We want to take a moment to say a fond farewell to our brilliant Engagement & Participation producer, Andrea who has been instrumental in the story of China Plate over the last 12 years. Andrea has written a blog to reflect on her time and some of her highlights, which you can read below.
This week marks my last day working with China Plate. It’s a bittersweet moment, as this company has been such an important part of my professional journey. I’ve worked with China Plate on and off in various capacities since 2013, when I was first brought on as a freelance Education Coordinator for Macbeth – Blood Will Have Blood.
© Arnim Friess
That production will always be a highlight of my career. The show placed 9–13 year olds right at the heart of the action, and you could feel their energy ripple through the space. Gasps, whispers, spontaneous chatter – the room was alive. It was electric. It sold out at every venue, packed with pupils, many of whom had never experienced theatre before. It was everything I dreamed theatre could be – vital, accessible, and transformative.
Fast forward to 2019, and I found myself once again in a room, working on another Shakespeare adaptation for young audiences – this time, Romeo and Juliet – Mad Blood Stirring. In the six years between, I’d taken on a range of roles including returning to China Plate in a new capacity, as a theatre producer. They took a chance on me, trusting me to produce shows without prior experience. Those two years proved to be some of the most challenging of my career. China Plate gave me opportunities and allowed me to learn by doing – sometimes floundering, often swimming, always learning. I owe a great deal to the artists who trusted me with their work – including Rachel Bagshaw, David Edgar, and Chris Thorpe.
© The Other Richard
Back to Romeo and Juliet. It was another electrifying experience. As China Plate’s first Engagement and Participation Producer, I was truly in my element. The pupils who saw it were enthralled, though it became clear how much harder it had become to engage schools. Budgets were tight, and many schools couldn’t justify the cost. And yet, the magic remained. Despite the challenges, a huge percentage of our audiences had never seen live theatre before. I’ll never forget how the young audiences would collectively try to stop Romeo from drinking the poison – it’s rare to be in an audience where most people don’t know the tragic end to the star-crossed lovers.
In 2019, I also developed Young Producers, based on The Optimists, offering 16–22 year olds the chance to gain real experience in producing. It became the only China Plate programme to continue uninterrupted through the pandemic. That cohort delivered an online festival viewed by thousands – sharing the voices and work of young creatives who might not have otherwise had a platform. Huge thanks to Lisa Franklin and the cohort for their tireless work on this project.
Covid unexpectedly expanded our Engagement and Participation work, leading to projects like Humans Not Heroes and RISE. Building on this work – alongside our internship programme – helped me see that supporting early-career creatives is where my heart lies.
So that’s what I’m off to pursue next – exploring how I can better champion emerging talent and unlock creative careers for the next generation. To everyone at China Plate – past and present – thank you. To the brilliant partner organisations, artists/facilitators and every participant I’ve worked with, thank you. I’ll miss you all.