Minutes 2nd May 2011

STaG Board Meeting 02/05/2011
Board turnover, part 1.
In attendance: S. Gregson, T. Pennock, C. Felstead, D. Hahn, T. Eaton, L. Taylor, J. May, F. Bird, A. McKay, D. Keenan, E. Burckhardt, L. Monkman, S. MacDonald, A. Rutherford, T. Pennock, Catherine Goldstone, Gillian Bennett-Lurie, Dominic Di Rollo, Isobel McArthur, Erik Igelstrom.

Apologies: H. Allan.

Agenda

1) Introduction, initiation and reflections
2) A Stone’s Throw update
3) STaG Ball update
4) Play in a Day update
5) 5 Minute Theatre update
6) Winter 2011 Mainstage
7) Freshers Week and New Talent Nights
8) STaG Bell
9) Association Status
10) A.O.B.








1) Introductions, initiation and reflections
Outgoing President S. Gregson welcomed both new and old board to the meeting, explains that for the purposes of board turnover, both outgoing and incoming boards are present. Board meetings are every Monday at 5.30, in the STaG room and last roughly one and a half hours. S. Gregson then asked for the outgoing board to introduce themselves and pass on one piece of advice to the incoming board. These were:
S Gregson: Get involved with as much as you can!
C. Felstead: wants to see an amazing Freshers’ week.
T. Pennock: stresses the need for good communication and staying on top of things.
S. McDonald: wants to see STaG making links with other companies, communities and past members (ie. Herself). STaG to exist in the ‘wider theatre world’.
L. Monkman: desperate for STaGs on Tour.
A. McKay: please listen to one another.
T. Eaton: wants to see more publicity, more community work and more FUN.
D. Hahn: wants to see STaG’s continual growth, both in people and scope, but one that will accept her back next year!
L. Taylor: STaG should become a social hub.
A. Rutherford: continue the great FoundSpaces projects.
J. May: wants the board to learn from mistakes and distribute the work load effectively; also board family: ‘I wish I could bake a cake filled with rainbows and smiles and everyone would eat and be happy...’
F. Bird: hopes everyone in STaG continues to have a great time and to keep in mind that bringing people out of their shells is also a job of STaG’s.
D. Keenan: wants to see an absolutely massive Freshers’, and for board work not to be looked at as a chore.

Emails addresses and phone numbers were then taken by incoming President C. Felstead, and the board congratulated S. McDonald and J. May for their hosting of the elections.
2) A Stone’s Throw Update
S. McDonald updates that there is ‘not a lot’ to update. D. Hahn briefly outlines the upcoming fundraiser and S. McDonald asks for the support of the new board. The date for the fundraiser is set as Wednesday the 18th May, with D. Hahn creating a Facebook event and E. Burckhardt as general overseer. D. Hahn has been made co-production manager of A Stone’s Throw and an email have been received from Zoo Venues (detailing a weekly karaoke!)
3) STaG Ball Update
F. Bird says that cyber-meetings will be held for the next week or so as exams are very stressful. Awards, both joke and real, need to be finalised as soon as possible and the membership need to be informed about and encouraged to exercise their right to vote… Confirmation from ceilidh band received, but F. Bird says they have not finalised at what time they’ll be playing. F. Bird to look into the P.A. system and the charge for it. E. Burckhardt suggests selling tickets prior to the Ball. The board decides that tickets will be sold at Play in a Day, the A Stone’s Throw fundraiser and by board meetings in the run up to the ball at a reduced cost of £12. The figure of £15 is still applicable for tickets bought on the door. T. Pennock stresses vigilance in money/ticket keeping. A. Rutherford volunteers to make/design tickets.
4) Play in a Day
L. Taylor has been forced to abdicate her role as organiser; reassigned to D. Keenan and E. Burckhardt. There will be a committee meeting for Play in a Day on Friday 6th May at 5pm in the STaG Room. All available board members are encouraged to attend. L. Monkman & E. Igelstrom will inform membership via. newsletter about the desire for ‘stuff’ (construction cardboard, string, material etc. and props). A. McKay unveils posters which are to be placed around campus, this week by old board, new board next week, remembering not to post in Library or SRC building sans stamp. Play in a Day is Sunday 15th May from 9.30 am.
5) 5 Minute Theatre
Director A. Cordier may have confirmed a location but no one is sure. There is much debate about shoes. I. McArthur and C. Goldstone volunteer as Stage Manager and Production Manager for said shoe-show. A designer is to be found, and an eye is to be kept on the realisation of the term ‘movement’.
6) Winter 2011 Mainstage
Application deadline is Friday 13th May, with the weekend given to the board to read the proposals before discussion the next week. Board members are to encourage any applicants. S. Gregson (straddling the role of President and Venues Manger) will re-contact both the Cottiers Theatre and The Arches re: performances late November. The James Arnott and Ramshorn Theatre are both still options
7) Freshers’ Week and New Talent Nights
S. Gregson notifies the board that they should start thinking about both Freshers’ Week and New Talent Nights. Much to E. Burckhardt’s dismay, a discussion does not follow.
8) STaG Bell
Post-meeting-ously J. May adds that both Play.com and Amazon.co.uk have cracking wireless doorbells for £8 and up. The reviews of even these cheap ones are very strong, and to avoid eternal damnation from the “mature” students, a bell should be invested in as soon as possible.
9) Association Status
S. McDonald reports back that becoming an association, even if available to STaG, is not something she feels the society would particularly benefit from at this point in time.
10) A.O.B.
Of course, S. McDonald takes the chair.
i) Archive; S. McDonald stresses the importance and amazingness of the archive. This must be continued once S. McDonald herself is archived. S. McDonald will forward amazing email with document of the committee’s findings thus far.
ii) S. McDonald believes that the society should push for greater subsidising from both the University and potentially past, ‘famous’ members.
iii) S. McDonald mentions that V. Beesley, an ex-STaG member, wishes to use the STaG Room as a rehearsal space over the summer in return for a free workshop. C. Felstead clarifies that A Stone’s Throw rehearsals would take precedence, and that Makeshift Broadcast, a theatre company created by ex-STaG members have also expressed interest in utilising the space over summer.
iv) S. McDonald will soon confirm the location of her Augusto Boal workshop. S. McDonald dislikes central room bookings.
D. Hahn also raises the issue of R.O.N (Re-open Nominations). In future, STaG must take care to ensure that the membership can feel the use of R.O.N. is open, accepted and not to be frowned upon. This would mean taking the issue a little more seriously. J. May agrees, but asserts that the membership did exercise this right this year, so hopefully we’re not off to a bad start!