For most of my producing career, I’ve worked in the subsidised theatre sector — and I’ve been proud to do so. It’s where I learned what kind of work matters to me, what kind of artists I want to champion, and how powerful theatre can be as a space for reckoning and repair.

But somewhere along the way, I began to feel boxed in.

For too long, I have watched the arts sector struggle. I have seen Black and Brown-led organisations burn out, not be trusted with a fair slice of the funding pie, and disappear off the map altogether. We have become reliant on grants and expected to make great art while navigating an increasingly precarious landscape.

It all started with a coffee in Manchester in the summer of 2023. I was catching up with a senior colleague I met at the start of my career and he asked “So what’s next for you?.” Kind of stumped for an answer, I said “I don’t know but I will think about it and get back to you.” And I did exactly that.