Making Creativity Pay
By Dan Barnett
The aim is not about selling out any creative endeavour but to ensure that there is at least some way to pay the bills and keep the lights on, money can be seen to be a vulgar part of the process but getting fairly paid for the time, effort and expertise you put in to something shouldn't be a bad thing.
Making Creativity PayApr 21, 2024
I Hope You Fail - AI and Art
It’s impossible to move at the moment for think pieces about the future of AI and for better or worse you’re getting another one here.
In this episode I’ll talk a bit about examples from art, music, writing and coding and how what could be an incredible advance for some will bring consequences for others.
I show how with text to speech advances it's hard to tell real and AI adverts apart, how whole songs can be created from just a sentence and the argument around 'homeopathic robbery' in that if you train on so much data it's impossible to tell where you've taken from then is it really theft or just a paradigm shift.
Links:
Text to Speech with Eleven Labs: https://elevenlabs.io/
Text to Music with Udio: https://www.udio.com/
Full episode of 'Hard Fork' that includes discussion around AI art and copyright issues:
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/20/podcasts/20hard-fork-elon-empire-artists-ai.html
Full episode with Andy Stanton on his book Benny the Blue Whale: A Descent into Story, Language and the Madness of ChatGPT
https://podcasting.makingcreativitypay.com/chatgpt-and-creativity-andy-stanton/
Find More about ‘Making Creativity Pay’
Website: https://podcasting.makingcreativitypay.com/episodes/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Beyond_the_Pod
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/makingcreativitypay/
Award Winning Journalist Rachael Healy
“It feels like people do have to almost have a second career to support themselves. And it's not clear where the kind of goals or the safe spot is anymore where you can just fully concentrate on that thing”
Rachael Healy is an award winning journalist and the current British Journalism Awards Journalist of the year for Arts and Entertainment.
Rachael is a freelance journalist working predominantly with The Guardian and the i newspapers and we talk about getting articles commissioned, from show reviews through to in-depth investigative reporting.
We also discuss the star rating systems of reviews, building a personal brand as well as her repeated focus in her writing on the financial impact of being an artist including the experience of performers at the fringe
Rachael Links
Rachael’s Best In Class article https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2024/feb/29/woke-tv-comedy-workshops-infuriating-right-wing-press
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ohrhealy
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rachaelhealyjournalist/
Website: http://www.rachaelhealy.co.uk/
British Journalism Awards Winners: https://pressgazette.co.uk/press-gazette-events/british-journalism-awards-winners-2023/
Find More about ‘Making Creativity Pay’
Website: https://podcasting.makingcreativitypay.com/episodes/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Beyond_the_Pod
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/makingcreativitypay/
Comedy and Medicine - Matt Hutchinson
“...people who go into medicine, often it's not so much just pure science people, it's people who've got maybe a bit more of a broader interest range than your standard person who just wants to be a scientist or a mathematician or something like that. So I think often you find people going into it who've got a bit of a second interest, even at the point of sort of choosing what career they're going into.”
This episode is with Comedian Matt Hutchinson we talk about his experiences of the 2023 Edinburgh Fringe with his show ‘Hostile’ from promoting the show on Social Media and Flyering through to working with PR and Production companies.
We also discuss how being a comedian interacts with his day job as a Doctor and how he somehow manages to combine all this with studying for a research PhD as well as currently being in the middle of writing a book based on his experiences as a Doctor.
Matt Links
Twitter: https://twitter.com/hutch_up
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/matthutchinsoncomedy/
Find More about ‘Making Creativity Pay’
Website: https://podcasting.makingcreativitypay.com/episodes/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Beyond_the_Pod
Jay Lafferty and Kathleen Hughes - Comedy in Scotland
Ahead of the Glasgow comedy festival which runs from the 13th to the 31st March I spoke to comedians Jay Lafferty and Kathleen Hughes two Scottish comedians who are performing at the festival.
We talk about Kathleen’s experiences as a relatively newer comedian who after a two week run last year is currently preparing for her first full Edinburgh Fringe run in 2024.
We also discuss Jay’s experiences as a full time comedian, going on a nationwide tour with her show ‘Bahookie’ and how the Scottish comedy has changed and the supportive nature within the scene.
See Jay and Kathleen Live
Jay Lafferty - Bahookie at Glasgow Comedy Festival (29th March):
https://www.glasgowcomedyfestival.com/performances/jay-lafferty-bahookie-special-live-recording/
Bahookie On Tour:
https://gildedballoon.co.uk/bahookie/
Kathleen Hughes - Cryptid (WiP) at Glasgow Comedy Festival (24th March):
https://www.glasgowcomedyfestival.com/performances/kathleen-hughes-cryptid-work-in-progress/
Cryptid at Edinburgh Fringe:
https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/kathleen-hughes-cryptid
Jay
Website:https://www.watchthisspaceproductions.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jayjaylaffs
Joy Agenda Podcast: https://pod.link/1719574893
Kathleen
Twitter: https://twitter.com/kathleenwho_
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kathleenwho_
The Humour Mill: https://www.humourmillglasgow.co.uk/
Find More about ‘Making Creativity Pay’
Website: https://podcasting.makingcreativitypay.com/episodes/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Beyond_the_Pod
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/makingcreativitypay/
Episode Photos:
Kathleen: https://www.instagram.com/_dunkan_/
LMAOnaise - Crowdfunding, Journalism and Newsletters
“Finding out information about comedy, if you don't already know what you're looking for can be ridiculously overwhelming”
This episode I spoke to Zoë Paskett founder of LMAOnaise a website, newsletter and soon to be newspaper that covers some of the less mainstream areas of comedy.
