The Mo Siewcharran Fund has awarded its latest round of grants to four innovative, creative organisations in Leeds, London and Brighton, across publishing, theatre, music and art: Blast Theory, World Book Day, Come Play with Me and Arcola Theatre.
The Fund was set up five years ago in memory of Nielsen Books’ former director of marketing and communications, Mo Siewcharran, by her husband, John Seaton and is administered by leading diversity and inclusion social enterprise, Creative Access.
Mo Siewcharran was passionate about ensuring theatre and publishing were accessible to all and the grant funds internships for talent from Black, Asian and other ethnically diverse backgrounds to improve accessibility and representation in the creative industries.
Impact of the Fund
Since the Fund started in 2018, it has supported 36 Black, Asian and ethnically-diverse trainees in publishing, theatre and music across the UK. Its impact can be clearly seen across each sector: last year Creative Access found that two-thirds (63%) of interns supported by the Fund stayed on at their host organisation at the end of their traineeship, whilst 9 out of 10 (89%) trainees continued to work in the same sector.
On this latest round of recipients, founder of the Fund, John Seaton said:
“If I say I have recently felt personal sadness you will think I am giving the wrong quote. But, hear me out. The personal sadness was occasioned by the sixth anniversary of Mo’s death at the end of June. Thank goodness therefore for this vibrantly good news. It is a supreme pleasure for the Mo Siewcharran Fund to be assisting these four wonderful companies, diverse in both purpose and location, but united in their desire to create working communities where there are no barriers.”
The grants contribute to the salary of an intern for a six-month traineeship, and trainees benefit from a full programme of support from Creative Access to ensure that they thrive in their new role.
Brighton-based recipient Blast Theory make interactive art – including performance and theatre – to explore social and political questions. The group’s work places the public at the centre of unusual and sometimes unsettling experiences, to create new perspectives and open up the possibility of change. On being awarded the Fund, Business Director Anne Rupert said:
“We are thrilled to receive support from the Mo Siewcharran Fund and Creative Access. Our paid internships offer a great opportunity for learning and skills development: building confidence and opening up career prospects. Working with Creative Access will enable us to offer a longer placement and reach people who are often excluded from these types of opportunities.”
Recipient World Book Day is a small charity with big ambitions, committed to improving diversity and inclusivity in children’s literacy and reading. Its vision as a charity is to see more children, from all backgrounds, developing a life-long habit of reading for pleasure, benefiting from the improved life chances this brings them. Chief Executive, Cassie Chadderton said:
“Funding from the Mo Siewcharran fund will provide a supported entry route to a charity playing a vital role in encouraging more children, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds, to experience the life-changing benefits of reading for pleasure.”
The Fund was also granted to Arcola Theatre, one of the UK’s only theatres founded and run by first-generation migrants. Over 20+ years, they have consistently created responsive, high-quality theatre by and about the lived-experience of people of marginalised backgrounds. Leyla Nazli, Executive producer said:
“As a diverse led organisation, Arcola is always looking for ways to develop the next generation of theatre makers from the Global Majority. We are proud to be partnering with Creative Access and grateful for the support of the Mo Siewcharran Fund.”
The Fund is once again open for other theatre, publishing or music organisations wishing to support internships for those from under-represented communities.
Those interested in applying should contact lucy@creativeaccess.org.uk. The deadline for the next round of applications is Friday 1st December 2023.
Want to know what’s it like working for an immersive theatre company? Did you even know that you could? In the latest blog for our series ‘jobs you didn’t know existed’, former #CAIntern Jessie Francis talks us through her very exciting role as a creative assistant at the trailblazers of immersive experiences, Secret Cinema…
What does your role entail?
This is always a fun question, to answer. I am a creative assistant at Secret Cinema – an immersive theatre company that brings beloved films, television franchises and even occasionally music to life. In our shows, the audience are not passively watching the narrative unfold, but actively find themselves in the story, uncovering deeper layers of character motives, backstories, mysteries and secrets. Essentially, it’s a bunch of people creating the most elaborate fan-fiction you have ever witnessed.
Being in the creative team, we are responsible for ensuring our shows encompass cohesive and innovative storytelling or world-building across the narrative structure, the set, the performances and some marketing assets. I also bring additional skills to the role through my illustration and video editing skills – so it’s wonderful being able to contribute to the creation of our shows through my many multi-hyphenate interests.
What’s your favourite part of the job?
Any part where I get to dive into story, or a character, or world development. I adore how research can inform a narrative and create a story that audiences can logically follow and understand; which then enables us to push the boundaries of surrealism and theatricality. So, whether you’re faced with Regency Lady Gaga performances, epic scale alien battle sequences or intimate conversations with characters in rooms, where you have no idea how you entered (or even where they are), the roots of the story and world are always grounding you and driving your experience.
How did you get into this role?
I will always be grateful to Creative Access for pushing job roles and careers that I never knew existed, because I didn’t go looking for this job at all. I didn’t even know to look for this job.
I graduated from university in 2019 with a first in animation, and when asked what I wanted to do, I didn’t have a specific vision; but I knew I wanted to work in a story department, or in a writers room, or in story or character development. I was like Lily Allen in the beginning of her LDN music video: ‘Um I’m just wondering have you got any like sort of punky electronica grime kind of like new wave grime but kind of like maybe more broken beats like kinda dubby broken beats but a little bit kind of soulful… do you know what I mean?’. No one knew what I meant (I don’t think I did either.)
I started off in 4Creative – Channel 4’s in-house creative team – on a 3-month traineeship (courtesy of Creative Access) where I edited and wrote scripts for trailers. I then went on to work as a scene build and prop design artist for Blink Industries x Netflix’s charming, spooky, queer animation series Dead End: Paranormal Park. I was job hunting for my next role prior to my contract ending, and on a whim, I applied to a Secret Cinema creative assistant role that was advertised on the Creative Access opportunities page. It turned out that many of the skills I possessed, and was interested in pursuing, made me the perfect fit for a company where everybody wears many different hats and brings so many varying abilities to their roles.
