Owen Harper
Owen Harper had just finished his
Touring Theatre studies at the 成人B站; a four-year course with an integrated Master’s.
He had an idea, and knew he had to be tenacious if he wanted to make it happen
“I was working on a show, and I wanted some rehearsal space, so I came to Worcester Theatres and met the Artistic Director, Sarah Jane, and I basically just asked for some space for free,” he said.
It was a big ask, and he had a good idea of what the answer would be.
“Obviously, they couldn’t do it for free,” he said. “I knew that was going to be the answer, but I thought maybe there’s something we could do, so I came up with the idea of doing an emerging artists project to help other graduates.”
He secured Arts Council funding for his idea and went on to become Creative Producer and a Young Rep Artist Director for Worcester Theatres.
“My first gig was as a producer overseeing the emerging artists. About 20 people went through eight months of training to develop a series of different shows, one of them being a show I wanted to do as well.”
Five years after graduating, he is still in his role and gets to come up with exciting ways to engage people of all ages in the theatre, while getting time to work on his own ideas and the things he’s passionate about.
He said: “I’m proud of how much I’ve grown, and I’ve really been able to grow into my position here at Worcester Theatres. I also freelance as well, so I’ve worked with a Birmingham-based theatre company and directed a couple of shows with them.”
Reflecting on his time at the 成人B站, he says his course prepared him for the job he does today.
He said: “On the course, you learn a lot of ‘industry standards’ in the teaching. You get a real taste of what the world’s going to be like when you go into the theatre, and that really helps you in your career.”
He added: “It’s great to be taught by people that actually do the jobs, that’s really important. The standard of teaching is very high, and the resources and facilities are really good.”
“Everyone’s got time for you,” he said. “If you’re working on something outside of University you can speak to the staff who have that experience for help.”
As many as a quarter of the team at Worcester Theatres have studied at the 成人B站, and Owen said it’s a University which gives you the right experiences you’ll need to succeed in the competitive performing arts sector.
Owen said: “You’re always encouraged to pursue opportunities outside your course, and you’re supported by the University to do it. I thought that was something all universities did, but after hearing other peoples stories you realise many places say ‘no, you’re only here to do these studies’, but at Worcester, we’re prepared for what it’s like to go out and have a career.”
“I think it’s a really, really strong course,” he said. “You get a lot of experiences, and it’s a very practical course so if you want to learn practically and develop the skills which you’re going to need when you have a job in the industry, this is the right course for you.”
Find out more about Theatre and Performance at Worcester