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Why Red Ladder is crucial to a thriving theatre ecology in Leeds By Leah Francis
As a freelance theatre maker, performer, and facilitator based in Leeds, I’ve known about Red Ladder for a long time. Anyone who works in theatre in the North has probably heard of Red Ladder and I’ve been lucky enough to work with them several times over the years, starting with a small part in Alice Nutter’s Where’s Vietnam? and later one of the leading roles in Leeds Lads, co-written by Anthony Clavane and Nick Stimson.

Leah with the cast of Leeds Lads
This was back when Rod Dixon was in charge and both he and Red Ladder were hugely supportive when I set up Speak Woman Speak, a theatre company that highlights the voices of women from diverse backgrounds.
Last summer I was fortunate enough to spend a bit of time shadowing Cheryl Martin during the Sanctuary rehearsals. Seeing a black female as an artistic director, a role that, let’s be honest, is normally occupied by a white male, was really empowering because it showed me that these important artistic roles in the theatre are not beyond reach.
As the artistic director of Speak Woman Speak I have only, as yet, developed small scale shows, and seeing a bigger Red Ladder production up close like this was incredibly useful – watching how they work as a team and learning about their model of working with students to help them develop, has been invaluable.
Cheryl was incredibly generous with her time, and I learned how to lead big groups of people and how to begin the initial rehearsal process with the cast. When I was studying at college and then university, I never had a woman of colour as a teacher and seeing Cheryl showed me what was possible and acted as a reminder that someone like me can do this sort of role.

Credit Marcus Lee
For theatre makers and performers in Leeds, having the opportunity to learn from and collaborate with an organisation like Red Ladder really is priceless. Could we have more collaboration between arts organisations in the city? Yes. In recent years we have seen greater pooling of resources, but I think we need to develop more symbiotic relationships because if the bigger organisations reach out to those at a grassroots level then we will have a more sustainable and thriving theatre ecology.
Young people who are interested in a career in the arts need a pathway into it, something Red Ladder helps with through its workshops and collaborations. They give a platform to diverse voices and stories that often wouldn’t be heard or told. And we need to hear both because they reflect our lives and our communities.
People working in theatre, and those just starting out, need to feel they have an opportunity to progress, they need to believe there are organisations and individuals willing to invest in them – Red Ladder does all this.
They have really helped me thrive in the theatre industry – I probably wouldn’t still be in this industry if it wasn’t for Red Ladder. They have supported my growth over the years and working with Cheryl was the icing on the cake.
Main photo credit Emily Goldie