Andrew Anderson talks to one of our latest recruits – and asks him what it is, exactly, that a technical director does…
New faces are filling up the spaces at HOME, with September seeing the arrival of Jasper Gilbert as its first Technical Director and Head of Production. Gilbert pitches up in Manchester after a successful stint at Nottingham Playhouse, but that’s just one point on a seriously impressive CV: he has also worked with the Royal Shakespeare Company, had a hand in delivering Liverpool’s 2008 European City of Culture programme and has toured productions across Europe and North America.
With a career that has seen Gilbert turn his talents to a whole range of tasks, there was one obvious question to ask first: what exactly does a technical director do? “It’s a broad remit,” says Gilbert, “but basically I have to pull the technical aspects of the different artistic strands together.” While the phrase “technical aspects” might conjure the image of a job that’s all about production equipment and purchase orders, in reality it’s more about keeping an eye on the overarching artistic vision at HOME. “We’re on a voyage of discovery, finding out how, where, why and what we should be producing,” he confirms.
In the past Gilbert has spent most of his time in and around the stage, so HOME – with its arts and cinema elements – offers something new. “It’s a vast and quick learning curve,” says Gilbert, “but we’re picking up a clear and coherent vision that’s already in place. Now we just need to animate the space.”
It is the mixture of these two elements – the broad scope of the HOME programme and the appeal of exploring unchartered artistic territory – that drew Gilbert north to Manchester. But there is a third element, too: the city itself. “The vibrancy of Manchester and the way it has reinvented itself is amazing,” says Gilbert, the excitement apparent in his voice. “I’m very happy to be here.”