What’s been one of your favourite projects that you’ve worked on?
It would have to be Secret Cinema presents Bridgerton. It was my first show, and I remember sitting in the writers room surrounded by talented creative directors, performance directors, actors and writers and just wanting to absorb all the knowledge everyone had, whilst simultaneously wondering how the hell I had got there. It was surreal and amazing.
What would your advice be for anyone looking to break into this sector?
My only real advice would be to not limit yourself to what you believe you are qualified for. I read somewhere once that men apply for jobs even when they are underqualified, but women only apply if they believe they are overqualified. This has stuck with me, and so I applied for anything that caught my interest and didn’t get caught up in the details of what I had studied or been trained for. Skills can be transferable, softwares can be taught – YouTube and google are your best friends.
At my core, I knew I wanted to be a storyteller and artist, and so although editing trailers, designing props for animation and creating immersive theatre all seem vastly different, they all share the core function of visual storytelling. So don’t limit yourself, and don’t feel embarrassed or flaky for career or industry pivoting. Everything you try and everything you learn will inform and equip you for whatever you do in the future – no matter how disparate it may seem from where you came from. I still adore animation, and would love to return to it one day, but I’m thoroughly enjoying my time in theatre – a medium I was so interested in as a child, and never thought I was talented enough for. And who knows, there’s probably a world in which both can be combined.
Sign up to our opportunities board and find your creative role here.
This month, Creative Access is focusing on the jobs you didn’t know existed. That means all the amazing jobs happening behind-the-scenes in the creative industries to hopefully inspire you to think about some of the career paths you might not have considered or known how to access before. This week former Creative Access intern and current guest artistic director at the Kings Head Theatre, Isabel Adomakoh Young tells us all about her new role…
What does your role entail?
I’m an actor, writer and voice artist so I do a lot of different projects, but my main role at the moment is Guest Artistic Director (GAD) of the Kings Head Theatre in Islington. I am programming a season in spring for them, which means I choose what shows will perform at the theatre during that time.
The role is a newly invented one as the theatre doesn’t have anyone currently doing the job of Artistic Director, so they’ve chosen to invite four theatre artists to do it in the interim as part of a project called ‘The Takeover’. Usually, being Artistic Director (AD) of a theatre company or theatre involves other elements beyond programming too.
I’ve called my season ‘Sight Unseen’ and I’m asking the questions: “Who should finally get their turn in the limelight?”, “How can we take a fresh look at old narratives?” and, “What have we taken as read without ever asking ourselves why?”.
Being a GAD involves a number of tasks…
Planning
- Designing my season, writing some text that explains my vision and what type of work I’d like to see
- Researching and contacting artists I like to see if they’d like to propose a show
- Reading applications from the public ‘open call’ and opening a conversation with projects I like the look of. Most projects will be headed up by a producer and will have a writer (whose script I’ll read) and possibly a director and cast also attached, though that can also be arranged later.
- With the information they provide about their productions, deciding how many performances the show should do and what time it should go on. Alongside our ‘main’ shows that do 6 performances a week, we have shorter slots and late-night ones that better suit comedy or cabaret.
- Most slots require a refundable deposit from the production, but for the latest evening slot we simply divide box office takings between the theatre and the company.
- Working through the financial, time and production requirements the theatre has with the producers and negotiating how those can work for each project.
- Drafting and issuing ‘Deal Memos’ which act as a contract, once all points are agreed.
Execution
- Handing over to the theatre’s in-house producers to see the show through to opening night.
- Promoting the season, creatively supporting the artists I’ve booked, fostering networks between them, and being a vocal champion of the work.
- Us GADs also receive skill development and mentoring as part of the role, so we attend workshops, one-to-ones and networking events.
What’s your favourite part of your job?
It’s very exciting thinking and researching who might fit my season. Despite the somewhat uncertain outlook in theatre, there are always amazing artists full of ideas and determination out there. I love finding new theatre companies or writers and thinking: “I have an opportunity that could help you grow and succeed”. It’s an interesting challenge navigating what the Kings Head audience might be interested in, what I think might sell, and how to achieve a balance of different types of work and topics across the season. The best moment is when you’ve made a formal offer and they reply saying “Yes please!”.
How did you get onto this career path?
Part of the invention of The Takeover at the Kings Head was because the existing path to becoming an Artistic Director is very opaque. There’s no specifically required skillset or professional background, and the way people achieve it is not clearly set out; it’s often based on ‘relationships’ with theatres and powerful people. The exciting thing, though, is that one can come at it from different directions – you don’t have to have been a theatre director, for instance. As an actor, my experience has been more on the making shows side rather than running a company or building. The Takeover means I’ll be better prepared if I ever choose to pursue becoming an AD.
As for how I attained the role – full transparency – I was asked by simple invitation. While I was invited to take on this role, the theatre has assured me they will look at making the process much more accessible – so keep an eye out for that!
Reflecting more broadly on what got me the offer, I’d say every job, from my internship via Creative Access with a literary agency, to being in a drag collective, to running my own arts festival on a shoestring, brought me experience and insight that I’m using now. It’s not always obvious how, as the industries ostensibly differ a lot, but knowing how to handle artists, or familiarity with contracting, or simply an appreciation of an art form, can prove useful in unexpected ways in this sector.
And importantly, courage and a bit of self-belief helped. I nearly turned this opportunity down, feeling inadequate, but my mum told me “Say yes, and figure out how to do it later”, which is exactly what the Kings Head were inviting us to do!
What’s been one of your favourite projects that you’ve worked on?
I can’t talk yet about what’s on in my season but performing at the Kings Head in 2021 was an amazing experience. They ran a season called ‘Barstools to Broadway’, about their 50-year history as a fringe theatre nurturing shows and writers that went on to huge things in the industry, and I loved reading an early play by a writer I love and respect, Stephen Jeffreys, as part of that. I’m actually using his book on playwriting to help me write my first play now!
