Top Theatre Professionals Share Knowledge

The Lincoln Arts Centre (LAC) recently hosted high-level industry professionals at their ‘Technically Speaking’ conference event which was co-designed with students from the Technical Theatre and Stage Management Course at the University of Lincoln, UK.

The free public event was presented by LAC and the Barbican Creative Hub in association with University of Lincoln’s School of Creative Arts, connecting established stage and technical managers with those who may be at the beginning of their career, seeking insights into how best to navigate theatre industries.

Technically Speaking provided a platform for Technical Theatre & Stage Management students to co-produce an industry relevant event, where they were able to step into a variety of roles. In the lead up to the event, they contributed towards the selection of guest speakers and generated the discussion points. During proceedings, the students acted as co-hosts and panel chairs, provided sound, lighting and stage support, and assumed audience-facing duties front of house.

Danny Ridealgh, Lecturer in Technical Theatre, said: “As a result of this conference, students have been able to forge professional networking opportunities with a range of regional employers and it also provided a vast pool of primary research to enrich their projects.

“The Association of British Theatre Technicians (ABTT) kindly offered to co-develop an East Midlands sub-committee to continue the conversations sparked during this year’s events, and resource more opportunities within the region for emerging technical talent. This means the Technically Speaking event is not only a key opportunity for our students but can act as a positive catalyst for the regional sector too.”

Patricia Davenport, Company Stage Manager at Nottingham Playhouse, was the first keynote speaker who defined her success as having “had an influence on people of colour and women in backstage roles; that has been my journey”.

From being the only person of colour within her year at theatre school, Patricia expressed how important it is for her to do work she finds meaningful, centring around increasing diverse representation and inclusivity on stage and, eventually, in backstage technical positions too.

Mig Burgess Walsh, Co-Chair of ABTT, spoke about the proactive work the organisation does to improve the industry, particularly through their annual Make a Difference conference. Wellbeing issues were revealed to be significant reasons why people may leave technical jobs, leading Mig to produce comprehensive guidance on how stress should be risk assessed in theatre.

A panel of female stage managers and technical managers from Nottingham Playhouse, Derby Theatre, the Engine Shed Lincoln, and Altech continued discussions around how to care for employees during intense production runs, what progress is happening regarding diversity and inclusion, and how the sector may evolve with advancing technologies including AI.

Ben Anderson, LAC, presented their Routes In programme as a successful initiative designed to grant people access to arts careers who may previously not have seen the sector as a viable career path for them. Alexandra Bradbury, the Centre’s new Routes In technical assistant and Mohammad Abuzar who entered the Digital Marketing Assistant Role were selected over hundreds of other applicants to receive a year of training and mentoring ‘on the job’.

Summarising the discourse of the day, Mig stated in closing remarks that arts employers must look after their humans, first and foremost. Inspired by conversations she had during the networking opportunities, Mig also stressed that “…we must give a voice to every person; you don’t know where the next fabulous idea is going to come from.”

The conference was funded by Arts Council England. The University of Lincoln is one of 12 universities to be included in Arts Council England’s National Portfolio of Organisations, which grants the University funds to deliver projects and activities through the Lincoln Arts Centre and Barbican Creative Hub.