Katie Villa
We talk with Katie Villa, the Artistic Director of Quirk Theatre. She is a Freelance Theatre Director, theatre maker, writer and Facilitator with a passion for meaningful artist development, sustainability and finding the joy! Based in Exeter, Katie also directs and co-writes Exeter Phoenix’s Christmas show with Quirk. Recently becoming a Clore Leadership fellow, she’s branching out, focussing on the ways that she can make positive change in the South West arts sector.
What do you do?
I create theatre shows, workshops and events that might just change things for the better. Whether I’m writing a show for audiences, delivering a workshop for participants or designing a development event for artists, I aim to make the world a little better.
How did you get started?
I’ve been a freelance artist for about 20 years now, with a lovely, squiggly, portfolio career behind and ahead of me. Being a freelance artist has always been challenging, but recent years have made conditions in the sector nigh on impossible. I was lucky enough to be awarded a Clore Leadership Fellowship last year, and this gave me some time and space to consider the challenges that face the sector, and even the world more broadly, and to dream up solutions. We talked a lot on the Fellowship about elephants and ants - the idea is that the arts sector is made up of the big, slow-moving, robustly structured elephant organisations, but also of the ants, the small organisations and freelancers who disrupt and collaborate and are flexible and fast on their feet. I’m proudly identifying as an ant!
What keeps you going when things get tough?
The work I’ve started this year is all the ant work. There are so many complex, structural, systemic challenges in the arts world at the moment and it can feel far too big a problem to solve. So I decided to start small - what could I do now, from where I am, with what I have, to start making a positive change? I’ve felt frustrated for a long time, seeing all this astonishing talent around me in the South West and feeling like the arts were being chronically undervalued. Artists are some of the most resilient, brave and determined folk you’ll meet, and yet we are losing artists in droves. I’ve been thinking about Exeter too, my home city, and reflecting on the waves of optimism that pass through it; I’ve been here long enough now to see a few waves gain momentum and then peter out. So I’m determined to help set up structures for sustainability, that don’t just rely on brilliant individuals that pop up now and again to make brilliant changes. We need something that sustains after that.
What does the next year look like for you?
So I’ve set up a couple of free events which I’m really excited about. The first is The Artist’s Failspace in collaboration with Exeter Northcott, a seriously un-networky networking event where we creatively explore failure. It blasts through all the pitfalls of networking - there are no elevator pitches here - and prompts meaningful, honest and vulnerable conversations while strengthening the sector through shared learning, reflective practice and great snacks. And the second is The Gathering, in collaboration with Chris White at Exeter Library, which brings together arts organisations/creative folk with community organisations to share what they’re up to (and eat great snacks - are you sensing a theme??). There are loads of brilliant things going on in this city but sometimes it can be hard to connect the dots. I’m just trying to create the right conditions for those connections to occur! The Gathering invites 5 x arts organisations/artists and 5 x community organisations to informally present, pecha kucha style, kindling some amazing creative collaborations.
What If…?
Exeter began to value its artists as much as its shopping centres? What would it look like to place art and culture higher up the priorities list? Funding is going to be tight for a good bit longer, but value? That can change overnight! Value can be created in how we talk about things, what we prioritise and where we place our attention.
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Get in touch if you’d like to present The Gathering’s first event! We are still looking for speakers (it’s going to be super informal and supportive). 4th July | 6pm | Exeter Library
Or secure your free ticket here to watch the talks and join us for food and un-networky networking!
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-gathering-tickets-908747477167?aff=ebdssbdestsearch