The DC and what to learn

The Durban Collective was always a project aimed at investigating the practical implications of the collective system, as well as the kinds of natural barriers that streamline and 'efficientise' processes, preventing naturally sustained synergy.

Certainly we can agree that the collective system of self governance is a very useful shape, allowing the core idea to be advanced through the individual And the collective strengths and synergies. Inherent flaws in the collective system also meant that processes took much longer than needed, and at times consumed lots of energy to keep just running.

Evolution of this idea and model sees more collaborativ consulting and co-creation via mobile and web applications, (cheap efficient access to the Net is paramount here), and the core of the collective being more secure and successful in Their sectors and industries. Certainly, the admin teams needs a stipend, which could be supplied by a communal pool or special marketed events.


THE DC

As representation of the idea that Creativity and FreeThinkers hold the key to the approaching evolutionary step-up the world seems on course for, the Durban Collective was roused together by the combined intent and actions of a small group of the cities' music industry players and guardians. By sitting in a single space and sharin their own obsevations and potential solutions, the agreement was reached amongst the heads to work actively together to strengthen the Durban Music Scene.



Several actualities arose out of these interactions, an online magazine, several performances and concerts and the documents contained in this blog. Both the constitution and the Working Document were creatednot only as a solution but also as a template for other regions,creative fields or cultures to learn from this experience and grow




MAy these ideas and words inspire you to start your own collective, or join forces with an action group close 2 you

Summary

The DC is a membership based support and information dissemination administrative body.
It’s power to enhance Musicians abilities to support themselves lies in the support it in turn receives through its membership base. The DC operates on transparency, honesty and a love for Local Original Live Music. It’s primary aim is to, through co-operation and encouragement, foster and build new and existing relationships to a level of technical and professional proficiency that will create and build a respectful and sustainable audience for the Music. The Music comes First.

Criteria and Accreditation 10.03.09

Criteria and Accreditation.

The DC works on a system of encouragement and co-operation in order to raise the standards of original Live Music. This system relies on guidelines, compensation and criteria being agreed on and accountability to those agreements. In order to make this ethos official and actionable the DC requires its members to formalize all dealings with all parties concerned through standardized contracts.

The Key areas where criteria will be enforced are:

A: Marketing Standards
B: Improving Technical Standards
C: Enforcing Fair Rates and Compensation
D: Commitment to Delivery Guarantees

Method of Criteria and Accreditations

1. As a condition of membership all DC affiliated bodies or persons are required to enter into written contracts pertaining to said parties roles.
2. These Contracts define the parameters and criteria of these relationships. The contracts themselves will be available in standardized form from the DC.
3. The DC will hold and supply contracts defining standard criteria and rates of compensation that define a professionally marketed and technically solid short, medium or long term engagement, separately in terms of the many different relationships that occur in such an endeavor. Where the DC does not have the relevant contract they DC will have said contract drawn up.
4. Hard copies of the completed contracts are required to be lodged with the DC before the event in case of any dispute arising.
5. If a member does not complete a contract or does not honor a contracts terms they will be suspended from and lose access to DC membership and facilities. This suspension will be in effect until the following Steering Committee meeting where the suspended member may petition to have that suspension lifted
6. If a member of the DC does not understand or does not feel experientially enabled to negotiate through the contract process the DC staff member responsible for the contract and criteria process will be available to offer support and advice. If there is no other way forward the DC staff will assist in the contract negotiation process.
7. Both parties involved in any contractually based relationship are fully accountable for the execution of their roles and all conditions agreed to. Disputes arising from non execution of contracts may result in member suspension
8. If a DC member wishes to perform with or engage a non DC member in contract the choices available to them are: The DC may grant temporary membership to that concern
The concern may become a full member
If the concern does not wish to become a member in any degree they are still required to enter into contract

Standard conditions apply always. In order for the DC to support and assist members in disputes that may arise, records of all agreements need to be on paper. It is a function of the DC to support and encourage this process to its fullest extent. DC members who do not follow these guidelines face suspension.

Membership Structure 10.03.09

Membership Structure

Membership in the DC will be divided into these categories.

1. Individual membership.

Open to all participants in the Original Live Music Industry at a cost that covers production of the membership card itself. This fee shall be fully qualify-able as Hard Costs for production of membership cards only.

Individual Membership entitles one:

1.1 To group representations on key issues through lobbying of concerned government or private institutions or corporations.
1.2 Access to information in order to facilitate rehearsals, instrumentation procurement, media liaison, event publicity as well as legal and technical issues.
1.3 To Administration and Networking support in order to co-ordinate and market live music events
1.4 Access to a system whereby to register and receive follow up on complaints regarding conduct of any, DC member or non member regardless, operator in the field of Live Music production or promotion.
1.5 Access to discounts at accredited live events.
1.6 Access to the electronic information listings of events and gigs as well as access to the monthly Gig Guide and Music news publication
1.7 The right to advertise or Market one services through all DC mediums.
1.8 To accreditation of technical or musical abilities in own field in order to provide a guaranteed quality service assisting in the aims of the DC to raise the standard of Live Original Music.

2. Support Services Membership

Open to all companies, organizations and other concerns who derive their income from the field or periphery fields of Original Live Music Production or Promotion, at a nominal cost.

Support Service Membership entitles one:

2.1 To group representations on key industry based issues that may affect the successful propagation of Original Live Music’s growth, through lobbying of concerned government or private institutions or corporations.
2.2 Access to information in order to grow business in the areas regarding rehearsals, instrument supply, sponsorship opportunities, event publicity as well as legal and technical issues.
2.3 To Administration and Networking support in order to supply services to live music events
2.4 Access to a system that registers and receives follow up on complaints regarding conduct of any, DC member or non member regardless, concern that operates in the field of Live Music production or promotion.
2.5 Access to marketing opportunities at accredited live events.
2.6 Access to the electronic information listings of events and gigs as well as access to the monthly Gig Guide and Music news publication
2.7 The right to purchase advertising space on all DC mediums.
2.8 To accreditation of that member’s services in registered field in order to provide a guaranteed quality service assisting in the aims of the DC to raise the standard of Live Original Music.

