Michael Cornford

Positions please

With opening night of a musical at UNE's Arts Theatre just days away, Michael Cornford is under the pump. He will return to his old stage as technical director of the production - a community role that he relishes.

"Theatre gives my life purpose; it provides something that nothing else can," Michael says. "I want to share that passion with as many people as possible; to inspire others to create theatre or give them the opportunity a couple of times a year to go out, see something and be moved."

He had barely begun his Bachelor of Media and Communications/Theatre degree at UNE when Michael realised that his future lay not in journalism, but in the darkened wings of a theatre. He became involved in the first production of the amateur Felt Tip Theatre Company established by UNE alumnus Alex Robson, and went on to be a part of many subsequent Felt Tip productions, as well as the short play season of the Armidale Drama and Musical Society (ADMS).

"At UNE I became really set on making theatre," Michael says. "It provided the impetus for later studying technical theatre and stage management at the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA) and learning as many theatrical skills as I could."

Michael's time at NIDA forged opportunities for him to contribute to productions staged by the NIDA Open Program, Australian Theatre for Young People and Bangarra Dance Theatre, honing his talents as a freelance lighting technician and stage manager, sound designer and director. But it was the academic and theatre history grounding he gained at UNE that has proven fundamental to his professional collaborations.

"The BA gave me the shorthand you need as a practising artist to work with other artists and provide technical solutions," Michael says. "The group assignments and productions taught me how to work with others and how to resolve creative differences."

Now Michael's career has come full circle. In 2016 he returned to Armidale to take up the post of operations manager at The Armidale School's (TAS) 240-seatHoskins Centre. It's a demanding role, encompassing venue management and maintenance, production (set design, lighting and stagecraft) and scheduling for three TAS productions each year, as well as other touring shows for the likes of ADMS and the Tamworth Drama Society.

"The Hoskins Centre is the go-to venue in Armidale and, by necessity, I am a jack-of-all-trades," Michael says. "You're often the only expert in the room and called upon to oversee production. It's wonderful, especially working with young people when they are looking for something in their formative years. Theatre can be an important outlet, an escape from anxieties."

As a member of Armidale Regional Council's Arts and Cultural Advisory Committee, Michael has input into upcoming art projects and regional cultural development. He pursues his personal theatrical projects as the manager, producer and director of the Veracity Theatre Company - a small company composed of three core artists, all UNE graduates, dedicated to producing Australian work.

"We have done two shows (After Dinner and Cosi) and would like to expand next year and possibly tour one show regionally," Michael says. "The shows have to fulfil us creatively as artists, but also be right for our audiences. There is always the question of resources, available venues and casts."

However, Michael remains committed to providing regional audiences with great theatrical experiences. "It's something I am passionate about, to my core," he says. "Making art and participating in good art - as an audience member or on stage - is a deeply human necessity, and I believe everyone should have access to it. There is something really special about being in a live environment and that shared experience; we come into a theatre as individuals and we leave as an audience.

"But unless someone puts their hand up to make it, regional centres don't get to experience this. It has been the driving force in my life for the past 15 years and I'm fortunate that I have developed a broad set of skills that enable me to help make such theatre happen."