What would your advice be for anyone looking to break in or move up in the sector you work in?
- Don’t be shy! Shout about your work and your achievements, because you can trust that other people will be shouting about theirs. Put the effort into presenting yourself well, as well as your work; for better or worse in the arts, opportunities come when people perceive you to have potential.
- But alongside that, create relationships where you back one another. It can be a lonely industry and a boost from someone you rate will keep morale high and hopefully get you both some work/ audiences.
- See other people’s work and think critically about what you liked, what you’d do differently. Also, keep abreast of opportunities like grants, workshops and networking events. There’s so much out there that people just don’t know about, and these can be a great start to a relationship with an institution too. Think of yourself as part of an industry you can both benefit from and change for the better.
Keep up to date with Isabel’s projects by following her on Twitter here, or visiting her website here.
If you’re feeling inspired to find a new role in theatre, you can see our opportunities here.
The Mo Siewcharran Fund has announced the latest four grant awards; to charity The Poetry Society, Worcester-based Vamos Theatre, inclusive children’s fiction studio Storymix, and independent publishers, Oneworld. In its fourth year, the Mo Siewcharran Fund continues to support a unique breadth of organisations within the creative industries in its mission to enable young people from Black, Asian and ethnically-diverse backgrounds to break into publishing, theatre and music.
The Fund was set up in memory of Nielsen Books’ former Director of Marketing and Communications, Mo Siewcharran by her husband, John Seaton and is administered by Creative Access – a leading social enterprise specialising in diversity and inclusion. The grants contribute to the salary of an intern for a six-month traineeship and a full programme of support from Creative Access to ensure the trainee thrives in their new role.
Since the Mo Siewcharran Fund started in 2018, it has supported 27 ethnically-diverse trainees in publishing, theatre and music across the UK. A recent report into the impact of the Fund by Creative Access found that two-thirds (63%) of interns supported by the Fund stayed on at their host organisation at the end of their traineeship and 9 out of 10 (89%) trainees continued to work in the same sector where they did their traineeship.
Speaking on the Fund’s impact and the latest round of recipients, John Seaton said:
“In its fourth year the Mo Siewcharran Fund continues to do its bit to make workforces in the arts more ethnically diverse, representative and fairer. It is thrilling to be associated with four such vibrant and en rapport companies as these. I am sure the interns will all have a wonderful and beneficial experience and will be supported via Creative Access to thrive in their careers”.
The Poetry Society is a charitable organisation which champions poetry for all ages. It is looking for a publishing & participation trainee to join the team. On receiving the Fund, Judith Palmer, Director at The Poetry Society says: “With the support of the Mo Siewcharran Fund, The Poetry Society is delighted to be able to work with Creative Access to offer a new dedicated publishing and participation trainee. The Poetry Society has a long history of working with young poets to transform their confidence and creative skills, and of widening access to poetry. We’re excited by the new opportunity this presents to make positive change to strength and diversify the arts sector workforce.”
The second recipient, Vamos Theatre is the UK’s leading full-mask theatre company. Vamos is seeking a learning and participation trainee to learn about the power and connection of mask theatre based on real life stories. Executive Producer at Vamos, Claire Morton comments: “We are thrilled to have been awarded funding from the Mo Siewcharran Fund. The grant will enable us to offer an internship within our Learning & Participation department to a young person from an under-represented community and we are delighted by the prospect of positive change this will bring to us as a company and to the young person’s future career. Support from Creative Access will help us take important steps in developing Vamos Theatre as a more representative arts organisation, impacting on our planning, our processes and working towards a more diverse future workforce. We look forward to offering our intern the best possible experience and a valuable stepping stone to the next stage of their career”
Storymix Studio – a fiction production company focusing on Black, Asian and ethnically-diverse voices in children’s fiction – have also been awarded the Fund. Jasmine Richards, Founder of Storymix states: “Finding and supporting BME talent is fundamental to Storymix’s mission of improving representation in the children’s book industry – both on the page and behind the scenes. We are a relatively new venture. The Mo Siewcharran grant from Creative Access will give us a much-needed intern to support our ever-growing book list and an opportunity to share our knowledge and expertise with a BME professional at the start of what we hope will be a long career in publishing.”
Finally, this is the second time that London-based independent publishers, Oneworld Publications, have received a grant from the Mo Siewcharran Fund. On receiving funding again Publisher and founder Juliet Mabey says: “We are thrilled to be partnering with Creative Access once again. They have made, and are continuing to make, such an important contribution to the campaign to increase diversity and inclusivity in the creative industries. We are especially grateful to the Mo Siewcharran Fund for their financial support in this work, which is facilitating publishers in their efforts to transform our industry so that it more truly represents the readers we serve.”
It was brilliant for the Creative Access team to be back in one of our favourite UK cities Leeds for our northern careers showcase at ITV Yorkshire, with a fantastic panel of speakers including Rawan Elsa, archivist and publishing assistant at Peepal Tree Press, Rhianne Deans, editorial/clearance co-ordinator at Emmerdale, Shamima Noor, communications co-ordinator at Fuel Theatre, Sonny Hanley, controller of content services at ITV and Ayodele Ogunshakin, story liner at Coronation Street, hosted by Ian Cottrell, director of channel operations at ITV.
Ian introduced sharing how he started out at ITV in 1999 with a degree in IT and was the first person in his family to go to university but didn’t know what to do next. Fast forward to 22 years later and he is now in a senior position at ITV Yorkshire.
Meanwhile, Sonny knew what he wanted to do from the age of 9 – he wanted to grow up and make films. Luckily, he grew up in Leeds and felt that pursuing a career with ITV Yorkshire was a perfect fit for him. He shared how he started out making programmes and then switched into technology before moving into operations. He’s had three careers at ITV and has been at the organisation almost as long as Ian, for 18 years!
