Tim Wheeler shares Mind the Gap theatre company’s aim to make it possible for learning-disabled and non-disabled artists to work together as equals – not as therapist and client or facilitator and participant, but as artists working together. He looks at the processes in place to achieve this aim, how he works as a leader and what he has learned about leadership.
It’s a popular myth that artistic directors are power-obsessed tyrants. Of course, sometimes we can see this kind of behaviour in others and, if honest, in our own actions. Try being a power-obsessed tyrant full-time … it’s very tiring! Better to be collaborative and cooperative, sharing power with others, and being clear about what’s negotiable and what’s not.
