A bit of gratitude

Two and a bit years ago, Deborah posted in a Facebook group seeking a director for a workshop production of a new musical. Ellie responded and was immediately the right person for the project. Together, we worked on two new musicals, workshopping, editing, and dramaturging throughout the process. Although it wasn’t said aloud yet, Chalk was born out of those projects.

Not long after, we were in a cafe talking about opportunities for musical theatre writers to find easily accessible, straightforward support for their work. We wanted to carve out a space where musical writers of all levels and from anywhere in the world could gain feedback and development support. This time, Chalk was officially born.

The plan was never to launch in a pandemic, but some things are out of our control and we didn’t want to delay any longer. In May 2020, we launched Chalk Musical Theatre Dramaturgy. And what a year it has been. As we approach our first birthday, we thought there’s no better way to celebrate how far we’ve come than a list of things that we’re grateful for (sorry if this is too sappy - we are one half Canadian in this duo).

our first picture together at the opening night of BUSK: The Musical.

1) Writers

It’s obvious, but of course we are so grateful to every writer that has worked with Chalk Dramaturgy. We exist to serve writers and we wouldn’t be here without the over 50 (!) writers and writing teams that we’ve worked with over the last year. We continue to be amazed at the variety, bravery, and creativity at the projects that pass through our doors and we are sincerely grateful to every single writer that has trusted us with your words. It can be scary and vulnerable to share your work, especially with ‘strangers’ (which we aren’t!), but we have loved getting to know you all and your work over the past year. Thank you!

2) The Internet

I think we’ve all been grateful for technology this year, and Chalk is no different. Although we are based in London, we are an international company and we’ve had meetings around the globe in several time zones. This wouldn’t have been possible without Zoom / the internet, so even though ‘the internet’ isn’t a human, we are grateful that we could operate during lockdown.

one of MANY zoom meetings

3) Olio creative

Olio creative is responsible for this beautiful website and our logo. Not only did they design everything, but they continue to support us when we have inevitable questions. In case we don’t say it enough, thank you Olio for your ongoing support and creativity. If anyone is looking for a website, we 10/10 recommend. Check out www.oliocreative.com for more into about them!

4) Our partners

From day one, we knew partnerships were going to be a big part of Chalk. Over the past year, we’ve been so lucky to meet with a brilliant range of producers, directors, theatres, and dramaturgs. Every meeting and collaboration has been inspirational and useful. Thank you to anyone who has been generous with their time, listened to us pitch ideas / scripts, and brainstormed opportunities for collaboration. We’re looking forward to strengthening these partnerships as theatres start to re-open soon!

5) Each other

Okay this one is super cringe. But Chalk is 100% a partnership. Every concept, every idea, every change comes from this collaboration. We come from different backgrounds, but have a shared love of writers and musicals and none of this would have happened without being able to support one another.

PS - If you’re interested in learning more about working in collaborative partnerships, stay tuned…

our most recent picture together coming up with some sneaky plans for the future

We’ve got some exciting plans for the future of Chalk but today, we are grateful to all who have helped us get this far.

Our one year anniversary is just a week away, and we will be celebrating with cake and a BIG announcement!

Stay tuned…

And once again, thank you!