Rhianne works on Emmerdale, one of ITV’s flagship shows filmed at ITV Leeds. The show has been going for over 50 years and we were even lucky enough to have a tour of the studio after the event. Rhianne’s role includes writing synopses of the scenes for press or for actors, collaborating with script editors and making script changes to ensure the scripts fit within allotted time. She got into the industry through an internship at Arrow Media through Creative Access, and before joining Emmerdale, she worked on Channel 4’s All Creatures Great and Small.
Leeds local, Shamima works within theatre communications. She has been working in theatre for 5 years after starting her career with a traineeship through Creative Access in 2017 at Leeds Playhouse, after which she then worked for a few dance and theatre companies. Shamima grew up in Leeds, studied there and stayed on in the area to develop her career, proving that you can live outside London and develop a rich career in the creative industries. She works for a London based company and goes down to London about twice a month.
Rawan is currently undertaking a PhD, alongside her work as an archivist and publishing assistant. She has a fascinating role and has spent the last few years archiving letters, documents and manuscripts for Peepal, an independent publishing specialising in African literature. She describes herself as wearing many hats, as she also runs an online book club making literature accessible to people beyond the UK.
Ayodele worked at a summer camp in the US after university. She initially thought it was a bad decision, but the experience of working with children proved critical in her getting a role at Blue Peter. From there she moved up to studio assistant and after going to a Creative Access workshop on how to become a storyliner, she got her first break as an assistant storyliner on Coronation Street. She describes being a storyliner as an “odd position”. She works in a team of other storyliners, answering to the producer.
“What have you done that’s outside the box? Utilise that!” – Rawan
Our panel all cited the importance of transferable skills and experiences when trying to break into the creative industries. Shamima explained that in her first internship at Leeds Playhouse, they were mostly looking for passion for theatre and good personal skills. She’d worked on her student paper, been a student outreach officer, written a lot outside her degree, and handled the social media channels for societies she was a part of at university. She was able to marshal these skills into a CV and cover letter, which then got her the role.
Rawan echoed this explaining: “experience is invaluable”. Even though her degrees are important and she’s enjoyed her academic journey, it was the internships and volunteering at places like Elizabeth Gaskell’s House that displayed her passion for history. Alongside this, she states that she identified people she admired and spoke to them on twitter, went to careers fairs and networking evets – all of which helped her land her roles.
When it comes to specific roles, such as storylining, Ayo recommended watching lots of TV as ‘research’. She took on a runner role to expose her to the innerworkings of the TV industry, but she says: “Don’t discount the non-TV experience you have”. Lots of TV work is about teamwork and that can come from university, volunteering and roles outside the sector.
“When people are open to a chat, they might be open to helping you find work, so take those chats seriously” – Ayo
Networking is a key skill for finding work, mentors and even likeminded peers within the creative industry. Rhianne empathised that networking can be awkward, admitting that she used to be really bad at it, but she told our audience that they’d be surprised by how many people want to share their knowledge. People are busy so you shouldn’t feel worried about following up and reminding them. She also advised the audience to not confuse being formal with being professional – you can be jokey and show your personality which can then engage people and make you stand out.
Shamima agreed explaining that these events are nerve-wracking, but you find your own rhythm. “Ffrom the start it was clear to me taking part in events was going to be key. After-parties after each event you should go to show you’re committed.” Similarly, Ayo recommended thinking of networking as ‘connecting’ with people instead, which takes the pressure off the interaction.
“You’re not just there because of luck. You’re there because you’ve excelled. If you trip up, pick yourself back up again” – Rawan
On this note, our panel then began to discuss how imposter syndrome can manifest itself and how they overcome it. Rawan had some wonderful advice for our audience, she explained that she looks in the mirror and recites positive affirmations about herself to reassure herself. She suggested writing them down and even sticking them around your room when you’re feeling low.
Rhianne and Sonny both work at ITV and have both found their networks within the organisation a great source of comfort when they have been feeling insecure in their positions or have had a bad day at work. Sonny told our audience to remember: “They chose you! If you don’t believe that, just go ask your manager.”
Ayo actually did do this once during a period of low self-confidence at work. Her line manager told her that she was doing well, despite thinking otherwise. She told the audience to remember that that’s what your line manager is there for.
“The perfect candidate doesn’t exist” – Sonny
As for moving up in your creative career, Sonny said it is vital to step outside your comfort zone. “No one knows their job 100%, I’ve been here for 18 years and I still don’t know anything”, he said. He continued that therefore, when he’s hiring, he always hires 80% – he knows that no one is going to have every single skill needed but if the confidence and passion is there that will see you through.
Rhianne agreed and explained that of course knowledge and skills are important, but the most important thing is how you fit into a team. If you work within an organisation that has many teams and you want to take a sideways step, Rhianne recommended utilising the network you have within the company and getting to know the roles and the team dynamics to help you.
“There’s no set time frame! If you want to do it, it’ll happen” – Rhianne
Finally, our audience asked our panel about the age-old problem of rejection. Rhianne stated that unfortunately, rejection is part of the industry and you do have to grow a thick skin however, she continued, there are lots of people who want to help you so make sure you keep making those connections. While Rawan suggested that “rejection can help you take a step back and reassess what you really want.”
Thank you so much to our wonderful panel for their insights into their respective fields and highlighting the breadth of roles on offer in the creative industries in the North, as well as to our audience for coming along and asking such important questions!
This Wednesday Creative Access partnered up with the one and only National Theatre to deliver a masterclass discussing how to navigate a career in theatre and the future of theatre both on and off stage. We were joined by Juliet Gilkes Romero, writer in residence at the National Theatre, Sara Bakhaty, Deputy Director of Marketing and Sales at the National Theatre and Ola Animashawun, who is a National Theatre associate, as well as connections dramaturg and co-founder and creative director of playwriting consultancy, Euphoric Ink. We were spoilt by their wealth of knowledge! The discussion, chaired by Lisa Jonas, assistant director of Business Planning and governance, provided an insight into a career within theatre and how the industry is growing from strength to strength after a long, hard two years of stagnation.
