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The History of NANDA from 1948 to 1981
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PART II (1948-53)
PART III (1953-61)
PART IV (1961-68)
PART V (1968-76)
PART VI (1976-81)
A History of NANDA (continued)
PART II (1948-53)
As with many voluntary associations, the burst of enthusiasm and activity in the initial year was followed by a difficult period of maintaining and establishing NANDA through engaging the commitment of groups and individuals. Meetings of the Executive Council were few (four per year) and attendances low throughout 1949 and 1950 but by the end of the five year period there were clear signs of a greater number of people becoming involved.
Dan Shaw took over as Chairman in the third year and the post of Honorary Secretary passed to Jim Wilson, an administrative officer in the Further Education Department at County Hall, who clearly had a commitment to amateur theatre. Mr NV Linklater, shown as representing the Arts Council of Great Britain, served as Vice Chairman until he left the area in May 1952, and Mr F Phillipson acted as Honorary Treasurer until he resigned in 1951 and was not replaced. Meetings were held firstly at 24 Park Row, and then at 45 Castle Gate, with the Annual Meeting at The Guildhall. Meetings were normally held on Saturday afternoons and there was some unsuccessful attempt to change this to evening meetings in the hope that this would improve attendances.
Despite the problems, the issues covered in the minutes were extensive and firm foundations were laid for functions which are still a feature of NANDA's programme. The Association took responsibility for maintaining rural drama festivals which had previously been organised by the Nottinghamshire Drama League, and Mr A J Stoddart undertook to draft proposals whereby rural groups could participate in the British Drama League One Act Festival at County centres. Details are also recorded of the City and County Youth Drama Festival with Andre Van Gyseghem acting as Adjudicator. Andre was then Director of the Nottingham Playhouse and he also appears to have addressed the AGM in 1950.
The Association successfully sought to obtain custody of two trophies for the promotion of drama in rural areas and the Belper Cup and the Newark Advertiser Shield passed into NANDA's possession although the latter remained technically the property of the Nottinghamshire Rural Community Council and its award was reserved for villages with a population not exceeding 1,000.
Relationships, therefore, with the British Drama League were retained and NANDA was also accepted into membership of the Standing Conference of Drama Associations: a recognition that it had established itself as viable county association. In 1950-51 Dan Shaw, as Chairman, outlined his plan for theatre luncheons at which members could meet actors, producers and personalities of the theatre. An invitation was extended to Margaret Rawlings to be the first guest on 7 May 1951. Over the next two or three years the following people are referred to as having been approached with similar invitations (not all invitations were successful):
Fay Compton
Eric Portman
Leslie French
Michael Redgrave and Googie Withers
Katherine Dunham
Cicely Courtnidge
Richard Attenborough
Leslie Henson
Dame Sybil Thorndike
Emlyn Williams
A suggestion was made that the Association should establish a Panel of Speakers, ie individuals locally who would be prepared to offer to give talks on aspects of the theatre, but no particular progress was made.
The idea was subsequently adjusted to a Panel of Critics. This appears to have followed a facility available nationally through Amateur Stage when it was discovered that the records retained by that national publication excluded all reference to Nottingham, and the Executive Council considered a proposal that NANDA itself should establish such a group. The idea apparently did not find a great deal of favour in June 1953.
The first NANDA Bulletin was apparently produced by Dan Shaw early in 1950 and eventually Mr G R Nicolson, a member of the Hucknall Drama Club, took over editing responsibilities. Editions appeared at least twice, and sometimes three times, per year. It is recorded that from January 1953 the price was increased to four old pence (members received free copies) and a new block was purchased for the cover costing 35 shillings. This kind of expenditure should be seen in the context of costs at that time and of the balances retained by NANDA. It is recorded that in September 1953 the cost of printing an issue of the Bulletin was £8. Following initial financial support from the County Education Committee, it was recorded that in 1949-1950 the LEA was 'required to effect economies' and, therefore, no longer felt able to bear the cost of stationery and postage. The Association accepted that it must bear these costs in future and at that time its balances stood at about £16. These had reduced by 1951 to £6 14s 7d and a year later to 7s 11d.
