Interview with Tom Davies

Hi Brooke - thanks for these questions. I've done my best to answer them from the point of view of Cardboard Citizens:

What inspired the creation of Cardboard Citizens?

Cardboard Citizens was formed in response to the Cardboard City in London’s Waterloo in 1991. There’s more about the formation of the company here: https://cardboardcitizens.org.uk/who-we-are/history/

Why do you think Cardboard Citizens message is important?

I think we provide a space for people with experience of homelessness to express their creativity, and amplify the voices of those affected by national and international policies. I think our productions provide a place where people with and without experience of homelessness can hear from each other, and open dialogue to build understanding and create a better future.

What does Cardboard Citizens inspire to achieve?

Cardboard Citizens hopes to make brilliant theatre informed, inspired and performed by the lived experience of homelessness, and amplify the voices of people sidelined by society.

What do you think the future has in store for Cardboard Citizens?

We have recently welcomed a new Artistic Director (https://cardboardcitizens.org.uk/our-news/article/announcing-chris-sonnex/), so we’re looking forward to changing and adapting to the needs of our neighbourhood, our Members (our preferred term for our service users), and the age we live in.

What is a good foundation when starting to create theatre for the opressed?

Listening carefully and without prejudice to the needs, opinions and creativity of those oppressed by society.

How important is it for lower/working class ares in UK’s society to be exposed to theatre?

It’s important that all areas of the UK are able to speak, to respond to the times we live in, and to express themselves creatively through the arts. As we have an expertise in theatre, we definitely advocate for the combination of storytelling, physical expression and voice work that the performing arts can provide, and feel it can be really powerful when individuals are able to hold the attention of an audience with their story.

We’re also aware that for many people in the UK, stepping into a theatre building can be intimidating, or feel like a place that isn’t welcoming. We believe in removing these barriers to participation – that theatre should be for everyone.

Is there a lot of working class people employed in your company?

Our company – like many in the arts - could be more representative of the makeup of our city, London, but we do have people from working class backgrounds employed at Cardboard Citizens. We have worked hard in recent times to open our recruitment to make it fairer and to remove barriers for those from a low-income background:

We are always looking to have as diverse a range of applicants as possible. As befits our area of work, we guarantee interviews to candidates with experience or at risk of homelessness who meet the essential role criteria. We also guarantee interviews for candidates who meet the criteria and are from Black, Asian or Minority Ethnic backgrounds, or who are D/deaf or disabled. We also welcome applications by video.

Do you think theirs a positive future for working class people?

We definitely believe in removing the barriers to performing arts and society at large – we hope that working class people can be valued for the contributions they can make for society, and that our society can be increasingly equal.