Our aim:
A career in the creative industry especially theatre is niche and the number of Global majorities working within that is a niche group. We want to change the narrative on both aspects.
This is a community of freelancers who work in the creative fields of theatre who have been recommended by other freelancers. Therefore, it is a safe space for us to be represented by trusting co-workers and to find others in the same category of not only varied Global majorities but also a string of different socioeconomic backgrounds.
Our first aim is to inform and encourage the younger generation from various Global backgrounds to consider the exciting possibilities of a career in backstage theatre. Planting a seed in their minds at a young age and exposing them to the vibrant world of theatre which exists behind the curtain and not just onstage.
Through workshops, panel talks and theatre trips involving tours backstage, we hope these factors can contribute to opening the minds to a whole new generation of possible technicians and creative makers in the future.
We believe that when you have access to something new it can not only broaden your mind but provides an opportunity to come across something like theatre that you thought you would never have access to. The thought that theatre can only be accessed if you were from a specific social economic background, hinders people from other communities to even think about career within it. So, allowing that access for young people to talk to professionals that look like them and to see and hear what they do is crucial for the potential future recruits of backstage theatre.
Being represented is an important part of anything in life and if you do not feel represented then the assumption is that it is not for you. The workshops we provide will be done by our creative professionals, who work in the theatre industry. It is vital that the narrative changes and that the younger generation can see that they are being portrayed and are able to picture their adult selves working in a technical team/creative team within theatre.
This leads to our second aim; it is to represent the niche group who work behind the curtain. To also create a platform that allows us to be seen within the theatre sector, to no longer hear the usual conversations such as these, ‘You’re the only one I know’, ‘I couldn’t find anyone’. So, with the help of Backstage Niche, these conversations will no longer be had.
Finally, our third aim is to provide support to those from a culturally diverse background not only studying Production Arts but also help graduates entering the workforce of the theatre industry. It’s important to maintain these new relationships because sustainability within the industry is another important factor.
The result will be theatre increasingly diversifying their teams and we shall be found and seen within the industry that we so love.