The first dinner dance appears to have been held in the Winter of 1951, and Harry Wheatcroft promised to act as MC. Two years later, the annual dance, or Amateur Theatre Ball, as some apparently preferred to call it, seems to have been regarded as an important regular feature and detailed arrangements were made for this to be held on 3 November 1953 at the Palais de Danse on a Tuesday evening during the run of 'Zip Goes a Million' at the Theatre Royal. The cast apparently was invited to attend and tickets cost 5s. Some members appear to have sought unsuccessfully a slight reduction on this price for party bookings.
Throughout this period the minutes also make what are frequently tantilisingly vague references to issues of concern to amateur groups. Samuel French agreed to reduce its royalties for performances in halls seating not more than 200 persons. The first playwriting competition referred to in the earlier article apparently attracted 37 entries and of these 11 were shortlisted for reading and adjudication by Mr Hildebrandt. The minutes of the second AGM in October 1949 indicate the announcement of the results but the latter themselves are not recorded. Consideration is given to an exhibition of amateur theatre and 'the quincentenary pageant' and to productions as part of the National Exhibition of 1951 and of Coronation Year. There were problems not only with Fire Regulation restrictions but also with the requirements to pay Entertainment Duty.
Throughout the period it is clear that NANDA was trying to establish itself as a federation of the local guilds which existed at the time and amended its constitution so that new applicants for membership were required to be members of such guilds. Direct representation of individual groups, therefore, was very much the exception than the rule. Nevertheless there are occasional references to groups or societies operating in the area and occasional references to them becoming members of NANDA. In the latter category, West Bridgford Amateur Dramatic Society joined in 1949-1950 along with Kirkby-in- Ashfield Bentinck Players. The Penson Players joined in September 1952. Hucknall Drama Club were clearly involved since Mr Nicholson, the Bulletin editor, represented them. Other groups mentioned apart from Nottingham Theatre Club were the Mapperley Dramatic Society, the Misterton Amateur Dramatic Society, the Cameo Players, the Selston Evening Institute Music and Drama Festival (sic) and Retford Little Theatre. It is recorded that the latter would have to vacate their premises by March 1954.
The minutes of the fourth AGM of October 1951 resolved that a prospectus detailing the work of the Association should be issued in the New Year and a draft leaflet was tabled, discussed and approved for circulation at the December meeting of the Executive Council.
The following are direct extracts from the minutes which indicate two other interesting developments in the role of the Association.
Extract from minutes of a meeting held on 13 December 1952 at 45 Castle Gate. Nottingham
"Minute 4 Group visits to Institutions, doing Entertainments
The Council welcomed Mr C Parsons who had intimated his willingness to organise an agency for non-professional artistes and institutions doing entertainments. It was agreed that
(i) the agency, to be known as 'Benefits', receive the backing of the Association for a trial period of six months
(ii) the area covered should not for the time being exceed a radius of more than 20 miles from Nottingham
(iii) institutions be asked to pay 2s 6d per visit to cover the cost of telephone, postage, etc for every effort made to publicise the agency".
Extract from minutes of Executive Council meeting held on 19 September 1953 at Castle Gate. Nottingham
"Minute 12 (7) Admission to Courses
It was agreed that the following resolution be passed to the Local Education Authorities concerned:
"This Association wishes to place on record its appreciation of the arrangements made by the Local Education Authorities for Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, Leicestershire and other neighbouring areas in the provision of part-time courses of training in Drama and Theatre for amateur groups and of the willingness of the Local Education Authorities to admit to these courses students (members of amateur groups) who do not reside within the administrative area whenever accommodation for outside students e.xists or can be arranged, thus enabling amateur groups to benefit by attendance of members at courses arranged by more than one Authority and the courses of a kind not at the time available in the area in which the would-be students reside, in this way avoiding the unnecessary duplication of courses, particularly those of the same type or kind."
Extract from the minutes of the fifth AGM held on 25 October 1952
"Chairman's Report
The Chairman looked back on the past year - a very active year including as it did the revival of the Rural Drama Festival, the first Annual Dance and the formation of the West Nottinghamshire Guild. He thanked the Guild Committees and the officers for their support for without them the Association could not carry on its work. He stressed the importance of Guilds having the larger groups in membership. He hoped that it might be possible to form a Newark and District Guild during the coming year and so complete the system of local Guilds ..."
