Chloe Brown
Hi, I’m Chloe, 26, a freelance stage manager and was once described as Happy-Go-Lucky by an incredible woman and old university tutor of mine. I think it’s the most accurate description anyone has ever given me. I’m from Bournemouth, and although everyone says I should be thankful to live by the beach, I can’t help but hate it. Living in London and working as a full-time stage manager is my dream. I crave theatre, arts, music and events, a community where the arts are respected and loved. It’s what runs through my veins, and I am without a doubt an artist in every sense so why am I so terrified of what comes next?
It has taken me a long time to realise that job stability is important. I work as a freelance stage manager and theatre technician and yet I also keep a retail job to make sure that I’m always secure financially. There’s a fine line between doing what you love and making sure you’re able to pay your bills, and it’s a sacrifice I’ve had to make at this point in my life. There’s an uncertainty in freelance work that is always in the back of my mind: great, I’ve got one job but what’s next? Another job or unemployment? It’s a risk I’m willing to take if that’s what it means to work as a creative, it’s in my blood and I have to do it.
There’s a great advantage to living outside of London and it’s the cost. Although I don’t have to pay an obscene amount for rent and travel, working as a freelancer in a seaside town comes with its challenges.
Limited resources: While many local and regional theatres offer a wide range of opportunities, they also face limitations in terms of budgets and resources. It can weigh in on the impact of the scale of production, the availability of technical tools and even the salaries of employees.
Visibility and Exposure: As a young freelancer working outside of London means less exposure to industry professionals, both national and international. You have to work harder to gain the recognition and visibility from other creatives and professionals around you.
Although, it’s not and never will be all doom and gloom. Working in a small community here in Bournemouth means I’m able to foster close relationships with those I’ve worked with. We become a dream team of collaborators and build lasting professional relationships. Where, if I’m unable to take a job, I’ll always know I can recommend someone else that will step up to the plate and vice versa.
Freelance work demands versatility and adaptability. It leads to rapid skill learning and development in every job you choose to take. Work is work and there’s such a variety of freelance projects that ensures you’re consistently working on yourself and what you know. I believe that working as a freelance artist or technician makes you a more valuable and well-rounded professional. There is a sense of satisfaction that comes from managing a project from start to finish no matter the role you take on during that work.
Freelance theatre work outside of London exists, it’s hard, but it’s there. I’m always willing to embrace those challenges and rewards of the local arts scene. Although I keep my part time retail job at hand, my freelance career is only just starting and I know I have time to create the life I really want to live in the arts world. After all, I’m 26 – what’s the rush? I’ll take every opportunity I am given; I will never take those jobs for granted. What will be, will be. It will all come to me in time with hard work, there’s no doubt about it. I will constantly push myself and apply my knowledge and expertise to get the jobs I want to work (and even those I don’t) because it’s what I’m born to do. The only person that would stop me is myself, and that’s why I push through.