Not sure how I managed to lose my old blog...

I seem to have forgotten my password and such for my old blog, so please disregard it! If I can keep up, I'll write on this one from now on.
I'm having quite an exciting day at work for a Saturday - there's the launch party for a big festival in Barking called the Molten festival, and there's all sorts of music and dancing going on, plus we've just got a variety of free cakes! But I'm getting ahead of myself.

I've moved back home to Leytonstone (London), having finished my degree and spent the summer working for C venues at the Edinburgh Fringe - long hours, busy work and not much money...so pretty much like being a student! Except that I got to see lots of free shows, too. I then started my job here in Barking at the BROADWAY theatre, as an administration assistant, having decided during my final year at uni (whilst producing many shows and performing in a few) that organising things was what I was best at. So I decided to go into Arts organisation and/or Administration - this was the first job I applied for, and the first interview I did, and they gave me the job!

The theatre is part of the regeneration of Barking and Dagenham, built around the existing municipal hall that was designed in the 1930s, and which played host to all sorts of events from ballet to boxing. After it had fallen into disuse for some years, it was redesigned and added to, so that the front of the building now forms the inside of the foyer and entrance to the theatre, and the foyer is all new.
Our programme is designed to appeal to local residents (live music, stand-up comedy, family shows) and also to encourage audience development (getting people who wouldn't normally come to the theatre to come, and to get people who do attend regularly to see shows they might not necessarily have seen otherwise) - dance, kids' shows, drama - for which we are funded by the Arts Council England. And, of course, there's our annual Panto, the only thing the theatre produces (everything else is received - touring companies or one-off shows by external promoters.)
We've also got Barking College School of Performing Arts who have their premises in the basement, and they use the theatre for lessons and all their curriculum performances, and the spaces are hired out for various performances and meetings by local groups and dance schools.

Sterling work, I'm sure you'll agree. My job is to help the lovely Xander, the administration manager, with the running of the office, looking after the paperwork for the professional programme and the hires, dealing with potential hire clients and giving them tours of the building, looking after the Human Resources for the company, and various other bits and pieces (including being Xander's PA and reminding him to do things!) I've also been taken on as casual Box Office staff (which is what I'm doing here on a saturday!) to earn me a bit of extra cash, and to help fill gaps on the rota.
I'm having a great time - after my first month I'm getting the hang of where everything is, where things go, who people are etc. and I've been doing a big variety of different things, so I'm never bored. Plus, the people I work with are awesome! Everyone's very friendly and helpful and good company :) I'm also doing a course that work have paid for - an Introduction to Arts Administration at CityLit (adult education college in London) - which is teaching me lots of useful stuff, and is run by Jon Harris who mum used to work with at Shared Experience!

Other than that, I've gone back to some ballet classes at Redbridge Classical Dance Studios (where I used to go to dancing before I went to uni!), and have been generally going to the theatre a LOT, taking advantage of being in London, and catching up with all my friends, which has been fairly hectic! I still haven't managed to get hold of everyone! I'm also trying to dream up some theatre projects in my spare time...

So I thought I should start blogging again for all those of you who I haven't caught up with yet, and for everyone who's been asking what my new job's like! Varied and challenging in equal measure, and a good starting-point for a career (hopefully) in theatre...hurrah!

More soon - sorry for the long ramble - will try to keep things short and more amusing from now on ;)
Lia xx
PS - work's website is www.thebroadwaybarking.com and you can email me there at lia.buddle@thebroadwaybarking.com