James Rowland: Long Live CPT

I was doing a month-long run of a solo Hamlet and bloody hell I was a baby. Overwhelmed with the wide world, unaware of the true horrors of capitalism and unready to cope with complicated grief. The opportunity to do that show was an irreplaceable part of my growth as a human (which is the same as growth as an artist).

I didn't return to the CPT for fifteen years but when I did I found the ceiling of the dressing room was no longer falling in, that the pillars which had been an absolute sight-line nightmare had been removed and the whole building had been made more accessible to all patrons. My fear that going back there would trigger some latent breakdown dissipated like early morning fog. It immediately felt like home.

As a solo artist, trusting or allowing any institution close to your heart is very risky. I have mainly experienced heartbreak in my relationships with institutions. 

I think acting in self-interest seems to be more and more accepted societally as the normal and correct way of being. This often comes from a mindset of scarcity which is based in truth- things are getting harder year on year- but very often there is a reticence to understand that scarcity is very different depending on who you are. 

I and all other freelance artists I know are told consistently by representatives of large inistitutions that those institutions don't have any money. Almost always, in the same conversations those same people will talk about projects that cost  hundreds of thousands or millions of pounds...

I'm not saying that those places don't have to budget on a large scale to make large scale work but I think the scarcity mindset can lead to a lack of understanding that some money problems are much less existential than others.

I want to be clear that the whole industry IS struggling, that there is financial danger at all levels of art and that some of the people running large buildings are trying to bring greater equity to everyone in theatre. 

This is just me noticing that the societal mindset of scarcity is a pervasive problem that is becoming normalised everywhere including theatre. With that comes justification for hoarding what you have and sharpening elbows for the next fight with peers to find work.

Progress can't be made that way. 

Look around, no one is coming to save us. We have to save each other. 

Back to the CPT (is there a better name for a theatre?) a place that has consistently worked with a heart for the marginalised, the under-represented, the Fringe. 

Under new AD Rio Matchett they have committed to paying artists guarantees which is unheard of in London. The CPT are programming a more accessible programme than any other theatre I know of on a smaller budget than most... the very opposite of a scarcity mindset.

At the moment most theatres are refusing to clearly speak out against the deluge of racism and transphobia paving the way for fascism in our country as well as avoiding calling out a genocide that our government is facilitating. The CPT continues to model how easy it is to platform work speaking to those issues and even more rare- THEY: THE INSTITUTION have consistently spoken out clearly that they stand in solidarity with the people of Palestine, our trans siblings and the global majority. 

They have a funding shortfall this year so I'm gonna do my shows there for free to raise money for them because I am as certain as I can be to be that that money will be used in a vital, generous way to support artists and make the sort of art we need the most. 

Right now this institution needs some help and I'm in a position to give it. Returning joyfully to a building with more wisdom than before and more confidence that making ourselves vulnerable is the best thing we can do for each other. Please come to the shows. Please support the CPT.

I hope you're as well as it's possible to be.

Loads of Love,

James

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