Chapter 4: New job!

I had started to despair over the summer about ever being able to quit my job at the Barbican. I resented them somewhat less when I found out they were going to pay us the London living wage (there's been a big union push for councils/boroughs to pay the London living wage, as opposed to the British award minimum, because it costs so much more to live in London than anywhere else in the country).

There was one good thing about the Barbican job, which ironically came out of the worst ever shift (which I talked about in an earlier post) During the dreadful Carpark 5 shift, I met Graham Sheffield, Artistic Director of the Barbican. I chatted to him briefly, and the next day I cheekily sent him an email about iceandfire's season at the Edinburgh Fringe. A couple of weeks later he wrote back and said he'd like to come, and he did! Christine saw him in the audience, shaking his head and tutting in the appropriate places (it's a show to make you angry!) So I then sent Graham another email after the festival was over and asked if he would meet with iceandfire to discuss a potential collaboration. Not only does iceandfire fit many of the Barbican's artistic aims/vision (as discussed at some Barbican staff meetings) but Graham is also on the board of advisors for freedom of speech organistion Index on Censorship, whose editor is on OUR board! And they have commissioned one show from us and we are working with them on another.

Anyway, on a fateful day about 3 weeks ago, Graham's PA got back to me and said he was keen to meet and talk about a collaboration. Very exciting for us - the meeting is in a few weeks (late Oct) and the Barbican is definitely the most high profile venue/arts collaborator we have spoken to. About one hour after receiving this excellent email, I had a phone call. From Inside Job Productions, with whom I made the prison film in May, offering me another job! A more long-term project, to take me (working part-time) til late February!

So I feel like I must have been working at the Barbican for a reason. Putting up with the less-than-generous pay and unexciting work in order to get this meeting for iceandfire with Graham Sheffield... then the universe rewarded me by allowing me to quit!

My final shift at the Barbican was another doozy though. I'll go into more details in the Crappy Week chapter...!!