INTERVIEW
STAGE
Natalie Ibu by Mathieu Ajan
NORTHERN STAGE CLAIRE DUPREE TALKS WITH NORTHERN STAGE’S NEW ARTISTIC DIRECTOR ABOUT HER VISION FOR THEIR SPRING SEASON, THE IMPORTANCE OF ARTIST DEVELOPMENT AND RECONNECTING WITH AUDIENCES “I’ve known I wanted to be an artistic director since I was 17 because it spoke to my desire to be a connector and broker of people, of ideas, of conversations.” Natalie Ibu, the new Artistic Director and Joint Chief Exec at Newcastle’s Northern Stage, joined the company in November. For some, launching an entire Spring season mere weeks into the role during the height of a pandemic, and while the theatre industry desperately attempts to keep its head above water, might seem a daunting task, but Natalie’s vision for the company and her passion and optimism is infectious (in the best way). “For me, the role of Artistic Director is about being of service to artists, audiences and a place. Being useful is the thing that gets me up in the morning so the scale and potential reach of an organisation like Northern Stage has me jumping out of bed.” Previously the Artistic Director of tiata fahodzi, the only Black-led theatre company in the UK with a sole focus on new work, she’s a passionate advocate for artist development. Natalie’s desire to tell stories, strengthen artist development and connect with communities has clearly been the driving force behind Northern Stage’s new programme, boldly titled THIS IS US. At a time when just surviving is tough enough, Northern Stage admirably strengthen their commitment to nurturing new talent with their Spring season. “Joining the organisation and the region in a pandemic has intensified my desire to stop, reflect and think about what talent development looks like in a post-pandemic world. As part of THIS IS US, we’re holding space for some active deep
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listening and thinking with our artist community.” Part of this process includes joining the nationwide conversation about theatre and the arts, Devoted & Disgruntled (alongside Alphabetti, ARC Stockton, Live Theatre and Theatre Royal), on Thursday 25th February, where North East artists, companies, venues, funders and agents can ask about the future of talent development and what artists need to ensure their careers recover. Following on from this, Natalie will host So Good To Zoom You, a series of interviews with a different artist every day in March to try to make up for the ways 2020 has kept people apart. “There will also be round tables and opportunities to re-connect with each other and the building. I’m an advocate for artist development, yes, but I’m mostly a champion of supporting artists with what they need to thrive and we can’t do that without asking the question. So let’s ask the question first.” The theatre’s Spring season is undoubtedly a response to the world we live in. “This season is an experiment – demanded by the moment.” Natalie says. “It’s not what I thought I’d be doing so quickly and not what I thought would be my first season, but it does share my unwavering commitment to radical generosity, to meeting audiences wherever they are, to Northern Stage being a place that collaborates with artists and with place and with the personal.” THIS IS US takes the form of three strands: CAN WE COME IN? meets audiences in their homes, with micro-stories and digital plays streamed on demand (with many of them free to access) and kicking off with Scroll, an antidote to ‘doom-scrolling’, the series of
