I’m very pleased to say that I’ve just joined the board of directors of Worcester-based youth theatre group C&T. It’s all part of the Young Professionals on Arts Boards scheme I’ve taken part in run by Arts and Business and I’m the very first person taking part to be matched with an arts organisation.

I attended the C&T board away day last week and it seems like a really great group of people. Everybody seems very enthusiastic about C&Ts work which is not surprising as it’s mix of technology and applied drama result in some very entertaining productions from the young people that they work with. The board’s mix of members should result in a bit of healthy debate on all manner of issues, which I’m told is very healthy and something I’m sure I won’t shy away from.

As well as attending regular board meetings for the organisation, a major role of board membership is obviously advocacy. I have to say though that I feel a surprising amount of enthusiasm for the organisation considering when I started the YPOAB scheme I had no idea who I wanted to be involved with. C&T have been a perfect match though and in truth it’s very easy for the geek inside me to find any platform in which to get excited about the uses of technology. C&T are currently developing a national network of employed artist/educators called animatuers who each work very closely with a local school in their area to develop drama using technology surrounding both school subjects as well as social issues. C&T’s very welcoming artist director Paul Sutton can certainly articulate all of this far better than I so if you’re not familiar with C&T take a look at their website.

Paul has also been hosting some of the ‘board training’ sessions for Arts & Business which have been very enlightening. I took part in a ‘Personal Impact’ training day last week so I can now officially take command of any situation - all very Derren Brown (look into my eyes!!).

This week is the last of the training days which will be focusing on the slightly more tangible subject of presentation (powerpoint/keynote to the ready then!?). It’s an area I’m reasonably confident in, however I do tend to make far more sense on paper rather than face to face. Yes believe it or not, this is as good as it gets.

Anyway, I’ll keep up to date on how the training goes and any further developments with C&T.