Morton Bates Arts Services was established in 2008 to offer a range of services to arts organisations, companies and individual artists. Having previously built successful careers in the arts sector, Claire Morton and Joe Bates combined their breadth of knowledge and skills so as to offer a wider range of services and knowledge to their clients, bespoke to meet each client’s individual needs. Their clients range from solo and independent artists to large-scale, international touring companies across all performing art forms.
About Claire Morton
Following a BA Honours in Dance and Culture with Professional Training at the University of Surrey in Guildford, Claire worked for the London branch of Renaissance in the Regions based at the Museum of London; a programme to widen audiences and increase participation in regional museums funded by the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council. Claire then sought to apply her arts experience, knowledge and enthusiasm to a freelance management context through working as an Associate Manager with Gwen Van Spijk at CUE, working with artists such as Russell Maliphant, Nigel Charnock and Ricochet Dance Productions.
Claire holds a Masters Degree in Arts Management from City University, London, for which she was the recipient of an Arts Humanities Research Council Award and during which her research focussed on micro-organisational operation and structures in the dance sector.
About Joe Bates
Joe originally trained as a dancer at Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts, gaining a first class BA Honours Degree in Performing Arts (Dance), going on to train and study at London Contemporary Dance School. Joe worked extensively as a dancer and also as a production/stage manager in both dance and theatre before training in arts management. In 2007, he completed a Masters Degree in Arts Management, specialising in dance education and training, at City University, London.
Joe previously worked as Company Administrator for EDge, The Postgraduate Performance Company of London Contemporary Dance School, and then went on to work as a freelance Associate Manager with Gwen Van Spijk @ CUE for a range of projects and clients including Ricochet Dance Productions (move-me.com), Wired Aerial Theatre and Bedlam Dance Company.
The Independent Dance Management Network (IDMN)
Claire and Joe both sit on the Executive Committee of the Independent Dance Managers Network (IDMN), a network of freelance managers based around the UK. In 2010, Joe was appointed Chair of the network and Claire appointed Secretary. Morton Bates Arts Services also co-ordinates the membership and services the Executive Committee.
For more information on IDMN please visit www.idmn.co.uk
Claire and Joe are also members of the Dance Strategy Group (DSG), which brings together key individuals working across the dance sector in the South East of England, to discuss and debate issues currently surrounding the UK dance industry.