Top theatremakers say fight for gender equality is harder than ever

Leading female theatremakers have warned that fighting for gender parity in the current political landscape is harder than ever

Directors Jude Kelly and Kully Thiarai, and Olivier award-winning lighting designer Paule Constable, were speaking alongside New Earth Theatre artistic director Kumiko Mendl at a panel discussion marking the launch of a new book celebrating influential women in British theatre.

Constable responded to ongoing concerns that gender equality is lacking from Arts Council England’s 10-year strategy. "I’m really angry about it actually. I’m angry at the Arts Counciland the assumption that the work is done," she said.

"When someone turns round to me and says the work is done around gender in my discipline I just want to punch them. We haven’t even started," she continued.

Speaking at the launch of the book, 50 Women in Theatre, which was held at Shakespeare’s Globe in London on October 3, both Constable and Thiarai, now creative director of Leeds’ 2023 year of culture, said they feel the current political landscape means causes are being made to fight for attention.

Thiarai said: "We are pitted against one another around various characteristics – being a woman, being of colour, being working class, having children, you name it. There are layers and layers of structural prejudice and structural barriers."

She described the landscape as "quite dangerous" at present, and said "the politics in which we are fighting is harder than it’s ever been".

"After 30 years of fighting, I just feel exhausted. The messages of divide and conquer are more potent than they ever were," she added.

Kelly, who founded the gender-equality organisation WOW Foundation, claimed progress is being slowed because the cause "is just not sexy".

"It’s like we’re tiresome," she said.

"Are you going to confront the fact that women are second class? How are you going to confront that fact in your work, in your institution?," Kelly said, arguing that women "are not saying it bluntly enough".

"We have got to say it over and over again," she stated.