Reflecting on learnings from making Salt & Smoke: Stories of Blyth
Novo Theatre’s Artistic Director Joe Hufton reflects on his learnings from making Salt & Smoke: Stories of Blyth.
Here’s what I learned making immersive theatre in a former mining town 300 miles from London…
Last month Novo Theatre made a show across Blyth as part of the Blyth Celebrates programme. I’m conflicted about writing about it—at the risk of reducing a complex place to soundbites. But much of my network remains London-centric, so here’s some of what I learned:
Nothing is private.
Especially not your rehearsal room. People will stick their heads in during a run and ask what you’re doing. It’s their town—you’re on their patch. It’s a challenge, but one we could all embrace more often.
Everyone wants to help.
We asked people to put actors on roofs, in gardens, in workshops, in an old cinema—and everywhere in between. Every single person said yes. Nobody asked for money. I’m astonished at what has been possible.
Culture does more for community pride than the far right.
Sharing a makeshift dressing room with a Reform councillor was definitely a challenge. But on the same weekend the far right visited the region, we had a bigger turnout than Tommy Robinson and heard endless stories about what brings people together.
People were proud to talk about their home. The case for culture in our communities is clear. We have to make it—now more than ever.
Immersive and site-specific work still has power.
Our show started in the marketplace. It was in people’s faces, on their roofs, in their drinking haunts. We can never measure it, but we reached audiences who would never make it through the doors of our publicly funded cultural buildings. Making art free isn’t enough—you have to take it to people.
My favourite moment?
When we accidentally performed an entire show to a group of teenagers on scooters. They were banned from the cinema for causing trouble, so they started their own group. They stole a show map and set off on their own adventure. It caused chaos for our show plan—but that’s what it’s all about, right?
Images: Ben Hines Photos
Salt & Smoke: Stories of Blyth was commissioned for Blyth Celebrates as part of the Energising Blyth regeneration programme, with funding from the UK Government, Northumberland County Council and the North East Combined Authority.