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Spotlight on: David Wilson.
Our very own theatre director David Wilson, has given us an insight into his role and hopes and dreams for Theatr Brycheiniog.
So David, as Director of Theatr Brycheiniog, are you the person ultimately in charge of this beautiful canal side arts venue in the heart of the Brecon Beacons National Park?
Theatr Brycheiniog, like a fair number of theatres and venues across Wales and UK, is an independent charity. I am the lead executive officer, meaning that I am the most senior employee of the charity, but I am responsible to the Board of Directors, who are the Trustees and they are a voluntary group of individuals who I report to. They have oversight over my planning and actions and this group is ultimately responsible for the legal and fiscal management of the organisation.
Theatr Brycheiniog is currently in the middle of a significant refurbishment, so many changes are happening at once but which ones do you hope people notice first when they next visit?
Well right now, it’ll be how comfortable they might be in the new seats we’ve managed to install, and that might take their mind off of the bar being closed or the ageing carpets still being there.
We’ve been trying to juggle the measures in response to the pandemic and the upcoming building renovations needs, and with us needing to provide space or reducing capacities this isn’t as easy as it should be.
Soon though we really hope that we start to tackle the larger items, and then I hope real change will be seen. We will be updating the facilities so when a new café or bar or box opens reopens it’ll be hard not to notice but ahead of that we’re reimagining the brand visual language we use and how we look, its natural for us to consider this at this time as so much will change, so probably our loyal audiences will notice the little things first, like a colour scheme before the big changes come.
I would advise that they keep a look out for us on social media or sign up to our newsletter to keep up to date with the latest developments or to call in - and to keep doing that as it’s going to be exciting!
A real priority at Theatr Brycheiniog is inclusivity and accessibility. What motivates you to connect people from all walks of life so passionately with the arts?
I love theatres, I love shows and my life has been, and I imagine will always be invigorated, informed and inspired by the reflections artists have in the mesmerising live arts.
For me art is the care for and examination/exploration of what it means to be human, and I am constantly challenging my view of what my experience of life is, and I want artists to take me on journeys where I learn more about it and critically the views of others’ perspectives.
To do that properly and meaningfully it needs a breadth of people, connections, relationships, stories, experiences and I want that exploration to be real, and fantastical. I want it to challenge me, reassure me, make me cry, make me laugh, warn me, encourage me and for the work to be rewarding, entertaining and yes sometimes uncomfortable.
Being truly inclusive, open, accessible and engaging in a diverse offer ensuring a diversity of take up is essential for us to explore and expand the arts and their meaning.
I also passionately believe that for us to be successful we need engagement, if we weren’t accessible or inclusive or diverse then we reduce our capacity and damage our reach.
The live arts are meant to be experienced communally, there is a study that audiences rhythms synchronise and sadness is comforted, and happiness heightened when we witness them collectively, and I think that is critically human.
I love people and community and that IS theatre, without them we don’t have shows, we don’t have stories and we don’t have audiences. So, yes absolutely, inclusivity and accessibility and diversity is a real priority for me, for Theatr Brycheiniog and for the arts, and that is important.
2022 sees Theatr Brycheiniog celebrate its 25th birthday! What were you doing 25 years ago when the theatre was opened and did you have any idea back then that one day you would be managing such a great venue in this glorious part of Wales?
In 1997 I was ending the first year of studying a drama degree at Aberystwyth University, and starting the 2nd Year.
I was starting to spend a lot of time with people interested in the arts. I was seeing shows, visiting Aberystwyth Arts Centre and building a network. I was also enjoying Wales as a resident for the first time. I never left, well except for holidays.
No – I don’t think I thought at that time exactly that I would move into venue management, but I probably had the inkling that carving out a career as a performer probably wasn’t for me, and it wasn’t much longer until my third year when thoughts of what I would do next became ever more pressing. I then went on to Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama to study on the very first year of their Arts Management programme, meeting Aiden Plender, Marilyn Le Conte and Dorothy James who shaped my early career.
If we could take a time machine and travel forward twenty five years to the year 2047, what would you hope to find on stage at Theatr Brycheiniog?
An even more well-used and thriving venue, stacked with performances (of all types) and packed with audiences of all types, a developed area around the canal basin with even more on offer and a bustling town, with much to offer.
We also plan to reduce waste, reduce energy consumption and play our part in helping the planet overcome the climate emergency, so a green, sustainable and efficient operation too!
What does a typical Christmas look like in the Wilson/Collins household?
Well – theres a question! Honestly there isn’t a typical Christmas, currently, although now Louise and I have our son Llywelyn that is likely to change I think.
Louise has always been a hard working actor, so often she’d be away on tour or trying to get back home for Christmas, whereas now we’ll be at home, waiting eagerly for the day so that present opening, a Christmas lunch and games (Louise loves a game) can commence.
I have a little tradition of trying to catch a midnight mass on Christmas Eve, then a buck’s fizz and smoked salmon breakfast on the day followed by a very late lunch, a gorgeous bottle of red and then cheese and port for late evening, with plenty of room for snoozing in-between, but this is perhaps dream and not reality, any longer anyway!
Thank you for reading! We hope that you love the Theatr as much as we do... It’s an amazing place after all! To stay up to date with what is happening at Theatr Brycheiniog sign up to our newsletter or follow us on social media!
As a registered charity working to serve the community, the Theatr is always in need of extra support, whether for improvements to the building or to support community projects. Please visit our Support Us page to see how you can help
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