Meet the Artist: Verity Richards

A woman with brown hair and glasses crouches down and pulls a bright orange piece of fabric, which is also held by someone out of the shot.

Verity Richards is a drama practitioner who delivers creative sessions in schools as part of our Creative Classrooms project. We interviewed Verity to find out more about where her inspiration comes from and what she enjoys most about working creatively.

What inspired you to become a drama practitioner?

I love making theatre, and I love working with children and young people, so being a drama practitioner sits right in the middle of that Venn diagram for me! I believe that theatre is, and should be, for everyone and I love being that “creative person” who comes in to do something a little different.

What do you love most about creating drama in schools?

Children and young people often have a beautiful creative freedom, and I love working with their ideas, opinions and passions; they are often surprising and always inspiring. I love what they say when they are free to express themselves, and I love what they create when they step outside of their day-to-day structures.

A group of children smile and lift their arms in the air, wearing blue school jumpers and white polo shirts

How has the pandemic impacted your work? What have the challenges been and how have you adapted your practice?

The pandemic sent a lot of my work into the digital space, so I’ve had the opportunity to create podcasts, short films and voiceover work with young people, which was all new to me in 2020. Whilst it has been a tough few years, I’ve been amazed by the sense of community and quality of relationships we managed to build in digital spaces. That said, I love being back “in person”!

Where do you get your ideas and inspiration from?

As a theatre maker, I make shows that are about real people, so I spend a lot of time “people watching” in cafes, at train stations, in the airport, in the supermarket…! I find inspiration in new stories, old stories, films, theatre, music, poetry and conversation. But, all of that aside, the truth is that most of my ideas come to me in the continuous, rumbling hum of my very damp car on a very long drive!

Photograph credit: Verity Richards photographed by Foteini Christofilopoulou as part of Where We Stand, Shobana Jeyasingh Dance and Streetwise Opera, Feb 2022.

Three young people sit on the floor in a classroom, wearing blue school jumpers, blue and white checked dresses and a grey pinafore. The child in the middle holds their arm out and demonstrates a gesture and smiles

Find out more about the artists creating your darts activities here.

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