ProPortal is available to be used by artists, producers, programmers, and theatres that wish to showcase creatives from their own talent development networks.
- Programmers and Producers: The portal dashboard itself will only be available to view by programmers and producers, who will be manually verified to ensure privacy of artists work.
- Artists: Artists will be able to submit work to be exhibited on the website by using a simple form. You can find out more about criteria for exhibition below.
- Talent Development Networks: We’re keen to hear from Talent Development networks across the UK who are doing brilliant work cultivating, supporting and sharing new voices from their home cities, just as Unity are doing with Liverpool.
Want to know more about how the Portal can work for you? Use our easy guide below…
For Programmers and Producers:
Role: Use the website, watch work available for tour via the portal, browse and discover new artists to collaborate with and connect with any that you take an interest in.
Benefits to using ProPortal: The functionality of the website has been designed in conversation with programmers and producers. The website is an easy to access, environmentally friendly and cost-effective way of discovering artists across the country that you may be interested in either booking for tour or collaborating with.
Search functionality and favouriting option creates a very personalised tour booking method for programmers and producers.
You will receive a monthly newsletter with highlights from the portal, new uploads and information about live sharings.
Requirements: you are a programmer of producer working in the arts-sector
Costs: free to access
How to get involved:
You can sign-up here.
Once you have signed-up, it will take up to two working days for your account to be verified. Once verified you will receive and email with your log-in details. You are then ready to explore and enjoy!
Once you have logged in to the portal you will be able to search through the full library of work. Detailed search criteria has been created to allow you to find a show that suits your needs. The library can be filtered by genre, location, format, staging, availability for tour and accessible performance options, as well as additional community, education and artist development offers.
The portal also includes tour packs, technical information, a favouriting tool to support with shortlisting, a live Q&A calendar and contact button for users to speak directly with artists about their work.
There is also the option to favourite work, using the heart icon, which allows you to begin building shortlists. Your favourites will be saved to your personalised dashboard and will appear at the top when you log in.
For Artists & Theatre Companies:
Role: exhibit on the site to be seen by programmers and producers across the UK
Benefit of being featured on the portal: The main aim of ProPortal is to tackle financial, practical and access barriers in place for many brilliant artists who struggle to connect with programmers and subsequently get their shows on touring circuits and festivals. Through the portal programmers will be able to watch your show and access all information required to decide whether to programme you. They will then be able to directly contact you and begin a conversation.
Requirements: Artists who meet all of the following criteria may submit their work for exhibition on the portal…
- You have work(s) available for tour booking or online exhibition (online, in venue or outdoor)
- You have a quality recording of the work that is available for tour (this can be a scratch performance and does not need to be on professional equiptment so long as the quality of the recording is clear and the visual and audio are accessible).
- The work adheres to industry standards regarding worker rights, music licensing and safeguarding
- The work is not harmful, derogatory or discriminatory
- A artist/company wide commitment to accessibility and inclusivity.
The work does not need to be a ‘traditional’ performance.
If you are an artist who has a recording of a previous show but not one currently available for tour, you may also submit this to be listed as “Artist Available for Commission”. By submitting for commission you are allowing programmers and producers to contact you for conversation based off your previous work, so ensure you are happy it represents your working practice now.
Cost to have work exhibited on portal: completely free
How to get involved: The purpose of the ProPortal is to make this as easy as possible for artists. There is a very short form, which can be accessed here, that you will be able to fill in. On this form you can submit any supporting documents, videos and links as well as core information for your listing.
This will then be assessed and uploaded by the ProPortal team at Unity.
You will then be contacted by Unity, who will inform you that your entry is now live.
For Talent Development Networks / Venues:
Role: Unity has developed the ProPortal with Liverpool-based artists, but we know the barriers they face are similar to those being faced across the entire country. That’s why we are looking for advocates from across the UK to put forward a billing of artists / companies whom you support or work with in your area, to be exhibited on the portal.
Benefits: National exposure for the artists you are working to develop through your own talent development scheme. This is also a great chance to connect with other talent development networks across the UK and collaborate, share supported artists and encourage cross-promotion and working. You will also receive your own section on the website.
Requirements: As an advocate you will be required to submit work for exhibition on the portal that you are proud of, and feel is ready for tour across the UK. You will then work with Unity to provide the portal team with the links, artist info and company involvement for each show so that it can be uploaded to the portal.
Costs: Free
How to get involved: arrange a chat with Kirsten and Unity’s Talent Development team artists@unitytheatre.co.uk
