9 - 5 by Lara Ostan

By KOMMA Performance Productions content and edit: Joana Ellen Öhlschläger Lara Vejrup Ostan Nadja Bounenni Supported by HAUT

„ 9 to 5 “

ABOUT “9 to 5” is a conglomeration of contents that surfaced in the light of the residency “IN PROCESS – Self-organising” organised by HAUT and RAS (Regional Arena for Samtidsdans) for which we (Joana, Lara and Nadja) were selected and traveled to Sandnes, Norway in February 2023. During the one week residency titled “the other time plan”, we spent time engaging with imaginaries around possible and impossible contemporary dance futures, self-production and its manifestation through dance. We held conversations in motion, processing hard questions, questions with no answers and speculations. We created maps of the future and past, breaking down the physical footprint of production in our bodies and our artistic practices. We drew inspiration and spent time daily reading the following literature materials: “Produktionsæstetik" by Cecilie Ullerup Schmidt, “Enduring time” by Lisa Baraitser, “The Carrier Bag Theory of Fiction" by Ursula K. Le Guin and “Towards a Trans-Individual Self” by Ana Vujanović & Bojana Cvejić. Prior to the residency we had invited the members of KOMMA Performance Productions to share with us their contemplations on the future of artistic work life. We begin the pamphlet with abstracts of their contributions, creating a mix tape of voices from professionals within dance and choreography. What we have noticed when processing their material is that none of the wishes are extraordinary, they are in fact quite humble, and in no way exceeding what would be the absolute minimum standard in many other job realities: weekends, payment, work life balance.

“9 to 5” is a reflection on the odd temporality of artistic work life, which is often anything but 9 to 5. The temporality of our work lives can be hard to grasp and hence to shape as it involves a strong codependency on the temporality of co-players that lies outside of our circle of control. We contemplate on the different kinds of activity and time involved in our work as self-producing artists on page 10 to 17. Also, as a lot of it lies in the invisible - often even to ourselves - we invite you to join us on the initiative to take record of paid and more importantly unpaid work hours. In pages 42 to 47 you find fill-out calendars for that. We wish to speak about time for dancing which we often lack and miss. Pages 20 to 36 invite you into some of our transcribed reflections from a conversation in motion on the questions “What do you need to have focused time on dancing?”, and we invite you, dear reader, to join us in the contemplation. Lastly, on pages 37 to 41 we move into the theme of togetherness as a core motor of support in artistic work life and self-organisation structures. .

The ‘we’ we are speaking from here is a group of artists Dancers, choreographers, performers A group of colleagues Former classmates Co-thinkers Co-creators Co-founders of an association Armed with sensitive bodies and speculative minds in our work life so far it has often been hard to ask for help Am I not capable or strong enough to make this on my own? Or by the thought of monetisation Shouldn’t I be paying this person for helping me?

Yes I probably should At the same time we can also remind ourselves of systems of “economic” exchange that don’t involve money I’ll trade We have spent years day by day in close correlation with other sweaty bodies in a studio Dance is a practice of relations We are not trained to be alone

This was never a solo

What kind of futures are we dreaming of, in terms of artistic work life? How would we like the practice of dance to be intertwined with the other aspects of artistic production? The future of having a space dedicated to the work. Of not buying coffee no. 3 to sit at a cafe and write all day. To open up knowledge to the artists who seek it. I dream of dance being finally accepted and valued by society and political leaders as a normal job. To not rely on unemployment aid in order to build both practice and life. A work life that is acknowledged as one. Where arts and culture is recognised as essential and therefore available for free, for everyone. The complexity: the work behind the scenes, before the money, outside of a conventional work space. I… create myself… and sell myself all the time… I dream of depth rather than mass production. An acknowledgement of the time span it takes to develop an artistic work of quality and relevance. Other ways than only words of proving the potential of my artistic project. I dream of work facilities and studio spaces, I wish for spaces to meet, I dream of those places intertwining so the gap between audience, practitioners and artists becomes smaller. I dream of having weekends......................................and proper holidays................... Dance….. in my day to day work life……….. I think… how can dance be more integrated in society's work life in general. Shift our communities to focus on what we long for and love. Each day moving, from pleasure Radical softness Kinship Empathy and connections Art life balance Support

