Author: Sam Freeman
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Gig #1 – Commo Comedy (MC)
Firstly this isn’t my first gig. Every year I make new year’s resolutions that are big objectives to achieve over the year – one of them for 2020 is to do 36 gigs over the year. As I a) blog and b) a few people I know read these when I did them years ago…
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Resolutions 2020
It’s that time again, when everyone insists they’re becoming vegan, joining the gym and never drinking again shortly before, two weeks later, walking home from a nightclub, pissed and off your face, clutching a lamb kebab after calling someone at the bar a “gym wanker” because they said you had no will power. Long-term readers…
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Thank You For Your Complaint
Dear Sir/Madam, Thank you for getting in touch to tell me how outraged/disappointed/angered (delete as applicable) you are because we no longer offer [insert complaint here] any more – I understand how frustrated you must be and I’m glad you’ve got in touch with me, a “moron/so-called expert/failure of a manger/incompetent pen-pusher” (delete as applicable) to inform…
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All my controversial thoughts about how to run theatre right. Not wrong. Like you might do it. Yeah you.
So, here it is, strap in, I’ve got some truth bombs to release, I’m going to let rip, welcome to the fast lane of opinions, the deep fat fryer of fact, I may even use CAPS LOCK, or maybe Randomly Capitalise Words for little or no apparent reason, underlining get ready, CRTL + U, prepare…
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All the things that make me cry.
Things that make me cry or weepy (updated list): Babies being born and handed to sobbing fathers/mothers/relatives Outstanding sporting achievement against the odds People passing away and everything that goes with that Chipped goals by Lionel Messi against Real Betis Not knowing what to do next at work Having to ring the gas/electricity/council tax/broadband people…
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How To Annoy Everyone In Arts Marketing (or, Arts Marketing’s Technical Problem)
I got back from this year’s Arts Marketing Association conference feeling quite pleased with myself – this is unusual – usually I return with feelings of inadequacy or guilt, and/or the feeling that tweeting at post 11pm, half-cut on cheap white wine “My Harsh Opinions About Everything People Are Doing Wrong” wasn’t, after all, such…
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AMA Conference 2019 – Day #2
e train back from the AMA Conference after a really useful few days with some space to think, ponder and consider both organisational and personal direction.
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AMA Conference 2019 – Day #1
Ever since I came to my first AMA Conference (in Newcastle the last time round!) I’ve always written up my notes, thoughts and opinions. Sometimes, I must admit I’ve been a bit harsh, I’ll also caveat that by saying that sometimes I’ve not been clear enough and sometimes, well maybe I got the level just…
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#ArtsMarketing – F**k me I’m Tired.
I’ve become conscious that I’ve not written much on this blog about Arts Marketing for while. A few reasons really – firstly we had an incredibly tragic death in the family (so blogging about work didn’t seem that necessary), secondly I’ve been feeling like I’m drowning at work much of the time so the necessary…
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Gig Report: Warrington – 8 May ’19
I’ve not written a gig report for a few years – when I first started I used to write them after every gig, but then as 10 gigs became 20, became 100 I stopped – I think I stopped because I stopped progressing and feeling like I was getting better – of course that may…
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Grief’s early days.
I’m conscious that I don’t often write deep and meaningful blog posts – let’s be honest, it tends to be mildly amusing arts marketing observations, occasionally stuff about life as an open mic stand up and then the annual new year’s resolutions that I’ve failed to keep. I mention it because this is, or, more…
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3 things I’ve found out.
I’ve been pondering between a couple of ideas recently. Idea #1 is a storytelling show that, ultimately, I’ve started writing and will be astonishingly good. I mean it’s better than “the storytelling set” on myth and legend so. Yeah. Idea #2 is about putting together a projection show thats based on interesting new things I’ve…
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How to successfully market a theatre show according to audiences.
I recently found this blog post in my wordpress drafts (there’s a few others in there I might dig into at some point soon too) – it was written after a particularly shitty day at work, and then, feeling that it mightn’t be as good as my rage-addled mind suspected – I temporarily binned it…
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Holidays, Ideas and Ponderings
I’m currently on holiday in Lisbon having a bit of a break with my other half. I brought the mini-laptop along with all sorts of high aspirations to write a play, create some art or learn a new skill. Suffice to say we’ve nailed a good chunk of Netflix late at night. Anyway, I thought…
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Finding Balance
Recently I’ve become acutely aware that I can be somewhat of a negative grump. Now I have excuses for the last 2 months – I’ve been poorly, and am currently smashing down a new set of drugs that have so many side effects it’s laughable (it’s worth knowing that the accompanying leaflet suggests that I…
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Resolutions 2019
Every year, about this time, I write myself a list of resolutions to achieve over the following 12 months while also going through the list of resolutions that I wrote the previous year, and marking how successful I have been. The idea is that I have a bit of a focus over the year and…
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Things I can control, things I cannot & everything in between…
“In an era of stress and anxiety, when the present seems unstable and the future unlikely, the natural response is to retreat and withdraw from reality, taking recourse either in fantasies of the future or in modified visions of a half-imagined past.” Alan Moore I was reading through a few of my posts on here,…
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The Bigger Picture: Using Data In The Arts
****Please Note: This is unremittingly a blog about theatre marketing, data and being smarter**** How it all started About four months ago I was sat in a meeting at the theatre I work for as conversation bounced round the table. Every now and again a question would be asked or a statement stated – “how…