The ethos of this podcast has always been that even if your art may not be driven by money, without the money it’s difficult to keep creating the art and so marketing matters and my chat with Zoë was a great example of this, creating a print version of something when even web journalism is collapsing is an ambitious aim.
We discuss Zoë’s plans for the newspaper and her work setting up and promoting the crowdfunder along with her experiences as a journalist for publications such as the London Evening Standard and from running her weekly newsletter for the last three years as well as the value of curation when it comes to comedy.
LINKS
Crowdfunder for Newspaper
https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/help-lmaonaise-comedy-launch-a-print-newsletter/
Website:https://www.lmaonaisecomedy.com/
Instagram: http://instagram.com/lmaonaisecomedy
Threads: https://www.threads.net/@lmaonaisecomedy
Find More about ‘Making Creativity Pay’
Website: https://podcasting.makingcreativitypay.com/episodes/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Beyond_the_Pod
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/makingcreativitypay/
The Lancashire Hotpots - 21st Century Folk
"With the advent of social media and Myspace as was, we sort of got a bit of a following and we've been growing our audience ever since"
This episode is with Sheldon Southworth AKA Dickie Ticker from the band The Lancashire Hotpots.
The band's motto is “21st Century Folk for 21st Century folk” and have released albums including Never Mind the Hotpots and Achtung Gravy and have performed at festivals such as Glastonbury and Kendall Calling as well as touring the country and are currently on their Bisto Inferno tour.
We talk about the challenges facing a live band in the current economic climate, promoting band both online and the various tools and techniques involved in selling tickets to live shows.
LINKS
Website: https://thelancashirehotpots.net/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/thehotpots
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thelancashirehotpots/
Facebook: https://en-gb.facebook.com/thelancashirehotpots/
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5ac41g3jUH9rBoe6zawiaB
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thelancashirehotpots?lang=en
Find More about ‘Making Creativity Pay’
Website: https://podcasting.makingcreativitypay.com/episodes/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Beyond_the_Pod
Beyond the Fringe to London and Bristol - Cowboys and Lesbians
“It’s a romantic comedy with added sexy cowboys”
Eleanor Birdsall-Smith is producer of the sell-out Edinburgh Fringe show ‘Cowboys and Lesbians’ which is about to embark on a 3 week run at the Park Theatre in London and The Wardrobe Theatre in Bristol.
We talk about her background in TV, her Fringe experiences including the importance of reviews and the tactics of flyering as well as the impact of a name change to the show.
LINKS
Park Theatre London (Feb 21st - Mar 9th)
https://parktheatre.co.uk/whats-on/cowboys-and-lesbians
Wardrobe Theatre Bristol (Mar 12th - Mar 15th)
https://thewardrobetheatre.com/livetheatre/cowboys-lesbians/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CowboysPlay
Instagram: https://instagram.com/cowboysandlesbians
TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@cowboysandlesbians
Times 4* Review discussed in the episode:
Show Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fysK6vFtLj8
Find More about ‘Making Creativity Pay’
Website: https://podcasting.makingcreativitypay.com/episodes/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Beyond_the_Pod
Pop Star Alexis Strum
"Even though they took my songs, I still felt like a failure, and I did for the largest part of the last 10, 15 years. I felt like I failed at music"
Alexis talks about her experiences as a singer/songwriter, comedian and actress, about going viral on TikTok and her resurgence as a pop star 20 years on.
We talk about having songs she’s written being recorded by Kylie Minogue and Rachel Stevens, the impact being dropped by her record label had on her and her determination to make the most of the opportunity the second time around.
We also discuss Social Media, online promotion and the psychological impact chasing clicks has on your state of mind.
LINKS
Website: https://www.alexisstrum.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/alexisstrum
Instagram: https://instagram.com/alexisstrum
TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@alexisstrumofficial
Retropop Article about releasing the albums 20 years on:
Alexis on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/49DJil4JyZdW8Upoilkfom
Find More about ‘Making Creativity Pay’
Website: https://podcasting.makingcreativitypay.com/episodes/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Beyond_the_Pod
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/makingcreativitypay/
Content is Queen - Kat Molesworth
Kat Molesworth who as well well as having a huge amount of experience in digital marketing is event producer at Content is Queen who are running the International Women’s Podcast Festival which is taking place in London in October.
We talk about traditional offline promotion for podcasts, what makes engaging social content to drive activity to your podcast as well as discussing the festival and Kat’s aims for it in more detail.
There’s a load of other practical bits of advice from Kat throughout the episode including examples of podcasts that do things particularly well in a certain aspect of podcasting.
Kat
Website: https://www.katmolesworth.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/thatkat
Instagram: http://instagram.com/thatkat
Blogtacular Podcast: https://pod.link/1063884748
Content is Queen
Website: https://contentisqueen.org/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/contentisqn
Pitch your talk or panel idea for The International Women’s Podcast Festival:
https://festival.contentisqueen.org/speaker-applications
Interview with Grace Andrews (Marketing Director for Diary of a CEO) on Callum McDonnell’s ‘Creator Playbooks’ podcast
YouTube: https://youtu.be/44gUHzuLb78
Podcast: https://pod.link/1613319204
Normal Gossip Podcast: https://pod.link/1597761181
Bitter/Sweet Podcast: https://pod.link/1674678902
Find More about ‘Making Creativity Pay’
Website: https://podcasting.makingcreativitypay.com/episodes/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Beyond_the_Pod
ChatGPT and Creativity - Andy Stanton
"I think life is bigger than AI. I don't think AI is bigger than life. That may be the most naïve thing anyone has ever said on the subject. We'll see."
