Future Performance Institute - Artist-centred feasibility programme

我们要求AHRC在四年（2023-2027）内提供1,165,000英镑的赠款，以支持以艺术家为中心的可行性工作计划。这将包括一套工作包和奖学金，为跨学科实践、研发和共同创作创造新的包容性机会——这将吸引广泛的人才，允许艺术家承担风险，并加强知识和最佳实践的交流。这项工作将成为我们创建世界级未来表演学院的商业案例的基础，确保艺术的可持续性和未来的增长。为艺术家主导的研究和文化领导提供资金是为艺术和现场表演的未来提供可能性的基础。这一基本原理概述了我们现在必须投资于艺术家主导的研究的情况，因为该部门和艺术家试图应对2019冠状病毒病的财务影响、公共资金减少和成本空前增加的综合压力，这些压力与脆弱的商业模式和结构性不平等等大流行前的挑战相交叉。正如2022年的大自由职业者调查所总结的那样，我们需要“更具创造性、协作性的工作方式和资助基础设施来支持创意中心，特别是剧院，艺术家集体在不成立公司的情况下联合起来完成单个大型项目的能力，以及共同创作作品的灵活性。”RSC作为一个学习和教学剧院，作为第一个表演艺术独立研究组织（IRO），在技术、研究合作伙伴和英国艺术生态系统之间提供知识交流（通过研发、实践、制作和分享），在应对这些挑战和机遇方面具有独特的定位。我们是一个以实践为基础的组织，将研究融入艺术过程和产出的每个阶段，从表演历史到服装制作，到利用数字技术，到音乐创作，再到观众行为。这些专业知识与我们在创新和研发方面的声誉相结合（《梦》和《暴风雨》），通过全国各地的剧院合作伙伴关系和杰出的教育工作，以及国际品牌形象（包括120万全球支持者）。这个可行性项目不同于AHRC的聚合屏幕技术和实时性能（CoSTAR）等其他融资机会。我们的方案是以艺术家和实践为主导的，通过把艺术家放在第一位，我们将为他们找到相关的工具来完成他们的工作，而不是由技术驱动。我们将吸引多元化的人才，为创意人士提供专注于实践（包括现场表演、新媒体和其他艺术形式学科）和跨学科研究的空间和时间。我们的合作伙伴将主要是文化和研究机构，建立一个艺术家领域的网络，分享知识和最佳实践，同时把包容性放在我们计划的中心。

We are requesting a grant of £1,165,000 over four years (2023-2027) from AHRC to support a programme of artist-centred feasibility work. This will include a suite of work packages and Fellowships, creating new inclusive opportunities for interdisciplinary practice, research and development, and co-creation - which will attract wide-ranging talent, allow artists to take risks, and enhance the exchange of knowledge and best practice. This work will form the foundation of our business case for creation of a world-class Future of Performance Institute, ensuring the sustainability of, and future growth within the arts.Funding for artist-led research and cultural leadership is fundamental to set out the possibilities for the future of the arts and live performance. This rationale outlines the case that we must invest in artist-led research now as the sector and artists attempt to manage the combined pressures of the financial impact of Covid-19, reductions to public funding and unprecedented increases in costs - intersecting with pre-pandemic challenges such as fragile business models and structural inequalities. As summarised in the Big Freelancer Survey in 2022, we need "more creative, collaborative ways of working and funding infrastructures to support creative hubs, e.g. for theatre especially, the ability for collectives of artists to band together for single large projects without forming a company, and the flexibility to co-create work." The RSC is uniquely positioned to respond to these challenges and opportunities as a learning and teaching theatre and as the first performing arts Independent Research Organisation (IRO) - providing knowledge exchange (through R&D, practice, making and sharing) between tech, research partners and the UK arts ecosystem. We are a practice-based organisation with research interwoven into every stage of the artistic process and output, from performance history, to costume making, to harnessing digital technology, to music composition, to audience behaviours. This expertise is coupled with our reputation for innovation and R&D (Dream and The Tempest), national reach through theatre partnerships across the country and outstanding educational work, and international brand profile (including 1.2 million global supporters across our social channels). This feasibility programme is distinct from other funding opportunities such as AHRC's Convergent Screen Technologies And performance in Realtime (CoSTAR). Our proposal is artist and practice-led, and by putting the artist first we will find the relevant tools for them to make their work, rather than being driven by technologies. We will attract diverse talent, providing space and time for creatives to focus on their practice (including live performance, new media, and other art form disciplines) and interdisciplinary research. Our partners will predominantly be cultural and research organisations, building a field of artists with networks to share knowledge and best practice, whilst putting inclusion at the centre of our plans.