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PART III (1953-61)
The minutes of the NAND A Council during this period make depressing reading. It was a 'Dark Ages' period prior to the Renaissance of the early sixties and there can be no doubt that the difficulties in finding a committed Secretary contributed to this state of affairs.
Jim Wilson resigned in 1955 and firstly Mr A E Robinson filled the post for a short time and then Mr Tinkler and Mr Sleaford appear to have acted as joint secretaries from February 1959 before Albert Hunter took on the job in May 1961. But there were periods when there appears to have been no Secretary. The coincidence of this difficulty with the depression of NANDA and the sudden reinvigoration when the difficulty was overcome underlines very clearly the importance to the health of any organisation of an efficient, positive and professional Secretary. Sadly, all too often amateur groups and their members tend to undervalue the role and the qualities needed and the post is filled reluctantly by someone who can type!
The problems, therefore, for the Chairman, Robert Warren, who succeeded Dan Shaw in March 1955, must have been quite daunting. At the 1956 Annual Meeting he described NANDA as a type of Trade Union for Amateur Drama which is a surprising comparison.
The Association was in a parlous financial state and a debit of £23 is recorded in June 1956 despite an increase to 7/6 in the subscriptions. By January 1957 the Council was obliged gratefully to accept a donation of £2.10.0. from Mrs Margaret Guildford to clear the outstanding debit of £2. The minute of December 15 1957 records that "in view of the financial state and the recent rather apathetic state of association matters" a special meeting of the Executive Council be held to consider a list of suggestions for future policy.
The special meeting held on 12 January 1957 agreed to the following:
(a) to approach the Nottingham Council Borough Education Authority about the joint promotion of a one day or residential weekend drama school
(b) to continue the Rural Drama Festival 'within the framework of' a County Drama Festival
(c) to explore appropriate publicity through the press
(d) to incorporate the British Drama League activities within NANDA
(e) to hold more frequent Executive Council meetings (previously these had been quarterly)
(f) to organise informal Any Questions Panels on Drama in local centres and pubs.
Very little seems to have come of (c) and (f) but there is recorded activity on (a), (b) and (d) and (e) was implemented.
On (a) a one day course called 'Putting on a Play' comprising six lecturettes was organised at Mansfield in association with Mr J Cook, Assistant Education Officer of the Nottingham LEA. A small surplus accrued from this with a donation of £10 from the Nottingham LEA, but the County Council declined to make a similar donation. On (b) the proposed County Drama Festival did not materialise (though a shield was proffered by Mrs Wilson) and a one act play festival which was mounted lost money.
Throughout 1957 much negotiation seems to have gone on with the British Drama League over proposal (d) whose area committee was responsible for organising the early rounds of what subsequently has been the All England One Act Theatre Festival. In June the BDL confirmed its willingness to accept NANDA as caretakers of BDL matters in the area; NANDA underwhelmingly voted (by three votes to two with seven abstentions!) that it could adequately undertake this work but by July 1958 was asking BDL if that League could take over NANDA's role should the Association cease to operate.
So, by January 1958, it was again a question of survival or extinction.
There were some obvious successes during this 'Dark Age'. Muriel Radford Barnes took over the organisation of Theatre Luncheons (from Mrs D McLean) in 1956 and the guests over a five year period included Yvonne Arnaud, Vic Oliver, Flora Robson, Andrew Cruikshank, John Slater, Jean Miller, Evelyn Laye, Andre Van Gysegham and Joanna Durham.
Mr Nicholson was particularly enterprising with the Bulletin until he resigned as editor in April 1957. Photographs appeared in some editions.
The Association expressed its concerns at the level of fees charges; by members of the Guild of Drama Adjudicators; at the letting charges levied by the LEA for school premises; at the timetable of finals for the several rounds of the national one act play festival; and at the Chancellor of the Exchequer's Entertainment Tax.
Hugh Willatt succeeded Lady Belper as President of the Association and Mr Sleaford succeeded Mr J Glendenning as Hon Treasurer in 1959 but it was left to Albert Hunter to breathe new life into NANDA with the Play of the Year Competition following his appointment as Secretary in May 1961.