Andy Stanton is an author best known for his ‘Mr Gum’ Children’s books and has written a book called Benny the Blue Whale: A Descent into Story, Language and the Madness of ChatGPT which is available in print and also as an audiobook with ChatGPT voiced by Nish Kumar.
As you’ll hear from our talk this doesn’t mean he’s typed a simple prompt and then printed the results, rather it’s a fascinating look at language and a great lesson on what makes good writing by considering what ChatGPT can’t do as well as looking at what it can manage.
As well as the book, we discuss Andy’s long running podcast Ask The Nincompoops as well as not reading your reviews and the difficulties of promotion in a social media age.
LINKS
Book: https://oneworld-publications.com/work/benny-the-blue-whale/
Audiobook: https://www.audible.co.uk/pd/Benny-the-Blue-Whale-Audiobook/B0CKM6WDLV
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AndyStanton15
Andy on the Failing Writers Podcast: https://www.failingwriterspodcast.com/episodes/episode/5137e57d/s3-ep20-how-to-write-a-book-using-chatgpt-andy-stanton
Mr Gum Website: http://www.mrgum.co.uk/
Find more about ‘Making Creativity Pay’
Website: https://podcasting.makingcreativitypay.com/episodes/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Beyond_the_Pod
Comedy for Beginners through to the Fringe - Dec Munro
“If you're really Into making it, into doing it, the worst thing in life is getting to 85 and not having tried to do the things that you want to do or not having been your best self”
Dec Munro is a comedy director and producer and co-founder of the Bill Murray comedy club.
Dec has directed loads of Edinburgh Fringe shows for performers such as Stuart Goldsmith, Mawaan Rizwan, Angela Barnes, Sofie Hagen and many more.
We discuss the role of a director in a show, about drawing out ideas and getting the best from an artist and whether taking a show to Edinburgh is right for everyone as well as moving from the Fringe to TV and if the TV industry does enough to nurture scripted comedy.
We talk about The Bill Murray and Angel Comedy Club, how that came about, the London comedy scene, the embarrassment of riches London comedy goers have and how the ‘So what do you do for a living’ clips on social media may impact what people expect from a comedy show.
Dec also runs beginner stand-up comedy courses both to individuals and in a corporate setting and we discuss how this attracts both those who want to make a go of being a comedian and those that realise that the skills of a comedian are transferable to their day job.
Dec’s Website: https://www.decmunro.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/DecMunro
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/decmunro_comedy/
The Bill Murray/Angel Comedy: https://www.angelcomedy.co.uk/
Liam Withnail - Chronic Boom & Enjoy an Album
"I was in hospital listening to this country album, going, ah, life's too short for me to be listening to country music every other week"
On this episode is comedian and podcaster Liam Withnail.
Off the back of a sell-out run of his show 'Chronic Boom' at the Edinburgh Fringe. I talk to Liam about his experiences at the Festival in August, what he did to promote the show, the challenges he faced putting the show together and how he’s now taking it nationwide with a tour starting March 2024.
We also discuss his podcast ‘Enjoy an Album’ which he co-hosts with fellow comedian Christopher Macarthur-Boyd which itself has been a live show at Edinburgh. We talk about how they’ve introduced video and developed the podcast with the financial help of Patreon supporters.
Links
Twitter: https://twitter.com/liamwithnail
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/liamwithnail/
TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@liamwithnail
2024 Tour: https://www.berksnest.com/liam
Enjoy and Album Podcast page: https://podfollow.com/enjoy-an-album
Links to other activity, including free podcast of Liam’s 2019 Fringe show, Homecoming: https://linktr.ee/Liamwithnail
BBC article featuring Liam on financial aspect of being a comedian in current economy: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-65038562
Elf Lyons - Comedy and Performance
“It used to be you'd focus on one thing and you'd focus to do it to the best of your degree, but I think now everyone has to be really multidisciplinary” - This episode's guest Elf Lyons who has a broad range of talents that we discuss in the podcast.
We talk about her Edinburgh show this year ‘Heist’ with Duffy and how audience response turned a two week run into a whole month and how it impacted her approach to being in Edinburgh compared to previous years and her experience this year directing a number of shows by fellow artists at the Fringe.
Elf’s previous Fringe show ‘Raven’ is playing for 2 nights on 27th/28th October at Soho Theatre in London and we talk about the balance of putting shows on yourself versus working with promoters/theatre companies to remove some of the stress of promoting and financial risk and balancing that with a lower return.
Elf also has a YouTube special - “Elf Lyons Talks Dirty” and we discuss the Work In Progress process and development aspects of Stand Up comedy and finding the right platform for you whether that’s Live, TikTok, Twitch or any other medium.
Elf also has a podcast called ‘Elfonomics’ that she runs with her father - Economist Gerard Lyons taking a look at a range of Economic questions such as the benefits of an artist having an OnlyFans account or what lessons artists can take from footballers.
