Ep. 16 Nicolette Carter | How Nicolette Transformed Her Book into a Theatre Production

In this episode, Nicolette, a professional artist and author based in Reading, shares her fascinating journey of transforming her illustrated children's book, The Pink Peacock, into a fully-fledged theatre production. Nicolette discusses the challenges of publishing her book, collaborating with musicians and actors, and the steep learning curve of adapting a story for theatre. She highlights the importance of community, tapping into the expertise of others, and the joy of seeing her vision evolve through teamwork. The episode delves into the creative process, from designing costumes and props to overcoming logistical hurdles like casting and venue selection. Nicolette also offers valuable advice on marketing local productions and reaching new audiences through community engagement.   Highlights The Power of Collaboration – Nicolette emphasizes how crucial it is to collaborate with others when turning a creative idea into reality. Adaptability in the Creative Process – Nicolette's journey highlights the importance of flexibility. From adjusting costumes and props to rethinking parts of the script. Overcoming Rejection and Staying Persistent – Nicolette's experience with rejection when trying to publish her book traditionally is a powerful reminder that persistence is crucial. Balancing Creativity with Practicality – Nicolette had to learn the balance between her artistic vision and the practical constraints of a live production.   Time Codes 00:24 Welcome 00:45 Introduction to Nicolette 01:26 What Nicolette likes about Reading 02:29 Nicolette's book & her experience writing, illustrating, and publishing her book. 04:38 How to find an illustrator 06:27 Why and how Nicolette turned her book into a theatre production 09:15 A few challenges translating the book into a theatre production 12:45 Nicolette's big learning and how she adapted her props and script 16:54 How Nicolette promoted her theatre production 20:07 How Nicolette funded her production and what's next 21:58 What happened when Nicolette applied for Arts Council funding 23:52 How do you stay focussed when you're multi-passionate 24:45 Final thoughts/ tips