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The Prompt February 2013 COMMENT “ Dear Jane I have just read the comments of Toby Chown in The Prompt (December 2012) about the Conference. I have spent years trying to get things to change around this issue (amongst other things!) and have come to the conclusion the whole thing is exclusive and elitist. I have been a practising dramatherapist for over 20 years and have only managed to attend two conferences due to the ruling that one must attend all three days which in itself excludes all single parents such as myself. It would have been great to be able to dip in for the weekend whilst the kids were with dad or friends and return in time to run them to school Monday morning but this was never an option. I haven’t been for at least 10 years. I also found the costs excessive for the average therapist with a modest practice. The concession rates on offer really don’t make much difference. This next conference is even in my neck of the woods so commuting would be manageable “ Dear Jane I am writing to connect with Toby Chown's piece in The Prompt, December 2012 and offer my own experience. My colleague and I wanted to consider offering a workshop at the next conference in Gloucestershire, however because workshop contributors get only £50 off the conference fee, we decided that we couldn't afford the £200 to pay for the conference plus travel expenses, etc. to get there. We both work in the NHS and we thought it unlikely our fees would be paid by them, funding being tight as it is at the moment. I have also found it difficult to remain a full member in the past during the years when I was establishing work as a Dramatherapist and was a single parent. This has been difficult for me since I've been a full member of BADth since 1996, and have been committed to my work. Difficult, because I want to feel part of the ‘BADth Family’, and yet I have also felt excluded from it. 12 but the commitment to all three days excludes me from the start. Even members who have offered their skills and time to deliver a paper or workshop still have to pay full price to attend, although I think they receive a token £50 for presenting. I am also aware of many students and associate members who don’t attend for similar reasons. So I agree it seems unfair and somehow a slap in the face for us members/practitioners when we are in a profession that needs us to be all inclusive and supportive of one another and our work, we have so much we could share and learn from one another. Thanks to Toby for raising this. Perhaps now a discussion can begin and changes made. ” Regards Rachel Perry Regarding equal opportunities, I don't feel that we (BADth) are responding to the needs of members who are struggling for whatever reason – financial or other, temporarily or long term. I don't know what the answer to this is, but I know we should be in the spirit of inclusion and participation, which is such an important part of our work and our worlds as Dramatherapists! I know that BADth has reduced costs for some workshops, so could we now work together creatively to broaden the scope, without damaging BADth's financial integrity in a difficult economic climate? Hopefully, Jo Clarkson ”
The Prompt February 2013 “ Dear Jane BADth Conference A response to Toby Chown’s letter. We are offering this collegial response in a spirit of seeking a way forward. Toby makes several salient points in his letter and we would like to address these by drawing on our experience of organising several conferences. We are indeed in a ‘period of austerity and economic uncertainty’ and we believe that this makes it even more vital for us all to work together to find solutions to problems. In order to ‘set the scene’ let us look at some of issues associated with the organisational aspects of the conference: m Historically, the conference organisers accept a very small fee or work without a fee to undertake a task which involves a great deal of work for a whole year. m The presenters are paid a token fee. This is in contrast to the majority of conferences where presenters, other than keynote speakers, are obliged to pay for the whole conference without being offered a fee. There have been suggestions, in the past, that presenters should be paid more or offered free places. m The venues for the conference need to have sufficient large spaces for Dramatherapy workshops, facilities for presentations and to be able to provide catering and accommodation of a reasonable standard for about 130 people. All of these points are, of course, heading towards financial considerations. If the conference organisers were to be paid the ‘going rate’ for conference organisation and the presenters offered free or reduced rate or higher fees places, then these expenses would need to be reflected in the price of the event. In our opinion, the conference fees have offered the best possible value for money and we suggest that a way of verifying this would be spend a while trawling the internet for COMMENT 13 comparable conferences which include residential accommodation, all meals and a full programme of events. Toby states that he is ‘sure there is a way that the conference could be set up in a more financially accessible way’ but does not make any suggestions. Nor are we, as we believe that it would not be fair or reasonable for the BADth income to be used to subsidise the conference. The money to do this would need to come from somewhere and could result in a substantial increase in membership fees which, according to the accounts, are the major source of revenue. We agree that ‘money should not be a barrier’ but the venue and associated conference costs still need to be paid. So, let us consider the possibility of collective action and collective responsibility. Members of the BADth Executive (and many other members) dedicate a great deal of unpaid time to running the Association and there are always pleas for more people to become involved in a variety of ways, including fundraising. If the Trust Funds were attracting more financial contributions then the grants could be more diverse and larger. Maybe someone could contact the Executive about setting up a conference fund and then co-ordinate fundraising activities. We hope that we will be able to all work together to create a harmonious solution to the concerns that have been raised. Madeline Andersen-Warren and Anna Seymour ”
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