After a successful run last year, creative consultant Chris O’grady returns to Cornerhouse for a day of CGO Creative Surgeries at the end of January. Creative Producer Bren O’Callagan, who produces his own ambitious & amazing projects alongside his work for us as Visual Arts Programme Manager, went along…
It can be an isolating and often lonely slog for those of us who – through fault of birth, defect of brain or trace-amounts of clown DNA – choose to chip away at the cultural coalface in our efforts to create innovative art, film, events, exhibitions and all manner of creative pursuits. So when the CGO surgery round appeared, allowing the opportunity to chat with uber-producer Chris O’Grady and tip my Poppins-like carpet bag of head candy across the table, I was hoping for a firm yet gentle kick-up-the-bum to help boost creative aspirations.
Although unable to offer direct funding, Chris and his network are a living, breathing, coffee-supping font of information regarding where to seek additional support and possible routes of enquiry, drawing upon extensive personal contacts, a knowledge bank of inter-disciplinary projects and their own lived experience. They’ve been there, got the badge, opened an arterial vein in the pursuit of excellence and been discharged from cultural A&E, so there is a genuine value in their sharing what has worked and what hasn’t, so that folk like I might best negotiate our own path.
Simply having a discussion afresh with someone about ambitions, no matter what stage of development, can help offer a new perspective. I found the information hugely helpful, and went forward from that point to make three separate independent funding applications in the hope that one might be successful. To my jaw-dropping surprise, all of them were ultimately approved. Delighted, exhausted (two down, one to go), and covered in mysterious bruises, you’d be surprised at how the right conversation can often join a series of dots to create linkage and negotiate helpful introductions wherever possible. It could be venue suggestions, who to approach for collaboration, information upon comparable initiatives or complementary activity. Most valuable of all, when the pennies are few, it’s essential that we consider alternative methods of keeping ideas alive.
I’d certainly recommend a chat with Chris, but beware – it may lead to your ideas actually happening, and that’s a whole heap of trouble of a different sort!
The 2015 Creative Surgeries are for creatives of all fields and take place on Saturday 31 Jan 2015, all day. There are only 8 one-hour long sessions available. You can find more information and book a session here.