The introduction of the artistic liaison changed the game for director keira smith.
Earlier this year, I had the joy of directing my first ever production The Wound, the Rag and the In-between, which premiered at Eden Court and was produced by emerging theatre company Vivid Roots Collective. The show signalled a lot of firsts for many involved; Vivid Roots’ first production, the first produced play by playwright Annie MacDonald and the first job for many of the cast and production team. It was also the first production embedding our new Artist Liaison role, fulfilled by Sophie Wink. Sophie in this role was integral to the rehearsal process, armed with her toolbox of stress toys, personal journals and mindfulness exercises, with the intention of looking after us and our wellbeing during the production.
The Artist Liaison role has been developed over time, closely linked with this production. Sophie was present in our research and development phase in 2022 and the role has grown in response to one of the core values of the company; embedding care-based processes in how they work with emerging artists. This covers not only destressing techniques, but also check-ins with the cast and crew whenever they are needed, personal and professional goal setting and monitoring the progression towards these goals with evaluation check-ins in the months after the project. These evaluatory check-ins responded to a reflection from freelancers feeling like they are dropped after a project is over. I can personally attest to the success of this role being applied in the rehearsal space. Sophie was a valued member of the team, advocating for everyone’s individual needs in the space where they may not have had the confidence to advocate for themselves.
I doubt anyone who is entering the creative industries in its current state is under any impression that it’s going to be easy. In fact, I remember this fact being drilled into me all throughout my time in education, from teachers to visiting industry professionals. “This industry is difficult – you need to work hard and sacrifice ‘everything’ in pursuit of success”. What I don’t remember being spoken about nearly enough, if at all, was any kind of awareness or techniques to look after your wellbeing while working towards your career. As artists, we get so caught up in this grind culture mindset that we can sometimes get into bad habits, neglecting our personal needs while striving for our professional endeavours. This can lead to us experiencing burnout from mental exhaustion, as well as the ‘rejection blues’ after an unsuccessful audition or funding application. The industry demands a lot of perseverance and it’s really easy to believe that you are alone in the struggle and that no one can or will help you. Constant rejection as well as seeing your peers seemingly getting opportunities that you don’t have can also breed jealousy and resentment amongst each other if artists are left feeling isolated. And even when we get the job, we are often contending with some crippling cases of impostor syndrome. I remember working on my first professional job and feeling so out of place. Every day I kept thinking, “I don’t belong here” and I felt like I had no one I could turn to for help or advice.
So how can we address this? Well, I certainly hope that a role like Vivid Roots’ Artistic Liaison becomes more common practice in the near future. Having someone on the project who is there for the whole team, to listen and communicate those needs on behalf of everyone, makes that journey much easier for the creatives involved. This is especially true for emerging and early-career artists who may be working on their first project or are still finding their footing in this industry. I know Sophie was a great help to me when a personal issue cropped up during the rehearsal process that rubbed too closely with the play’s darker themes, and following a quick chat about my needs in the space, was able to communicate with the team on my behalf as well as show up for me in check-ins throughout the day. I know she did similar things for other members of the team and believe they would agree with my sentiments.
However, this feeling of care stretches wider than just a single project. Up here in the Highlands, Eden Court formed Eden Court Connect – a network group for artists in the area, bringing together people of all practices. I’ve made some wonderful friends through these networks who I know are in my corner, just as I’m in theirs. We can go to each other for advice or feedback on works in progress or even form our own work, combining our practices. I must also mention the Creative Entrepreneurs Club, an online networking community that shares experiences, opportunities and advice on a national level. I highly recommend their one-on-one mentoring sessions. In this industry, we thrive on collaboration and these little pockets of collectives are the perfect reminder that we are not alone.
But these support networks do more than simply offer support or advice. Providing a space for artists to build or share the skills to care for their wellbeing can go a long way in fortifying them mentally and improving their self-confidence when facing the challenges of the industry. Having foundational networks that are judgement-free where artists can bring their struggles is vital in providing that much-needed collective support and skill sharing. It can also be assuring to come into these collective spaces as a creative and offer your skills to others. It’s a reminder that you’re not alone in the struggle and you are welcome in that space, both as artist and person.
With the recent uncertainty surrounding funding in the industry, I fully believe that we need our networks now more than ever. This is shown by the collective action and protests that led to a reversal of recent funding cuts. Off the back of this, I encourage artists to think about who your allies are, who is going to support you with your ideas and keep you grounded when it feels like too much. Remember that we need to take time for ourselves so that we don’t burn out and that we’re ready when the tide turns again. This industry is difficult. And that is exactly why we need to hold each other up.
– Keira Smith
Many thanks to Keira Smith for their contribution to this piece. Make sure you check out Keira’s website as well as Vivid Roots for upcoming work.
Keira is an emerging artist based in the Scottish Highlands as a director and writer. They completed their training at the University of the Highlands and Islands in 2020. Notable works include writer and director for We’re Here as part of Highland Pride (2021), assistant director for Nightlands for Dogstar Theatre at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe (2022) and an emerging director as part of the SPARK New Plays Festival (2024). As a creator, they are interested in working with themes of intersectional feminism, queer culture and identity and the socio-political impact of the world on these aspects.