Part One: Addressing my Line of Inquiry and Placement ambitions
This reflective journal is an essential part of my artist development and one of the main factors to why I wanted to accept a place on the MA Directing course at Leeds Conservatoire.
In 2025, I had built my CV (Document One) with varied opportunities (Small scale director, student assistant roles, and writing roles) the majority of these opportunities had been autogenic which had caused a detrimental effect on applying for creative roles.
Sadly, this meant I was constantly overlooked for early-career entry applications as they required professional credits (Such as trainee assistant director titles, assistant director, or paid roles that were over a period that spanned a professional run)
For example, last year, an assistant director role at Leeds Playhouse on the production Animal Farm required you to already have two previous experiences as an assistant director, making this certain ‘development opportunity’ contradictory and impossible to obtain.
At certain organisations such as Leeds Playhouse these boundaries are changing due to the feedback made by myself and several early career artists through conversations with the newly appoint Artistic Director Tom Wright, hopefully making opportunities more accessible for early career artists in the future.
This conversation led to Tom agreeing to be my personal mentor for this academic year (reflected later within this portfolio) as I had engaged in serval room observation opportunities with Leeds Playhouse throughout the years (Image One, Two, and Three) I felt that In the case of this particular organisation making the placement ask more oriented around learning about the mindset of being on the ‘Senior Management Team’ would bring a different perspective, in comparison to the opportunities that are more primarily director focused through observational opportunities or action/research based responsibilities.
At that time,I was looking for external opportunities at organisations both local and slightly further afield.
Certain theatres such as York Theatre Royal, and Sheffield Theatres usually restrict their call out opportunities to individuals that have a post code of that local area, however as an artist I have been inspired by the the quality of their work and values for a number of years.
I was keen to participate in a variety of artistic styles and genres. With the hope of expanding my knowledge and understanding of first-hand research from having access to rooms of that would give me insight of the making process for…
Children’s Theatre (Achieved in Placement One)
Shakespeare/Classical Texts (Achieved in Placement Two and Placement Four)
Studio Space Work, Small scale work (Achieved in Placement One and Placement Three)
Main House, Large scale Venue (Achieved in Placement Two and Placement Four)
In House Productions, Productions made by the Venue/Organisation (Achieved in Placement Two and Placement Four)
A Main Christmas/Festive Production, Productions made by the Venue/Organisation (Achieved in Placement Two)
‘Conventual’ touring Work, A production that visits a series similar scale theatres across the United Kingdom or further afield (Achieved in Placement Three and Four)
‘Unconventional’ touring, A production that visits community focused spaces such as town halls, community centres, public libraires, and other spaces (Achieved in Placement One)
I contacted a number of companies and organisations through email request and also was fortunate to have recommendations from my mentor at the time Amy Leach, who contacted Hull Truck and Northern Broadsides on my behalf (Image Four) as she felt that her recommendation and email presence in their inbox would gain there attention rather than an email coming from a less known address.
I was delighted that four in depth external placements were offered to me, in addition to short observerships and internal opportunities (Image Five and Image Six) totalling my placement hours within this academic year to 255 hours.
It is important to state the overall hours that I have undertook are simply a reflection of the dedication and commitment I have had within this academic year to expand on my skills through practical research and exploration of my line of inquiry.
What am I able to present?
This portfolio is an overview of the full range of experiences…from mentor sessions with Leeds Playhouse Artistic Director Tom Wright, to my three external placement opportunities within this academic year (excluding detail from Placement One, Hare and Tortoise, as this was case my main study for my Placement Presentation)
This will show my exploration and understanding of the industry, and highlight at least one discovery from each placement that gave me greater insight into my chosen line of inquiry…
A Theatre Directors Instinct – How can I nurture creative authenticity without compromising the wellbeing of the company over the course of a process?
During my time as an actor, I had encountered ethical failings from several directors, such as implementing a lack of boundaries and contradicting rules that they set up and pressurised other to abide by.
I was now able to use this placement module as the perfect opportunity to explore the responsibilities of the director and how to align this with my line of inquiry.
Looking at what methods do they use to hold space, maintain safety and ensure a supportive environment, Identifying the responsibilities of my role within each individual process.
(Tom Wright requested not to be recorded for this portfolio and several details were also stated ‘off the record’
This is a summary of my findings that TW was happy for me to include within my portfolio.
(Wright, T. 2025/2026)
Tom is a writer, director, producer and dramaturg.
Sitting down with Tom over three sessions was an incredibly useful and proactive element of my placement module.
Tom helped me to articulate at the start of the year that I had chosen these experiences as each of these artistic contexts will demand a different creative approach that will allow me to expand my toolkit as an artist.