“Have faith in yourself!”
Ola Animashawun
We began by exploring the various routes our panel took into the sector, and with all members, this journey was not a linear one. Juliet came from a journalism background and maintained her love of writing by also joining writers’ groups, completing a masters and surrounding herself with like-minded people who were just as passionate about writing as she was. “There’s no straight line to this,” she says as she encouraged our audience to build resilience, “and there’s nowhere to hide on stage.” The importance of remaining true to yourself is a theme that continued through this masterclass, as we learnt just how your integrity can act as a magnet, or a beacon, shining to those who are willing to take a chance on your work. As a dramaturg, Ola’s role is vital in the process of bringing a script from paper to stage play. They are experts in the study of plays, musicals or operas and it is their job to provide the cast and crew with vital knowledge, research and interpretation for their works. He also sits on a board that discusses the wider programming at the theatre and is vocal about creating a strategy to address diversity within the sector. Having started out as an actor, Ola eventually found the right role for him, becoming an advisor, instead of being on stage. Sara also struggled to find the right fit, moving from a career in retail, initially into advertising agencies and latterly into theatre marketing. “It became apparent I had no passion for the things I was selling”, she told our audience, “then this role came up and it felt like a real natural transition.” It is truly never too late to begin that change, and with the rise of the squiggly career, the working journey is no longer a straight line; instead, it’s quite common to change role, company and even career to find something that fits just right.
“Find things that will cradle your creativity”
Juliet Gilkes Romero
Juliet shared an inspiring story about a play she wrote “At the Gates of Gaza”, which took seven years to go into production. She went on to talk about the play’s first bad review. “I wanted to shave my head and hide under the covers” she continued but stressed the importance of remembering the people who did support her and the impact her play had. She then shared a poignant quote from author Hilary Mantel; “The most helpful quality a writer can cultivate is self-confidence – arrogance if you can manage it,” finishing on the note that you may have to believe in yourself way before the world does. Ola agreed, encouraging us to “keep the faith”, especially with freelancing and the issues that can sometimes arise. The instability means it’s necessary to have a fallback option, but this shouldn’t deter you from theatre if it’s truly your passion. Juliet adds “get serious about your finances” as there may be times when work is a little quieter, and you will still have bills to pay. Both Ola and Juliet wouldn’t change their careers though, as their love of culture, theatre and playwriting allows a richness, and pride that almost jumps off them as they speak.
“Following your passion makes it easy to come to work every day”
Sara Bakhaty
When asked about marketing in theatre, Sara had lots of gems to share. “The fundamentals are the same” she begins, “as you still identify your market and create a campaign, but it begins to get a little more complex.” The hardest thing, she admits, is capturing the essence of a 90-minute play into a short Instagram advert or a poster you might see on the tube. A marketing campaign not only has to incite interest but pique it enough so that seats are filled at the play. When the average attention span is 8.5 seconds (a goldfish’s is 9!) this can take a little work. Sara also says it’s important to think about the existing experiences, and how they can be used and translated for new work. Marketing in theatre is a fantastic opportunity for those who don’t want to be on stage or write, but are still passionate about the sector, and creative enough to find new and innovative ways to share and spread their excitement. Its career trajectory is wide, with many entry positions. Although it’s competitive, Sara tells us not to give up! If you can’t find a direct marketing role within the theatre, find a marketing role in another adjacent sector. “Sometimes it’s the sidesteps which are the most interesting”. She finishes by telling us “It’s never too late” as she made her career change at 30 and is now super excited to come to work as she is surrounded by culture, music and art that she finds interesting.
“Remember your own power, be responsible for the world you live in”
Juliet Gilkes Romero
We finished our evening by touching on the future of theatre, the still very present issues surrounding diversity and the moves that need to be made to create an industry that reflects our society. Sara openly admitted that theatre needs to do better, especially surrounding progression. She’s passionate about “continuing to nurture the talent” as there are a few entry-level roles, but this means nothing if retention is poor. Ola agrees, advising us to look at the organisations and hold them accountable. If you walk into a room where no one looks like you, be prepared to ask why, and question any answers you aren’t content with. If we aren’t prepared to ask uncomfortable questions, diversity may take a lot longer than necessary. “It’s never over till it’s over” Juliet adds, “we are always on the verge of having improvements taken away.” Theatre has made strides, but the walk is long, and we must be prepared to fight to make space in places where we too can belong.
We’d like to give a special thanks to Lisa Jonas and the National Theatre for hosting our first in-person masterclass in two years since the pandemic. We’d also like to extend a special thank you to our amazing panel and all of you who attended. We hope you enjoyed it, and we’ll soon be back with some more in-person masterclasses – hope to see you there!
The 2022 grant recipients of the Mo Siewcharran Fund, administered by Creative Access, are Saqi Books, The Reader and the Regional Theatre Young Director Scheme. Each organisation will be taking on a paid intern from a Black, Asian or ethnically-diverse background because of the Fund.
The Fund was set up by John Seaton in loving memory of his wife, Mo, who was the director of Nielson BookData.
Read BookBrunch’s article in full here.
In the week where it was announced that theatres in England might reopen by mid-May, we were delighted to have our minds opened in a Theatre Masterclass during which Kwame Kwei-Armah, the Artistic Director of the Young Vic Theatre, joined Creative Access alumna Olivia Nwabali for an engrossing evening of conversation that flitted effortlessly between the practical and philosophical.
Olivia, who was previously a Creative Access trainee at the Barbican, is now Kwame’s Executive Assistant and the “better half of my brain” according to the man himself. She skilfully guided the discussion through topics as diverse as the Black Plays Archive that Kwame established, the value of networking within the industry, and the very future of theatre.
