Theatre Bristol is the name of the partnership that will coordinate the delivery of the Locality Plan for Greater Bristol.

The partnership will take strategic action to ensure that the "theatre ecology" of Bristol is as healthy as it can be. This project is about long term gain for the sector, the city and the region - there will not be over-night results.

Theatre Bristol is not a closed partnership of privileged members. It is open to any individual or organisation partaking in any aspect of theatre activity in Bristol. Over the coming year structures will be put in place to make the partnership accessible to everyone.

Once you have registered on the site you can contribute items in the following areas of the site: news; what's on & events; opportunities; jobs and forums. Anytime you'd like to contribute content to the site, you must ensure you're logged in. Once you're logged in you can visit the My Contributions section in My Space and add a new item from here - you will reach the relevant form for the type of content you wish to add to the site.

Alternatively, you'll find links on each of the relevant pages of the site (eg. News homepage) which offer you the chance to 'sumbit' an item (eg: "click here to submit a news item"). If you're not logged in when you try to do this, you'll be prompted to login at this stage. If you wish to contribute to the Forums, you'll see links to add a new topic in the different forum discussion areas.

To submit a news story, click on the news link on the top navigation bar and you will see a link saying Click here to submit a news item. If you're not already logged in you will be asked to do so. You will then see a form where you enter your copy.

Choose a title and short title and then enter the main body of your news text. The Title will appear on the main news story page while the short title will appear as the homepage headline - due to space constrictions, it must be shorter than the main title. If you would like to link to another website offering more information relating to your news story, insert the relevant URL in the External URL box.

Click on the Add News button. You will now have the option to add an image and supporting document to your item. News stories look much better with an accompanying image so please try and find something suitable. The thumbnail is a small picture which will go on the homepage/news hompage. This should be around 86-100 pixels wide. Your main image is a bigger picture, to sit alongside the main body of your text. This should be no less than 200 pixels wide and no bigger than 300 pixels wide. Upload your images in the correct boxes.  

You may also wish to include a supporting document with your news item which may be useful for users. Do so by browsing your local files and uploading any documents in the relevant boxes. You can then view your news item and once you're happy with it a message will be sent to the site editor who will check the item and upload it to the live site. It will appear in the news section within one working day.

If you have a query about Theatre Bristol as an organisation, you can email info@theatrebristol.net or write to us at Theatre Bristol, Unitarian Chapel, Brunswick Square, Bristol BS2 8PE. If you want to report a problem you've encountered while using any area of the website, email admin@theatrebristol.net.

Any visitor to the site can view forum discussions but to take part in discussions you need to be a registered user and logged in to the site. If you haven't already registered, click here now. If you're already a member, make sure you're logged in when you visit the forums page.

You can now edit your profile and choose a nickname by which you'll be known in the forums. You can also add some brief information about yourself in the About Me section. If you then hit the Continue button you can start chatting and posting replies to conversations that interest you.

To do this, simply click on a posting and click on the Reply to this message link at the bottom of the page. If you'd like to start a new topic click on a topic link and then click on the New topic link on the left of the page. You can then add your topic subject and get busy airing your views in the message field. You can edit your profile at any time by clicking on your log-in name at the top of the page. We do have some basic house rules you should abide to when using the forums – click here to read them. 

You must be logged in to add a new opportunity. Move your curser to the Interact link on the top navigation bar and click on Opportunities. You will see a link to Click here to submit an opportunity at the top of the page which leads you to the Opportunities form. Most of the fields on this form are self-explanatory.

Live dates should be the date for which your opportunity is relevant - this is a free text field. So if you are adding information about a course that takes place over a week you would enter the start and end date (eg: 21st June - 25th June 2005). In Description add a brief outline of the opportunity. In Types move across the most relevant categories for your opportunities using the arrows. 

When you have submitted your new item you will find it listed in the Opportunities area of My Space. Select your opportunity by clicking on the link - you will now be able to add an image or a supporting document (an application form, for example).  To add an image, click on the manage documents link. Upload your main image - this should be no bigger than 300 pixels wide and no smaller than 200 pixels wide - and click on upload images.

Then upload your chosen document, by browsing and selecting from your local files, and click on upload documents. After you've finished you can then view your opportunity. The site editor will then be informed of your contribution and will make it live within one working day.

If you're an independent artist or a larger organisation involved in any aspect of theatre in Bristol you can enter your profile on our artist/organisation database. We ask you to fill out some basic details regarding your artistic activity and hold your details on the database so other members of the theatre community can find out about what you do and contact you should they wish to.

The database is an integral element to the Theatre Bristol philosophy, namely the building of a healthy and self-supporting network of theatre practitioners. Once you have entered your details, you will be listed in the appropriate directory (Theatre Companies/Individuals, Youth Theatres, Photographers, Lighting Designers, Education/Training, Magazines/Journals, Costumes/Set Designers, Actors, Producers/Agencies, Spaces and Retailers/Hire Shops). 

Members of the Theatre Companies/Individuals directory who include an image with their profile details will have this image entered into our image library, to be used in rotation on our homepage, to ensure their activity gets prime coverage on the website.

You can update or edit your artist/organisation details at any time. Make sure you are logged in and then click on My Space on the top right hand side of the page. When you are in My Space, you'll see a link to Organisation/individual details. You can then change any of the data in your profile - click on the Update details button at the bottom of the form when you have made your changes. If you would like to be removed from the database, please email us at admin@theatrebristol.net.

By joining mail groups you can receive and send email communication from and to many likeminded individuals. When you subscribe to a group, or multiple groups, you are signed up to receive emails from any member within that group.

You can also send out emails to group members. As such, mail groups provide a useful networking tool, where people interested in a particular area (such as Circus and Street Theatre, for example) can exchange information quickly and easily.

Perhaps you are producing a show and are looking for a reliable rigger for an aerial act. You could send an email to the Circus and Street Theatre mail group asking if anyone in that group knows of one.

The only pre-requisite for subscribing to mail groups is that you are a registered member of Theatre Bristol. For more information about registering click here.

Once you have registered you can choose to join as many of the following mail groups as you like:

Circus and Street Theatre (CAST)
Live Art and Experimental Theatre (LAET)
Physical and Visual Theatre (PVT)

You can access the mail groups by clicking on the drop-down menu in the Interact section of the website (on the top navigation bar). You must sign up for each mail group separately so you have to repeat the following process for each mail group you wish to join.

Select the mail group you wish to join from the list by clicking on the link. If you are not a registered member of Theatre Bristol you will be asked to join, and if you are a member but have not logged in you will be prompted to enter your log-in details.

Once you have selected your preferred mail group, a confirmation email will be sent to your email address. You must either:

follow the link included in the text of the email
or
reply to the email (keeping the subject header intact)
or
send an email to the address given, including the line of text and numbers detailed.

You must do this to validate your mail group subscription and ensure your details are added to the mail group. You may also unsubscribe from the list via this email.

When you follow these instructions, you will be directed to your log-in page. Once you enter your username and password (the names you log-in with) you effectively validate your subscription to a mail group.

You will then receive a welcome email which explains how to post a message to the mail group and how to change your mail group settings. Your first posting will be moderated by the mail group administrator.