesregierung für Kultur und Medien (Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and Media, Germany) as part of Neustart Kultur.

DIS-TANZEN_Logo

BKM_Office_Farbe_de

BKM_Neustart_Kultur_Wortmarke_pos_RGB_RZ

Week #10

Week #9

Week #8

Week #7

Week #6

Week #5

week #4

Week #3

Week #2

Week #1