Class of 2010 and 2018
BA Theatre: Performance; MA: Applied Theatre
Job:
CEO & Artistic Director – Next Door But One
IF YOU STUDIED YOUR UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAMME AT YORK ST JOHN UNIVERSITY OR FOUNDER COLLEGES, DID YOU GO ON TO POSTGRADAUTE STUDY?
Yes, at York St John University.
WHY HAVE YOU CHOSEN THIS PHOTO AS YOUR YSJ SNAPSHOT?
The first picture is me in the rehearsal room for Next Door But One’s flagship production of ‘Hospital Doors’ – a show created through an 18 month consultation with LGBTQ+, disabled and unpaid carer communities. The production really encapsulates the ethos and approach of Next Door But One and is something I’m very proud of.
The second picture is my headshot for Next Door But One. I’m extremely proud to have founded this company and for the continued impact we have on our communities.
WHY WOULD YOU RECOMMEND YSJ TO SOMEONE?
YSJ appealed to me because of its small campus-big ambition mentality; I felt like who I was, how I wanted to develop and what my ambitions were, were understood on a personal level by staff, but also the faculties belief in me and what I could achieve which has continued beyond my graduation.
WHY DID YOU CHOOSE YORK ST JOHN UNIVERSITY OR FOUNDER COLLEGES?
Moving from a small town, even though I wanted lots of opportunities to grow I also wanted to still feel as though I was a part of a community; that I was connected to others and the city I would become part of. I think York St John has that in spades full! Being a part of the York campus had just as much an impact on my development and identity as the content of my course.
WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN DOING SINCE COMPLETING YOUR STUDIES?
On graduating I had a very exciting and diverse freelance career; from running youth theatres, delivering theatre courses in mental health settings and being the artistic director for a learning dsability focused theatre company, to being a commissioned playwright for touring productions and leading national programmes to increase access an inclusion within the sector.
In 2013 I founded my own theatre company in York, Next Door But One which continues to grow and is a place where all my skill and passion can be directed. Next Door But One is now a multi award-winning LGBTQ+ and disability-led theatre company based in York, promoting creative skills and encouraging community cohesion, particularly with those who face barriers to accessing theatre. Our established programme focuses on workshops and performances for and with cohorts of the community with disabilities, mental ill health, unpaid carers, girls and women from lower socioeconomic backgrounds, and individuals from the LGBTQ+ community. Our mission is to connect people to their creativity and community through the theatre we make and the stories we tell. Our vision is for the arts to play an integral role in unleashing the true potential of every community
We engaged over 10000 people across 300 events last year.
We are an Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisation.
Our work is award winning; holding awards in ‘Resilience and Innovation’, ‘Outstanding Talent’ , ‘Community Changemaker’ and ‘Inclusive Business’.
WHY DID YOU CHOOSE YOUR SPECIFIC COURSE?
My BA had the flexibility for my to hone not only my skills but the direction I wanted to take my future career in; it was not prescriptive or centred around one discipline – it gave me a broad understanding of theatre as a whole and across the three year programme supported me to understand what I wanted to specialise in which has now become the focus of my career; directing and writing in applied settings.
My MA came at a time when I was transitioning my 6 year freelance career into a company that I could drive the direction of, so taking 2 years to really interrogate this practice allowed me to come out the other side as the arts leader I wanted to become.
WHAT WERE THE BEST FEATURES OF YOUR COURSE?
I always tell people that the YSJ course was the perfect one for me – at 18 I knew I wanted to forge a career in theatre as it was an area I loved and was extremely passionate about, but I didn’t know in what area I wanted to focus on, so didn’t really want to do specific programmes in acting, directing or writing that other universities were offering. The Theatre degree gave me such a wider understanding in year one, and then across each subsequent year enable me to slowly specialise in areas I had more interest in. I felt like I had agency to direct my learning and shape the practitioner I was becoming.
HOW DID STUDYING AT YSJ HELP IN YOUR CAREER SEARCH/SUCCESS/CURRENT ROLE?
My skillset I feel is twofold: I have a real, broad understanding of the many facets of theatre so felt I understood the industry well, but had the chance to hone my skills in what I now specialize in. In addition to this, my connection with YSJ has remained and the university and its staff have been real champions of my work; from returning as a visiting lecturer, to hosting performances and directing graduates towards Next Door But One opportunities. YSJ has remained a constant within my career development.
WHAT ONE PIECE OF ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO A CURRENT STUDENT, OR ONE ABOUT TO GRADUATE?
Take everything in and then build your own reality – learning is only as useful as the application you give to it in the wider world. Whilst studying, anything that excited me I hunted out ‘real world’ opportunities to apply it before graduating – shadowing theatre-makers that were role models of mine, securing spaces on professional development courses from companies I’d hope to work with etc. These eventually led to me having a network of people and companies I could (and did) make work with upon graduating.
After graduating – be brave! Put yourself forward for roles and commissions that you really want. In building my career the chances I took were the biggest developmental moments, as I either got opportunities which elevated my practice or even the rejections helped me identify the areas I need to work on to secure that opportunity in the future. And, every theatre lecturer says this, but its true – make your own work! When I felt frustrated that the work that I wanted was available I made it myself, and it is through this process that I now find myself running my own theatre company.