“Your voice is everything”
It was a discussion where Kwame’s experience of carving out a successful career in the creative arts was the central theme. Kwame spoke about his own ascent, and attributed his innate “restless curiosity” and boredom of waiting for opportunities as key drivers that propelled him from becoming an actor to a writer, then to a director, to now being the artistic director of a major arts organisation.
“I didn’t do all those things just so that I could get into an institution; I did all of those other things therefore part of my journey is running an institution” he relayed.
In 2005, Kwame became the first British Afro-Caribbean playwright to have a play produced in London’s West End. Since then, his illustrious career has taken him all over the world, from Baltimore to Senegal (which he cited as his greatest career achievement) and back to his home city of London. He was appointed as Artistic Director of the Young Vic in 2018.
A captivated audience of Creative Access community members listened as he gave clear and nuanced advice to those interested in playwrighting, advising them to make sure they find their voice:
“There may be a million reasons beyond your control why your writing might not get produced. Don’t let your writing be one of them.”
He urged aspirants to be on top of their artistry using the tools that they have at that moment in time.
“It doesn’t mean that you have to be technically brilliant; the tool that you need to have honed is your voice. What is it that you are saying that is unique to you? In your specificity, other people see their story. Your voice is your everything,” he explained. He then shared his own insights into finding the right agent for your voice, or the right theatre for your writing.
Networking is just seeking family
A theme that reverberated throughout the hour-long discussion was that of connections, networks, and creative ‘family’.
“When I first started in this industry networking was really daunting to me, probably because I am naturally quite shy, and possibly because I knew nothing of the industry,” Olivia confessed. “It was all very opaque to me before I had my internship with Creative Access.”
Kwame also spoke about his own natural aversion to networking in his early career. On reflection, he admits that by not networking he failed himself. He realised that he was seeing other people who he deemed were no more talented than himself move higher and faster through the industry because they had nurtured relationships and had won advocates. He urged people not to succumb to imposter syndrome and not to necessarily see it as ‘networking’, but more as simply putting yourself in environments where you can build connections, make friends, and find your creative family – a tribe of peers who you trust and who don’t define their relationship with you by how well you are doing at that particular time. Olivia echoed that it was important too. She added:
“Find your people and nurture those connections”.
Despite flourishing under Kwame’s leadership, Olivia expressed an awareness that getting into the industry is one thing, but sustaining yourself once in is another thing entirely.
“Simply being in a space does not account for the walloping that structural inequality can give you,” she warned. She mused about juggling both the weight of expectation placed on you as an outsider or minority who has made it in, and the limitations placed on you for those very same reasons.
Speaking of being resilient in what is known to be a demanding sector, Kwame recommended finding something or someone in your life that allows you to stay grounded. He revealed that when things aren’t going well, he doesn’t let it get to his head. Likewise, when things are going great, he still doesn’t let it get to his head.
Despite these challenges, it was clear to all that Kwame knows and feels he is doing what he was called to do. The fulfilment derived from being able to make a living out of one’s imagination is both a privilege and an untameable urge.
“I adore the act of serving a community through art,” he said. “Who wouldn’t want to be an artist and sit in this world where you’re continually being refreshed by other people’s philosophy and their take on the world?” This was echoed by Olivia who concluded that the imagination is one of the most radical tools we have at our disposal.
The future of theatre, and Kwame’s legacy
Kwame was palpably excited about the future of theatre, asserting categorically that “theatre will never die”. Despite feeling like “we’re in the middle of a vortex” at present, Kwame spoke of his excitement about what a return to theatre could mean, and how theatreland’s digital innovations of the last year might transform the way theatre is experienced in physical spaces for years to come, to create 4-D theatrical experiences from the 3-D pre-COVID theatre experience and the 2-D theatre we’ve seen this year through screens.
Speaking of theatre’s need to decolonise the canon, he stressed that decolonisation did not mean the destruction and erasure of old classics. It merely meant augmenting and widening what is written and produced, seeking stories and ideas from a wider range of experiences and backgrounds. He asserted that if what appears on stage starts to change, then who appears behind the scenes, and what gets taught in performing arts academies will also start to change.
For those seeking to enter the industry, he believed that it is incumbent on them to be innovative and deliberate about putting the spotlight on themselves, citing some TikTok users’ enviable ability to demonstrate incredible amounts of talent through just a few seconds of video.
He suggested asking yourself these four questions, when trying to enter the spotlight:
- What is your voice?
- How refined is your voice?
- What mechanisms have you used to put a spotlight on your voice?
- What mechanisms have you used to get your voice in front of those who can get you to the next level?
He started and ended with praise for Creative Access and Olivia.
“I want to big up Creative Access. Olivia’s been working alongside me for two and a half years. If she’s a poster child for Creative Access, then you can get no better! She’s a fantastic contributor to all that we do at the Young Vic.”
Olivia expressed an interest in the process of writing being brought to life, and a nascent interest in dramaturgy. Whatever she puts her mind to, we have no doubt that she’ll succeed. As for Kwame, he sees himself creating opportunities to open doors and create space for other creatives to fulfil their potential and use their art for good.
We are very grateful to Kwame and Olivia for sharing their experiences with us, and wish them well as theatres prepare to reopen to their doors later in the year. If you are interested in a career in theatre, don’t forget to check out our current theatre opportunities. We also thank all those who attended and contributed to the discussion by asking questions to the pair.
You can watch the full Masterclass here.
To be in theatre or to not be in theatre? Our former Creative Access intern from the Royal Shakespeare Company, Armani Ur-Rub decided to go with the former option and shares his journey into the Arts with us…
It’s not uncommon to finish university and struggle to find your first job. In fact, I reckon it’s more common than not in the current climate. Being plunged into an over-saturated job market, where it feels like every job spec requires ‘at least two years’ office experience’, can feel like an uphill battle. But winning is not impossible.
After graduating, I immediately went looking for a job in the Arts, but every application I sent off seemed to hit a brick wall. Application after application fell by the wayside without response, and it’s natural to feel downtrodden by that, but that’s not a reason to give up – it’s a reason to search harder.
