I am a theatre director who has recently (three years ago) joined the world of academia. Why did I do this, especially in a country that still views "those that can, do it: those that can't, teach it"? I would like to reach back in time and shake GBS warmly by his scrawny neck for creating an attitude of snobbery and separation between practitioners and practitioner/teachers that has never gone away.
I worked in professional theatre from 1979 to 2007. In that time I saw endless rounds of cuts to the arts, especially during the Thatcher period. At times, it seemed that my career was in a strange type of recession. I joined the profession when the joyous good times in arts seemed to have gone and life was becoming grim. I was lucky to stay in work 90% of the time but felt like a Jonah as each company I worked for faced funding crises and the majority closed. My c.v. looks like a memorial to companies past.
I progressed to running companies myself and quickly learnt that the term "Artistic Director" is a misnomer - you have no time to be artistic as an AD - its all about the administration and funding. I ran 5 companies in total - all with artistic success and some with financial stability. In 2007 I grew tired of the constant battle with the Arts Council and instead joined a University. What was wonderful was the chance to create interesting theatre without having to sell a tour and to work with new and rewarding talent. What I didn't anticipate was the sheer lunacy of the higher educational system and the vicious snakepit that is daily academic life. And this is what this blog will be about - hopefully. A record of the madness and the occasional musings about theatre...it's for my benefit but anyone who is interested enough to follow and join in is welcome.
