Ben Crowder is an experienced performing arts industry leader and co-Director of Nightsong, one of Auckland's most admired theatre companies.

Nightsong is bringing its hit show Mr Red Light back for one last New Zealand performance on 30 March at Auckland's Herald Theatre (along with fundraising) before taking it across the Tasman to perform on the Gold Coast in June, followed by Wollongong and Parramatta.

But it hasn't been an easy process - and one Crowder wants more creatives to know about, then back themselves. 

The arts are currently enjoying a maelstrom (or in more contemporary vernacular - a shitstorm). As an independent theatre company Nightsong is definitely an endangered species. Times are perilous and doing nothing is not an option. 

Nightsong is taking a show about the unluckiest man in the world – Mr Red Light - to Australia. On paper this is a foolhardy venture - particularly if you scrutinise the budget. 

However, we are determined to make it work - as we need a plan that brings hope.

This small country has a bold vision to make the arts equitable for all, but no plan or current ability to pay for this. Arts organisations are running on empty, with increased costs, reduced funding opportunities, burnt-out staff with revenue development strategies, and an over-asked (and small) philanthropic community. 

Change in terms of NZ’s main arts funding agency is on the horizon, but much of this is about re-distribution, not a plan to increase the budget pool.

Nightsong exists with an unwavering focus on keeping the art at its centre. The majority of the day-to-day operations rely on the core artists within Nightsong to deliver. There is a strong trust from our board who support this Kaupapa, and who work with us to mitigate and balance risk – whilst recognising there is an imperative to be bold and keep moving.

It has been clear that we have needed to be innovative to stay viable, not just in terms of the work we make, but in terms of how we deliver, partner and advocate.

A strategy to tour internationally – with a focus on first step Australia - was developed in the period just prior to COVID. The virus and its lock-downs / international isolation meant delivering on this strategy was stalled. However, we used that time for research and to start to build connections through digital opportunities that were available over this time.

Once the borders opened, we were keen to get out there and see what we could do. We self-funded attendance at the first in-person APAX in Sydney in 2022 where we were given a 60 second, pre-recorded video pitch. 

Australian presenters had a back-log of shows they had planned to present and/or had invested in – and were also risk adverse in terms of programming. This was not exactly the perfect moment to launch our strategy as an unknown company from New Zealand that had quite big scale shows!

Not to be daunted, we were heartened by the relationships we started to form and hearing how the work we were offering was unique in the Australian frame. 

So we kept our presence strong at APAX and attended in Cairns 2023 and Melbourne 2024 – obtaining longer pitches delivered in person at these. We also embraced the growing international side of the PANNZ Arts Market at home and used this to build on these connections with Australian presenters.

The range of Interest received made it clear that there was demand for a work of this scale and imagination in this market. 

We prioritised Mr Red Light as the first work – it is a big show – but felt it had the best alignment with the presenters as an introduction to the company, coupled with its track record of selling to new audiences / younger audiences / high schools etc – well, it is a hostage drama in a pie shop with the world’s unluckiest man!

Pulling a tour together is complicated – various people left the plan while others joined, it all nearly derailed a couple of times…luckily, the week a CNZ application to the International Presenter’s fund was due, I was in Perth attending ISPA and all the key players were there. We managed to get everyone around a bar leaner in a theatre foyer and hash out a new plan/deal – and the presenters and I managed to get the application written and submitted late night in hotel rooms. Sometimes it is just really important to be in the same place as everyone!

This funding for the Australian venues was successful in terms of supporting them with some of their touring costs – which helped level the playing field with domestic offerings (Australia has a range of touring mechanisms for domestic product both state and nationally). 

But what was exciting was that the presenters were able to pay pretty good fees for the work. Fees that would not be able to be achieved at home, unless maybe through a major festival presentation. 

There is a clear pathway for longer tours and more revenue.

To make everything work, we planned to manage the remount costs and some of our operational costs through a domestic tour of the work in the North Island and thereby sharing these expenses. The idea of aligning programme seemed smart. 

Unfortunately,our funding for this period was unsuccessful with CNZ – leaving a major budget hole in our plans.

This result - of course - landed at a crux moment, where decisions needed to be made to pull-out or go-ahead straight away, as the venues were on deadline to release their 2025 programmes. 

So once again, the tour was on a knife-edge – this time in the courtyard outside the Malthouse at APAX Melbourne. But all key stakeholders were in the same place and we worked through scenarios. 

I had to make a call – could we deliver? – knowing if we reneged this would be bad not only for Nightsong, but for other independent theatre ventures looking to build relationships and trust in this market. 

So with a deep breath and some fast maths - the deal/plan was back on.

However we were now very reliant on fundraising to fill the shortfall if we were to maintain fees and production value. We are fortunate Auckland Live partnered with us on the warm-up season this week, getting the show match fit. 

We are having a fundraiser evening, some schools shows and a public performance on Sunday 30 March. We’re also about to start a boosted campaign (each time I say it will be the last!)

But why – you may think?  Well, earlier in this soapbox I talked of having no viable options with the status quo, and the need to build on a strategy that engenders hope.

We are investing in this venture as it is about building our market with a view to developing an audience / regular presentations. 

There is a longer term plan of fostering collaboration between New Zealand and Australian venues / festivals. This can help with the dollar-heavy development and creation costs of new work – to have investment streams from different places – extended life of work – employment for the sector. 

The end goal is to be not so reliant on scarce funding and definitely not to fundraise / crowdfund for Australian touring.

Conversations have been had for years about greater market development into Australia for New Zealand work – momentum has been slow and piecemeal. However, there is clear desire for a touring network to be established from both countries. 

The notion of reciprocal tour arrangements are spoken of – potentially with greater collaboration between our arts funding agencies – and also utilising existing tour delivery bodies. PANNZ and PAC Australia have been working on this vision; as have some venues who are exploring the idea of sharing costs and the benefits from economies of scale.

I initiated and hosted a break out session at the recent PANNZ Arts Market called the Tasman Bridge Project - where we had two teams of bridge-builders made up of stakeholders from Australia and New Zealand.

It was a highly attended session, where we needed to get more chairs - standing room only – and with spirited engagement from the floor. What was abundantly clear was there is a huge desire to make this a thing. 

We are a tenacious sector with much to offer, we are surrounded by challenges, and we need to create our own hope.