As a women-led venue, we are thrilled to be working with so many amazing women across our team and to be supporting a range of women-led works in our Spring programme this year. To celebrate Women’s History Month, we’re highlighting this team of fantastic women: Meet Susannah Bramwell, our Cultural Programme Manager, and an inspirational and passionate member of our team whose progression within the organisation is something to really celebrate! She is also leading our upcoming History Tours, so read on to find out more.

Can you introduce yourself, and tell us a little about your role at Shoreditch Town Hall? 

Hi, I am Susannah – the Cultural Programme Manager at Shoreditch Town Hall. This means I work to deliver our live performance, community, and artist development programmes. I actually started off here as a placement student three years ago during my MA Creative Producing course at The Royal Central School of Speech & Drama. Our Head of Cultural Programme, Ellie Browning, then offered me the role of Cultural Programme Officer in the summer after my placement – and last autumn I was promoted to Manager! I really love working at STH – there’s such a huge mix of work we support, whether it’s a huge cabaret in the Assembly Hall or local grassroots groups taking over our Front Room Bar. The team are one of the best parts of the job – they are endlessly supportive, creative, and kind. Ellie, my boss, has given me so many opportunities for my professional development over the years, I’ve grown so much as a Producer and it’s been fantastic to get really embedded within an organisation. I have now been given the opportunity to manage our newest Creative Producing Placement, Kristina,  which feels like a full circle moment! 

Alongside my work at STH I am also a freelance Producer, passionate about socially driven, interdisciplinary, and accessible programmes. I am currently working with Documental Productions as their Engagement Producer mainly on  their community action programmes. My other recent work includes: RIGHT OF WAY, a 5 star play which toured the South West; BURNOUT, created with climate activists; and the Offie Nominated CONFINEMENT. I am also an Access Support Worker for Arts Council England grants, and a trustee for ALBOS UK. STH and Ellie have been very supportive in helping me achieve such a varied career in the last three years – from mentorship to even loaning me production equipment for my last tour! I really enjoy the mix of working in a venue but also on my independent projects.

Describe a project you worked on at Shoreditch Town Hall that means a lot to you.

I really enjoyed helping dream up and deliver the Summer in The Ditch programme we ran last summer. This was a series of artist takeovers in our basement space featuring a programme of all things camp, queer and cult from musicians, artists, poets and performers. This felt like such a good use of The Ditch – the work fit so well in that surrounding – and I loved being able to give artists the opportunity to experiment with our support. At a time when so many of London’s LGBTQ+ venues are closing (more than half between 2006-2022 according to the Greater London Authority), it felt important to offer a new space for this kind of work. We’re hoping to bring back Summer in The Ditch this year – keep an eye out!

What’s a misconception people have about working in a venue like this?

That we have a large team running all of our programmes! In reality it is just Ellie and I – unlike other venues we don’t have a specific creative engagement or artist development team. Ellie and I are the programming, producing, participation, artist support, and fundraising team. It is a lot of work, but I think we’re a good team for getting things done! It does also mean that our work is always very varied and interesting.

What’s one tool, trick, or hack you use daily to make your job easier?

I use Microsoft Planner to keep on top of my workload. It helps me prioritise and categorise tasks, while keeping the information I need to complete each action in one place. I would be lost without it! Trello also does something similar if you don’t have Microsoft.

What do you like to do when you’re not at work?

I am really into wild swimming – whenever I can I’m in water at the moment! Whether it’s the sea, or a nice lake or river, I find the cold water really helps me to reset mentally and feel my best. I’m also big into running for similar reasons (the headspace!), and am running the Hackney Half this year for St Mungo’s. Otherwise, I enjoy curling up with a good book and a cup of tea. My goal this year is to read 30 books, which I am on track for. I am currently reading The Favourite: Sarah, Duchess of Marlborough – a biography of Sarah Churchill (Queen Anne’s favourite) by Ophelia Field.

What’s your favourite Shoreditch Town Hall show you’ve watched?

My favourite show was WOODHILL by LUNG Theatre. Pushing the form of documentary and physical theatre, WOODHILL is the explosive true story of HMP Woodhill and the crisis facing prisons. It was such an ambitious and brilliant show, and performed in our Council Chamber which was the perfect space given the content of the piece. Works that makes best use of our Grade II listed spaces and their history are always my favourites!

What are you most looking forward to in our Spring Season?

I am most looking forward to ThisEgg’s A Little Inquest Into What We Are All Doing Here. Ellie got to see it at Edinburgh and has been telling me how amazing it is, but I haven’t seen it yet! I think it will be a really pressing inquiry into freedom of expression, performed using some really interesting storytelling methods… I can’t wait.

Can you tell us about a woman, in history or in your life, who has positively affected you in some way?

I am surrounded by a strong team of women at Shoreditch Town Hall and in my freelance work, which is amazing. All the women I work with are so creative, talented, and driven. They mean I can do the work I love!

I also love strong female figures in history. My inspiration at the moment is Eleanor of Aquitane. She was one of the most powerful women of the Middle Ages – Duchess of Aquitaine in her own right, queen-consort of France and later queen of England. She was an important patron of poets and writers, and is often credited with helping to develop courtly love – romance traditions which survive to this day. She was also an astute and ruthless ruler, heavily involved in the governance of her French territory and England – even acting as regent when Henry II went on the third crusade. At a time when women often had limited agency, she ruled her own empire and carved a creative legacy for herself. I think she is really cool!

I think my interest in history is why I have loved taking up leading the History Tours if our building. It started off with Open House Festival, but since last September we have been running monthly history tours. I love meeting people who have memories of their times in the venue when it was something else completely – from hearing stories of people getting married here in the 1930s to people enjoying the 90s WhirlyGig rave nights! Our next history tour is on International Women’s Day and it will have a special focus on the history of women at Shoreditch Town Hall, like suffragette Sylvia Pankhurst, women’s rights advocate Helen Taylor, Shoreditch’s first woman mayor Henrietta Girling OBE and more. I am really looking forward to leading it.

Want to join Susannah on a History Tour? The afternoon tour has sold out, but we have added a morning tour due to popular demand! Click here to book you £2 ticket. For all other International Women’s Day events at Shoreditch Town Hall, click here. For the History Tours taking place later on in spring, click here.