Home / News / Five Minutes With Jo Stead-Burgess
It’s time for another edition of '5 minutes with…' and this time, we’re excited to introduce a very important person in the Trafalgar Theatres community – Jo Stead-Burgess! Jo is our Group Head of Creative Learning and has been part of the Trafalgar family for many years, starting as a volunteer and working her way up to the role she excels in today. She is an integral part of our team, helping us drive forward innovative and engaging programmes for our community. So, you know the drill. Time to make yourself comfortable, grab a cuppa and some biscuits, and join us as we dive into Jo’s journey and what exciting programmes she has in store for Fareham Live.
Hi Jo! Could you tell us a little more about your background and current role? It’s safe to say that my career history has been very diverse. In fact, I didn’t even start out wanting a career in the theatre. My background is in music and events, and I initially began volunteering with one of our Summer Youth Projects in 2009 as a hobby whilst re-training in family law. However, my passion for creative learning continued to grow, and in 2016 I was offered the role of Creative Learning Manager. Being a Creative Learning Manager is a hugely exciting role, our teams are responsible for overseeing educational and community engagement activity in our venues on behalf of Trafalgar Entertainment Trust, and developing and delivering programmes of work year-round for local people of all ages and backgrounds. I’m lucky to have found my dream career and was delighted to become Head of Creative Learning at Trafalgar in 2022, especially as I had started out as a part-time volunteer. It’s been a fantastic journey so far.
Could you tell us a little bit more about what you plan to bring to Fareham Live? Of course! Let’s start with our Weekly Groups and Youth Theatre, which will cater to children and young people aged 4-18, as well as some pre-school activities. These regular sessions will start to roll out in autumn and are designed to develop participants confidence and creativity and foster a love for theatre from an early age. Then, we will be hosting two annual holiday projects; West End Experience which gives young people the opportunity to train and perform with stars of the West End, and Summer Youth Project, which engages 100 young people in a two-week programme during the summer holiday in roles both on and off stage to produce a full-scale musical that culminates in four performances on our main stage. The aim of Summer Youth Project is to give everybody an opportunity, whatever their ability, and to have the unparalleled experience of working in a professional theatre and the thrill of bringing a production to stage from start to finish. Additionally, we will be introducing a variety of programmes and initiatives of outreach work, backstage tours, collaborating with education providers, working with older communities, specialist workshops and much more.
Sounds fabulous! Are we allowed to know which musical production will be your Summer Youth Project in 2025? We are thrilled to share that our first production at Fareham Live we will be "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory," marking the first time this iconic show is available for amateur theatre licensing. We typically draw in audiences of up to 2,500 people, so this will definitely be an opportunity not to be missed by any theatre lover. As well as the musical itself, the children will also take part in promoting the show throughout the community with activities such as flash mobs, fundraisers, festivals and more. It’s a brilliant way to gain not just skills, but also confidence and the experience of working with different age groups. We can’t wait! Auditions and introductory workshops take place in Spring, so watch this space.
Neither can we! Moving on, we’d love to know why you think it’s important for Fareham to have access to Creative Learning programmes? Our mission for Creative Learning is to provide unique and inspiring learning experiences to and for our communities and there is a pressing need for these programmes in Fareham. My team and I will be building this from scratch, offering open days, workshops, taster sessions, and backstage tours to establish outreach with local schools and colleges. We will also provide work experience opportunities, networking opportunities and supporting our teams working in the venue. Above all, we are dedicated to making our programmes accessible and inclusive for everyone.
Thanks Jo, we can’t wait to see what magic your team and the Fareham community will create! For more information on Fareham Live's Creative Learning Team, please visit the Get Involved page.