Ya know, whenever ppl get mad about them doing midroll advertising or only taking paid questions on live or basically anything where ppl get mad that they're like,,, taking money...
it feels kinda tone deaf or maybe naive about the reality of putting on a show and being an independent theatre maker. like. consider that for YEARS sfth only existed as a free show where audiences could chuck cash in a bucket and the performers split that.
to make a show, do the admin for a show, get travel to the show (lets not even talk about spain rn lmfao), tech the show, organise and pay an editor, accounting, contracts, -- just all the shit thats not performing basically -- takes SO MUCH EFFORT and SO MUCH unpaid work.
Most ppl in independent arts work multiple jobs. Often they have one that is just a money job (hospo, retail, admin, teaching,, whatever) something to keep them afloat, and then all the background work that needs to happen for their arts career is unpaid, performances might be paid, but often not to an award rate.
CONSIDER then, that suddenly, this thing that has been a money and time sink, a labour of love for a DECADE starts taking off and it looks like maybe,, if things keep going well, you can quit your other work or al least you can actually make money from it maybe.
This also extends to ppl being sad that their stuff is more highly edited... like, if this online thing is working, you're gonna make it more professional,, more slick means better prospects and opportunities for performances means more money means more time to focus on the art and the things you wanna do.
I'm not gonna pretend to know their exact situations, but every time there is an ad or they take a paid question, i think,, fuck yeah. and i pay for the patreon on and off. Cos i can, with my adult money and free choice.
this isnt about any one post in particular, maybe just a rant as someone who is looking at a life like this and would KILL for this kind of opportunity for my shows.
touch grass everyone, support live performance xoxo