We caught up with funding recipient Lisa Smith from Isle of Man amateur dramatic group The Service Players, who recently travelled to Coventry to perform the play 'Babysitting Calvin' at the National Drama Festival.
Tell us about yourself and your project?
I've been with the Service Players for 24 years and secretary for a lot of that time. I act, write, direct and produce. I directed Babysitting Calvin in 2008. It was my first time directing a one act for the festival. I thought I'd revisit it this year, as we had done well with it (Runner Up Best Play) and had so much fun. It won a couple of awards this year and as a high scoring play we were invited to perform it at the National Drama Festival in Coventry.
How did you find out about Isle of Man Arts Council and what funding was available to you?
I contacted the Arts Council to ask if there was any financial assistance available, and Arts Administrator Zoe Shuttleworth told me about the Domestic Travel Fund.
What type of funding did you apply for?
The Domestic Travel Fund.
How did the Isle of Man Arts Council help you?
The funding enabled us to take the play across to the National Drama Festival, which was an amazing experience. We represented the talent of the Island well, among award-winning groups from all over the UK, Ireland and Europe. The audience loved our play and we received a great deal of wonderful feedback. The adjudicator gave us some fantastic comments also.
How did you find the application process for funding?
Very straight forward.
Would you have been able to do this without Isle of Man Arts Council funding?
It certainly would have been difficult as the society doesn't generally contribute much to the cost of taking a play away so the cast would have had to put the money together themselves.
Would you recommend our application process to other people wanting help with funding for projects/events?
Yes, I would recommend the application process. It was straightforward and we received an update quickly.
Tell us about the trip and your experience?
The trip was wonderful. We had a warm welcome from NDFA and the theatre. The theatre staff, in particular, were impressed with our professionalism. The audience loved the play and we received a lot of great feedback. We represented the Island well. Performing our play in Coventry was an amazing experience, which would have been extremely difficult to do without the IOM Arts Council funding. Our whole team feel that this experience is one we will never forget and we're so grateful for the IOM Arts Council's support, which made it possible.
