By Mark Da Vanzo

While I have lived in the UK since I emigrated from New Zealand in 2002, I often draw on my experiences from growing up half a world away in a country, similar but different. “He waka eke noa” is a Māori proverb which loosely translates as “a canoe which we are all in with no exception” and over my first year’s journey as Chief Executive of the Liverpool Everyman & Playhouse this saying has felt particularly relevant as we have grappled as a sector with a range of shared challenges.

A year ago today, I was visiting my elderly parents in New Zealand having just been confirmed in post as the new sole Chief Executive. I remember sitting in the garden, the very same garden in which I spent much of my childhood, planning how I might approach my first year in leading the two iconic theatres I had been working for over the past four years. Often, new leaders will be measured on what they have achieved during their first 100 days and I had set my sights on a number of immediate areas I wanted to focus on. However, my experience of the arts sector over the years is that it is in a constant state of flux and that best laid plans can often go awry. So I promised myself that I would remain flexible, not be beholden to old paradigms and always fight for the change that I wanted to see. I didn’t appreciate at the time that these traits would be called into action so soon!

As I was mid-air on the way back to Liverpool, I found out that both theatres had been forced to close due to Covid-19 and a number of decisions needed to be taken immediately to limit the impact on the organisation. I decided that my priority must be our duty of care to staff (whether they be permanent, casual or freelance), continuing to connect with the local communities we serve and ensuring our wonderful theatres could be in a strong position to open again when it was possible and viable to do so. So with the majority of staff either furloughed or working from home we embarked on a programme of work to support these aims.

Like many, we have had to take much of our work digital throughout the year. Prior to Covid-19 we had instigated a pilot with NHS Foundation Trust, Mersey Care, exploring the way in which culture can improve health and wellbeing through Life Rooms at the Playhouse. We managed to seamlessly take this project online as well as deliver our programme of work to our Young Everyman & Playhouse (YEP) members throughout the pandemic.

We also launched a digital project called Love, Liverpool: An A-Z of Hope in response to the fact that many people were housebound and could not access the city that they love. This was a wonderful project that brought together a myriad of creative talents to record seven digital love letters to the city. It also provided paid work to a number of freelancers when work was extremely scarce. We are hoping to stage a live version of Love, Liverpool in July of this year which would be a fitting culmination of an innovative project, inviting audiences back into the city that they have missed so dearly. Embracing digital technologies has been a valuable tool over the pandemic to help us extend our reach and impact and we will continue to evolve our digital offering long after the pandemic has released its grip.

We were one of the few theatres across the country that could open in December and were delighted to bring three shows to Liverpool audiences. Over that period we managed to provide employment opportunities for 96 freelancers and casual workers, and entertained over 4,000 people in a safe, Covid-19 secure environment. We also supported a range of suppliers to build our sets, props and provide our food and drink offer. We also took to the streets to entertain key workers and those who were shielding through our 12 Days of Christmas project. We also managed to provide children at Alder Hey Children’s Hospital with a recorded live version of A Christmas Carol for them and their families to enjoy in the week leading up to Christmas. To achieve these great outcomes we had to adapt and I am constantly thankful for the wonderful staff team and supportive Board of Trustees who have made the seemingly impossible, possible. A Christmas Carol also marked Gemma Bodinetz’s final show as Artistic Director. After 17 years, we were sorry to say goodbye to Gemma and wish her all the very best for her future endeavours. We are currently in the midst of recruiting a new Creative Director who will be tasked with forming a collaborative artistic vision that reflects the wonderfully diverse city we live in and is relevant to the people who live here.

I am acutely aware that we are all too often defined by our differences rather than our similarities. This became all too apparent with the murder of George Floyd and the global outcry that followed. When I worked for Arts & Business in London we championed diverse representation on Boards and within workforces. This was nearly 20 years ago. It is clear to me that the well-meaning initiatives over the years haven’t led to the long-term outcomes we sought as a sector. We need to do something different. Actions now speak far louder than words. We are on a journey and to help us along the path we have set aside a percentage of our turnover this year to support additional initiatives that support diversity, inclusion and social justice. We have also formed a Diversity Action Group whose members continue to inspire me with their intellect, challenge, dignity and compassion. I have also been inspired by Amanda Parker of Inc Arts and am looking forward to working with her this year on ensuring we become a welcoming and safe space for all.

One of the few positives from Covid-19 has been that it has been a useful time for reflection. How often do we say to ourselves “I wish everything could just stop for a second so that we have time to plan properly”? Over the course of the pandemic it has been sad to see the streets of our city empty and lifeless. It does not feel like the Liverpool I have come to know and love and I can’t wait to be able to reopen the theatres again, welcome audiences back and play our civic role in bringing our city back to life. I also want us, as a sector, to emerge from Covid with the health and wellbeing of our staff front of mind. Our historic methods of theatre production don’t always lend themselves to a healthy work/life balance and we need to think very differently about how we produce and challenge the older, sometime archaic, ways of working.

While Covid-19 will have left an indelible mark on the sector, I am optimistic that we can rise again and continue to inspire those we reach. It is clear to me that the arts will play an instrumental part in the nation’s recovery. The economic contribution of the arts is well proven and this is why it is so vital that the government has supported, and continues to support, this vital industry. There will be a time to mourn those we have lost over the past year and I think the artistic response to the nation’s grief could be instrumental to our collective healing. My hope for the year ahead is that we continue to innovate, collaborate and face shared challenges together. We’re all in the same canoe.

He waka eke noa