JANE FISHER

I am an experienced educator, theatre-maker and leader. Although I began my teaching career with more time in the English classroom than the drama studio, I found myself being increasingly drawn into leadership - always driven by the feeling that I might be able to do a better job than someone else, and always with a sense of imposter syndrome, and a sense that my heart was longing for something else. Although I directed many schools plays and taught some drama in my earlier teaching years, I had never given this true calling of mine the chance it needed. After being IB Coordinator and Vice Principal, an incessant longing finally grew wings and I persuaded myself that this was my last chance to change tracks and pursue the arts and theatre teaching more wholeheartedly. 

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At the same time British School Jakarta were looking for someone with exceptional leadership skills to coax a team out of paralysing conflict and I was trusted with transforming their programme for Performing Arts. The transformation was almost instant: the most complex characters had decided to move on and the new team was desperate to succeed. It was maintaining the level of professional collegiality and high standards that I set in my first year that was actually more of a challenge. And keeping a team moving forward through numerous changes in senior leadership. But I am deeply proud of the work we created there: my own work, my students' work, and my team's work. Most of the work showcased here was created in those four years, except for some of the earlier productions at British School Manila and West island School, Hong Kong. 

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As the global pandemic of 2020 inspired/forced/allowed a sabbatical of sorts in Cape Town, I am now looking for my next challenge as a theatre-maker, teacher and leader.