On youth theatre and On Burnley

I am feeling torn. I think it's because six months or so after becoming Artistic Director full time for Burnley Youth Theatre the reality of the day to day has kicked in.  And because I'm in a bad mood anyway.  Why? Because this year has been tough and fraught for all kinds of reasons and you know, I'm not made of stone.  And because life it hard some times.  Life is just plain tricky.

Don't be fooled. I'm not down on the job - it's a great job.  What could be better than working with young people and enabling them to take their first full steps on the road to becoming life long theatre lovers, or facilitating their creativity, being part of an activity that improves young people's overall attainment and so on? Believe me I am not fed up of being the Artistic Director - I haven't even started yet. I'm just certain that it's a bigger job than I thought.  Just certain that there are some obstacles that need to be overcome.

Firstly, let it be said I am blessed with an amazing team. Lovely people who work above and beyond the call of duty. They all, everyone, work above and beyond their alloted hours.  They contribute ideas, thoughts, insights, passion, energy and above all enthusiasm into making the place work.  That isn't what's at issue.

Secondly, let me tell you we are supported by ACE, BBC and LCC and we're very grateful for that.

Thirdly, let me tell you we are in the National Portfolio and we are naturally pleased about that too. We are very excited about what this might mean for us...

But this is a period of change for the arts, and I know that how we've done things since I've been at the helm is very different to how we're going to have to do them in the future to survive - and, dare I say it, grow?
And this is the root cause of my general bad mood.

Well, sort of.

Two things are really exercising me a lot.  And here they are:

One is that sometimes - and I really do not have a chip on my shoulder about this - sometimes I sense that people glaze over when they hear the word 'youth' in our title - as if, whilst there is an acknowledgement of the work's value, it's not like 'professional' theatre, or it's not like, you know, real artists who are beavering away, you know it's just a bunch of young people; as though we are in the National Portfolio to make the numbers up. And I am talking about people out of the arts as well as people in the arts.  WE are not - definitely NOT - just about young people having fun, we are not just a diversion (although these things are important).  We are about enabling young people to particpate in high quality arts activity, an absolutely vital foundation for ensuring that in the future there are young people who want to participate as audience, as artists and that their enthusiasm for creating art is channelled AND that they are given the opportunity to learn. We are about extending our offer to every corner, class and youth club across the region. What we offer is something that is uniquely focused on young people - it's not a sideline.  It's not something that is competing for space in a busy theatre building (although our building is very busy!) - it is a new theatre space that prioritises the work of young people.  Young people in Burnley, and beyond.  Young people in East Lancashire, and if our ambitions are fulfilled young people from across Lancashire and beyond.  We are not about subsuming all other youth theatre activity either, but about saying, 'Look - we have something unique here - a place for young people to come and work with us in partnership and BE prioritised.'  Burnley Youth Theatre is a purpose built space for young people.  And also let me say that youth theatre is not just a stepping stone for professionals to cut their teeth - but an entity that prioritises the emergence of young people as theatre practitioners, as theatre creators and theatre makers, that nurtures young people's hopes and ambitions in the arts - and the point is that the workers' role is to facilitate and prioritise that work.

And Two - The other thing that is exercising me is the fact that dozens of assumptions are made when you say the word Burnley.  Over many years of working here I have grown to love Burnley and its people, a population emphatically not apologetic about where they live, let me tell you.  A place emphatically on the up... don't believe me?  Come and look.

Burnley Youth Theatre
So, I have asked myself, 'What's in a name?'  I know that many of the people attached to the organisation and with good reason, are very much committed to maintaining and sustaining the strong identity attached to our name... but ... if we aspire to being a youth theatre for young people around the county or across the North West do we need to be named by our location?  Yes? Or no?  If we are charged by the arts council in building the youth theatre as a live venue for touring theatre and as a venue for other youth theatres to deliver work - is Burnley Youth Theatre the right name?  Is it inviting or is it off putting?  I do know that when people do bother to come and take a look at the youth theatre building they are very impressed by it.  Sometimes they look slightly aghast and say, "Is this a youth theatre?" as if such a building is completely outside of their experience of what a youth theatre should be like, as if we've only the right to exist in a hut somewhere instead of a purpose built and state of the art theatre, and sometimes they just can't quite believe that the building, a beautiful cedar clad place in a clearing, in a forest, is actually a youth theatre.  For young people, yes.  For young people to be prioritised, yes.  A place that focuses on young people and their emergence as young actors...

Not sure what the purpose of this blog was now... just a rift on Burnley... and Youth... and Theatre... and just a steer on how ambitious we are... Okay?  Sorry, there's that crossness  creeping in again. We're great?  Alright?