Links
‘Heist’ co-performer Duffy: https://www.instagram.com/darklydreamingduffy
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elflyons/
Website: https://www.elflyons.com/
“Elf Lyons Talks Dirty” YouTube Special: https://www.youtube.com/@ElfLyonsComedy
Raven @ Soho Theatre 27th/28th October: https://sohotheatre.com/events/elf-lyons-raven-2/
Elfonomics Podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/elfonomics
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ELFONOMICS
Episode Transcript: https://podcasting.makingcreativitypay.com/blog/elf-lyons-comedy-and-performance-episode-transcript/
Reviewing Fringe 2023 with Fergus Morgan
This episode is the second of a two-parter with Theatre Correspondent Fergus Morgan, the previous episode discusses Fergus' experience as a freelance Theatre Correspondent for titles such as The Scotsman and The Stage, as well as appearing on Radio 4 and in publications across Europe.
In this episode we discuss the Edinburgh Fringe, the role a reviewer plays in a show getting noticed and the balance for performers between getting their work seen and balancing the financial and mental pressures of a month at the Fringe.
You can find Fergus at:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/FergusMorgan
Fergus' Newsletter: https://thecrushbar.substack.com/
His work at The Stage: https://www.thestage.co.uk/fergusmor1
Journalism with Fergus Morgan
This episode is the first of a two-parter with Theatre Correspondent Fergus Morgan.
In this episode we discuss Fergus' experience as a freelance Theatre Correspondent for titles such as The Scotsman and The Stage, as well as appearing on Radio 4 and in publications across Europe.
We also discuss Fergus' own Newsletter The Crush Bar, the differences of being your own boss as a Newsletter producer compared for writing for others as well the current state and future direction of journalism.
The second part of my chat with Fergus will be out on 30th September and will discuss the Edinburgh Fringe, the role a reviewer plays in a show getting noticed and the balance for performers between getting their work seen and balancing the financial and mental pressures of a month at the Fringe.
You can find Fergus at:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/FergusMorgan
Fergus' Newsletter: https://thecrushbar.substack.com/
His work at The Stage: https://www.thestage.co.uk/fergusmor1
A Preoccupation with Romantic Love
"Flyering is like a one-on-one direct intense experience of rejection, constant little micro bits of rejection and that can really suck"
This episode is with Laura Thurlow whose show "A Preoccupation with Romantic Love" is on between 19-27th August as part of the Free Fringe.
She discusses flyering, the importance of the Free Fringe, the impact of Social Media and lots more.
Details:
https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/preoccupation-with-romantic-love
Twitter: https://twitter.com/laurelbrae
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laurelbrae/
Hollywoodn't at the Fringe - Lisa Verlo
"Always have your flyers on you...you gotta be flyering all the time here" - Latest Fringe episode is with Lisa Verlo talking about her show Hollywoodn't which details her experiences of Hollywood in the 80s.
We talk about flyering, Social Media and impact of time of day of her show drives the whole flow of a day when you're at Edinburgh.
Tickets:
tickets.gildedballoon.co.uk/event/14:4935
https://edinburghfestival.datathistle.com/event/2126585-hollywoodnt/https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/hollywoodn-t
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hollywoodnt_/
Twitter: @rocknrollinmom
More Info about Lisa:
https://about.me/lisaverlo
Digital PR and Social Media Marketing
Any Digital Marketing or promotion can be incredibly cost-effective or a time sink depending on how well you do it. In this episode I talk to Charlotte and Ellie of Award-Winning Digital Marketing Agency Wagada Digital about how individuals and businesses can make the most of digital Marketing.
Areas we cover include:
Paid vs. Organic Social Media
Picking the right Social Media to match both your personality and where you potential fans/customers are
Digital PR
SEO
AI and developments in Marketing and Design
Wagada’s own ‘ChinWag’ Podcast which discusses in more detail a lot of the areas we cover.
Twitter: https://twitter.com/wagada_digital
Website: https://www.wagada.co.uk/
Wagada’s ‘ChinWag’ Podcast: https://pod.link/1679763236
Poetry and Matrimony at the Fringe
"I've even been promoting on LinkedIn" - This episode I spoke to Lisa O'Hare about her Poetry/Spoken Word Show "Do you Remember The First Rhyme" and JJ Pyle about her show "How to Find a Husband in 37 Years or Longer"
We talk about Lisa being a first time performer after attending the Fringe for decades, JJ's X-Rated graffiti, being kicked out of Edinburgh's coffee shops and more.
Tickets:
Do you Remember the First Rhyme:
https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/do-you-remember-the-first-rhyme
How to Find a Husband in 37 Years or Longer: https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/how-to-find-a-husband-in-37-years-or-longer
Lisa: https://twitter.com/TheLisaOHare
JJ: https://twitter.com/aliceIW
Websites:
Wrestling with The Champ - Damien St John
Finally the Fringe can start - The Champ is in Town!
This episode was with Damien St John half of the Sports Podcast Awards 2023 Nominated Podcast - Wrestling with The Champ
We talk about moving from an audio podcast to real life performances, comedy writing and developing characters as well as how to do a good bucket speech at the Free Fringe and the advantage of being able to flyer in character.
The show is at 17:00 on 5th-11th August at Burrito ‘n’ Shake
Website: http://www.wrestlingwiththechamp.com/
Podcast: https://shows.acast.com/wrestling-with-the-champ
Fringe Show Link: https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/wrestling-with-the-champ-smiledriver
Twitter: https://twitter.com/thechamppod
Cowboys and Lesbians - Producer Eleanor Birdsall-Smith
Eleanor Birdsall-Smith is our latest guest on the podcast. She is the Producer of ‘Cowboys and Lesbians’ which is on at the Pleasance 10 Dome from 2-27th August.
We talk about venue selection, coming to the Fringe for the first time, having a more considered flyering approach and the importance of social media in trying to promote the play to a young audience.