I have come to understand that as the director I get to set the temperature of the room and therefore this can allow the suitable methods for what people need in order to do their best work and this can be actioned by myself as the leader of the space.
Tom assisted me in understanding how to name the impact of the culture (Self, Atmospheric) and being conscious of these things and naming them (Without labouring the point) and knowing what I am responsible for. This comes to the question how do we keep roles within a team distinct?
We discussed that there can be times that if you repeatedly remind people of the rules and don’t allow the space to naturally evolve then the expectations become less policing and more a pressure that can create a tension.
“What is an Intimacy Coordinator? University of Rochester”
After our first conversation I went away and identified areas of assisting tools that can implement form within an organisation by the action of hiring freelancers within specified roles. So, if I was in pre-production and going through analysing a script, myself as the director may need to bring in a collaborator with a specific discipline, roles such as (not limited to) a Cultural Coordinator, An Intimacy Coordinator and a Drama therapist (Video One, Two, and Three)
Cultural Coordinator (Video One)
A moderator, educator, mediator, educator and liaison in the interest of cultural sensitives in artistic spaces.
Rivée Jefferson, T (2022)
An Intimacy Coordinator (video Two)
You need to be able to read a script with text analysis and have important conversations with the director ahead of time about their vision and then to be able to communicate that with you actors to tell that story within their physical boundaries.
Bickwheat Penner, S (2023)
Drama therapist (Video Three)
I am bringing a psychological lens…listening and feeling out the rehearsal room to ensure that everyone is able to do their job without the potential of emotional activation.
Adams, S (2022)
This shows the director facilitating risk taking and creating a safe holding structure within the culture of the room.
“Dramatherapy in the Othello Rehearsal Room”
Organisations such as Applause for thought (Image Seven) and Industry minds (Image Eight) were founded to be present in holding companies accountable and as a support network for freelancers. From my conversations with Tom, he enlightened me that these companies encourage flexibility, clear frameworks and monitoring organisations to hold everyone accountable in order to support the correct conduct of a space being upheld to company standards.
“Image Seven” Applause for thought | Empower Wellbeing Today
“Image Eight” “Industry Minds”
Each production will see different budget constraints and though some productions may not be able to have these roles. Therefore, I feel it is my responsibility to assess and prioritise what roles are necessary within my creative team and what could potentially be sacrificed within the budget to allow for the necessary tools and creative roles.
These findings have helped me understand that creatives are a group of communicators, organising how to make things happen and bringing our skillsets to achieve the work.
I have an in-depth understanding of it feels to be in the actor’s position, having trained and worked as an actor for over ten years, therefore these tools have also helped me to conclude that creating an agreed understanding in the rehearsal room on the first day and acknowledging the potential obstacles we may collectively face would contribute to a positive creative environment and reflect my thoughtful approach and consideration towards everyone within the space.
As the head of the organisation Tom spoke to me openly about meeting statutory requirements within his role and manataining expectations that meet The Employee assistance programme, such as therapy and counselling being made available to fix contracted members of staff.
Tom gave me some really useful insights into how as the leader of the organisation, if there is an issue flagged within a production he would look to the company stage manager for context and an in-depth discussion would take place with a representative from HR.
I was also really encouraged to hear that Tom takes additional actions a creative to make a company and group feel supported within his spaces. He made be mindful that as a director your presence throughout technical rehearsals, and the run is paramount to a company not feeling left behind or on their own. Tom believes in directors making dressing room visits during technical rehearsal breaks (or warmups) and making sure there is room in the budget for emergency physio support as well in order to be able to help if any injuries that occur within the production. I feel that these actions are useful to help performers wellbeing and as a result maintain their commitment and work ethic during intense working hours.
Tom Invited me to the first day of rehearsals for Planet Omar: Accidental Trouble Magnet in order to see how an arts organisation structures a HR presentation, communicating the expectations and rules of the company from the first day until they leave the production. I was able to watch the HR induction (Document Two) and really valued seeing Tom ensuring that the time was made to go through each point and make sure that every person understood the expectation and responsivity they had within the space. I found it was clear and concise information that was broken down into simple points across less than ten slides. This gave me the impression that everyone if the space didn’t feel bombarded but rather enlighten and reassured with specific details and overview of each point.