After applying for a Creative Access role, they brought me in for a pre-interview and helped me get my CV into shape. About a week later I had two interviews. A week after that – and three months after graduating – I had secured an internship at the Royal Shakespeare Company and had moved my entire life from London to the Midlands. That was how Creative Access kickstarted my career.
About 11% of all NPO (Non Profit Organisation) staff are Black or Asian*. A staggeringly small amount, but progress is being made (we are that progress). Art and Government quotas demand that council-funded organisations hit a “BAME” workforce quota, and there’s nothing wrong with that. Widespread awareness from the Arts Council is good. But it’s still easy to overthink that quota and to feel like a token – and that’s a totally fair feeling to have, but it’s probably not the best way to look at it. And that’s the second way in which Creative Access changes so many lives.
They don’t just help you find a job, they help you become part of a growing, and diverse community who are taking the Arts by storm.
They exist to rebalance the Arts
- To help BAME professionals feel represented on stage, screen or in journalism
- To help redress unfair representation
- And they help you meet other interns and alumni who have been through exactly what you’ve been through
I had lived in Newcastle and have frequented other parts of the North, but I wasn’t prepared for how overwhelmingly white Stratford-upon-Avon would be. But it’s hardly fair to blame the RSC for the demographic of the area around it. When you see a show with disabled or POC actors, you can immediately tell that steps in the right direction are being taken.
And that’s the same with all organisations on the Creative Access ledger – ITV, BBC, the National Theatre and Hachette. The demographic of the arts is changing, and it’s important to feel like part of that.
Moving to Stratford-upon-Avon was difficult, but it was a leap of faith I’m happy I made. How would I have looked at myself if I hadn’t uprooted my London life, knowing that I had a chance to help pioneer diversity in the arts? Someone always must be the first…and equally, sometimes you might think you’re the first, and you’re not; but it’s still important to always tell yourself that your presence is making an important difference.
Creative Access still gave me an opportunity to come back down to London regularly for masterclasses where I met like-minded, excellent CA interns who had started their journey at the same time as me. Following my five-month internship, I came back to London with more confidence and an improved understanding of how theatre worked. I have now secured an improved role at the RSC in their London office where I work on the press and marketing for all their shows at the Barbican and in the West End, including Matilda The Musical.
Creative Access has opened doors for so many people with its commitment to the under-represented; when you look through the list of bloggers here or scroll down CA’s social media, you can see how much greatness has grown out of this fantastic scheme.
If you’re an aspiring BAME who’s looking for a way into the Arts, look no further; Creative Access will support you every step of the way.
You can follow Armani on Twitter
*Overall in 2016/17, 11% of all NPO staff were from a BAME background – the same as the previous year – compared with 16% of the working age population. Across all staff, 54% identified as white, while 31% were unknown and 4% did not disclose. – from Arts Council England stats, taken from an article on The Stage.
From Parks & Rec to professional publication, our former Creative Access intern at the Royal Shakespeare Company, Mariam Khan, writes about her career journey to date and what led her to releasing her debut book ‘It’s Not About The Burqa’…
After leaving University, I knew I wanted to be involved in publishing but I didn’t have any connections in that field despite being incredibly involved in the young adult fiction community. I was getting to know people who worked in that industry but unsure as to how to make those people into connections or those connections into anything related to a role in publishing. Blindly sending my CV and cover letter out wasn’t working.
Between reruns of The Office and Parks & Rec, somehow I came across Creative Access and applied for a few internships.
I landed a role at the Royal Shakespeare Company through Creative Access and I was more than willing to give it a try. That was my step into working world as a graduate. It was one of the steepest learning curves for me. The lack of diversity in the places I worked after I left University was shocking. There weren’t many people like me working in the spaces I was occupying. But each month there was the Creative Access masterclasses in London, where often people from Black, Asian and ethnically-diverse backgrounds placed across the creative industries talked about their experiences and journeys. Seeing is believing and seeing those people in their respective roles helped me realise that there were spaces being created for people like me, even if it was people like me creating them.
Creative Access allowed me to develop with great mentors who believed in me from the beginning, to feel apart of a group of people wanting to make it in their respective creative areas and to have access.
I was making strides into publishing even whilst I worked outside of publishing. As my internship came to an end at the RSC, I decided that moving to London and getting a job in publishing was the way forward. I interned without pay for a few months, slept on friends sofas and beds. It worked out in the end cause I got a job in publishing.
Working in publishing was on of the reasons I was able to say out loud ‘I want to write a book that represents the diversity Muslim Women identity’. I wanted to deconstruct the narrative around Muslim women built by media and culture and make something on our own terms. I wanted to make Muslim women speaking for themselves the norm. In the process I thought about how I’d come to be in the place I was.
Creative Access had taught me to not only look for opportunity but to make opportunities for as many people I could, to pull those around me up with me.
I didn’t want to publish a book about Muslim Women all by myself; I wanted to create a shared platform where as many Muslim Women as possible could speak up about their experiences and be heard and in creating It’s Not About The Burqa, I think I’m doing that.
Mariam Khan is a British writer and activist, the editor of It’s Not About the Burqa, an anthology of essays by Muslim women published by Picador. She currently lives in Birmingham and works in education.
Twitter: helloiammariam
Instagram: helloiammariam
You can purchase It’s Not About the Burqa here.
Hear from one of our CA interns English Touring Theatre, Christina McDougall talk about her journey from broker companies & fraud analysis to theatre & creativity…
After 10 years of not working in theatre I am excited to finally get another chance at it.
I always loved performing from a young age in school productions and after school clubs but never had the opportunity growing up to attend theatre shows or be a part of any drama clubs.
Growing up in a community where theatre was seen as an exclusive club for white middle class people, I never felt the desire to watch any plays and drama clubs were extremely expensive.
