Beccy D'Souza turns up the volume for our local talent

Beccy, you’re currently heading up Amplify, the Playhouse’s artist development programme. Can you tell us about yourself and how you came to take on the role? 

I’m originally from Stafford, but life brought me to Nottingham and I fell in love with the theatre and cultural scene here. I initially worked at the Playhouse’s Theatre-in-Education company, Roundabout, not long after graduating from drama school in Birmingham. After that, I worked freelance as an actor for a number of years, then in 2019, I co-produced and project managed a festival with The Party Somewhere Else, a Nottingham-based theatre collective dedicated to showcasing stories and work by women and non-binary folk. That really inspired me to get set up as an independent producer. Three years later the role at Nottingham Playhouse opened up and it felt like a really good fit. 

My ambition as Amplify’s creative producer is to amplify stories and voices which otherwise might be quieted.  We support local artists through workshops, mentoring, masterclasses and events like the upcoming Amplify Festival, which is essentially a huge celebration of the brilliant people and work being made across the Midlands region. 

What can people expect from this year’s line-up?

I’d call it a gorgeous smorgasbord of local talent. We’ve got 16 artists and companies performing over six days. We’re kicking off with a Writer’s Showcase, which is an opportunity for 10 aspiring playwrights from across the Midlands to have their work showcased by professional actors and directors. The group’s been delightful; they’re all at different stages of their career and have just finished a nine-month development programme with Nathan Ellis, our Amplify Associate. This is a really exciting opportunity to see all their hard work in action.

There’s We Are Who We Are, which is a triple bill of female-and-non-binary-led work, which is really cool. I’m looking forward to The Snare & Feral, by a group called the Daywalkers Collective. It’s an actor-musician piece with filled with gorgeous folk music, and its 8+ so everyone’s welcome.

How did you curate the line-up?

We programmed the festival through an open callout, so anyone who is a member of Amplify or would be eligible to join could apply. The submissions were then reviewed by a range of volunteers from both the Amplify network and our Participation community – that’s people who are involved in Nottingham Playhouse’s community groups. It’s essentially a bit like putting a jigsaw together. The panel decided what they wanted to consider and came up with a list of questions: Who is this show for? Would I go and see it? What kind of night out would it be for audiences? Does it bring variety to the programme? Why would this be a good thing to programme at this moment in time? The programming meetings are always so interesting – it’s great to have so many different perspectives in the room. It’s all part of our mission to make sure our line-up is accessible for as many people as possible, and to support those might not typically have a seat at the table in theatre.

Part of your responsibilities as Artist Development Producer is to champion diversity and accessibility. What does that mean in practice? 

I’m a pretty direct person, and I’m always upfront about what my own needs are with artists. I think that helps to create an environment where people feel it’s ok to ask for what they need. Ultimately, it’s about trying to support artists to help them do their best work. It’s a learning curve; this year I’m really excited to be co-hosting the first ever Amplify Access Assembly for Deaf Artists, alongside Caroline Parker and Nikki Charlesworth. It’s all part of our ambition to foster better connections and dialogue with deaf artists in the region. We’re also proud to be able to offer BSL interpretation for most shows and events across the programme. 

We take great care to acknowledge the barriers people might have faced trying to find work in the arts. That means we’re often taking what might feel like a risk on an artist, company or piece of work that might not have received the same level of investment or support elsewhere. I also think that it leads to more interesting work!

Amplify Festival is all about showcasing homegrown talent. Why is that important to you?

Theatre is magic in my eyes. If we only have the facility for artists to thrive in London, then what are we saying about what the rest of the country deserves? To be in a position where I can share experience, connections and resource with local aspiring artists is such a privilege. To be able to offer them the opportunity to make art in, with and for Nottingham – and to feel connected with and supported by their home region – it’s vital and exciting. And I think our audiences feel the same.

Amplify Festival 2024 is running at Nottingham Playhouse from Monday 21 October to Saturday 26 October.