Today I want to give some answers to your questions:

As we change we should hold on to our expertise, experience, experiences and the relationships we have with each other – we laugh a lot – I like that.

As we change we should have more:

Transparency *
Forgiveness *
Respect *
Curiosity *
Political conversation*
Collaborations with voices that are different to ours and with people who are experts in things outside of ‘theatre’*

*That isn’t to say I don’t think we have these things now, we do, but I think we should have more of them.

I can, I will and I do want to change – I don’t want to fly with Ryanair anymore because they are horrible and I can only tour if I’m comfortable. I spent over 10 years touring with bands, I’ve woken up in dirty squats. I’ve been bitten by bed bugs, I’ve slept on hard floors, I’ve shared rooms with strangers and now I need a comfortable bed. I need to sleep.

I need to be able to work from anywhere and I need to be able to take my medication regularly regardless of any stigma or legality surrounding it.

I no longer care about what anyone thinks – I like this stage of my life in that respect. I feel competent and capable now. I prefer working by myself – I worry about that sometimes.

I moved to Manchester in 2003 – I arrived on the Transpeak bus. I had my desktop computer (with monitor) a backpack of CDs and a few band t-shirts. No job, no money, no plan – I forgot to bring a towel. I often still feel like that 17 year old version of myself – not sure what I want to do next and definitely not knowing what I want to do forever, but for now, in the gaps, I want autonomy, to work with good people and to earn the same salary as a person my age with the same skills.

On days when I’m in a lot of pain or unable to do very much I wonder if I will ever be able to tour again. I have some great memories of us all living together, eating together, playing together, being together. Sometimes I think I would no longer be of use if I couldn’t do the extra, digital things I do. My life would’ve been very different had I not downloaded a cracked version of Photoshop in 1998.

Next year we will make a bit of clever art like the █████  ████ █ ██████, ███ ██ █ A bit like █████ ████ ████ ███ ███ ███ █ ███ so Donald Trump can’t build his stupid wall.

In 3 years time we will make some posters, websites, videos, digital art or at least I think I will. We will also make something you can hold.

In 10 years time or more likely in 20 years time we will make things that are democratic and joyful. It will all be contradictory, generous and a little bit fragile. Art won’t be the same in 2038 as it is now – it will have a different value and perimeter, people will recognise food as art, coffee as art, architecture and graphic design more clearly as art. Things that people do daily will be defined more regularly as art. Art will feel less like something that hangs on the wall or sits in a theatre. It won’t be about what you do but about how you live. We will see and share much much more of it and begin to notice it less and less.

The habit we could usefully break is to not make any assumptions or judgements.

I’ve run out of energy now. I’ve never been much of a ‘writer’

would much prefer to do a poster series for our new manifesto.

It was interesting to do though but i’ve had enough…