The hour-long bi-monthly arts podcast provides a much-needed space for in-depth discussion around key issues impacting the culture sector. Episode four focuses on the different roles regional theatres play in their communities and the daily realities of running a theatre in light of decreased cultural funding, rising costs and inflation

Battersea Arts Centre has released the fourth episode of its podcast (Un)Common Ground hosted by Artistic Director and CEO Tarek Iskander and theatre critic, journalist and author Lyn Gardner. This new episode brings together Artistic Directors Sarah Brigham from Derby Theatre, Jack McNamara from Live Theatre, Newcastle and Nancy Medina from Bristol Old Vic to discuss the provocation: “Regional Theatre – Is it too big to fail or too broke to survive?”. 

(Un)Common Ground is a longform conversation with a specific focus on topical issues relating to live performance. Each episode creates a platform for open and frank discourse. The panel discuss the vital infrastructure cultural venues provide to their communities and to the wider theatre ecology, the impact of escalating costs on programming and output, the pressure to be commercially successful, and the challenges and opportunities facing today’s leaders of civic spaces.

All four episodes of (Un)Common Ground – a BAC podcast can be streamed via BAC’s website or from Spotify and Soundcloud, both free.

(l-r) Sarah Brigham, Tarek Iskander, Jack McNamara, Lyn Gardner, Nancy Medina. (Un)Common Ground. (c) Ali Wright