Unorthodox methods

Project-based organisations such as David Hughes Dance tend to be comprised of artists and so the transition to a slightly larger company brings complexity and statutory obligations. To facilitate this, we secured funds to commission an independent review. This helped us to comprehend what was expected of us and how to work towards increased stability and continued funding. We could no longer remain just artists – we needed to become businessmen.
This process allowed an outsider to assess our staffing structure and operational functionality and feedback useful recommendations. This perspective has been invaluable in highlighting the areas which need development. It confirmed for us that, despite being somewhat unorthodox, our staffing structure is effective.

The impact of our Creative Scotland grant has been massive; David and I have been able to come on to salary and we employ a manager part-time. Dual leadership is an effective strategy, allowing focus for each individual to lie in their specialism. We meet in the middle when necessary but try not to step on each other’s toes. The closeness of our relationship remains the core of the company. Our company is fully dependent on our Creative Scotland grant. However, we set ourselves ambitious financial targets and work hard to reach them. Our generated revenue now sits as a significant portion of our annual budget.
Last year I wrote a fundraising strategy. The first element of this was securing actor Alun Armstrong as our Patron – having a revered figure advocating on your behalf can open doors. The next stage is to create time to liaise with trusts and foundations to access additional funds. In terms of time management this has been a real challenge. We have received small donations from audience members. We are not large enough to command greater amounts of individual giving like a national company, but these gestures carry a significant emotional commodity and are massively rewarding nonetheless.
Our future lies in collaboration and partnership. Currently we are partners with the Traverse Theatre in Edinburgh but are also looking to place greater emphasis on our partners in the highlands and islands of Scotland. Having such a strong presence in a domestic sense will hopefully be complemented by some international relationships. Our vision falls as much at our own feet as it does to the horizon – to be successful at home and abroad has a direct impact on Scotland. We hope to manage both.