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PART IV (1961-68)
The period from 1961 to 1968 marked a significant development of the Association and the teenage organisation achieved its twenty first anniversary with a reception hosted by the Chairman of the County Council, Alderman Fred Rudder, at County Hall. Personalities changed; it was a fertile period for ideas; the activities expanded and the financial position improved.
During 1961 and 1962 Arthur Poulteney, Alan Berridge and Pat Gurd all joined the Executive Council and in the following year Pat Gurd was elected Chairman and Philip Bromley accepted an invitation to become president of the Association. Ros Berridge and Mike Stewart were co-opted later in 1966.
Following his appointment as Honorary Secretary in 1961, Albert Hunter immediately proposed the introduction of the Play of the Year Competition and this was approved at a meeting on 17 November 1961. Consideration of the details figures regularly and prominently in the minutes thereafter. By limiting entries to paid-up members the Association began to attract new groups into membership. An entry fee of ten shillings (50p) was charged and a panel of adjudicators tackled the problems of reconciling marks.
By 1968 the Competition had progressed to the point where, in addition to the acquisition of the Newark Advertiser Shield and the Belper Cup, the Association was being offered a trophy by the Willows Players in memory of Sidney Hopkin who also figures significantly in NANDA activities during the period. The member groups - there appear to have been 17 of them by this time - voted overwhelmingly in September 1966 in favour of extending the Competition over a full year and discontinuing the practice of a repeat performance of the winning play. The marking scheme problems were being overcome and the panel of adjudicators was replaced by a single individual. It was Reg Westcott who was asked to act as the sole adjudicator for the first time for the 1968-69 competition.
The decision was also taken to link the announcement of the Competition results with a social event at the end of the season. The first such event was held at the Elite Restaurant on 17 May 1967 and those paying ten shillings (50p) were treated to food, theatrical entertainment and the presentation of trophies. No restriction was placed on those not turning up in fancy dress.
Fired with enthusiasm, the new committee in 1962 approved a proposal for a 'representative production' and the idea gained momentum with the further suggestion that it be linked with the Shakespeare Quartercentenary in 1964. The British Drama League Area Committee agreed to make it a joint venture and a separate account was created to ensure that funds were available to mount it. Phil Bromley agreed to direct and 'The Comedy of Errors' was performed eight times at three different venues. The sheer scale of the production resulted in a financial loss of £30 and the energies of Council members were directed at removing this deficit. Fund raising included the sale of engraved pencils (at one shilling each) and a jumble sale. In the minutes of March 1965 it was agreed 'that a rag and bone merchant be asked to attend at 3 pm' and it was further agreed 'not to accept three-piece suites and that no dealers' bids be accepted until general customers had finished'. So there! The essence of drama. A social evening was held in January 1966 involving contributions from several member groups and the special account set up for the whole event (which appears to have been almost permanently overdrawn) was finally closed at a meeting on 30 September 1965.
The Association's main account, however, moved away from the edge of insolvency. The Nottinghamshire County Council had made a financial contribution of £10 in 1962 (the County Borough Education Committee declined the invitation to contribute similarly) and it was felt necessary to have at each meeting thereafter a formal statement of the financial position. Despite the struggles to remove the deficit of the 'representative production' the Honorary Treasure began reporting regularly a balance of £40 in the main account.
By 1966 the growing volume of activity led to the decision to hold Executive Council meetings on the second Monday of each month (a practice which still obtains). After a lengthy period of meeting at 45 Castle Gate, the Association moved to meeting at The Friends' Meeting House, Clarendon Street, and then on the Building Design Centre in Mansfield Road; with occasional use of more exotic sounding places like the Travellers Rest, Huthwaite Road, Sutton-in-Ashfield; Cafe Duet, Broad Street and the YWCA, Shakespeare Street, until membership of the Nottinghamshire County Council Social Services brought with it access to the use of their premises at 31a Mansfield Road.
