What a joy to co-host the recent Practitioner Call-Out Workshop at the University of Exeter, alongside partner organisations from across Devon. This workshop was part of Juice platform, with a rich array of events taking place across 1 and 2 June 2026.
Taking place in beautiful studios TS1 and TS2 at the Thornlea site, in the Department of Communications, Drama and Film, we gathered a group of 30 SW practitioners for a morning of shared practical work, networking, and discussion. Our regional freelancers are vital to the creative industries, and their skills, expertise and know-how is a vibrant regional asset and resource.
This event was a powerful reminder of how many skilled freelance Teaching Artists are currently working in the SW – it’s a real strength of the region, and one that should be celebrated. It was a particular joy to welcome such a geographic range – from Plymouth to Exeter to Okehampton to North Devon to Torbay.
The co-hosting organisations included Exeter Northcott, Alibi, Barbican Theatre Plymouth, Landmark Theatres, MED Theatre, and Theatre Royal Plymouth. (For past iterations and collaborative partners on this event in previous years, see images from the 2022 call-out day and the 2019 call-out day.)
Practitioners who attended included both early career folks, as well as experienced facilitators who have been working in the industry for decades. This range of experience was a joy to have in the room – and the energy and enthusiasm was palpable. It can be rare to have spaces to gather – to learn new practical material – to share experiences. This kind of gathering space is precious and vital.
We welcomed folks who represented a wide range of specialisms – from dance artists to podcasters, from writers to film-makers, from puppeteers to stage combat experts. What a gift to have such a wide range of skills in the room!
For the Doorstep team, this is the kind of space we most love to curate and co-host… we believe in looking after freelancers – supporting them properly, ensuring fair pay and excellent communication, and striving for a balanced equitable approach to how we work with them. This can be a hard thing in the SW, where geographic distance, access barriers and a rural infrastructure can create very real challenges. We had some good conversations about this, and it was inspiring to hear about regional initiatives (often led by freelancers!) which are underway.
The craft of the Teaching Artist is a complex one which takes years to hone and develop, and both the training of emerging facilitators and the sustaining, feeding and support of established/experienced practitioners is a topic that the Doorstep team care about deeply.
Our long-term relationship with the Applied Theatre programme at the University of Exeter has been a key part of the way in which we’ve supported this in the regional ecology.
The ability to hold a room well, to lead a complex respectful collaborative creative process with care and integrity, and to facilitate with both a keen sense of artistic ambition and a warm honest inclusivity? That requires real craft, honed through experience, and a reflective approach to practice which encourages growth and praxis.
The folks who attended this event demonstrated that in such powerful and inspiring ways. We’re hoping to host more follow-on events – to create meaningful and useful spaces to gather, to connect, to learn, to share, and to grow together.
Enormous thanks to the partner organisations and all those folks who came. We look forward to seeing you again soon.
