ArtsProfessional reveals the career paths of the sector?s senior managers
Director, Cornerhouse, Manchester (1998?current)
Now in its 20th year, Cornerhouse is Greater Manchester?s international centre for film and contemporary visual arts. With three cinemas, three galleries, shop, café, bar, publishing business and over 400,000 visits per year, the team here is very busy! Over the past two years we have undergone a significant change programme, funded by Arts Council England Stabilisation, improved trading, developed new partnerships with the City and region. This has resulted in Cornerhouse being debt-free for the first time in 20 years. We are looking forward to a re-launch as part of our twentieth anniversary in October.
Director, Arts About Manchester Ltd, Regional Arts Marketing Consortium (1990?1998)
This was a very exciting time due to the combined effect of working with a great team of highly creative people and being in Manchester, which was at the start of the regeneration adventure. It felt like the team came up with a new audience development idea every week. So many ideas that are now part of current audience development thinking came out of that team, Test Drive the Arts (Andrew MacIntyre), and Family Friendly (Lindsay Brookes) to name but two. I also completed a part-time MBA and was Director of Marketing for Manchester City of Drama 1994.
Theatre Manager, Abraham Moss Centre Theatre, Manchester (1984?1990)
This is a small community venue based in North Manchester. As theatre manager I performed many functions from programmer to technician. We did a lot of work with communities in the area and I met some of my closest friends and collaborators here. I also learned not to believe I was ?empowering? or ?giving access to? anyone since people soon work out when they are being patronised. While here I got hooked on fireworks and samba, a lethal combination, which are two passions that have stayed with me ever since.
Head of Drama, South Chadderton School, Oldham (1981?1984)
I loved teaching but am not too keen on schools, or to be more accurate, school staffrooms! During holidays and weekends I also produced some small-scale theatre projects with friends in Leeds, which probably stopped me from going mad.
Sabbatical Officer, Leeds Polytechnic Union (1980?1981)
Surprisingly, I learned a lot about business in addition to getting involved in some interesting political stuff. Most importantly, I started to work with some friends who were doing some small-scale theatre work through which I learned the basics of producing for theatre.
Casual Stage Hand, Forum Theatre, Billingham, (various 1975?1979)
What started as a casual job to fund 6th Form and College drinking turned out to be a life defining experience. Who would have thought it!