At their meeting in August 1966, the members of the Executive Council were surprised to learn from a report in Ronald Parr's newspaper column of a proposed fusion of NANDA with the Area Committee of the British Drama League. The idea was one of Donald Mclauchlan's and had obviously resulted from the collaboration over the Shakespearean production. There followed a series of meetings which culminated in NANDA undertaking a contractual commitment to organise the early round of the British Drama League's National One Act Play Festival and the first NANDA-sponsored Festival was at the Redhill School, Arnold in March 1968. It was resolved to purchase a trophy to be called 'The Margaret Guilford Trophy' to be awarded to the winning play. NANDA stressed that it was in favour of groups joining the BDL and entrants were asked to indicate whether they wished to opt for entry to the Divisional Finals. Three entries were received from Stanton Drama Group, Burton Joyce Players and Calverton Evening Institute. Stanton appear to have been declared the winners of the new trophy. The following year NANDA repeated the Festival and hosted the BDL Divisional Final and the One Act Open Festival was firmly established.
Discussions with BDL over proposals for what was referred to as the New Plan Festival prompted other ideas, and in 1968 Phil Bromley, as President, was moved to suggest that 'NANDA is becoming well known for its innovations'. In August 1967 he had outlined ideas for widening the One Act Festival to give all types of members of each Society an opportunity to enter - more experienced, less experienced, and to be split up as follows:
Dialogue for the first 10 minutes
10 minutes of one of three pages from a children's play
10 minutes of one of three Victorian melodramas
10 minutes improvisation to be conducted on stage on a subject in a sealed envelope,
and the final 10 minutes an offering produced by the complete company.
If divided into 4 sections, 3 sections should be set and this would mean the whole Society would have an opportunity to share it.
Philip later developed these into a proposal for a 'Festival of Dramatic Exercises' ie a Festival containing set exercises such as (a) an extract from Shakespeare, (b) Mime, (c) Farce, (d) Tragedy and giving two alternatives under each heading, the scenery to be used being specified by the organisers.
There are other indications that NAND A was innovative. On 19 January 1967 a theatre panel meeting was held under the title 'Drama and Theatre Opportunities in Nottingham and Nottinghamshire for Training in Professional and Amateur Theatre'. The idea was to promote an awareness of the potentialities in Nottingham and district for students of the theatre and the following organisations made contributions covering (i) opportunities for training, (ii) qualifications required of people undertaking the training, (iii) personal qualities of applicants, (iv) nature of provision:
Nottingham College of Art and Design
Clarendon College of Further Education
Nottingham Theatre Club
Co-operative Arts Theatre
Nottingham Playhouse
Society of Teachers of Speech and Drama
The panel meeting was well attended.
The minutes also reflect during the period a continuing concern with events in the professional theatre. The opening of the Playhouse Civic Theatre in 1962, the continuing success of the Theatre Luncheons (Andre Van Gysegham and Joanna Durham (1961), Griffith Jones (1963), Anna Neagle and Derek Bond (1964), Robert Lang and Robert Stephens (1965), John Neville and Frank Dunlop (1966), John Stride, Ann Bell and Robert Ryan (1967), Stuart Burge and Moira Redmond (1968), and by 1968 a reference to the Theatre Act which came into force in September of that year, the prime object of which was to abolish censorship of new plays by the Lord Chamberlain. There was the usual confusion of interpretation as private clubs now came within the scope of the Act and the Town Clerk's office was reported as seeming vague about future plans and applicants from the City of Nottingham were understood still to need a JP's signature, a principal and two sureties.
Meanwhile Sidney Hopkin had proposed at the 1964 AGM a scheme for the distribution of complimentary tickets between member groups which flourished for a two year period; an attempt was made in 1965 to establish a panel of producers/actors ie individuals willing to assist groups other than their own; and reference is made to the present NANDA 'logo' which appeared on a printer's block for the printing of the Association's notepaper.
By 1968 the Association had certainly 'come of age' so that in the minutes of December 1968 Mr Cox, the Derbyshire Drama Adviser, was openly expressing his wish to start a similar Association in Derbyshire.
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PART V (1968-76)
By 1968 NANDA seemed organisationally better equipped. There emerged more clearly defined roles for individual officers and appointments now included a Festival Organiser, a Social Secretary and a Publicity Officer. Ros Berridge took on the job of Festival Organiser officially in 1971. Isolene Slater worked continuously on the many Theatre Luncheons and End of Season Socials through the period and, firstly Beryl Whittaker, and then Beth Hanna contributed to the continued publication of a regular bulletin or newsletter.
