Sometimes your career destiny is written decades before you even get there – and for Stella Kanu, that seems to certainly be the case! After growing up nearby, she has eventually found herself in the all-encompassing role of Executive Producer at Brixton’s Ovalhouse Theatre – a community organisation that has been running for 55 years. With her daily tasks ranging from the practical to the artistic, Kanu is kept on her toes in a landscape that isn’t often filled with black women in powerful positions. Here, she tells Pride about her line of work, and her passion for black creative leadership.
The title ‘executive producer ’ entails a lot of things – any and everything!
It’s a new role with the organisation, but part of it is overseeing the building of a new space in Brixton: a four-storey space with two theatres, several rehearsal spaces and very different to what we have at the moment. My role is about preparing us for the transition to the new place in 2020 – I’m thinking about who’s going to be in this new building; the demographics of the audience; and how we will be ready and fit to artistically thrive once we arrive there. We want to be fully prepared for a new and beautifully diverse audience, while working towards ensuring a high quality theatre in a local context.
My passion for theatre and the arts pretty much came from The Ovalhouse Theatre.
It’s interesting, because I grew up just a stone’s throw away from the theatre; it was the place that I came to when I was really young, with my sisters. I used to spend a lot of time here, and it always made a big impression on me – there were people were being creative, and having fun but more importantly they were really political with what they were doing. And so, I spent probably about 11 years coming in and out of this building; to be back helping to run it, is wonderful.
As a black woman in a position like this, I feel often a sense of responsibility.
I make sure keep in mind that I’m a role model in a lot of ways, and I’ve spent a lot of time evaluating my goals, and knowing that I would often be in a white environment. I know that my style of leadership and communication is my strength and comes from my black female experience and all of the people that have been in my life: my family, community, leaders who I have seen deliver and do something. When you place that in an environment that is different to what you know, you’re forced to forge a path. I know I forged a path for myself, but I’m interested in there being even more visibility. We may be few, but there are other women like me around in these circles – so I do what I can to communicate and build together.
Sometimes it can be a very isolating position and you’re required to be strong.
You’re often required to be many things at once, and sometimes that can be a bit of a challenge – but I know I can rise to it. We’re often not given the same opportunities to make mistakes and learn from them – but also, when you look so capable, people often leave you alone, even if you do need help. So I’m aware of all of these complexities and I share them as much as I can with up and coming black leaders, as well as my white colleagues. I know my own journey, what’s necessary to succeed and some of the pitfalls, so I spent a lot of time reflecting and seeing how my experiences can help build a new landscape.
The Ovalhouse is preparing for its big move from Kennington to Brixton in 2020. Keep up with it, and check out the current summer series at Ovalhouse Theatre at ovalhouse.com
As told to Nicole Vassell
