Professional Name: Kane Husbands
Graduated: 2009
Current Role: Artistic Director The PappyShow, Movement Director
I graduated from the BA (Hons.) European Theatre Arts (ETA) course in 2009. Since then, the past 8 years have been an extraordinary rollercoaster of a ride; I feel very lucky.
On leaving, I started working for the National Youth Theatre (NYT) of Great Britain, and worked my way up to becoming the ‘Artistic Associate: Regions and International’, quite a title! The role developed my love for travel, working with different people, cultures and communities – all things I’d been introduced to at Rose Bruford. In 2012, after Choreographing for the Olympic and Paralympic Team Welcoming Ceremonies, leaving the NYT after a fantastic few years, I took on the challenge of becoming a freelancer and starting my own company ‘The PappyShow’. At first I was absolutely terrified, but looking back now I couldn't imagine it any other way.
Since then I've continued working in both professional theatre as a movement director, but also in a range of community and participatory practice settings, including for a number of charities across the UK aiming to make a difference to young people’s lives. This huge spectrum of work has meant my highlights have gone from making work that has toured China, to witnessing the joyful spirit and laughter of young refugee children as they start their new life here. It’s been an enormous privilege to help make these connections.
ETA taught me so much. It planted a curiosity in me to want to tell stories, at times without words, and to ‘lean into’ discovering the universal language of movement. Whilst on my course, I travelled to Estonia, Poland and Spain – some with Erasmus, others just to see and participate. I haven't stopped travelling and making work. I found a love for training, learning and playfulness and these have been the cornerstones of my company. The PappyShow are an ensemble physical theatre company, we are focused on training and play. We have run open workshops since we started, and our work comes out of that play.
I remember once saying whilst on ETA, ‘If I could spend the rest of my life, in rehearsal rooms with my friends laughing, what a rich life it would be’. At times these are new friends and at other times they are some of the fantastic family I met whilst studying at Rose Bruford. I feel I'm always moving closer to that.
If i could give some advice to a current and prospective ETA student I’d say:
Be kind, be good to your peers – these friends will carry you through life
Write everything down – my journals’ from ETA are still bibles I refer back to.
Do as much as you can, make stuff, see stuff – become the artist that you're wishing was out there. Be Brave.
Useful links
BA (Hons) European Theatre Arts
Follow The PappyShow on Twitter
Visit The PappyShow website