Tickets:
https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/cowboys-and-lesbians
Twitter:
https://twitter.com/CowboysPlay
Interviews/Reviews and more: https://linktr.ee/springlamb
Best Man and Attendants at the Fringe
“At no point in the last six months have I been relaxed. At no point has there been a lull where I haven't thought, oh, I should be doing something”.
This episode we hear from Mikey Fleming co-writer of ‘Best Man’, the focus on getting things right, an aversion to flyering and lots more and we also hear from the cast of Attendants on their thoughts about the Fringe.
Best Man is on every day (except 14th) at 2:50pm in UnderBelly George Square. tickets: http://tiny.cc/Best-Man
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MrMikeyFleming
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@afewwordstheatre
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/afewwordstheatre/
Attendants -
Tickets: The SpaceUk venue 39 on the mile from the 4th-12th August https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/attendants
Twitter: https://twitter.com/the_attendants
Website: https://theattendants.co.uk/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@the_attendants
Lisa Pizek - Too Big for Her Britches
Lisa's show 'Too Big for Her Britches' is on now at the Edinburgh Fringe: "A hilarious and heart-breaking dark comedy driven by 20 characters and 11 original songs, in which the heroine, Luna, endeavours to disentangle herself from bad decisions and an overbearing, narcissistic mother." We spoke about what she's looking forward to about performing at the Fringe and thoughts around promoting and marketing the show from flyering to social media.
Show Details: https://www.infinitedesignhouse.com/lisa-one-woman-show Tickets:
https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/too-big-for-her-britches
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lisa.pezik/
Twitter:
Storytelling PR at Edinburgh Fringe
“It’s easy to drop your guard in the ethical soup that is the Fringe” -
In this episode we talk to Miriam Attwood of Storytelling PR.
Storytelling PR team provide publicity, consultancy and advocacy for culture and activism related artists.
We talk about what having an activism and representation focused PR company means, Miriam’s extensive experience of the Edinburgh Fringe including running PR for Summerhall one of the venues at Edinburgh, and some thoughts on what those without PR representation can do to get themselves noticed.
Links:
Miriam: https://twitter.com/miriamattwood
Storytelling PR: https://twitter.com/storytellingpr
Website: https://storytellingpr.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/storytelling.pr/
Summerhall ‘Support The Artist’ Scheme: https://www.summerhall.co.uk/2023/02/summerhall-launches-new-support-the-artist-ticket/
Meat Cute - 3 Years to get to the Fringe
3 Years in the making: Bibi Lucille and Anastasia Bunce about the show Meat Cute that’s playing at the Edinburgh Fringe this August.
We talk about the development to get to this stage, some dubious methods of marketing the show and plans for promotion over the month.
We talk flyers, Instagram, Daily promotion and lots more.
Links:
Tickets: https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/meat-cute
MeatCute: https://twitter.com/meatcutetheplay
Bibi Lucille: https://twitter.com/bibi_lucille
Anastasia Bunce: https://twitter.com/AnastasiaBunce
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meatcutetheplay/
Camden Fringe: 1 Month 300+ Shows
"Not everyone leaves London in August" - Although there's lots of noise made about the Edinburgh Fringe, London also has a major festival of its own with over 300 different acts performing from 31st July to the 27th August in Camden and beyond.
In this episode we’ll be speaking to Zena and Michelle founders of the Camden Fringe. We talk about how the Camden Fringe came about, how it differs to the Edinburgh Fringe and have loads of advice for anyone looking to put on a show at a festival.
We’ll also be talking about their Camden Fringe podcast which is a great resource where they speak to performers and others in the industry about all areas from Marketing, PR and tips on writing a show.
Links
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CamdenFringe
Show and Ticket Details: https://camdenfringe.com/
Camden Fringe Podcast: https://pod.link/1667974179
Steph Aritone: Excelf-Esteem
"Everything is data to me and everything is fascinating"- Steph talks about her new show Excelf-esteem which uses the data she finds all around her to drive her comedy.
We talk about the economics of running a show at the Edinburgh Fringe, promotion through social media, flyering and even using Near Field Communications to get the message out there.
We also cover her tactics for working with audiences at a Pay What You Can show, working on a "coward's hour" and also her evening compilation show "The Witching Hour" and her podcast "The Comedy Wine List"
You can find Steph at:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Stephiiito
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxpZebfBHAuwrIVVIhUYNGQ/featured
Steph at Camden Fringe: https://camdenfringe.com/events/excelf-esteem-work-in-progress/
Juliette Burton - No Brainer
"for me activism comes first" - this episode we talk to Comedian and Writer Juliette Burton about her Edinburgh Fringe show 'No Brainer' how she uses both the 'old-school' techniques of radio and flyering as well as online methods to draw an audience.
Juliette talks about the importance of being part of a bigger team or family at the Fringe and how she aims for her shows to drive action as well as entertain.
We discuss why Juliette's performing at the fringe for 10 days rather than the full month and also discuss the 3 years it took to create the podcast series 'Not-So Lonely Planet'
More about Juliette:
Edinburgh Fringe show 'No Brainer': https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/juliette-burton-no-brainer
Website: https://www.julietteburton.co.uk/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/JulietteBurton
Not So Lonely Planet Podcast: https://pod.link/1677545546
BBC Radio Surrey Interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RCZd44oZ73o
More episodes and blogs around making creativity pay at: https://podcasting.makingcreativitypay.com/blog/
Or find us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Beyond_the_Pod
AI Podcasting and Video Becky Lamb-Pritchard
Ahead of Podcast Show London on 24th/25th May, we’re running a series of short daily podcasts with a variety of people in the podcast industry.
