Two new associates appointed

StoneCrabs is very proud to announce that Katie-Ann McDonough and Rebecca Gwyther will be leading the Directors In Practice programme in 2022. They are both past alumni of the programme who, like many others, have often returned to contribute to the development of emerging directors and producers. With the company’s 20th anniversary approaching, this appointment is part of the company’s succession strategy.

Directors In Practice, formerly StoneCrabs Young Directors programme, is a free training opportunity for theatre directors and producers in the early stages of their career. StoneCrabs is very proud to have played a part in the careers of past alumni such as Lynette Linton, Tristan Finn-Aiduenu, Natasha Nixon, Sam Luffman, Chris Davies and Tinuke Craig, to name but a few.

This 6-month long free training programme will culminate in a theatre festival at Omnibus Theatre. For the 2022 cycle, training for two producers has been introduced for the first time. Applications are open until 20 March 2022.Directors In Practice keeps hands-on practice at the core of its training process, with collaborative work between emerging producers and directors. It will give participants – from various backgrounds and experiences – the space and time to examine their practice in detail. The directors will gain more experience by directing actors in the rehearsal room and working closely with practitioners at the top of their game. Alongside the selected directors, the two producers in the programme will be given access to mentoring, workshops with industry professionals, and practical experience producing the finale festival.

Each director will get the opportunity to direct a one-act play of their choosing for performing at the festival, while producers will learn how to produce a theatre production from the ground up.

StoneCrabs’ Artistic Director Franko Figueiredo explains: “It’s been 15 years since we launched a programme supporting those who were trying to carve a career in theatre making and found most doors shut to them. The programme has no age limit, and embraces everyone, no matter what background and past experience. Our doors are open to support those who are passionate and enthusiastic about theatre making and bringing untold stories to our stages. I am so happy to welcome Katie-Ann McDonough and Rebecca Gwyther to what are very prominent and important roles in StoneCrabs. I know that the succession of our work will be safe in their hands. I hope we will continue to strengthen and create more succession routes for future leaders in theatre.”

Directors In Practice Producer Rebecca Gwyther remembers: “As a director on this programme in 2016, I was given the skills and knowledge to direct and produce theatre at a high level. At the time, I was only beginning to understand how the producing skills offered by the programme would aid my career as a producer and collaborator in years to come.”

She continues: “We are thrilled to be offering two producer positions as part of this year’s programme, giving producers the opportunity to gain hands-on experience of producing a show with mentoring and skills sessions along the way. We hope this will also encourage producer/director relationships and collaboration (some of my cohorts remain my closest collaborators to this day!) through an, importantly, free of charge programme.”

Directors In Practice Director Katie-Ann McDonough says: “In this new edition of the programme we are focusing as much as possible on the practical aspects of directing. We are often told the old adage that you learn by doing but emerging directors rarely have situations where this is possible. This is like directing with training wheels on. You can make mistakes, learn from them and try again.”

The programme kicks off on 30 April 2022 and a festival showcasing the work created by programme participants will take place at Omnibus Theatre in October 2022.