Sam Freeman

Storytelling | Theatre | Arts Marketing

Author: Sam Freeman

  • I’m touring a show that’s good.

    I’m touring a show that’s good.

    As many of you will know I wrote a new storytelling show last year called Every Little Hope You Ever Dreamed (But Didn’t Want To Mention). It did an R&D in January for a week at Theatr Clwyd and then did three performances in late July (also at Theatr Clwyd) which went pretty well*. So…

  • Performing, Panic, and the the problem with being alone.

    Performing, Panic, and the the problem with being alone.

    I’ve not blogged for absolutely ages – here’s my excuse: I’ve been making a show. To give the quick intro for those who are unaware… Last year I wrote a new storytelling show, it did an R&D in January and then, last Fri, Sat and Sun I did performances in front of an audience, ostensibly…

  • Nothing to do with Arts Marketing.

    Nothing to do with Arts Marketing.

    Astute regular readers of this blog will have noticed that, well, there’s been nothing regular about this blog for a while now. There’s a few reasons but most notably it’s this – I’m doing a show. Now straight away I can sense a bit of tension, “doing a show” you ask, “what does he mean…

  • Arts Marketing: Preparing For What’s Next

    Arts Marketing: Preparing For What’s Next

    Or ideas of things to do over the next couple of months… I’ve been in a weird mood since Christmas – a kind of grumpy, unfocused, curmudgeon, working hard but also not feeling like, well, I’m actually making a difference. Now, of course, some of that is the destabilising effect of being in lockdown, missing…

  • Five Thoughts For Friday (19 Feb, 2021)

    Five Thoughts For Friday (19 Feb, 2021)

    I was reading a blog of someone who, since lockdown, has written down 7 things every day, keeping a record of their thoughts and how it’s all been going. Now I totally don’t have enough thoughts to reach 7, but I thought I’d give it a go! Some are about arts marketing, some are about…

  • A new show for 2021

    A new show for 2021

    I’m currently having a week off from my “proper job” of Arts Marketing after a Christmas doing online support for digital shows. The online support was eye-opening, I don’t think I’ll get annoyed with people replying slowly over support when I need help ever again, I mean, don’t get me wrong 99.9% of the people…

  • New Year’s Resolutions 2021

    New Year’s Resolutions 2021

    Well fuck me thank God 2020 is over right? I mean don’t get me wrong – there was some nice bits in 2020 – friends had kids, I bought a coffee machine and Newcastle didn’t get relegated. But overall, on balance, not a terrific one. Regular readers (by which I mean all four of you…

  • Vodafone: A tale of woe, poor customer service and being on hold.

    Vodafone: A tale of woe, poor customer service and being on hold.

    This is a parable about customer service. I don’t do bills. Not because I’m a Elizabethan cad, rogue or rascal. Quite the opposite. In fact they stress me out to a point approaching tears and send my anxiety into overdrive. I once cried after speaking to the water company for less than 10 minutes. I…

  • Doing R&D on a show

    Doing R&D on a show

    I’ve been feeling a bit down for the last few weeks – there’s the obvious reason for that, but also, because I’ve not done anything I count as ‘creative’ for a while now. I was feeling a bit, well, pointless. I’m also approaching my birthday, a time which consistently puts me in a foul mood,…

  • Filming Theatre Experiment – Part #1

    Filming Theatre Experiment – Part #1

    So here goes, this is a blog well outside my comfort zone of both arts marketing and winging about how badly I’ve died on my ass at a comedy gig. This one’s about recording theatre shows. When lockdown began there was a frenzy of people putting shows online – from the National Theatre’s NT Live…

  • Ups, Downs, Dreams and Reality

    Ups, Downs, Dreams and Reality

    To begin. This is not an Arts Marketing blog – for some people reading this that will be nothing but a blessed relief, for others I’m sure you’re now wondering how else I might disappoint you in a distinctly lengthy blog post. Today’s post is about confidence in one’s creative self (eventually). So if you’re…

  • Arts Marketing – Predicting The Future

    Arts Marketing – Predicting The Future

    I started writing this post in late May, but then hit a block of “what the fuck am I writing any of this for” followed by “is this actually helping anyone?” I struggled to answer either question to be honest and now, in light of theatres closing and redundancies being on the card for people…

  • Seat Wars – Episode II – Social Spacing Fights Back

    Seat Wars – Episode II – Social Spacing Fights Back

    Hey there! So if you’ve been here before then welcome back and if you’re new well, where have you been. This is a much less wordy blog than usual (which readers of my last blog (click here) will be undoubtedly relieved) – mostly because I’m leading a quiz tonight that promises to be (and this…

  • Social Spacing (In Theatre)

    Social Spacing (In Theatre)

    ****UPDATE 20 May – I’ve been rewriting lots of the info on here – as a result this blog is, at best, interesting discussion fodder – I’ll post the new version in a few days*** Welcome back (if you’ve been here before) and welcome (if you’re new). This isn’t one of my epic 5,000 word…

  • Arts Marketing: How the **** do you segment?

    Arts Marketing: How the **** do you segment?

    Hi, welcome back if you’ve been to my blog before, and if you’re new (which statistically speaking you probably are) welcome too. This is a bit of a blog I decided to write as my spare time is still pretty bountiful. If you enjoy this or it’s useful* then please tweet me, Linkedin message me…

  • Arts Marketing – Building houses on jelly

    Arts Marketing – Building houses on jelly

    I’ve been looking to see what proactive steps I and the team I’m part of can take while the jelly beneath us solidifies over the coming weeks and months.

  • A Lovely Chat in April?

    I’m likely not to be leaving the house for the next 6 – 10 weeks on account of being asthmatic. Anyway… I have a Zoom Account and would love to have a series of lovely chats with people – about whatever you want – could be a catch up, might be talking comedy, maybe playing…

  • Arts Marketing – So What Do We Do Now?

    Arts Marketing – So What Do We Do Now?

    So, I decided I’d write down some ponderings of where my head is at, what I think the direction of travel might be.