A lifelong interest in the arts led Erin Hoey to her role as a Creative Learning Schools Coordinator in the Lyric Theatre.
Read how Erin became a Schools Coordinator at Lyric Theatre
Give a brief outline of your career to date.
I have spent the last five years working at the Lyric Theatre in the Creative Learning Department. I started an internship in 2016 and applied for a permanent position in 2017. Before this, I worked in various part time positions for Young at Art, Queen’s Film Theatre and Froth Coffee Company in my hometown of Newcastle, County Down.
What was your favourite subject at school?
I studied English Literature, History and Music for A levels. English was always my favourite subject. I had a brilliant teacher called Miss King. I enjoyed studying Shakespearean plays, John Donne’s poetry and the novels of the Bronte sisters.
Did you go on to further/ higher education, if so what did you study and where?
I studied English Literature at the University of Liverpool and loved every minute of it. Liverpool is an amazing city. I took modules in Irish, Victorian and Modern American Literature as well as multiple modules on Shakespeare. I carried on my love of the Brontë sisters and focused my third-year dissertation on Jane Eyre and The Tenant of Wildfell Hall. After a gap year travelling in Australia and South East Asia, I returned to Northern Ireland and started a Masters in Arts Management at Queen’s University.
How did you get into your area of work?
I’ve always had a keen interest in the arts – my parents and grandparents were members of the Newcastle Glee Singers and the Donard Theatre Group. From a young age I knew I wanted to work in professional theatre. After university, I spent time volunteering at the Lyric Theatre and the MAC. I also completed a work placement with Replay Theatre Company.
Were there any particular essential qualifications or experience needed?
It certainly helps to have an interest and relevant qualification as well as experience of working with young people and leading drama workshops. My Masters in Arts Management has been a great advantage when it comes to working on developing strategies and planning for the Creative Learning department.
Are there alternative routes into the job?
Definitely – one thing we always advise students visiting the Lyric is that there is no set pathway into a career in the arts. An alternative route into my job could be through a teaching background as so much of the job involves working with young people and schools.
What are the main personal skills your job requires?
I would say organisational skills are key. I often work on multiple projects at once, keeping many plates spinning while forward planning for future projects. Communication and interpersonal skills are also vital, especially when working with a wide range of people including young people, parents, teachers, community groups and funders.
What does a typical day entail?
Pre-Covid, a typical day would involve a number of planning meetings, leading school visits to the theatre, facilitating drama workshops as part of our Theatre School programme and keeping on top of emails and other admin tasks. I normally get the chance to visit schools to deliver workshops and to drop into rehearsals if we have a Creative Learning touring show.
What are the best and most challenging aspects of the job?
The best part of my job is variety – no two weeks are the same. I manage exciting projects with diverse groups of people across Northern Ireland. Last year we worked with the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs to devise a new play for primary school pupils. The play toured to over 2,500 young people raising awareness of different environmental issues. Partnering with other organisations is also really rewarding – we collaborate with the National Theatre on their Connections programme and are currently working with Frantic Assembly to introduce their Ignition project to young people in Northern Ireland.
Schools are busy places and the teachers and pupils who work there are busy people. Sometimes it can be a little frustrating that we have more ideas for theatre projects than they have time to engage with! We are a relatively small department, but brimming with enthusiasm, and often there are just not enough hours in the day to do what we would ideally like to do.
Why is what you do important?
As well as nurturing a love of Drama and Theatre in people of all ages across the country, the Creative Learning department is also devoted to supporting young people hoping to pursue a career in professional theatre. Drama Studio, our training programme for 18–25-year-olds has helped over 60 people in the last eight years to gain places in Drama schools across the UK and Ireland.
How has Covid-19 impacted your business/role?
The Lyric closed its doors on St Patrick’s day 2020 and has remained closed to the public ever since. This has had a significant impact on the Creative Learning department with cancelled projects, Theatre School classes and Summer School workshops.
What adjustments have you had to make?
We have now moved a number of our projects online with over 100 participants taking part in Theatre School classes via zoom. We were fortunate to be able to continue our Drama Studio programme last Autumn with 12 participants taking part in socially-distanced workshops in the theatre. It’s been a huge challenge, but also a huge learning opportunity. We have supported a wide network of teachers through our Schools Affiliation Scheme. During the lockdowns we have been developing a range of new resources to assist teachers and pupils with remote learning. With 20 schools and over 300 pupils from across Northern Ireland benefiting from this resource to date.
What advice would you give anyone looking to follow a similar career path?
My advice would be to get involved with as many arts organisations as possible and take every opportunity available to gain experience. Make as many contacts as you can and don’t forget to send emails thanking people for opportunities, they’ll remember your name if you do.
If you weren’t doing this what would you like to do?
I’m very fortunate to love my job but if I had to pick another career I’d love to work in environmental sustainability.
What is the one piece of advice you would give to yourself on your first day?
To work hard and make the most of all opportunities available to you.
Describe your ideal day off.
An ideal day off would involve a trip home for a long walk on Murlough beach or a hike up the Mournes with my dog Percy.
And finally, what’s the key to any successful job search?
Having a clear idea of the area you’d like to work in, talk to people in similar roles and work out what you need to do to gain experience in that area. Never under sell yourself.
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