I can’t quite believe my luck. Arts Council England has awarded me the funding to turn the pilot of Outrageous Fortune, for which I had a funded Research and Development period earlier this year, into a full touring show. I realise how lucky I am to be in receipt of this, my 4th and largest grant from the Arts Council and I will graft my butt off to be worthy of it.
But, you know, there has already been graft: it has taken me 4 years from first dreaming up this idea to get to this point. Scouring the internet for opportunities, writing proposals, trying to get people interested in me and my idea, pitching, getting turned down, making links with theatres – which eventually resulted in me finding a home for the piece at Square Chapel Arts Centre in Halifax (an amazing place) and a fantastic producer in Alison Ford – endless days on my todd writing, endless days with John (Wright) trying to hone the idea into something on-its-feet-workable, three weeks of R&D, months of research and reading, tons of ear-chewing chats with long suffering mates and a gargantuan effort on the part of Alison and myself, but mainly Alison, to get our ACE grant application lookng ship shape enough to submit. It has been G-R-A-F-T.
Not the kind my poor dad had to do for a living, no. But it was work. We bloody worked for it.
And now there’s a job to do. And, thanks to ACE, money to do it. Bring it. I’m ready. I’m worthy. And grateul too. xx
So well deserved. Saw you at Greenwich and I can still smell the rose which wasn’t even there. Absolutely fantastic storytelling – genius personified!
Thank you Carol; that’s so lovely of you to say. I lve that your smell-imagination is so sharp! Fantastic. x