2024/25 has been a super exciting time at The Paper Birds, involving lots of learning, development and growth for the company. This growth included a Feel Me tour of mid-scale venues around the UK, as well as touring the show internationally to Indonesia, our busiest year of workshop delivery to date, a new symposium for Facilitators called HELD with Sheffield Theatres, new Board Members joining us bringing different skills and vibrancy, and planning our next, ambitious touring show for 2026 (which will be our biggest to date!). We have been working, collaborating and receiving guidance and mentorship from some fabulous leading people from across our industry as part of this. Rather than keep their brilliance to ourselves(!), we wanted to share with you some of their pearls of wisdom through a series of short filmed interviews, ‘5 Minutes with’ which will be appearing here on our website between April and May 2025.
Episode 1 | 5 Minutes with… Doug RintoulWe’re kicking our ‘5 minutes series off with our chat with Doug Rintoul. Doug is Chief Executive and Artistic Director of the New Wolsey Theatre, who we are Associate Artists with. He is also a theatre director and cultural leader committed to making theatre accessible and inclusive. Growing up on a council estate in Essex, his passion for theatre was sparked by dedicated drama teachers, leading him to study Drama & Theatre Arts at the University of Birmingham. His career has spanned directing musicals, opera, contemporary drama, and large-scale community productions, with a focus on amplifying underrepresented voices. As Chief Executive and Artistic Director of the New Wolsey Theatre, Douglas champions bold, relevant storytelling and engagement with diverse communities. Previously, he led Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch, founded the touring company Transport, and was an Associate Director at Complicité. His work has been staged across the UK and internationally, always driven by a belief in theatre’s power to bring people together. |
Episode 2 | 5 Minutes with… Chris ThorpeFor our second ‘5 minutes with…’ we’re delighted to introduce you to Chris Thorpe. Chris is a leading playwright, performer and deviser from Manchester, whose work has toured internationally and regularly produced for stage and radio throughout Europe and the US. His recent projects include creating work for NT Connections, mala voadora, China Plate/Rachel Chavkin and the Royal Court. And luckily for us he is also a trustee for The Paper Birds, so it seems apt we share his knowledge and expertise with you for our ‘5 Minutes With…’ series. |
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Episode 3 | 5 Minutes With… Hannah SlimmonFor our third episode of ‘5 Minutes With…’ we’re turning our attention to international touring and we’re chatting to Hannah Slimmon, Senior Producer: International at FABRIC and freelance arts manager specialising in international touring. Hannah currently leads on international partnerships for the Here & Now showcase. She’s also previously managed the caravan programme at Farnham Maltings and worked as a producer for Fuel and Artsadmin. For our ‘5 Minutes with…’, she chats to our Exec Producer Charlotte about what she loves about her role as international producer and how the positive reputation that UK-made work currently has on the circuit, makes her excited to see what’s next. |
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Episode 4 | 5 Minutes With… Georgia DaleFor the second interview in our 5 minutes series we’re chatting with Georgia Dale, Creative Hub Director for The Unicorn Theatre. The Unicorn produces innovative theatre experiences for children aged up to 13 and all productions are developed in collaboration with children though Creative Hub projects. We’re partnering with The Unicorn on our new Primary Creativity Cards, so in between planning and sessions we grabbed some time with her to discuss how lucky she feels to be doing the job she does, some of the pressures and challenges that affect her and her team, and what there is to look forward to… |
