"Get yourself out there and soak it up like a sponge "

Hometown
Originally Tytherington small village in Gloucestershire near Bristol. Now, Manchester.

What do you do?
Project/production/stage manager and pyrotechnician

How long have you been at it?
The pyro bit, for seven years; the rest, over the last year or so

What was your very first role in theatre?
I’ve been working in outdoor events mostly and started as a site rigger/site decor type then as a pyro, but have also recently done some indoor work as a stage manager and as a production manager

Have you got qualifications?
A degree in fine art in context and I’m currently studying an apprenticeship program in Liverpool as a production manager. The apprenticeship scheme is run by an organisation called Hope Street Limited. It’s been a running for the last 10 or more and over that time it has moved from being almost purely for performers.

On my course now there are six actors, one director, two designers, two workshop leaders, one musical director, one lighting designer, one sound designer one film maker and one production manager ie me!

We’ve done five projects–two indoor theatre, two arts workshops leading to an installation and one outdoor theatre piece. We’ve worked with established directors including Hilary Westlake and John Fox and all the work we produced was shown in a professional capacity.

It’s not just been hugely enjoyable but also provided me with new contacts and has led to my securing a full time contract job for the next six months, as well as many other freelance offers. There was a huge range of ages and abilities on the course including the sound designer whom has been a successful musical director for the past 15 years.

Hope Street has a very impressive post-apprenticeship record for successful companies forming out of the course and they provide a huge amount support to people years after they’ve finished. I cannot praise it enought. It’s brilliant!

What did you do before you worked in theatre?
All sorts–learning support worker with children, young adults and adults with learning difficulties; arts workshop facilitator; cook; general rigging; making; site decor. I’ve always been freelance, so have done bits and pieces all mixed in together.

How did you move into working in theatre?
Slowly and kind of unintentionally by initially working in community arts of all shapes and sizes, which led to pyro, which then led to outdoor events more broadly and then to my training and specialising

What did you want to be when you grew up?
I don’t think I ever really knew. I knew I wanted to do an art degree from about the age of nine and for a while thought I’d like to be an art therapist. But post-degree it all happened partly by chance and partly by grabbing opportunities as they arose really.

What do you do all day?
Some days can be purely administrative–phoning, scheduling, ordering, organising, liaising–but can also involve site visits, running meetings, running rehearsals, making, being on site, rigging, loading trucks and fusing fireworks.

What’s the best thing about your job?
* It always being different and working with different people
* Creating something and having something real and exciting to be working towards
* Specific to outdoor work, I love shows and events that bring arts, theatre and performance to a larger audience–to people who wouldn’t go to a white space gallery or buy a ticket to the theatre

And the worst?
Your work being your life, which in some ways is what I love about it but it’s hard to keep a social life up outside of it, and long periods of time pass without being able to meet up with long distance friends and relations.

What’s your dream job in theatre?
I don’t know really, I think I’m still working that out. I absolutely love outdoor events and I know that I would love to work with all sorts of companies and creative people and potentially all over the world. In what exact capacity or where I’m not sure. Maybe the answer to that is actually for it always to be new and different in terms of people, places and projects.

Got any wise words for someone who wants to be where you are now?
* Work hard but enjoy it, always have fun, always be up for trying/learning new things, be positive, keen and friendly, work for nothing if you have to to improve your knowledge, contacts and skill base
* Get yourself out there and soak it up like a sponge
* Think about what it is that you want to do and try and find a way in through training and volunteering
* Never close any doors–if something sounds interesting, even if it seems to be going off on a tangent, do it and see where it takes you