Actors and Creative Team HR & Learning Induction (Wraith, S. 2025)
The above has also helped me consider that as a theatre director that I would implement structuring a soft arrival window within my own first day of rehearsals. I would like this to be in a meeting point outside of the rehearsal room, such as Box Office or the theatre café, so everyone can meet each other in a generic space before stepping into the rehearsal room. We could then collectively enter the space and work together to create a jurisdiction of tone and acknowledge each induvial in the space and have them clearly identify their role and responsibility within the
My time with Tom has helped to delve deeper into how health and wellbeing is considered and supported by a subsidised theatre, the other roles within a production team that can assist the director to maintain wellbeing, and from this I have begun to consider my own approach methodology, aligning with my line of inquiry.
I am delighted that Tom has offered to continue mentoring me for the foreseeable future, looking to support the development of my directing career.
(Overview) During my time with Tutti Frutti, I observed and also participated in assistant director tasks, such as assisting creative exercises, leading warm-ups and games, facilitating line runs, participating in creative conversations and note taking during technical sessions, previews and production visits. These were skills that I did not have first hand experience in prior to this module, and I have now been able to add to my skillset and CV.
As I have spoken in depth about this opportunity within my Presentation Assessment, I felt it was important to address this opportunity helped me to transition from all of my previous experiences as a room observer and start to adapt to being in a space as a ‘welcomed collaborator’
I was included within several conversations with the creative team, asked to participate in exercises, and requested to give notes to the designer as an outside eye.
This enabled me to understand how to build a dialogue with creatives whilst in the space but also using breaks and lunches to implement parameters, using the designated breaks as time to dethatch from the room, stating to people it isn’t personal but rather an opportunity for me to step away from the work and take a moment to pause and reflect.
The above has also helped me to want to implement this area of support within my own work for early career artists, to help give early career artists engagement and development opportunities that as reflected at the start of my portfolio, are hard to come by.
(Overview) From my time working with Hull Truck, I was very grateful to be included into the ecology of the room from day one.
There to observe, I was still included in company gatherings and conversations that gave me great insight into how this specific organisation worked.
On the first day, time was taken for organisation representees to sit down and talk through their Dignity at work Policy (Document Two) and their Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy (including reposting concerns and whistleblowing)
These documents gave clear, well-structured information in detail in how to behave and present myself within spaces across the building, I also really appreciated that these were read aloud by a member of staff to make it both accessible and a joint collective task that everyone was present for.
On the first day there was a ‘closed read through’ just with the main company (minus the young company) as the director wanted the main cast to have a ‘soft arrival’ ahead of the young company arriving later in the week.
I found this to be a very smart choice as this meant there wasn’t any pressure on the first day and it seemed to have very low risk as result.
The rest of the week was time designated to the company learning the music for the show (Document Four, Sound One) culminating at the end of the first week with a full company readthrough with members of staff invited, this felt like a really useful way of bringing the building together to get a flavour of the work, an opportunity that I believe many departments such as backstage and front of house teams would find useful as this would give them a feel for the intended tone of the production.
Being present throughout the process observing was an invaluable opportunity just to witness the growth of the company, tracking the transition from rehearsal room to stage (Images Twelve, Thirteen, Fourteen, Fifteen, and Sixteen)
I was welcomed into company meetings where the company manager and cast equity rep would engage in conversations about what the cast needed in order to do their best work (a case that was asked to be off the record from my findings, as the rehearsal process involves young people)
I was also able to speak with the director Mark Babych (Document Three) about assessing material and what work needs to be done ahead of time.
This conversation was incredibly insightful (Document Three)
I think what I got is a clear sense of the story I want to tell…
In terms of the dramaturgy, and the world building, but the choices within that world can be you’ve got to encourage their creativity to come through and feel like they are building that world with you. Otherwise, they’re puppets, aren’t they? and it’s not satisfying place to be, and no one, no one enjoys that.
(Babych, M. 2026)
This experience helped me to understand that I should arrive and at the work with “This is a story I’m trying to tell. And also, there’s flexibility within that”
I have concluded through Oliver Twist that I will move forwards with intention of finding the story beats and visual story I want to tell, and then road testing them in rehearsal, then looking at what support mechanisms are there to help support people through the final version we wish to present to an audience.
(Overview) I was with Northern Broadsides for the first week of the rehearsals (Image Twenty, Video Six) for their adaption of Crime and Punishment. For this process I made in depth notes (Gallery One) at the end each of rehearsal to collect my thoughts and discoveries.
In summary, I was part of the team on this process as trainee assistant director and used this opportunity to work on ‘an established drama adaption’.
This was particularly useful as the attention of the first week was to analyse the structure of the story and address the challenges. As this adaption was three actors multi rolling eight characters each, the first week was about exploring the possibilities through movement and vocal shifts, making character perspective sand location shifts clear. As this was to be stage in a studio space, the director made the decision to have limited lighting within the production and for elements of manual lighting to be operated by the actors, this meant there was an additional element that the actors had to navigate, and I feel this should have been made clearer to the performers ahead of arriving into the space.
