Susan Whyte is one of life’s coiled springs of activity. Always planning, always innovating, perpetually working to spread a positive message about art.
As the head of creative engagement at Aberdeen Performing Arts, she is determined to break down barriers and if that means Scottish Ballet visiting schools or talking enthusiastically about everything from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory to KT Tunstall and Dracula to Eat the Rich, a “rabble-rousing” cabaret, then Susan’s your woman.
There haven’t been challenges to seek for her and her colleagues in recent years, given the cumulative impact of Covid, a cost-of-living crisis and reduced money for many arts and culture projects.
But when I asked her what she would do if she had access to a magic wand, her response was typical of her effervescent approach to adversity.
The arts can enrich everyone’s lives
She told me: “I’d love to see more opportunities for everyone to get involved and for more creatives to have sustainable careers in the arts here. I’d like the arts to be embedded in everyone’s lives every day, to be enjoyed by everyone, not something that is only for special occasions or for those who can afford it.
“I truly believe the arts can enrich everyone’s lives and I’d love for everyone to have the chance to go to all the performances they’d like to – and for everyone to get the chance to play an instrument, learn how to dance, act, sing, write songs, poetry, stories, screenplays and scripts, make films, create artworks, try whatever art form they fancy – so many people never get the chance to tap into their creativity.
“It would also be lovely if arts organisations didn’t have to worry about funding from one year to the next”!
Taking art to new places matters
Susan is a passionate advocate for nurturing youngsters and persuading them to walk through the door of a theatre, gallery, museum or concert venue. In her eyes, many people never discover how much they relish something until they are exposed to it.
As she said: “We’ve been connecting with local schools to offer opportunities to children who might not otherwise get the chance to come to one of our venues.
“For example, Scottish Ballet visited Woodside School and gave the P7 class a workshop – the class then came to see the Snow Queen at His Majesty’s Theatre.
“We offer some free spaces in all our theatre and music-making workshops for young people to ensure that everyone who wants to can have a chance to take part and we collaborate with Barnardo’s to offer workshop places to young people.
“Our Light the Blue festival is connecting with schools in the City and Shire, offering chances to work on Class Act, a project with Edinburgh’s Traverse Theatre and for primary schools to create mini operas through the Snappy Operas project.
“Rise Up’ in May is a weekend mini festival produced in partnership with We Are Here Scotland, amplifying the voices of and exploring how we can support black and people of colour creatives in Aberdeen and further afield to have sustainable careers in the arts.
If you create it, they will come
“We have a community choir which is open to everyone who would like to have fun singing with others. We often have ticket offers for shows to make things more affordable for everyone and we’re always open to conversations around what we can do to make our spaces more accessible, inclusive and relevant to everyone.
“It’s important to us that everyone feels welcome in our venues and, whether you’re coming in for a cup of tea in Coda, our cafe at the Music Hall, going to the opera at His Majesty’s Theatre, enjoying live music at the Music Hall, seeing a comedian at the Lemon Tree or taking part in a workshop, Aberdeen Performing Arts is for everyone”.
The pandemic obviously brought theatre and cinema curtains down across the world and it has taken time to discern how the public have been affected. Going out used to be a regular treat for many people, but now, with budgets tighter, it’s more of a luxury and the majority of arts groups are feeling the pinch. Hopefully, though, that will change.
She said: “There’s no doubt that Covid changed people’s habits and whilst many people couldn’t wait to come back and experience the joy of live performances, I know that others were more nervous about coming back into crowded places.
“I think those that are returning are appreciating arts and culture even more than pre-Covid. It’s so important that the public visit arts venues – they are places of discovery, places to enjoy experiences that can make you laugh, cry and feel every emotion in between. The power of live performance or experiencing an exhibition in person cannot be matched through connecting on a screen.
Live events are better than streaming
“It was important to have the digital offerings during Covid, but there is nothing like experiencing the arts in person. We all need to take time out to visit our arts venues – to try something new as well as sticking with the things we are comfortable with.
“It’s well documented that taking part in the arts, as an audience member or a creator, is good for mental health and wellbeing. Personally, I love going to all kinds of arts events, they make me feel good and even those that I may not instantly connect with can leave a lasting impression and make me think about things in a different way”.
The coming months offer a wealth of diverse entertainment events and artistic offerings and Susan is confident there is something for everybody in a packed programme.
As she said: “Alongside the shows at His Majesty’s Theatre such as Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Six and Dracula, we have KT Tunstall, Angelique Kidjo and Duncan Chisholm at the Music Hall and we have Eat the Rich cabaret at the Lemon Tree with a rabble-rousing line up of cabaret stars from across Scotland.
“Then, there’s Delve, a weekend curated by award-winning musician and producer Inge Thomson featuring poet Hollie McNish, with music from Hen Hoose, Malin Lewis Trio, Jonnie Common and DJ Dolphin Boy.
Keeping the audience engaged
“In April, our exhibition space at the Music Hall will host an exhibition by local artists Gabi Reith and Phil Thompson called Oor Future, created entirely with recycled materials and exploring the climate conversation”.
The work never stops for Susan and she wouldn’t have it any other way. But, as she argued, it’s all about finding an audience and keeping them engaged and interested. The cultural sector faces plenty of problems at the moment. But nobody can accuse her and her APA associates of ducking the issue. Now, when are you booking a ticket?
Five questions for Susan Whyte
1)What book are you reading? “Sorrow and Bliss by Meg Mason, which is funny and devastating in equal measure”.
2)Who’s your hero/heroine? “Frontline NHS workers/those working in care homes”.
3)Do you speak any foreign languages? “A tiny bit of Dutch and even tinier bits of German”.
4)What’s your favourite band or music? “It’s too difficult to choose just one. I’m a big fan of Frazey Ford and Scotland has produced some incredible musicians – Roddy Frame, King Creosote, Elizabeth Fraser and of course Aberdeen’s Annie Lennox, the list is long and for a small country we have a music back catalogue to be very proud of”.
5) What’s your most treasured possession? “I don’t think my children would like to be thought of as possessions, but they are the most treasured things in my life”.