For some artists, people are scary

As an art journalist, art makers give me VIP treatment: free tickets, separate desks, they say YOU to me and hang on my every word when I tell them something. That's a extremely luxurious position. After all, as an ordinary passer-by at a site project in the making, you don't get VIP treatment. Artists avoid contact, turn away from you, find your dog scary and dirty, and won't answer friendly questions.

Isn't it time for art creators and sellers to rethink their idea of their Public Relations?

It happened to me this weekend. In the park behind my house, artists were preparing for Othello, an outdoor performance to be played sometime during one weekend this year. At the dog beach in the park, they are busy with cables and rafts, looking very serious. I happen to know a little bit about what they are working on because I heard about it through my network, but I am the only one of the many dozens of people who come here every day. During my lap with Rufus, my frisky dog named after Canadian singer Rufus Wainwright, I thought I would have a chat.

However, that turned out not to be the intention. On my approach, the makers turned their bodies away, one girl ran away from my doggie screaming with a dirty face and another group looked anxiously in my direction. My friendly question of how things were going smoothly and what exactly they were doing was answered grumpily.

It was clear. I was a 'local resident' and 'dog owner' feared by these HKU students. I was one of those citizens who would never understand what they were doing anyway and with whom they probably expected to have a lot of trouble. I was almost certainly an art hater and scary anyway. My dog had rabies. There was no need to communicate because I wouldn't understand anyway. Indeed, I didn't have to whine about the dog beach because there was enough space in Lunetten for my sweet tooth.

I was quite surprised by this line-up. They should know, I thought, but didn't say. But on the day the jury of the Dutch Theatre Festival came to a selection of performances that are audience-friendly were deemed, I did face an absolute opposite of that kindness.

How easy would it not be, I thought, as Rufus peed all over the Othello director's beer crate in an unguarded moment, if, for all the rehearsals and preparatory acts of such a location project in a much-used park, there were a collaborator who came along specially to update curious passers-by on what was going on? How simple would it not be, I thought, as the creators retreated even further under their tree, to create a leaflet, in the absence of explicator, that would describe what was going on, where more information could be found and where tickets could be reserved? Put up a sign?

For these young theatre-makers, it might be a boost to learn how to interact with the audience before it is an audience. You never know who might be walking around. Public relations are more than a press release and an advertisement. They are your relationships with the public.

Being kind. When you work in public space, don't you owe that a bit to those you share that space with?