Similar to Oliver Twist, the first week was a ‘soft launch into the work’ allowing time to analyse and edit the script, so there would be a final rehearsal version for the start of the second week. This did mean that there were time constraints however it did bring a focus and joint objective into the space.
I really liked that Laurie would balance ‘table work’ with physical ‘on your feet’ exploration, so the performers didn’t feel restricted to the text but were able to explore vocal and physical choices without judgement or pressure.
Towards the end of the week with Northern Broadsides, Laurie asked the question…
What does each character represent within the story?
(Sansom, L 2026)
I found this a stimulating question that helped the actors route their character into a part of the foundations of the narrative rather than trying to force a choice into a scene. They were routed into the world as a result.
During my time, Laurie invited me to observe a production meeting, giving me the insight to how the production team assess delegation, and how this tracked alongside the timeline of what needs to be done and the priority order that this should take place.
I particular like that at the end of the session, Laurie asked if anything else ‘needed flagging’. This felt like the correct mindset to have, and rather than assume that everyone had spoken or had the opportunity to speak, this question allowed a welcomed second opportunity to everyone within the space without pressure or judgement.
This assistant director opportunity overall brought me the chance to work as trainee assistant director, supporting Laurie in developing the world through editing the script and exploring scenes.
The week allowed me to put these practical skills into my toolkit and conclude that having a structure within your rehearsal room that gives a clear balance of academic research and physical exploration encourages the actor to bring their offerings and insight rather than just feel restricted to the original novel, Laurie’s open object was to collectively adapt the novel, speaking to the voices in the space.
(Overview) I joined Headlong at the first touring venue for their UK tour of AMND.
This production was performed at the Globe Theatre (Video Seven) as a co- production over the Winter and was being ‘remounted’ at Leeds Playhouse for a UK tour. The Globe production was entirely lit by candle light, therefore meaning that during the tech sessions I attend the focus was to adapt the staging from an intimate style (that suited the Sam Wanamaker) and fill the amphitheatre nature of The Quarry, whilst also transitioning from candlelight to electrical lighting, having to re plot the whole show for this to be programmed.
During the week, time was still made for the company to have a building meet and greet and fire evacuation session in order for them to feel more familiarised with the building and organisation.
I also really appreciated the directors recognising the ‘get in team’ for their hard work and acknowledging the effort that certain people had already made just by assembling the set and technical elements.
When in the first tech session I liked the director saying…
Please bear with us for the first hour as we adapt to the space and how these holds sound… (Race Roughan, 2026)
…communicating clearly in order to not confuse performers.
I much appreciated this statement as it came across as reassurance to everyone within the space.
I observed during the sessions that the director should be familiar and able to recall an actors’ blocking , lines and speeches. This is useful to then call upon without pressure for when needing an actor to go from a certain place during a tech session.
At the start of each tech session, the director would disclose the aim of the session, which I felt brought clarity and a focus to the work for everyone in the space.
During sessions I noted several methods of the approach that I feel would be useful to apply and consider for my own practice…
- Creatives sitting in different parts of the auditorium to hear sound levels and assess sight lines (considering performers vocal and physical health)
- What are the worlds we are communicating with the audience.
- When running a transition, allowing the backstage team time to ‘workshop options’
- Director addressing company and creatives as ‘friends’ in order to include everyone.
- If there are moments where tech is still being programmed however the lighting designer is happy for you to rehearse on stage, use that time to run or workshop elements in order to make the most of time.
- When you are stuck, open the floor to possible solutions.
- Making notes for the back of the brain to be addressed later, prioritise what needs to be achieved for within the session and worry about detail at the opportune moment, rather than trying to force it.
I have been able on to gain insight regarding the effectiveness of methodologies and approaches in the above that addressed how I can develop my professional practice to support demonstrating my line of inquiry within my own work.
I have also been able to engage with various experiences of an entire production timeline, allowing me to highlight and identify elements that I found both positive and negative.
These opportunities have been integral to my development and progression as a creative director, and as my 2026 CV reflects (Document Four) this module has strengthened my creative toolkit and built my understanding towards the scope theatrical forms/genres and scale.
Being able to now take wellbeing and supporting a company for each of these unique productions into consideration.
I have established industry connections and networked with artists and actors that I had no relationship with prior and can build upon these existing connections with the companies and organisations also, by applying for future paid work, attending events that I have been invited to, and requesting pitch meetings.
