Subscribe
Share
Share
Embed
Lights Up is a living history project that aims to shine a light on inspirational women who have led the way in the theatre industry in the East Midlands and inspire the next generation of young women growing up in the region. This series of podcasts features 9 episodes interviewing pioneering women in theatre. You can subscribe to listen to all episodes or watch the filmed interviews on our website.
Lights Up is a project conceived and delivered by Fifth Word in partnership with Derby Libraries, in association with Derby Theatre and supported by The National Lottery Heritage Fund.
Welcome to 5th Words Lights Up podcast. A weekly show that will provide you with an insight into the career of some of the most pioneering women in UK theater. From playwrights and lighting designers to artistic directors and actors, each episode will feature an interview between a young aspiring theater maker like me, Anissa Archer, and one of the East Midlands leading women in theater, providing a unique insight. These fascinating conversations chart the individual experiences of each woman, bringing to light how they got into the industry, their challenges and success stories, whilst also offering practical advice. The episodes are inspiring, honest, and at times, funny and infuriating as they explore what it feels like to be a woman in this industry.
Speaker 1:Subscribe to the Lights Up podcast series to hear 9 weekly episodes featuring interviews with Jenny Seeley, artistic director of Grey Eye Theater Company, Indu Rubasingam, then artistic director of Kion, and now incoming artistic director of the National Theatre, MTR Hussain, playwright and performance poet, Shonali Bhattacharya, playwright, screenwriter, and writer of 5th Words' world premiere production of Liberation Squares, Ava Hunt, actor, director, theater maker, and lecturer, Sarah Brigham, artistic director of Derby Theatre, Alex Stafford Marshall, freelance lighting designer, Esther Richardson, artistic director of Pilot Theatre, and Amanda Whittington, a dramatist writing for theater and radio drama. The interviews were recorded on camera between February March 2020 by young women aged 16 to 21. You can watch the full interviews on 5th Words website where you can also find images and details from the interviewee's personal archives. This project was part of 5th Words lights up living history project funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund in partnership with Derby Libraries and supported by Derby Theatre. Here's a few teaser clips of what's to come.
Speaker 2:I did not grow up in a theater going family in any way. When I first started out, I was often the only woman on the crew. I don't think there was ever a moment where I felt like, I have arrived. I'm one of the biggest selling playwrights then if I'm one of the biggest selling female playwrights. What part of my job do I enjoy the most?
Speaker 2:I've directed players. I find it quite astonishing that I get to sort of make up stories for a living. If you've got something to say and you tell your truth as a writer and you that is there on the page, that will be heard.
Speaker 1:Anything worthwhile is going to be difficult.
Speaker 2:Do you know
Speaker 1:what I mean? If it was easy, everybody could do it.
Speaker 2:Oh, the absolute in inequality that's out there that doesn't disable people. That's what gets me to work every day to find to try and make the world a better place. I don't see the point in doing theater if you don't think you're gonna have an impact. I really look for solidarity. It's a good time to be able to win in theater.
Speaker 2:We've still got a lot to do. I'm there and I've earned the platform and I really wanna utilize that. It takes up all my time. Challenging. Political.
Speaker 2:Awesome.