I couldn’t see any characters that represented me or my peers — as a child and teenager it can be very intimidating to be among an audience of people who are seemingly completely opposite to you. However, after studying drama at high school it sparked my passion for acting and I found it was a great way for me to express my emotions in a creative way. In college I studied performing arts where we put many of our dance productions on at the Lyric theatre. I remember the feeling of pure happiness when I was finally able to perform on a stage.
I studied performing arts to university level but after a year I decided to leave due to personal reasons. Frustrated with not knowing what to do next on my journey in the arts my old dance teacher advised me to do a one year stage management and costume theatre placement that her friend was running. The placement was located at a variety of theatres including the Royal Court, English Touring Theatre and Polka Theatre.
I spent the year learning how to sew and create costumes as well as shadowing stage managers and making props. This placement allowed me to see beyond acting and allowed me to gain skills that I never dreamed of having. I loved being a part of different theatre companies and being able to watch endless rehearsals and performances.
Once my placement had finished I was so excited to find a job in a theatre but not one theatre company was interested in giving me a chance. It felt as though despite the experience I had gained and my clear passion for theatre, every door was shut. Seeing other interns with less experience than me get the roles I desired made me question so many things — was it because theatres are not ready to meaningfully diverse?
After nearly a year of persisting I decided to take a step away from theatre and try looking for non-creative job.
I spent the next seven years working for a broker company as a sales trainer and compliance officer. I would often use the games I learned in drama classes to help train agents to be more confident on the phones. I then went on to become a fraud analyst for a fashion company.
Even though I loved fashion, my heart was no longer in the role and every day I longed to be back in the arts doing what I loved.
Over the past three years I have tried to do as many creative things outside of work as possible, including acting (music videos and short sketches), writing plays and teaching myself to play the violin…with the help of YouTube.
After three years as a fraud analyst I finally decided to try again and look for a role in theatre. I was completely petrified at the thought of it as it would be a huge career change plus starting from scratch at my age seemed very daunting. I felt completely out of touch with the arts world which worried me.
I came across Creative Access through my sister-in-law. She had recently completed a training programme with them and said they are a charity helping people from diverse backgrounds get into the arts. This was exactly what was missing 10 years ago when I first tried to get into theatre. I always felt that theatre wasn’t diverse enough, making the sector feel alien to me.
Reflections by The Andrew Lloyd Weber foundation stated: ‘… the stage needs to reflect the diversity of the UK population or it risks becoming sidelined. If the situation continues, there is real danger that not only will black and Asian young people stay away from the theatre as a profession, they will stay away as punters. And without them in the audience, theatres will become unsustainable, as they are forced to compete for a dwindling ageing, white, middle-class audience.’
London’s BAME population stands at around 40% yet theatres and their audiences struggle to represent this ever-growing diverse population in the UK.
These figures highlight just how important it is for theatres to invest in being more inclusive. Creative Access post vacancies weekly and once I saw there was a job role for a Production Assistant at ETT I couldn’t wait to apply — a full-circle moment having worked here briefly during my placement year. I knew this would be my second chance at getting a job in theatre.
I am so grateful to Creative Access for serving underrepresented communities in theatre. Until theatre’s diversity problem is addressed effectively, organisations like Creative Access will continue to be needed.
I’ve also found that my non-creative work has been useful for my career in the arts. My skills as an analyst required me to be extremely organised and pay great attention to detail which are skills that have been transferable to my current role at ETT.
I am thrilled and excited to be a part of such an exciting and established theatre. ETT as a company have made me feel welcomed and part of the team.
Every day in my job is completely different, which I love. I could be watching a rehearsal one day and sourcing press night gifts the other. Currently we are touring Othello and I have been able to watch the development of the play from rehearsals through to its first press night performance. I get to meet a large variety of people and I feel that I am finally on the right path to my dream career.
It feels empowering to be given this opportunity and I would say to anyone thinking of a career change that no matter your age, race or background, never give up on what you want to do. All things are possible.
This blog update is courtesy of Medium
You’ve dedicated hundreds of hours reading Shakespeare’s entire works and you’re familiar with every artistic director in the UK. Finally this knowledge has paid off as you’ve only gone and scored yourself that much coveted job interview at your all time favourite theatre company.
Before you celebrate by reading ‘Much Ado About Nothing’ for the 50th time, you realise that if you want to rub shoulders with the likes of Rufus Norris and Matthew Warchus, you actually need to put the ground work in and ace this job interview.
But how do you make sure you effectively convey your passion for theatre as well as selling yourself and convincing them that you’ll be a sparkling addition to the team? Well, sit tight and read some of our top tips on how to prepare for a theatre job interview.
Equip yourself with knowledge of the company and the industry. You wouldn’t set out for a walk in the desert without packing plenty of water, so why go for a job interview without researching the company first? It’s all well and good saying that you live and breath theatre but you need to make sure that you effectively demonstrate this knowledge in your interview. So load up on research and show them that you know your Les Blancs from your Les Misérables.
If this is the industry you want to work in you need to know if inside out. Here are some good questions to think about:
- Can you name their recent plays and artistic directors?
- What do you like or dislike about their plays?
- Which emerging talent (screenwriters, producers etc) are you the most excited about and why?
- What do you consider to be the biggest threat to the theatre industry at the moment?
- Why do you want to work for their theatre company over all the others?
- Do you have a good understanding of the different roles within theatre?
- What is the most recent production you saw and what did you think of it?
- What is production that has had the most impact on you?
Think about what you love the most about theatre and why you want to work in the industry. If you’re an aspiring actor or actress and think you’ll just take any job in theatre until you score your big acting break then perhaps now is the time to reconsider your motives. Yes you do need to start somewhere, but convincing your interviewer that you will be perfect for the role behind the scenes when really your heart lies at the centre stage is bound to rub them up the wrong way. Your first passion really should be for the role you’re going for.
We hope these tips will help you ace your interview. If you’re still waiting to secure an interview and need some help with your CV, be sure to sign up for one of our CV Clinic sessions.