Helen Tiplady is a founder member of the dance company C-Scape, formed in 2002. It has grown significantly and is in the midst of the first tour of a show they have devised. The management work is shared by the company of three, but is mainly done by Helen.
Helen and the other members of the company started working with Creative Skills from the outset.They had Development Needs Analysis as individual creative practitioners, and since then have taken advantage of the range of opportunities for professional development on offer. C-Scape has been awarded money towards bringing in specialists, such as experienced choreographers to help in various ways – mentoring, assisting with devising and developing shows and playing the role of rehearsal director.
Helen feels their contact with Creative Skills has been invaluable. In particular she says; ‘the Skills Fund money has enabled us to take the steps to get to where we are, and at the same time Creative Skills has helped us to use that money effectively, by helping us to see the way forward for the company. Through this and the ongoing informal mentoring from the staff we have successfully accomplished our first three year development plan.’The core team remain self employed, working both for C-Scape and taking on freelance work, but this is about to change.
C-Scape has ambitions to make more shows, bigger projects and tours, developing integrated education work and residencies. They are keen to develop new audiences for dance by going to less conventional venues such as village halls. Helen recognises these goals will take ever more sophisticated management on various levels, if they are to be achieved. Although the company has been moving fast, they have taken time to ensure it and the necessary management competencies are equally developing. A Business Needs Analysis by Creative Skills led Helen and her colleagues to investigate their organisational structure making sure that it will be robust enough to support their continued development. They are in the early stages of formulating a five year plan, although finding the time to work on it is proving difficult. Helen is to undertake the Management for Creative Practitioners course this autumn to build and develop her skills.
Helen thinks; ‘there’s a huge myth that creative people don’t have a clue about running a creative enterprise. We can, but we want to run it appropriately. Just because we might like to sit on the floor sometimes doesn’t mean we don’t know what we are doing,’ Like many creative entrepreneurs, there is an ever-present challenge in making sure there is the time and space to attend to all aspects of a creative enterprise. In the case of C-Scape that requires Helen and her colleagues keeping the balance between running the company, providing artistic leadership and dancing.
Helen says; ‘Working with Creative Skills has been a fantastic experience. Through their advice and support they have helped to make it more possible for us to build a successful dance company. I recommend Creative Skills to a lot of dancers. They are so good at helping people to evaluate where they are, where they want to get to and how to do it – and there are good opportunities to network.’
