"The best thing about my job is the moment a new show is performed in front of an audience for the first time"

Hometown
Manchester

What do you do?
Administrative producer, Quarantine

What was your first role in theatre?
I was a self-employed freelance arts administrator. I set up my own business under the Enterprise Allowance Scheme (before you go searching for it, it’s now defunct) and then worked with some friends who’d left college to set up a theatre company.

What have you done in theatre?
Administrative producer, PANDA (Performing Arts Networking & Development Agency), Manchester
Theatre officer, Arts Council England, North West
Touring officer, Arts Council England, North West
Theatre development officer, Arts Council England, North West
Administrator, Forced Entertainment, Sheffield
Box office manager/admin assistant, Green Room, Manchester
Administrator, New Breed Theatre Company, Green Room
Part-time box office assistant, Forum Theatre, Wythenshawe (now closed)
Administrator, Transformations Theatre, Stockport

Have you got qualifications?
None that are really specific to the theatre industry – I have an English degree

Did you work in another industry before the theatre?
Only if you count my holiday job answering complaint letters for a travel company

What did you want to be when you grew up?
A barrister

What do you do all day?
I look after all of the management and administration of the company.
There are only four of us working for Quarantine, and the other three are the artists who set the company up. We all work together on planning Quarantine’s future development.

As ideas for projects take shape my job is to try and make sure that they happen; by securing suitable partners and raising money. Once that’s done, I manage the project – overseeing the marketing, the finances and the logistics of it.

We work with other artists and collaborators on specific projects, so while we’re making or showing something the team becomes larger. There’ll be a creative team, a production manager looking after the technical side and sometimes we’ll have someone helping us with PR and marketing as well.

As well as managing projects, there’s ongoing work such as liaising with funders and bodies like Companies House and the Charity Commission, and reporting to our board. My job is very wide ranging, I answer the phone and sort out the petty cash as well as doing more strategic management and development work.

Today I’ve been contracting collaborators for our tour of Susan & Darren later this year, liaising with venues and our designer about the publicity, working on our new website, meeting the chair of our board about evaluation processes, updating partners about research on Coming and Going, a new international project for next year, and talking to potential partners for Old people, children and animals, also a new project for next year.

What’s the best thing about your job?
In all my jobs in theatre it’s been the moment when a new show is performed in front of an audience for the first time and I get to experience their reaction.

And the worst?
Too much time on my own in the office

What’s your dream job in theatre?
I’m doing it. About three years ago I decided my dream job would be to work for a company whose work I think is fantastic, based within walking distance of my house, and here I am!

Got any wise words for someone who wants to be where you are now?
Get as much experience as possible but don’t lose sight of what it is you really want to do