BRIGHTON PEOPLE’S THEATRE

“We’re constantly making sense of our lives through storytelling,” says Naomi Alexander, musing on how drama not only reflects society but helps shape it. “Theatre is a process of collective storytelling. It’s a really special way for people to make sense of crazy times.” The Artistic Director and Co-CEO of Brighton People’s Theatre (BPT), Naomi understands how telling stories can create a sense of unity and sow the seeds of effective change.

Starting work on BPT in 2015, she felt theatre was often out of touch with communities, both in the stories it told and the audience it courted. Everyone has stories to tell, and often personal insights help break down complex issues. And by taking it out of the traditional creative spaces, she’s been able to make a wider spectrum of people realise storytelling doesn’t just start conversations about the world around us, but also about the society we hope to create. “A lot of theatre appeals to other theatre-makers, and it can be quite