Stuart Burge succeeded Philip Bromley as President in 1970 and was himself succeeded by William Marrow from 1972 - 1979. Pat Gurd continued as Chairman until 1976 and Albert Hunter as Secretary and Treasurer until 1979, when they were succeeded respectively by Peter Thistlethwaite, Roy Ainscough and Shirley Bradshaw.
The Association's Twenty-Fifth Anniversary was celebrated relatively quietly at a dinner for members of the Executive Council only on 10 February 1973.
The meetings had become more frequent (almost monthly). They were held from July 1969 at 31a Mansfield Road, the home of the Nottingham Council for Social Services, except for a six month spell in 1974 when heating problems were overcome by holding the meetings at the Lace Market Theatre, Nottingham. It may have been this emergency measure which prompted Philip Bromley (a constant source of original ideas) to suggest that NANDA should be attached to, or at least closely associated with, one of the two major drama groups in the city. His aim was to provide NANDA with a permanent home in the form of a desk, premises, address for letterheadings, etc.
The Association became the proud owners of a Gestetner duplicator and long carriage typewriter.
There were no longer the repeated debates about whether NANDA would survive, and in June 1973 attempts were made at a membership drive. In August of that year consideration was given to NANDA taking up the promotion of youth theatre following the demise of the City Youth Drama Festival and the apparent lack of drama expertise amongst youth leaders. There was a full and healthy discussion in July 1985 on the aims and objectives.
The play of the Year Competition which had been established in 1961 faced problems and challenges, notably over funding and rules of adjudication and marking. However, it still managed to attract entries in increasing numbers and trophies were donated for use within it. The early years of the Competition had presented an exciting challenge to those dedicated to the general development of amateur theatre and their efforts had been given freely. But in September 1972 Council members were deeply anxious about the economic viability of the Competition. An analysis of financial statements and adjudication costs if the full GODA rates were to be paid suggested that the Association would in such circumstances be losing £7.50 on each entry. Funding support was sought and groups were asked if they would pay higher entry fees. Typically the crisis was averted by Allen Tipton's generous offer to adjudicate for only £1 per play plus travel expenses.
The questioning of marking schemes and adjudicator's decisions is evidence that the groups were still not clear of the rules and their interpretation. The NANDA Council members recognised their responsibility for reviewing these regularly and insisting on proper procedures. The minutes contain evidence of clear rulings about the ineligibility of some forms of theatre eg pantomime, and a willingness to respond to a variety of questions posed. The more significant decisions related perhaps to harsh but proper disqualification of groups who exceeded the time constraints of the One Act Festival. Furthermore, in September 1973 the Council courageously refused to relinquish control over the choice of adjudicator when the East Midland Arts Association offered financial support of £150 to the Play of the Year Competition on condition that that Association selected the adjudicator. Although EMAA subsequently modified its condition to approval of the adjudicator selected by NANDA the matter of financial support from EMAA for this Competition was dropped and in January 1975 it was recorded that the new Nottinghamshire Leisure Services Committee had offered a grant of £32. By 1976 consideration was given to the feasibility of support for playwriting and approaches were made for funding support to Nottinghamshire Leisure Services and EMAA.
These references to EMAA and the Nottinghamshire Leisure Services Committee reflect the changes to the organised structure of local government and arts support that were taking place during the early 1970s. EMAA had been formed in 1970 and NANDA joined in September of that year. During 1972 the Association, being apolitical, agonised _over whether to respond to an invitation form the local Labour Party to comment on the proposed reorganisation of local government which eventually took place in 1974. This was to lead subsequently to the establishment of the Nottinghamshire Leisure Services Committee and to Local Arts Councils. The former marked a distinct political decision in Nottinghamshire to regard amateur drama as a leisure activity rather than an educational one: NANDA's origins and identity were affected.