This episode is with Becky Lamb-Pritchard - Head of Marketing at Distorted
We talk about what Becky’s looking forward to most at the Podcast Show, the rise of video podcasting, its importance in podcast discovery and discuss how Distorted’s AI created podcast ‘Synthetic Stories’ was put together and what it could mean for content creation.
You can find Becky on Twitter: https://twitter.com/becklamb
More about Distorted: https://twitter.com/thisisdistorted https://www.thisisdistorted.com/
Synthetic Stories Podcast: https://pod.link/1677756948
More details about Podcast Show London: https://www.thepodcastshowlondon.com/
More episodes and blogs around making creativity pay at: https://podcasting.makingcreativitypay.com/blog/
Or find us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Beyond_the_Pod
Mark Asquith - Podcast Hosting
Ahead of Podcast Show London on 24th/25th May, we’re running a series of short daily podcasts with a variety of people in the podcast industry.
This episode is with Mark Asquith - Co-Founder of Podcast Hosting service Captivate
We talk about what he’s looking forward to most at the Podcast Show, why he sees Anchor (now Spotify for Podcasters) as not necessarily a bad thing for the podcast industry and about his talk at the Podcast Show on how branding can help with the growth of your podcast.
You can find Mark on Twitter: https://twitter.com/MrAsquith
More about Captivate: https://www.captivate.fm/
More details about Podcast Show London: https://www.thepodcastshowlondon.com/ and Mark’s talk at: https://www.thepodcastshowlondon.com/speakers/mark-asquith
The post Podcast Show meetup on 24th May that Mark mentions: https://www.meetup.com/micpod/events/292556599/
More episodes and blogs around making creativity pay at: https://podcasting.makingcreativitypay.com/blog/
Or find us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Beyond_the_Pod
Megan Hayward - Podcast Producer
Ahead of Podcast Show London on 24th/25th May, we’re running a series of short daily podcasts with a variety of people in the podcast industry.
Today’s episode is with Megan Hayward - Podcast Producer at editaudio
We talk about what encouraged Megan to pursue a career in podcasting, her work as a podcast producer and how she finds working as part of a team that’s based on both sides of the Atlantic.
We also discuss the impact of AI in podcast production and what talks she’s looking forward to seeing at the Podcast Show.
You can find Megan on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheMeganHayward she is also one of PodPod’s faces to watch https://www.podpod.com/article/1821363/megan-hayward
More about editaudio: https://editaud.io/ and their Newsletter
More details about Podcast Show London: https://www.thepodcastshowlondon.com/ and editaudio’s founder Steph Colbourn will be taking part in the Ask The Experts stage:
https://www.thepodcastshowlondon.com/speakers/steph-colbourn
More episodes and blogs around making creativity pay at: https://podcasting.makingcreativitypay.com/blog/
Or find us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Beyond_the_Pod
Comedy Producer - Gina Lyons
This episode is with Comedy producer Gina Lyons - this was a great chat encompassing the varied aspects of Gina’s career to date, from getting in to the industry via a reality TV show (Get Me A Producer), working with a huge range of comedians on live shows including Kate Barron and Adam Rowe and scripted series across all areas from Network TV to Online (In My Skin/Breeders/Dreaming Whilst Black).
We talk about working with writers developing ideas at various stages of the process from creation to getting the final version on screen, advice for anyone who wants to work in scripted comedy.
Our chat is bookended talking about Gina’s appearance on the Drunk Women Solving Crime podcast where she talks about experiences she’s had which ended up all over the internet and might one day become a feature film. https://shows.acast.com/drunkwomen/episodes/189-gina-lyons-bludgeoning-actually
Gina on Twitter: https://twitter.com/GinaLyons
We also discuss her work as director on Kate Barron's show 'Losing Myself' which is soon to be a special on Next Up Comedy https://nextupcomedy.com/
Sean Adams - Drowned in Sound
This episode is with Sean Adams, Founder of Music Website and Label Drowned in Sound. We talk about the relaunch of Drowned in Sound as a music label, what a label can offer an artist that they wouldn’t get with a DIY approach, the importance of Social Media in promoting artists and matching the right channels for the artist and their audience.
We also talk about the newly launched Drowned In Sound podcast where Sean talks to artists and experts in a range of fields from TikTok to AI and lots more from his extensive experience in the Music Industry.
Drowned in Sound Website: https://drownedinsound.org/
Substack: https://drownedinsound.substack.com/
Podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/drownedinsound
First single on the label from The Faux Faux
Spotify/Apple Music/Amazon etc.: https://lnk.fu.ga/thefauxfaux_coldheartedwoman
Dr Hayleigh Bosher - Copyright in Music
Our guest is Dr Hayleigh Bosher - Senior Lecturer in Intellectual Property Law at Brunel University.
We discuss how musicians can educate themselves around copyright and getting paid when their music is used, the #BrokenRecord campaign for better pay for performers and composers, along with some examples of copyright such as Louis Theroux and Jiggle Jiggle and David Guetta creating an AI Eminem.
We also talk about her podcast 'Whose Song is it Anyway' the first two seasons which were co-hosted with Jules O’Riordan (Entertainment Lawyer and artist known as Judge Jules) which has included guests such as Imogen Heap, Crispin Hunt and Kevin Brennan MP talk about a wide range of music related areas such as performers rights, sampling, working with other artists, blockchain in music and lots more.
