Kane Husbands, artistic director of award-winning physical theatre company ThePappyShow, likes to play. A rehearsal day run by him usually starts with an hour long “check-in”, during which the whole ensemble contributes to a group discussion on a relevant topic. Then, he explains, there is...
We are thrilled to announce that Harold Finley has been appointed as SDUK’s new Executive Director. Harold and Thomas Hescott will work together for the rest of 2021 to ensure a smooth handover. Thomas will step away at the end of the year, and comments,...
[vc_row css_animation="" row_type="row" use_row_as_full_screen_section="no" type="full_width" angled_section="no" text_align="left" background_image_as_pattern="without_pattern"][vc_column][vc_empty_space][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row css_animation="" row_type="row" use_row_as_full_screen_section="no" type="full_width" angled_section="no" text_align="left" background_image_as_pattern="without_pattern"][vc_column][vc_column_text] Kate Waters – AKA Kombat Kate – has had dozens of actors killed. She has had them shot. She has had them stabbed. She has had one drowned in a fish...
[vc_row css_animation="" row_type="row" use_row_as_full_screen_section="no" type="full_width" angled_section="no" text_align="left" background_image_as_pattern="without_pattern"][vc_column][vc_column_text] As an Artistic Director, you often feel you have to be indestructible. As a person with a certain amount of power, you should hold yourself to a high standard. Just occasionally, though, things get tough, and the pressure...
Stage Directors UK is inviting proposals for new leadership to work alongside Thomas Hescott to create a new transformative vision for the future of SDUK and for theatre and opera directors in the UK. You might be an arts administrator or a producer. You could be...
Since 2017, Wales has been my home, initially working here as an Associate Director within a building, and then afterwards remaining here as a freelancer. Due to this I have an insight into both sides of the process for theatre directors, and as we now...
Hello, Firstly I want to say thank you to all the members for voting me onto the board – and in turn I would like to thank Tom for reaching out and asking me to be co-chair alongside Matthew Dunster. The proposition was too good to...
[vc_row css_animation="" row_type="row" use_row_as_full_screen_section="no" type="full_width" angled_section="no" text_align="left" background_image_as_pattern="without_pattern"][vc_column][vc_empty_space][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row css_animation="" row_type="row" use_row_as_full_screen_section="no" type="full_width" angled_section="no" text_align="left" background_image_as_pattern="without_pattern"][vc_column][vc_column_text]Hello I feel very privileged to be writing to you all as the new co-chair of SDUK, alongside the brilliant Pooja Ghai. Pooja will write and say 'hi' next month. SDUK membership has...
We're thrilled to offer up some festive cheer with this month's SDUK Podcast - a chat with Director Zoe Waterman on all things Panto! [buzzsprout episode='6999469' player='true']...
[vc_row css_animation="" row_type="row" use_row_as_full_screen_section="no" type="full_width" angled_section="no" text_align="left" background_image_as_pattern="without_pattern"][vc_column][vc_empty_space][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row css_animation="" row_type="row" use_row_as_full_screen_section="no" type="full_width" angled_section="no" text_align="left" background_image_as_pattern="without_pattern"][vc_column][vc_column_text]We've just published the second episode of the SDUK Podcast! This episode features Artistic Director of the Orange Tree Theatre, Paul Miller, in conversation with SDUK's Executive Director Thomas Hescott. [buzzsprout episode='6342355'...
We are delighted to announce that the SDUK board have appointed Matthew Dunster and Pooja Ghai as Co-Chairs, taking over from Kate Saxon as outgoing Chair Pooja and Matthew’s collective experience as directors, their knowledge and links to partner organisations, and their ambitions for SDUK mean that...
[vc_row css_animation="" row_type="row" use_row_as_full_screen_section="no" type="full_width" angled_section="no" text_align="left" background_image_as_pattern="without_pattern"][vc_column][vc_empty_space][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row css_animation="" row_type="row" use_row_as_full_screen_section="no" type="full_width" angled_section="no" text_align="left" background_image_as_pattern="without_pattern"][vc_column][vc_column_text]As theatre makers, our reality was turned upside down in March. The questions we are now grappling with are overwhelming: what can we do to survive the pandemic, keep audiences engaged, artists working...
Over the past couple of months SDUK has been working to ensure that the freelance workforce is protected, and represented. As part of our work we are releasing some research into the importance of the freelance workforce in the creative sector, and also into a variety...
As the Executive Director of Stage Directors UK I am dismayed that the Chancellor's plans to offer economic support to the nation through the current worldwide crisis offer little protection for the self employed. There is a stark contrast between the governments plan to protect 80%...
[vc_row css_animation="" row_type="row" use_row_as_full_screen_section="no" type="full_width" angled_section="no" text_align="left" background_image_as_pattern="without_pattern"][vc_column][vc_empty_space][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row css_animation="" row_type="row" use_row_as_full_screen_section="no" type="full_width" angled_section="no" text_align="left" background_image_as_pattern="without_pattern"][vc_column][vc_column_text]The international outbreak of Covid-19 (Novel Coronavirus) will undoubtedly affect the lives of working directors and their creative colleagues. It's business as usual for SDUK, as we work remotely and can...
SDUK wholeheartedly welcomes the formation of the Jewish Artists' Collective and the vital discussions their recent statements have provoked (see HERE for coverage in The Stage). We acknowledge the statistics quoted in the original open letter stating that Jews form a minority in the UK. We...
We were saddened to hear of the recent passing of Ivor Benjamin. Ivor was not only a well-respected director of theatre, but a tireless campaigner for directors’ rights, supporter and member of SDUK, and was heavily involved in the work of both the Directors Guild of Great...
We're really happy to announce something that we know a lot of you have been waiting for: SDUK'S 2019 MENTORING SCHEME!! The scheme has been generously supported by the Directors Charitable Foundation, the Noel Coward Foundation and the Garrick Charitable Trust. Who is it for? The SDUK mentoring scheme is open...
Stage Directors UK recognises that the recent open letter by forty playwrights to the Chair of National Theatre Wales has opened up an important point of discussion. We welcome the offer NTW has made to engage with the signatories of the letter and at a later stage,...
Equity, working alongside SDUK, has succeeded in bringing a series of negotiations to a successful conclusion with UK Theatre and West End Managers achieving brand new robust Agreements for Directors commencing from 1st of August 2018. Over a period of three years and 8 months minimum...