Calling all StageSider’s, welcome back to another installment of StageSide Stories, where we give you a behind the scenes tour of the creative process for some of your favourite shows and companies. We are really excited to be talking to Kevin Mclean, in this installment. Kevin is a Creative Director at I Am Loud.
Creative directing is not something I know that much about, and so being able to ask Kevin some questions about the role and what a creative director does was really informative and really appreciated. If you have ever wondered what a Creative Director was, or want to know more about I Am Loud, then keep on reading!
Could you introduce yourself, your role and share a bit of information on your background and what initially inspired you to become involved in the world of theatre and creative direction?
My name is Kevin Mclean and I am the Creative Director of I Am Loud and the host of our long running spoken word show ‘Loud Poets’. I’m responsible for planning our live and digital output, finding the top poets to perform with us, producing our events at other Fringes and Festivals and managing our collaborations with other artistic organisations. I was a youth theatre kid from the age of ten and always loved writing and performing though surprisingly I was never a great fan of poetry, having found it very dry and not very reflective of my own life when studying it at school. This all changed when I attended my first spoken word show and realised there was a whole world of contemporary poetry I had never seen before. I was hooked immediately.
Can you tell me a bit about what a Creative Director does, how does your role contribute to the company and creative programme?
Everything we do at I Am Loud is a team effort, but we all have responsibility over one key aspect of what we do. My job is to plan and produce all our creative programming; this includes creating formats for our shows, seeking out fresh talent to perform with us, working with venues and creative partners, and finding ways for us to put poetry in front of new audiences.
I Am Loud Productions is known for making spoken word and poetry accessible and engaging. What drew you to this company, and what excites you most about the work you do there?
We started as a loose collective of poets who were looking for nights to perform at that felt less like a poetry recital and more like a comedy night. Our aim has always been to entertain an audience and to try to show people who maybe aren’t the biggest fans of poetry that there is something there for them. So we put a huge focus on our production skills, on constantly updating and refining our show formats, and on making sure our nights are as stylistically and demographically diverse as possible. I’ve always loved how flexible spoken word is. It can be paired with music, film, or dance. It can be funny, or sad, or everything in between, sometimes even in a single poem. There is nothing I enjoy more than talking to someone after one of our shows who has never been to a spoken word show before but now can’t wait for the next one.
How have your past experiences, whether in theatre or other creative fields, influenced your approach to creative direction with I Am Loud Productions?
I think people have a very specific idea of what poetry should be like when it’s read aloud, but coming from a theatre background I’ve always valued how much of an impact good production can have. Taking our shows from pub basements into our beautiful theatre home at the Scottish Storytelling Centre allows us to use theatre lighting and projections, and when you add the sound quality and the general vibe of a theatre space it immediately elevates our presentation. We have always incorporated music into our poetry partly because a song is a more recognisable and familiar element than a poem for some audiences but also because a pre-existing poem with improvised music creates a singularly unique artistic moment for the audience in attendance. Our hosting borrows from stand-up comedy traditions, and we even borrow from professional wrestling with our Slam Championship belt! Spoken word at its best can truly give you a bit of everything.
As a creative director, what do you see as the key qualities or skills that have been most valuable to you in your career, and how have they evolved over time?
I think my biggest strength as a Creative Director is in understanding that my job is to serve my audience rather than myself. We all have our specific tastes and preferences, but understanding that something can be good even if it’s not my cup of tea and vice versa is essential to creating a successful programme. I also think variety is essential: always looking for new voices and new ideas rather than resting on tried and tested formats stops you from getting stale.
I Am Loud Productions is recognised for its innovative and artistic spoken word productions. Can you describe your approach to conceiving and developing these creative ideas and turning them into reality?
Trial and error is a big part of what we do. We try never to be scared of trying something new and then letting our audience decide whether they want to see more or whether we roll the dice again. We do a lot of work as a team to stress test our ideas and to try to pick holes in any new concepts, which means by the time we are presenting any new programming there shouldn’t be too many kinks. Having a team that can constructively criticise and edit each other’s ideas is a hard thing to find but a massive help when trying to run as many projects as we do in an average year.
Collaboration is often crucial in theatre production. How do you work closely with the creative team and cast to ensure that your vision is realised on the stage?
It helps that our whole team is made up of poets but that we all have contrasting styles. We all also have experience in other artistic fields which means we all bring something unique to the table. Whenever we sit down to plan a project our aim is always to make the best outcome for the audience, so understanding what everyone excels at allows us to make sure we are all putting our focus and energy in the right place. We trust each other to make the right calls and to put the project first. The biggest tool you can have in any sort of collaborative creative project is trust in your team.
The productions at I Am Loud often blur the lines between traditional theatre and other art forms. Can you share insights into how you blend these elements and create unique entertaining experiences?
Spoken word is still an emerging art form; people never know exactly which box to put it in. For us that’s a huge opportunity as it means we have real flexibility with few preconceptions. It allows us to borrow aspects from across the artistic spectrum and create shows that are totally unique.
Could you highlight a specific project or production that you found particularly challenging or rewarding from a creative direction perspective, and share how you overcame or embraced those challenges?
As part of Edinburgh Fringe one year, we produced a show called ‘Loud Poets: The Fantastical Game Show Spectacular’ where we sought to create a 70’s game show aesthetic that still showcased contemporary spoken word poetry. We worked with professional improv comedians to formulate games that would work, we filmed poetry adverts and even a short mockumentary of the making of the show, there were dozens of props and a full set. All this was a massive departure from our regular formats and totally different from the way anyone else has presented poetry, but all the poets who came in as guests had a ball and we created tons of truly unique moments for audiences. We have even tweaked and incorporated some aspect into our regular show formats moving forward.
What do you believe sets I Am Loud Productions apart in the world of entertainment, and what advice would you offer to aspiring creatives looking to make their mark in the creative industry?
We are part of what is still quite a niche art form but even in that we have massively benefited from approaching things differently from the standard. Our work online has been a huge factor in that: we film all our shows and we also create podcasts, online workshops, and bespoke poetry films. This along with our live event programming is far too much for one person to achieve alone. We have only ever been able to achieve the things we do because we work as a team, so my advice would always be to find collaborators. Find people who can do something you can’t, who can challenge ideas and provide honest opinions, and who can share responsibility for all the tasks none of us enjoy.
What tips or advice would you give to someone looking to start a career in creative directing?
Learn how to write funding applications!!!
Do you have any upcoming events that you would like to share?
We have one more show in Edinburgh this year at the Scottish Storytelling Centre on the 8th of December
https://scottishstorytellingcentre.online.red61.co.uk/events?s=Loud%20Poets
As well as a show in Aberdeen on the 9th of December
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/i-am-loud-productions-12828900054
We’re also super excited to be performing at the wonderful Push The Boat Out Festival on the 26th of November!
Have your say!
Are you thinking of starting a career as a Creative Director? Are you studying this at college, University or drama school? Do you have any tips? Let me know in the comments and lets get a discussion going!
If you would like to share your creative processes, in an installment of StageSide Stories, then do get in touch. We would love to see you StageSide!
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