Change is inevitable

 As we start the new term and Module 3, I am feeling quite capable and ready to explore my research topic. This post will be a little abstract, a dash fractious and very reflective, but at the end of the day that is strongly encouraged on this course so I’m going with it! 

It’s strange that in a time which involves a ‘whole world’ crisis and a more specific crisis in our industry, I feel so strangely equipped to move forward. 

Even though everything changed overnight back in March, I recently realised that the friends I had that were used to performer life or freelance life adapted and flourished even amongst the absolute chaos around them. My belief that ‘adaptability’ is the key factor to sustaining a career in the arts (and quite frankly, just as an attitude to life!) feels even more relevant now. After all, performers never know where they’ll be in three months, or six months in- between jobs. They can deal with finding a job in-between, making their money work, starting up a home studio, continuously finding other avenues to sustain them and their creativity and making the best of any situation. It’s a lifestyle which needs adaptability! 

Starting back at a new teaching job (My ‘day job’) this week has been an absolute shock to the system, but nevertheless I am ready for the change, the persistence and resilience that will be necessary whilst teaching with all the protocols and challenges that this strange new ‘normal’ brings. 

As far as the course goes, I think my inquiry will really be rich in depth, as what’s happening has really highlighted the inequalities within the structures of the industry. It has to be noted as we move forward, I am interested to discover if this factor has impacted female and non-binary creatives in particular. 

Some recent studies have also found that the pandemic has impacted women on a wider scale, especially women with children and women who undertake caregiver roles. I wonder how much of a part the gender roles and responsibilities impact women’s progression in the creative industries? Certainly something to think about and look in to with more of a critical lens. 

Excited to get back to it this term, I have a million questions whirling around which means I’ve definitely picked a topic which interests me and means a great deal to me as a theatre- maker. In the meantime, let’s all embrace the change? 🙏