Staff Profile
Kate Veysey
Lecturer
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I have a BA ( Hons ) from Royal Holloway, University of London, and an MA in Advanced Theatre Practice ( Directing) from the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama. I was Youth Theatre Director at York Theatre Royal for 13 years until 2021 when I became a freelance director. I am the Artistic Director for Out of Character, a resident theatre company at YSJ, and Associate Director for Next Door But One CIC, as well as freelance directing and facilitating roles. In 2022 I was awarded a Developing Your Creative Practice award from the Arts Council to transition from directing young people to directing professional actors, and as such was mentored and assisted 8 female directors across the year including Anna Herrmann at Clean Break for Catch ( national tour), Emma Rice at Wise Children for Wuthering Heights ( at the National Theatre) and Tamara Harvey for Famous Five (at Theatre Clwyd). My research interests include collaborative theatre-making, accessible practice and testimonial theatre from lived experience.
- School – School of the Arts
- Email – k.veysey@yorksj.ac.uk
Teaching
I have been a Visiting Lecturer for York St John since 2015 and became a permanent lecturer in September 2023. I currently deliver on the Companies module and am a Dissertation supervisor.
Before this, I was Youth Theatre Director at York Theatre Royal for 13 years, facilitating sessions and directing over 50 productions in the main house, studio, site-specific and touring. I have also taught for the University of York and delivered Theatre as a Tool for Resilience for 4th-year junior doctors at Exeter Medical School during the pandemic. I have also been an Arts Award Moderator since 2005.
Research
My research includes my recent Developing Your Creative Practice award from the Arts Council, which was focused on Directing professional actors, working alongside 8 female directors, supporting their work as assistant directors, and audition assistants and being mentored by each of them across the year. I am interested in ethical practice in making work that tells the stories of communities, working alongside them throughout the process. My recent production She Was Walking Home for Next Door But One is a piece of testimonial theatre in response to the murder of Sarah Everard, telling the stories of 33 York women woven into 4 monologues by playwright Rachel Price. This was initially audio stories in the pandemic, and then a tour of community spaces ( libraries, pub gardens), a filmed resource for schools and then most recently a schools and universities tour which visited YSJ in 2023.
As Artistic Director of Out of Character, a theatre company for adults who access or have accessed mental health services, my work focuses on accessible and ambitious theatre projects working collaboratively with a company and creative team.
Professional Activities
I am a director and as such several direct productions each year for Next Door But One, Out of Character and other theatres regionally and nationally. Earlier this year I was Assistant Director for Catch with Clean Break, which toured women's centres, prisons and universities. I toured with the production delivering sessions in the venues. I am currently directing After Life by Jack Thorne, which will be performed in the YSJ Creative Centre in December 2023.