Moving forwards, I feel very cautious that the highest risk is that social dynamics can bleed into a rehearsal room and will be therefore looking at how to best set up a framework and on how to communicate/navigate this when in a workshop/rehearsal space.
This module and reflective portfolio has helped me to conclude…
That creative authenticity is an artist bringing themselves into the space, their own history, skills and insight to the work/material. I can model and example this through myself, as I arrive at the work I am leading, thinking about what I can bring to the work.
How am I elevating or contributing to the translation of the material onto the stage with my skillset and the skills of others within my team.
A supportive environment is in my opinion one of the directors’ main responsibilities. A supportive environment is created through a sense of collective responsibility, addressing the focus of a task, making role delegation and individual responsibility clear, and keeping everything, story focused.
The final element is safety. I believe safety is the responsibility of the production team. The director must identify the themes within the story and begin to build the possible story beats, communicating with the production the intentions they wish to explore in rehearsals and therefore the parameters and individuals that need to be brought on board in order to facilitate this, to make clear physical parameters, cultural parameters, and emotional parameters, to successfully stage the work with limited risk and no negative or detrimental effects.
Bibliography –
A Midsummer Nights Dream by William Shakespeare (2025/2026) Directed by Holly Race Roughan and Naeem Hyatt (Headlong Theatre Company) Placement.
Adams, S (2022)
Babych, M (2026)
Bickwheat Penner, S (2023)
Covino, R (2019)
Crime and Punishment adapted Laurie Sansom (2026) Directed by Laurie Sansom (Northern Broadsides) Placement.
Dignity at work policy, Hull Truck, 2025 (accessed 16/10/25)
Hare and Tortoise by Brendan Murray (2025/2026) Directed by Wendy Harris (Tutti Frutti). Placement.
Hull Truck Theatre (2025) Oliver Twist Trailer (Video) https://youtu.be/8roAQp83HOQ?si=WaO-b9-Y_B79m6fr (Accessed Date 05/0126)
Jekyll and Hyde by Evan Placey (2025) Directed by Rachel Hailliwell (Leeds Conservatoire) Internal placement.
Leach, A (2025) MA Directing Placement [Email]. Message sent to Babych, M. 24/06/25, at 18:01.
Leach, A (2025)
Maltman, S and Read, C (2018)
Northern Broadsides (2026) Crime and Punishment Trailer (Video) https://youtu.be/X2SF93h1QJE?si=DLTMzNQ1U8JRP3We (01/04/26)
My Fair Lady by Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe (2024) Directed by James Brinning (Opera North and Leeds Playhouse) Quarry Theatre.
National Theatre (2023) How We Made It | Dramatherapy in the Othello Rehearsal Room | National Theatre (Video) https://youtu.be/okoE7naqrn0?si=Q1xTTDEhdFtJtwwj (Accessed 02/01/2026).
Oliver Twist, adapted by Deborah McAndrew (2025/26) Directed by Mark Babych (Hull Truck) Placement.
Oliver Twist-Opening (Sheet Music) Music by John Biddle, Words by Deborah McAndrew (Hull Truck 2025)
One Man Two Guvnors by Richard Bean (2026) Directed by Erin Carter (Leeds Conservatoire) Internal Placement.
Planet Omar: Accidental Trouble Magnet by Asif Kahn (2026) Directed by Sameena Hussain (Leeds playhouse, Birmingham Repertory Theatre, and Unicorn Theatre). Leeds Playhouse, 02/03/26.
Rivée Jefferson, T (2022)
Robinson-Connolly.B and Babych.M (2026) Placement Interview (Transcript)
Sansom, L (2026)
The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe adapted by Adam Penford (2017) Directed by Sally Cookson (West Yorkshire Playhouse). Quarry Theatre.
Tutti Frutti (2025) Hare and Tortoise Trailer (Video) https://youtu.be/PWIOY87bebI?si=PfWRNOBpUzvH8up2 (Accessed Date 12/12/25)
To Kill A Mockingbird UK (2022) Tavia Rivée Jefferson, Cultural Coordinator for To Kill A Mockingbird (Video) https://youtu.be/N3GXYcK7Njg?si=aSRwC6j5upd_TxyD (Accessed Date 17/09/2025)
Through it all together by Chris O’Connor (2025) Directed by Gitika Butto (Leeds playhouse). Courtyard Theatre.
University of Rochester (2023) What is an Intimacy Coordinator? (Video) https://youtu.be/PZ8LAv9l2HA?si=fauoPcvxwq8KxD3T (Accessed 25/02/26)
Wraith, S (2025) Actor and Creatives HR Induction ( Presentation Slides)
Wright, T (2025/2026)
