National Theatre's Carmel Macaree: 'Don’t worry if your career progress isn’t linear'

How did you start off in theatre?
I have always been excited about shows, concerts and events. I took part in drama clubs and music classes and, at school, got involved with stage managing and supporting with offstage jobs, then studied drama at university. When we were working on a performance project, everyone else wanted to be on stage. I decided to have a go at tech desks, learning as I went along from some brilliant technicians, stage and production managers. Since then, I have worked as a production manager, producer and festival coordinator across multiple touring shows, arts festivals and theatre spaces.

What is the best piece of advice you have for tech students and graduates?
Don’t worry if your progress isn’t linear. There is this notion that you need to move in a straight line to develop in your career. Every show, project, place and team you work in will bring something new. Also, don’t worry about trying different areas and coming back to an area of interest another time. It will give you a greater understanding of the work processes, show contexts and how the different teams work towards the same goal.

What would you change about the industry?
The arts are not always seen as a viable career option by parents, guardians and some teachers. They only see the performance elements of a show. Only being able to see the tip of the iceberg means that you don’t see the astronomical amount of work under the surface. I would love there to be more transparency in other roles that exist and more practical application and joining up from other industries. You can be an electrical engineer for cars or for automation on a West End show – the skills are very similar. You don’t have to be artistic to work in this industry – problem-solving, lateral thinking and maths are as valuable as creativity.

If you were starting again what is one thing you would do differently?

I would consider an apprenticeship. I didn’t know there were so many other ways to learn and train at the same time. I think I would have benefited from that style of learning.