It is significant that public service organisations were now consulting NANDA on a number of matters and two Local Arts Associations actually joined as subscribing members. The minutes give no hint of whether this was achieved by dint of efforts or the influence of the individual Council officers or members. NANDA was invited:
(i) to consider participating in 'Holiday Time 1973' which appears to have been a forerunner of the Nottingham Festival
(ii) to comment on plans being prepared in the City Planning Department for changes to the main Market Square in the centre of the City.
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PART VI (1976-81)
This period was one of major review and revision of established policies and practices the result of which provided a sound base on which the developments in the 1980s were subsequently built. The review covered constitution, festival and competition rules, financial and administrative arrangements and public relations.
At the start of the period the financial position had again become a cause for concern and attention turned to fund raising ideas. A major Stopwatch competition run in 1978 considerably eased this by lifting the balances from under £50 to over £200 and attention turned to ensuring that an interest-yielding account was established. Whilst the interest income was low the principle was important: it illustrated ways in which the Association was being more tightly administered. Existing trophies were refurbished and their purposes clarified. New ones were added (Muriel Radford Barnes Rosebowl, Blaby Shield, Constance Radford Silver Casket); the insurance policy was formally overhauled and fee differentials for non-members attending training schools and other events introduced.
The principles extended into the competitions and festivals where rates paid to adjudicators had been minimal (the debt local groups owe to those who so readily had taken on these responsibilities is immense. There debates about whether or not GODA rates should be paid but as the jump was so great it was felt that member groups would not welcome massive increases in entry fees and a more realistic policy of phased increases was introduced. Again the principle was important
The rules of the competitions were formally discussed and some amendments made: it was no longer the practice simply to revise the previous rules. The effect was to ensure that member groups began to feel more directly consulted and a major survey of member groups' views on the range of services which NANDA could provide was undertaken in 1978. This process led to a formal review of the constitution itself in 1980. Significantly amongst the changes was the objective to cover theatre arts rather than the more limited dramatic art of the 1961 constitution. This change resulted in some operatic and musical groups seeking membership. Later this was to lead to consideration of whether musicals could be entered for the Play of the Year Competition. When did a play become a musical as distinct from a play with music?
Attempts were also made to document and circulate information more consistently. Lists of members, registers of adjudicators, a directory of local expertise, registers of properties, costume and parts of sets for free loan or hire, a handbook of membership were all outlined and discussed if not actually published.
The Association's relationships with other organisations were more thoroughly analysed. Correspondence and formally documented meetings with East Midlands Arts, Nottingham Playhouse and Nottinghamshire Leisure Services bear witness to the extent of the Association's widening sphere of interest and influence. Executive Council officers were establishing more structured relationships with these bodies as well as with member groups. The Association also hosted the North of England Area Finals of the All England Theatre Festival of One Act Plays at Mansfield in June 1980 and representatives were designated to attend a meeting in Birmingham organised by CCAT to promote a National Arts Campaign. The main concerns of member groups at the time were access to public buildings for meetings, rehearsals and performances, the rapidly escalating hire charges and the application of VAT to amateur theatre groups. EMAA was formally asked how it represented the interests of amateur theatre and a more critical eye was cast over the range of bodies purporting to reflect these interests.
The annual programme had already become well established and the three act and one act festivals and training schools continued to be offered. The big innovation was the Playwriting Competition in 1977/78 which led to a more formal approach in May 1980 from a group of playwrights for NANDA to offer publicity for their work. The annual dinner dance was held firstly at the Lakeside Pavilion in University Park and then at County Hall before settling at the Barnstone County Club in 1981. Theatre luncheons, which had lapsed temporarily, were revived and Dame Anna Neagle, Bernard Hepton and Anthony Quayle respectively attended as guests.
The constitutional review had regularised the position of Vice President making this a lifetime appointment in all cases. The substantial services given by Maurice and Pat Gurd, Alan and Roz Berridge, and Albert Hunter were recognised by inclusion in this role along with Dan Shaw, Reg Westcott, Mike Stewart, Donald McLauchlan (until his death in 1979) and Elspeth Whitaker. Marcus Wakely served as President and Peter Thistlethwaite as Chairman with Roy Ainscough and Shirley Bradshaw as Honorary Secretary and Honorary Treasurer respectively and meetings were held throughout the period at 31a Mansfield Road.
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