We go on to talk about the third season of the podcast which has a focus on Women in Music from all sides of the industry and levels of experience that launches on 1st March https://anchor.fm/whosesongisitanyway
Eminem New Zealand Case:
Song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=470bdH73TUY
Duke & Jones talking about Neil Diamond clearing use of 'Red Red Wine' for Louis Theroux's 'Jiggle Jiggle'
https://www.prsformusic.com/m-magazine/features/duke--and-jones-i-watched-two-hours-of-chucklevision
David Guetta with AI Eminem: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=98WTwSnkoas
Hayleigh on Twitter, links to her books and more: https://linktr.ee/legallybosher
Chapters in Podcasts - It's a clip show!
Chapters and Chapter art are a great way of adding extra context to a podcast or direct listeners to a specific part and what better way to show that with some clips from previous guests on Making Creativity Pay.
I know it's a huge ask of someone's time to listen to an hour long podcast of someone they've not listened to before and that can put someone off before they've even started. Good chapters and show notes can help encourage someone to take a leap of faith.
These chapters are quick snippets of each episode, there's a ton more great discussion in each full episode.
If you're listening via Apple Podcasts, chapter art and individual chapters will be visible if you start playing the episode then select the episode banner towards bottom of the screen and then you can scroll through, on Spotify, the timestamps will link to that point in the episode.
(00:00) Welcome to Making Creativity Pay
This episode serves two purposes, it’s an introduction to some of the people I’ve spoken to so far and also an example of what can be done using chapters within podcasting.
(00:39) Stuart Goldsmith - Comedian's Comedian
First guest up for the podcast was comedian Stuart Goldsmith who discussed how monetising his podcast developed. Stu's upcoming online special I Need You Alive is on 23rd Feb at https://www.moment.co/stuartgoldsmith
(01:41) Matt Curtis - Pellicle
Matt Curtis runs a beer, wine and travel related online magazine and podcast called Pellicle. Matt talked about the ethos of the site being free to view for everyone with a 'Pay if you Can' message so nobody misses out but gets across the point that without income there is no site. Lots of great content on there, not least this love letter to Scampi Fries https://www.pelliclemag.com/home/2023/1/16/the-anatomy-of-scampi-fries
(04:03) Mark Steadman - Origin FM
Mark Steadman - founder at podcasting company Origin.fm we discussed the value of Putting the effort in to your podcast for the future not just the immediate listener. Check out Mark's newsletter The Big Minute which every week picks a new podcast and details what makes it stand out https://thebigminute.com/
(06:55) Sophie Cross - Freelancer Magazine
With Sophie Cross Founder and Editor of Freelancer magazine talked about why she set up a print magazine in an increasingly digital world. The magazine is now entering it's third year and is available at https://www.freelancermagazine.co.uk/
(08:03) Joz Norris - Edinburgh Fringe Posters
I’ve also spoken to a number of comedian’s about the economics of performing at the Edinburgh Fringe, one of which was Joz Norris and the clip describes about how they tried to convey ethos of their Edinburgh Fringe show and encourage people to attend from just a poster. Find out more about Joz at https://www.joznorris.co.uk/
(09:30) Cerys Bradley - A Month at Edinburgh
On the same episode as Joz, I spoke To Cerys Bradley and they talked about why Edinburgh is different to other festivals and how performing the show daily improves it but that having to do a full month is maybe not the optimal way of doing things. https://www.cerysbradley.com/
(10:52) Suchandrika Chakrabarti - Show Marketing
On a separate episode I spoke to comedian Suchandrika Chakribati about the balance between Online vs Traditional marketing for getting people in to shows and how its becoming increasingly digital. https://vaultfestival.com/events/suchandrika-chakrabarti-reunion-afterparty-work-in-progress/
(12:58) James Cridland - Sustainable Creativity in Podcasting
I’ve also spoken to James Cridland, Editor of Podnews about the potential improvements and opportunities in podcasting from Chapters and Transcriptions through to microtransactions and subscriptions. https://podnews.net/
Chapters, images & show notes powered by vizzy.fm
James Cridland - Making Money From Podcasting
This episodes guest is James Cridland, James is Editor of Podnews, a daily Podcast and Newsletter about the world of Podcasting.
In the episode we talk about a range of subjects around podcasting and monetisation including:
Ads
Sponsorship
Subscriptions - Apple/Spotify/Patreon
How to ask for money - e.g., Buy Me a Coffee and how countries differ in terms of the culture of asking for money for your creative work
Microtransactions in Podcasting including the Fountain App
Podcasting 2.0 - Chapters, Transcripts and more
AI in podcasting - Speechify and Veritone
James is also co-host (along with Sam Sethi) of Podnews Weekly Review which is a more in-depth look at podcasting with guests from throughout the industry.
James also has a blog on Medium discussing Technology, Data and more
Suchandrika Chakrabarti - I miss Amy Winehouse
This episode is with Suchandrika Chakrabarti talking about her 2022 Edinburgh Fringe show 'I miss Amy Winehouse', selecting a venue, promoting it on TikTok and flyering by the bins.
We talk about having a show with a mixed ticketed/pay what you want model, traditional vs. online marketing and the process of doing it all again for 2023 along with the differences between in person and Zoom shows as she will be doing for the upcoming Access festival.