3. Corporate or Institutional Membership

Open to all companies, organizations and other concerns who do not derive their income from the field or periphery fields of Original Live Music Production or Promotion, but are seeking to support or find sponsorship or funding opportunities in this field, at a nominal cost.

Corporate Membership entitles one:

3.1 Access to information regarding the key issues that affect those in the Original Live Music Industry.
3.2 Access to information in order to seek business or publicity opportunities in the areas regarding rehearsals, instrument supply, sponsorship opportunities and event production and publicity.
3.3 To Administration and Networking support in order to Seek synergies with Musicians and companies operating in this field
3.4 Access to marketing opportunities at accredited live events.
3.5 Access to the electronic information listings of events and gigs as well as access to the monthly Gig Guide and Music news publication
3.6 The right to purchase advertising space on all DC mediums.
3.7 To accreditation of that Corporation or Institution as a friend of Original Live Music. This accreditation will encourage DC members to seek synergies with said member as well as provide said Corporation or Company the ability to access all information available on members through the DC in order to asses likelihood of success of synergistic ventures between the two parties.
3.8 The ability to market to and reach our database.
3.9 Access to proactive media opportunities

proposed DC Methodology 10.03.09

Methods:
A: To Create an Administrative body to Address these aims.

B: To endeavor to create a platform to promote Durban based Musicians.


A: The administration of the DC will be divided into these roles.

1. Research. Concerned with gathering information of all Stakeholders and ongoing events
2. Administration. To liaise between members in order to foster co-operation and synergy.
3. Media Liaison. To promote events, venues and musicians to further their ability to create an income.
4. Information Distribution. To co-ordinate all incoming event, musician and venue information into two easily disseminate-able forms these being Electronic and Print.
5. Resource Liaison. To help those without to find Instruments, Rehearsal space, Venues and event promotion.
6. Criteria assessor and Contract negotiator. To supply correct contracts pertaining to those relationships that are necessary to the orchestration of successful live events and to negotiate fees and rates in this regard when the need arises on behalf of any DC member in a non partisan manner.
7. Financial Relations. To seek and access funds with which to subsidise the running of the administrative body.
8. Accountant. To ensure the fair and responsible distribution of funding.

B: The above Administration will be responsible for creating the Platform.

1. The Platform shall take the primary form of a monthly free concert open to all and comprising of a cross cultural and cross experience selection of Durban based musicians.
2. The elected steering committee will be responsible for the selection of Musicians
3. The Provincial administration in it’s many forms will be regarded as a partner in this endeavor and be lobbied to support it by foremost supplying resources and, where no resources are available, funding. The Provincial Administration will be encouraged to use this opportunity as a tourism and cultural initiative
4. The Platform shall lobby to receive the full support of the City in terms of marketing and promotion.
5. This free concert will not be the only aspect of creating a platform. It will be the D.C.’s intention to develop further platforms, including outreach programs.

Intentions and Aims 10.03.09

Statement of Intent:

The Durban Collective, on a non profit basis, through its combined influence, using encouragement and participation seeks to raise the quality, presence and promotion of original live music, (created by local authors) in Durban.

Aims:

1. To grow for Musicians a receptive audience and a means of income.
2. To encourage service providers, of all natures who turnover financially in the field or periphery fields of Live Music Production or Promotion, to contribute toward production of events of quality through these stakeholders support in promotion, administration and technical.
3. To work with the corporate world to encourage synergy between musicians and products with similar target audiences.
4. To, where there is no other avenue open to do so, subsidise and support musicians and venues in their ability to create an income for themselves, through the mechanism of live music performance.
5. To Research and Develop leads and contacts in the key areas of Marketing, Publicity, Venues, Rehearsal Space, Instrument Provision, Technical Support and primarily, Musicians.
6. To encourage and create Outreach Programs to bring these aims and intentions to all areas around KZN in order to develop music around the province.
7. To implement the values and ideals of a socially responsible program by orchestrating and administering a system of subsidy for DC members in order to stage and promote events and venues. This includes rehearsal and provision of Instruments to uplift those previously disadvantaged musicians without resources.
8. To work with the concerned municipalities on issues of promotion and performance, including legal issues around by-laws, toward the benefit of all involved.
9. To produce a monthly guide to all performances, as well as system of electronic distribution for this information, that maintains a strict criterion of notice for inclusion.
10. To develop a fully accountable system to govern and address all concerns of all DC members continuously.
11. To develop a system of information distribution and performance administration to all members subsidised by the members and outside funding.
12. To continuously move forward on these aims without concern for personalities or personal gain in any respect, always remembering that the music comes first.

update: phase three MArch 2009

these days marks the engagement of phase three of the Durban Collective project.

of the period of a year, musicians, performers, promoters and members of the media have been hosting meetings and planning a strategy on how to collectively create a culture of music appreciation and a more sustainable working environment, in this city of Durban

on Tuesday 10.March.2009, at the Bat Center, a steering committee was elected. this steering committee is charged with creating the structures and strategy to realise the collective dream.

what follows forms part of the media releases from that period, and reflect the current (at the time) aims, intentions and early strategy, with considerations for improving and fine-tuning these as well as the constitution.


Steering Committee:

These aims and intentions need to be strictly maintained by an elected board of those concerned with the upliftment of the Durban music industry who shall serve on a non profit basis. Those concerned will have to donate their time and experience, this is essential to the ideal of putting the Music first.