We asked Dan Tsu, who organises live music, spoken word and hip hop performances, and teaches workshops for aspiring artists and disadvantaged young people.
How do you prepare for an arts event?
Whether we are putting on a show or organising a workshop, it's important that all our artists or participants feel valued and part of the family. So before an event, we typically send out an informal email with full details, including the location, a map, and timings; the significance of the show; and promotional material. Aside from that, we visit the location, promote the event, speak to all the parties involved and make sure everyone is ready.
How important is the seating plan?
In arts workshops, seating plans can be crucial. Circular seating is ideal, as it allows everyone to look into each other's eyes when they're talking and sharing ideas. There should be breakout tables for group work, but sufficient space for facilitators to walk around the room to keep everyone's energy up.
For a live event, it very much depends on the type of show. Seated gigs feel cosy and intimate, so the audience can focus on the finer points of the music and words. This often suits spoken word, classical or acoustic music events.
Standing gigs work well for high energy live shows. Not only does it increase the amount of people who can attend, but it also allows them to move, dance, and get drinks, creating a dynamic atmosphere that performers will feed off.
How do you help people come up with new ideas?
I believe that everyone has the ability to think creatively. If you create a safe environment, people will understand that in art, there are no wrong answers. Be free to experiment. To create that kind of atmosphere in a learning environment, you have to establish trust and discussion. I like to think I'm learning as much from my students as they're learning from me.
How do you create an atmosphere in which people can concentrate and have fun?
For workshops, it's crucial to gauge the mood of the room. We often play music to help people relax and connect with each other when they come in, and kick off with icebreakers. We also use physical games and vocal exercises.
Water and healthy energising snacks - not sugar - are also important to maintain energy. When working with artists, we always have bananas and water on hand. It might seem unimportant, but if people's blood sugar crashes, it affects their level of concentration and focus.
For events, the audience experience, from the beginning to the end of the event, is hugely important. In our eyes, it defines the success of the live show. We ensure sufficient breaks - long enough for people to chill, but short enough to keep the energy in the room. Sometimes we use DJs during the breaks, to keep the buzz and performance aspect rolling. There is also always a carefully curated soundtrack to complement the artists.
What's the best way to follow up with people afterwards?
We often use evaluation forms to get feedback after workshops. It's important that participants feel free to tell us what they thought. Otherwise, facilitators can be under the illusion that nothing could be improved. This would be naive.
We also try to make sure that the workshop is not the start and end of an artist's experience, by pointing them to more arts resources, events or workshops. After most sessions, we often encourage people to submit work or stay in contact with us. This means a lot to us.
Are there any pitfalls to avoid, when organising a live event?
Things can always go wrong - it's how you react under pressure that marks a quality event team. You need to be able to think on your feet and find solutions.
We spend anywhere between four weeks and four months before an event, working with the venue technical teams. The technical aspects of a show can be complex, so it's important to have people both within our team and the venue team who we can trust; who reply quickly, pay attention to detail, and are happy to help.
Think through possible problems. Make sure you have all the tech specs for the venue - what audio amplification equipment is available? How strict is the curfew? How will you manage audience capacity and ticketing? You can never be too diligent, but you can be too complacent.
How do you find artists to work with?
We spend a lot of time scouting for artists, but we also receive lots of submissions. The common thread is that anyone selected to perform with Lyrix Organix needs to show outstanding talent or potential, be proactive and have positive energy. You can have all the talent in the world, but if you're not pleasant and professional, then we are not interested.
However, persuading more established artists to perform with us, for example at Glastonbury Festival, can often come down to negotiation with agents - which can take weeks. Patience and professionalism are the answer in all situations.
What advice would you give someone who wants to work in the arts?
Really believe in what you're doing, and do it with a passion. It has to be worth it to you, because it will probably mean no money, early mornings, and failed relationships. So your belief in it needs to be the sole thing that propels you through it.
I was a drum 'n' bass MC for a few years, then a promoter, and I always loved going to gigs. Eventually, I realised my two main skills were standing on stage and putting on events. Today, that experience means that I know when to push and when to hold back when it comes to giving artists feedback. I know how much energy and time it takes to get up on stage and put on a good show.
If you want to be an event manager, you need to have a foundation in the whole environment - from clubs, rock gigs, community fetes. It's not just about going to see mega gigs at the O2 arena - it's about gaining the broadest amount of knowledge. There are no shortcuts, so you have to do your research.
It's also important to have financial security. Don't be too proud to ask for what you need, even if it's sponsorship, mentorship, or looking for funding from a public body. When I was starting out and promoting my first events as a hobby, I had a full-time job at Transport for London. This allowed Lyrix Organix to donate 100 per cent of our profits to charity over the first four years, as a statement of our beliefs. That was only possible because I was still earning a full-time wage.
Dan Tsu is creative director of arts event production company Lyrix Organix.
Watch Dan in action, leading a poetry performance workshop, Sonnets for the Horn of Africa, with the British Council as part of the 2016 Shakespeare Lives celebrations.
Lyrix Organix will host UnFold, supported by the British Council, at the Roundhouse in London on 8 October 2016. The show combines young performance poets, a string section, animation, augmented reality and literature, and will be live-streamed via Facebook Live from 7pm BST.