Suchandrika performed at Paradise Green, and the 'Cost Estimator' for staging a show that she mentions in the episode is available here https://www.paradise-green.co.uk/perform/pricing/
In early 2023 you can catch the work in progress for the new show at:
16th Jan - Access Festival (Online): https://nextupcomedy.com/access/
29th Jan 2023 - Bill Murray Pub London: https://www.angelcomedy.co.uk/event-detail/suchandrika-chakrabarti-reunion-afterparty-wip-29th-jan-the-bill-murray-london-tickets-202301291530
21st/22nd Feb Vault Festival London: https://vaultfestival.com/events/suchandrika-chakrabarti-reunion-afterparty-work-in-progress/
Cover Art - Image © Natalie Barbara
Joz Norris, Cerys Bradley and Stu Goldsmith Edinburgh Fringe Insights
In this episode I speak to 3 performers about their experiences at the 2022 Edinburgh Fringe.
We discuss a wide range of areas around performing at the Fringe such as:
- Length of run - is doing the whole month some heroic effort that is in itself part of the attraction of doing a run in Edinburgh
- Pricing - Pay what you want vs. ticketed, does having a minimum price set by the venue
- Promotion - Where do Twitter/TikTok fit in compared to traditional flyering and building an audience through word of mouth
- The mental impact of doing the same show in the same place for a month and constantly monitoring ticket sales
- The change in the Fringe over time and if the rising costs of putting on a show will discourage them from a 2023 appearance
My Guests are:
Cerys Bradley - Talking about their show Sportsperson, Cerys' website is here and is @HashtagCerys on Twitter and is part of weekly comedy Newsletter Sunday Dreadful
Joz Norris - There's loads of details about Joz's show Blink on his website including how it was created (you can also get tickets to see it), we also discuss his Radio 4 Comedy 'The Dream Factory' and is @JozNorris on Twitter
Stuart Goldsmith - Stu talks about just doing a week at Edinburgh this year and the different view of the fringe when doing a shorter run of a work in progress (that can be seen in 2023 at the Leicester Comedy Festival). Stu is also host of the 'Comedian's Comedian' podcast and is on Twitter @comcompod
Transcription Testing
We'll be doing an episode soon on importance of transcription in podcasting, this is just a test for now to compare the huge variety of tools out there that can be used. If you're listening to this - check out the back catalogue!
Cerys Bradley - Edinburgh Fringe Q&A
In this episode Cerys Bradley talks about their show 'Sportsperson' which is on daily at the Edinburgh Fringe during August. Cerys talks about selecting a venue, pricing and large amounts of flyering as well as recommend shows to see at the Fringe.
Cerys' show is on each day at 4.40 in the Wee room at Gilded Balloon Teviot and Cerys can be found on Twitter @hashtagcerys or at CerysBradley.com
Edinburgh Fringe - Stu Goldsmith
The Edinburgh Fringe is the perfect example of where Art and Commerce mix, it's a reflection of real life from the idealists who just want to make things better to those who see it as a great opportunity to make a few quid (usually everyone apart from the performers themselves).
Our guest on this episode is Stu Goldsmith, host of the Comedian's Comedian podcast. Stu has been going to the Fringe for the last 28 years, even when it was cancelled during the pandemic!
I talk to Stu about his experiences at the Fringe, putting a work in progress together and the challenges of putting bums on seats when there are thousands of other acts in the same city.
Stu is at Tringe comedy Festival on July 22nd and at Edinburgh Fringe 4th-11th August you can find Stu on Twitter, Instagram and TikTok and his Comedian's Comedian website and Stu Goldsmith public speaking site
Sophie Cross - Freelancer Magazine
Sophie is editor and founder of Freelancer Magazine which she started in 2021 via a kickstarter campaign. We talk about the issues of setting up a physical print magazine in a digital age, her background in Marketing, developing a newsletter, building an online and real world community around freelancing as well as her online courses for Marketing and LinkedIn.
Sophie can be found on Twitter, Instagram and at LinkedIn.
Mark Steadman of Podcode - Podcasting and Building Online Communities
Mark Steadman is founder of Podcode.co and helps podcasters develop, produce and promote their podcasts.
Mark has been involved in podcasting since it's inception and we talk about a range of areas in the industry such as:
Building momentum for your podcast
The future of podcasts: The open ecosystem of RSS vs. the walled garden approach of Spotify
Building an online community
Building and selling a podcasting company: Sale of Podiant to Castos
Payment propositions for online content: Pay what you want vs. Value for Value vs. Fixed Price
Mark and Podcode are available @aMarkSteadman on Twitter and loads of podcasting advice at Podcode.co their YouTube Channel and Facebook Page
Matt Curtis of Pellicle - Beer Writing and Photography
Making creativity pay is a podcast discussing how those in creative industries look to monetise their work, not to sell out their craft but to be able to afford to keep going.
In this episode I talked to Matt Curtis, co-founder of Pellicle a magazine and podcast devoted to exploring beer, wine, cider, food and travel and the joy found within these cultures.
We discuss how Matt got into Beer writing, the 'pay what you want' ethos behind Pellicle, the state of the brewing industry, their expansion into podcasting, his new book Modern British Beer and lots more.
Matt can be found on Twitter @TotalCurtis and @PellicleMag
Matt's brewery photography is at Total Ales
Pellicle are also on Patreon where you can find out more about their supporter tiers
Stuart Goldsmith - Comedian's Comedian
In this episode I spoke to Comedian and Podcaster Stuart Goldsmith. We discuss how he got started in podcasting almost a decade ago, his thoughts on different business models such as donations, subscriptions and advertisements as well as being a 'solopreneur' and how his comedy and podcast selves interact.
You can find Stuart at Comedian's Comedian.com on Twitter @comcompod and numerous other places.