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How did you start off in the arts?
I originally trained in fine art, majoring in installation and painting. After my degree, I took on prop-making and scenic paint jobs for West Yorkshire Playhouse [now Leeds Playhouse], which then led to set and production design work. The theatre world is a pretty close-knit community, and my portfolio began to build outside the region.
What led you to move into teaching?
I shifted into teaching after my daughter turned four and it became evident that. I couldn’t travel and tour as often as before.
What is the best piece of advice you have for drama students and graduates today?
Experiment: see and experience everything and don’t believe the reviews. Social media is very judgemental towards those who don’t fit the mould.
What would you change about the industry?
Make it inclusive. Create an industry that provides equal access for artists and technicians, and that tells a variety of stories.
What is the best part of your job?
The Orpheus Centre is a specialist independent college supporting young disabled adults aged 18-25 to achieve their potential and work towards a more independent life, and I love the everyday creative thinking and abstract problem-solving that comes with working there.
And your least favourite?
Not getting to the bottom of my email list.
Who are the arts practitioners you admire?
Jenny Sealey, who is artistic director of Graeae Theatre, a disability rights activist and brilliant artist who’s created so much opportunity for disabled artists and technicians, and elevated our understanding of what an inclusive world could and should look like.
What is the one skill that every successful theatre professional should have?
Problem-solving.
What can readers do to improve their mental and physical well-being?
Work with people who understand you.
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