Here's another pattern emerging. Not unlike the Almeida, the Arcola Theatre was founded by an artistic director (also a foreign expatriate) who took it upon themselves to convert a disused building into a cutting edge performance space.
This one's in the London Borough of Hackney, the east-end home of more artists, of any discipline, than you can shake a stick at.
Reading Mehmet Ergen's biography is a bit of an inspiration to anyone starting out. After studying acting for nine months in Turkey, he decided to be a director, put an advert in The Stage inviting people to form a theatre company in London and began putting on plays in fringe venues.
In 1993, he co-founded The Southwark Playhouse, a converted industrial workshop, quickly gaining traction by working with local teachers, government and businesses to create a 'free at source' education programme.
Mr Ergen has gone on to be associate producer at the Battersea Arts Centre as well as founding The Grimeborn Opera and Musical Theatre Festival, now run annually at the The Arcola Theatre, which he co-founded in 2000. Since then The Arcola has won:
Time Out Award for Outstanding Achievement
Peter Brook Empty Space Award (twice)
Time Out Award for Best Fringe Production
International Theatre Institute award for Excellence in International Theatre
Angela Carter Award
Equity Award for Best Studio Theatre
The website is where you'll read all about it. Reminds me of when I was living in London. I went through a phase of adopting American tourists. I was studying accents and they were happy to meet an English native and informal tour guide. They used to say that, culturally, the UK has an embarrassment of riches. The Arcola is an example of what they meant.
The site's 'Participation' tab shows the creative director's early commitment to education is still being upheld. See the page's sidebar for: Youth Theatre, Arcola Academy, Community Companies, Courses, Arts Awards, Schools & Colleges – opportunities for all disciplines, on-stage and off.
For recent graduates under 25, who want some experience of living and working in London, getting involved with youth theatre programmes run by places like The Arcola and The Almeida and the many others we will be finding out about is an interesting option.
The other alternative is post-graduate study of course. All the accredited colleges do Masters degrees: on-stage, back-stage, technical, production management – you name it; but they're not cheap. Professional youth theatre programmes can be a feasible alternative as a kind of work experience, usually held during the evenings and at weekends, so you can earn a living whilst you get stuck in.
Keep your body off the drink and the drugs, and your mind on your career, you could be getting your own thing together inside a year – building a network, fringe theatre, short films; and you'd be on hand for auditions and interviews. A lot of hustle, sure, but isn't everything?
Not that London's the be all and end all. You'll find similar initiatives all over the country, but if I was 21 again, with fire in my belly, wanting to get out and see something of the world; getting a house share with some mates, part time jobs, and getting stuck in to the London scene, just to see what it's like if nothing else – yeah, I'd do it, after a bit of research and planning.
You're only young once .
