JobLadder – John E McGrath

Just how does an arts practitioner climb the career ladder? ArtsProfessional?s series finds out how the sector?s managers and directors made it to where they are today!

John E McGrath
Artistic Director of Contact Manchester

Artistic Director/Chief Executive, Contact Manchester
Contact has been a pretty intense five years of my life. We opened at a time when a lot of Lottery-funded projects seemed to be struggling and regional theatre was having a hard time. But Contact?s board had a really clear vision of where it wanted to go and there was genuine demand from young people, artists and audiences for an environment that explored theatre?s possibilities, while getting rid of the conventions and restrictions that can make theatre so off-putting for younger people.

Artistic Director, Theatre Venture, East London
Theatre Venture was just an office and a rehearsal room in Newham, East London, with a reputation for innovative youth and community-based arts. The joy of the job was the range of communities the company worked with. The challenge was to hold it all together and make sense of the whole. One of my highlights was a huge project, ?Across the Earth?, that involved input from local groups as well as their friends and families across the world.

Freelance director for several new writing theatres in New York
A lot of people love freelancing, but I find it hard. I?m not particularly good at keeping an eye out for the next thing ? which can sometimes mean there isn?t a next thing! I loved working in downtown New York, though. It wasn?t really about jobs, more a way of life, with a bunch of artists from all over the world, just trying to stay alive while pursuing the next crazy idea.

Associate Director, Mabou Mines experimental theatre company, New York
As a director and a producer, Mabou Mines was my real training ground. I went to work there as a summer intern, and one of the Artistic Directors, Ruth Maleczech, took me under her wing, and kept inviting me back. I went from sweeping the floor as a stage manager to co-ordinating a retrospective exhibition of the company?s work, to fundraising for them and, eventually, to directing. Mabou Mines taught me the messiness of experiment, the degree of commitment needed if you really want to try new things, and a million ways to juggle money!

Development Associate, The Door, New York
This was supposed to be my day job while I learned to be a theatre director. But it became a big part of my life, and it is one of the experiences I draw on most in my current position. The Door was a huge youth centre in New York, that developed a holistic approach to youth work; all the services a young person might need (health, education, creative development, counselling) were available in one building. My job was to help develop and raise funds for new programmes. We developed initiatives in arts and education, and particularly in health. The Door?s approach was key to my thinking when we re-opened Contact. At Contact there is a clear creative focus based in an environment where young people feel supported and encouraged to take part in decision making.