Now, we are not chasing funding bodies but the opposite. The salaries are higher than before. All the employment contracts have pension and holiday money included. We work only during working hours and we’re not getting sucked by the work 24/7. We are not worried about getting an audience, because it is always sold out. The production team is as detailed in executing the tasks as the performers and choreographer are. We experiment and let the work reveal itself.

PROJECT WHEEL

PRODUCTION WHEEL?

(Some of) the work of a freelance self-producing artist Project description Time to imagine (reality) Timeframe/ specific rhythm Lying time/ reevaluating Building time Growing time Projecting time Contextualisation Concept development Funding/ Fundraising Waiting time Time frame/ specific rhythm Frozen time Suspended time Workload - Paid?/ Unpaid

Research Body time Receiving time Non- choosing time Trial and error PR Other people’s time Sharing time Wasting time Showtime Visual identities & communication Marketing Meeting the audience Time of no return Offering time Showtime Pamphlet Performance Workshop Publication Q&A Performing V.S. Learning time Agency time?

Artistic collaboration Social time Hopeful time Precarious time Artistic outcome Compressed time Precious time Lack of time Productive time Time to prove Choice time Work in progress Opening the workspace Administration Handing over time Rehearsals Body time Preparation time Limited time Strict time Pre- production Post- production Bureaucratic time Judgment time Final time Panic time Projecting time Further distribution Documentation Cleaning/ storing Evaluation Making the final accounts Reporting- Books ($)/ Outcome

Institutional collaborations Building time Right time Short action time Long waiting time Coordination Waiting time Complex time (exhausting) Scheduling Budgeting Agreements Negotiations

TIME LEXICON Time to imagine (reality) Timeframe Projecting time Growing time Building time Lying time Reevaluating time Waiting time Frozen time Suspended time Short action time Long waiting time Waiting time Right time Complex time Exhausting time Precarious time Handing over time Bureaucratic time Wasting time Lack of time Panic time Judgment time

OF PRODUCTION Time to prove Compressed time Limited time Strict time Non-choosing time Preparation time Receiving time Body time Precious time Hopeful time Trial and error time Sharing time Hopeful time Trial and error time Sharing time Social time Other people’s time Showtime Productive time Choice time Offering time Final time Time of no return Showtime

Any other time?

THE PLAY

We killed artist genius It caused us no pain (he was never alive anyways)

WHAT DO YOU NEED TO SPEND FOCUSED TIME DANCING? (conversation in motion)

I think it would be nice for me to have a routine And I I’m also not the biggest fan of when things are not clear to me: Is it a workshop or is it a class?

it’s not AAH this It’s not my artistic practice You know it’s this thing of I have to make up something or do something which will then at one point all of a sudden turn into MY WORK or the production work It is not producing It is Dancing

(Sigh) Mmmh (Timer goes off)

This is nice

Ääähm What I need… Yes I need spaces that are inspiring To dance

What do you need to spend focused time on dancing?

It would be nice to have something like like like you know there are people who are renting offices and then it’s like you are working next to each other like in va11a And then have like dance studios and have like 10 of them And people are going around and like they are

Yeah Yeah To have colleagues

Mmh Mh

Uhm Yeah I need more creative time generally

Like If everything in production could be somehow more creative

Mmh

I’M DONE

I find it frustrating that it’s hard to imagine (Timer goes off)

It’s a big like

BUREAUCRACY!! BUT NOW YOU NEED TO DANCE DO SOMETHING shhhhi do something amazing And it’s like It’s really not (amazing)

What do I need to spend focused time on dancing? Ähm Well I think it’s a bit like I have to leave other things outside the studio like I need to feel that I have the permission to actually spend this time There is something hmm because dancing doesn’t pay off in money in the same way Or it’s not so obvious Like when I write a funding application then I know okay this will actually generate money With dance there is something this is like such an indirect relation

