Earlier this month, Oxfordshire's own Creation Theatre made history by launching the UK's first ever full-time repertory theatre company. At a time of increasing instability within theatre and the arts, this new project marks a huge step forward for job security and wellbeing in the industry. Daily Information sat down with Creation Theatre CEO Lucy Askew to discuss the impact of the new company and what to look forward to in the year to come.
Daily Info: What sets Creation Theatre's new repertory company apart from the rest?
Lucy Askew: Some boring things which are actually massively significant. Our company are on PAYE two-year contracts with the intention very much being that those contracts will be extended to permanent positions. Most contracts in the industry are measured in weeks, bigger companies maybe months, in theatre to be talking in years is virtually unheard of in the UK. “Rep” sometimes has associations of working fast and using the same cast to perform more than one show at once. While we’re not ruling that out, we’re using the work “Rep” here more to describe that the same actors will be in our shows over a period of years and that we can develop shows over longer time periods and be more dynamic in our programming.
DI: What inspired you to undergo this project?
LA: Following the pandemic there’s been a lot of talk of “building back better” and increased awareness about how challenging for mental health and well being the freelance system is for performers. Our own collaborations with researchers from Bristol University have backed that up. We’ve reached the point where we feel we can no longer be complicit in a system that we feel is exploitative. Innovate Uk funding supported us having a six-month Rep company working exclusively digitally during the pandemic and it was glorious. It was a prolific period, full of joy and creativity, trust and belief in the work which came through in the quality of work produced. It demonstrated to us the value of longer-term contracts first hand.
DI: What's been your experience as a theatrical company in Oxford? How has the community gotten involved?
LA: We launched 26 years ago (before my time as CEO) and well over half a million people in Oxford have been to see our shows, we’ve survived floods and pandemics and thousands of children take part in our drama clubs and workshops each year. The last year has been tough but having such a loyal audience in Oxford spurs us on.
DI: What would you say are the company's main aims?
LA: At Creation our aim is always to tell a story or use a venue in the most creative way possible. The result is shows that are a bit eccentric, quirky and never quite what you expect.
DI: Cuts to the Arts Council budget have left many people in the theatre industry feeling uneasy - what would your advice to them be?
LA: I think the reality is we have more challenging years ahead, whilst many were hoping for better news from the Arts Council we all knew increased funding was unlikely and cuts inevitable. We have a duty to o ur audiences to persevere, to innovate to find keep the arts community of Oxfordshire vibrant and exciting.
DI: As the first rep company to offer full-time contracts, this represents a real shift in industry practice - what are your plans for the future? Are there any upcoming projects from the company we should keep our eyes peeled for?
LA: Lots of shows! We're closing out 2022 with “The Tale of the Beauty and The Tail of the Beast” at The North Wall Arts Centre, 4th December 2022 – 7th January 2023, featuring the inaugural Creation Rep company. We’ll be announcing our 2023 programme just after Christmas, what I can tell you now though is that there will be a digital production in the spring, a big site-specific Shakespeare production in the summer and the year will end with the traditional Creation Christmas show.