It’s just like there is something more intangible about this

(clearing throat)

And I think that’s very nice Like uhm So yeah like I agree on this like spances Span haha spances Spaces that actually inspire you Äähm

And then there is this thing of other people Like I realise now more and more I really need other people Like dance makes sense for me through other people That’s the only like that’s how I’ve been introduced to dance, that’s how I practice dance Like it is a community thing

Hmm I love it I love taking dance classes (Laughter) But I Yea And I think also what you said Lara this thing of like to actually have to actually have like like time that’s really uuurrrhh that’s really for dancing it’s non-productive time

(Exhale and gentle growling turning into laughter) OooouuuOUOOOUUUHUHHHHHH IT’S GOING DEEP (Loud laughter)

(Timer goes off)

THINGS WE WANT TO DO TOGETHER (we don’t wanna do alone)

INFORM Information is key to everything we do, and in the information age there is plenty of it. We aim to select, organise and distribute information within our association and outside of it. Disclaimer: For now we stick to some of the big US American companies within communication despite our own criticism towards them, because the thing with communication is that it needs to reach people and in our experience we reach people where they are already. We’re not advertising for them. Email Solid, standard, associated with work. Not always the fastest but we all know what to do. Can feel safe for peoples working- and workboundaries. Facebook group “So who is gonna make a Facebook group?”. Everyone kinda hates it but it remains a key platform of communication and information exchange that most people naturally access (other than specified platforms such as Slack). We use it for internal communication: knowledge sharing, reminders, invitations and as a forum for advice Drive Here is where we collect information that is relevant for our association work and our work reality. Focusing on the latter that includes a list of funding opportunities and step by step guides on how to submit their application forms, a list of residency or other work opportunities and a FAQ catalog to the most common hurdles Youtube Channel One day… maybe? Maybe TIK TOK? Maybe a third secret thing? Maybe a podcast………?????

MEET It is crucial to meet. Preferably regularly and in person. We acknowledge that there is a need for different kinds of meetings that take care of different needs. Check-in This is a tool we apply in all of our meetings. At the beginning of the meeting we take some time to have everyone state their names and pronouns (if it is a new group or constellation) and to then share briefly how they are doing on that specific day and if there is anything else relevant to share: an experience, or other personal or professional information for the group to know. Development meetings Reflections on the association and the work internally. Where do we want to go from here? What is our vision and the values it is based on? We find it important to discuss, negotiate and manifest the profound never ending questions that come up in running an association. Within KOMMA we suggest a basis of four meetings a year (one of them being the mandatory general assembly) that serve as quarterly check-ins and pillars for updates and development. Hangouts Open format meetings in a casual framing that happen on a regular basis (every 1st Wednesday of the month) at the same time. No obligatory attendance and potentially paired with cute activities such as a potluck. Artist Anonymous A format inspired by Lukas Racky as a space for not being alone with the facts and side effects of an artistic work life . Here’s where we share our dreams and challenges, see ourselves in others and lift each other up.

SUPPORT Sometimes we just need fans: someone to clap when we submit the funding application we’ve been working on for weeks, someone to be there after a show. Big part of the association's work and purpose is to surround ourselves with structures that catch us also in the basic human need to be seen and supported. We approach our wishes and needs with humour and care. Performing Family A person or a group of people is present at an event to specifically support a colleague who is performing, from a family’s member point of view. Being there as someone who follows their process in the long run, who is proud and acknowledges the personal development, who applause and cheers unconditionally, who doesn’t judge, who gives hugs and flowers after the show. The Hypers A group of colleagues who will mingle after the show and hype up the artist(s). Whether at the smokers corner or in a tête-à-tête, we talk up the artistic qualities of the piece, the unseen work surrounding it, the contributors and the work’s glorious future The Support-Jury A space where “unsuccessful” project applications are coming to meet another kind of jury. We pitch for each other and we get the opportunity to receive constructive feedback on our project. We can ask for advice, ideas for reformulation, brainstorm on project angles, creative ways of realising the project, relevant funding bodies etc. – all from an angle of: we believe in these works and we will do all to help you make it happen.

DO WHAT WE DO (or what we try to do) Rituals that we care for Pay slip of (un)paid work We do a lot of work. Sometimes we might need to see it and have a clear figure to operate with. We invite KOMMA members to join us on the initiative to take record of their paid and more importantly unpaid work hours (on page XYZ) you find fill-out calendars for yourself, if you feel that it might be something for you too!). You are welcome to come and share it at our next Artists Anonymous meeting, just write us an email and you will get the date (and also the calendar template if you wish). Additionally we want to encourage artists to note their unpaid work hours that go into pre-production in funding applications as “in kind” work done by the artist (recommended by Ar Utke Acs). Reading for and with each other It’s nice. And a great way to start a conversation and create common references Conversations in motion In this format one person verbally reflects on a prior agreed question through (automatic) talking while the others treat that body with direct or intentional touch and general attention aka body work. Karaoke (together) Great activity to start and end the day or basically for any moment in between. Great space holder for different moods that need to be set, enhanced or shifted. Sometimes you need one, sometimes five. Dance Session (together) Dance session

WORK HOURS REGISTRATION paid (hours)

Month: 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th 9th 10th 11th 12th 13th 14th 15th 16th 17th 18th 19th 20th 21st 22nd 23rd 24th 25th 26th 27th 28th 29th 30th 31st

salary

free (hours)

for which project / kind of work?

WORK HOURS REGISTRATION paid (hours)

Month:

1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th 9th 10th 11th 12th 13th 14th 15th 16th 17th 18th 19th 20th 21st 22nd 23rd 24th 25th 26th 27th 28th 29th 30th 31st

salary

free (hours)

for which project / kind of work?

WORK HOURS REGISTRATION paid (hours)

Month: 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th 9th 10th 11th 12th 13th 14th 15th 16th 17th 18th 19th 20th 21st 22nd 23rd 24th 25th 26th 27th 28th 29th 30th 31st

salary

free (hours)

for which project / kind of work?

ABOUT KOMMA Performance Productions KOMMA Performance Productions is a performing arts association based in Copenhagen, Denmark, founded by artists and producers Joana Ellen Öhlschläger, Lara Vejrup Ostan and Nadja Bounenni. By offering structural support to emerging artists, we work towards creating a low threshold entry to the world of artistic freelancing and a community around our field of work.Together we wish to collect and share knowledge and resources surrounding performing arts production. KOMMA was initially formed in 2021 in the light of a collective need to learn about and organise around production and administration processes as self-producing artists. Today we count 16 members with an international profile and artistic diversity. KOMMA Performance Productions is: Caroline Blomqvist Fie Dam Mygind Jernej Bizjak Joana Ellen Öhlschläger Karin Bergman Lara Vejrup Ostan Lena Bondeson Madeleine Cole Martina Piazzi Marco Payer Max Wallmeier Nadja Bounenni Ottavia Catenacci Roosa Törmä Ruth Rebekka Hansen Teresa Fogh Schou

HAUT (Copenhagen, Denmark) HAUT is a performing arts organisation, founded in 2014 by a team of young producers, directors, choreographers and entrepreneurs with experience in all performing arts fields. Today, HAUT focuses on artistic development work and knowledge sharing. Through collaboration with a wide range of art institutions, HAUT creates space for performing artists to develop and immerse themselves in their artistic practice under sustainable working conditions. RAS, Regional Arena for Samtidsdans (Sandnes, Norway) RAS is a programming and co-producing venue in the south-west of Norway. They present between 15-20 performances per year, offer AiR, and build tours through Dansenett Norge.

A SPECIAL THANKS TO Betina Lise Viljar (and KRA) Runa Madeleine Nathalie Lukas the members of KOMMA