My name is Archie Rowell, I’m an actor and Artistic Director of the Dorset-based production company, OffPiste Theatre – a National Youth Theatre Associate Company that explores theatre, film and hybrids of the two, with the goal of bridging the opportunity gap in the South West for emerging and mid-career creatives.
A drama school reject, I set up the company in 2019 during the second year of my A-levels, after my intake course with the National Youth Theatre. Since then, we’ve been lucky enough to be awarded three Arts Council England Project Grants, reached thousands of people with our digital releases and transitioned from a ‘theatre company’ to ‘production company’.
In 2021, while I was in Morocco filming a role on the new SKY television series ‘Colosseum’, I was offered a place on the JMK Director’s 6 month mentorship scheme. This allowed me space to consider what the next steps might be for me personally as a creative, and for OffPiste. Now focusing on using the company as a vehicle to showcase rural, working-class, emerging and underrepresented stories, being taken on as Activate’s new Trainee Producer, it’s been brilliant to see – from the inside – how a performing arts organisation focuses on inclusion.
One of my main responsibilities, while carrying out my 6 month contract, is to facilitate Activate’s ‘CREATE!’ programme – a course for emerging, Dorset-based creatives to better understand the conception, development and delivery process of artistic projects and events. I’m looking forward to managing the programme, and also assisting Activate in producing opportunities that make performing arts more accessible for those who might not easily be able to engage with it in Dorset.
When not working, I run silly distances around the countryside. In July, I’m running the 96 MILE Jurassic Coast in under 36 hours, in order to raise £10,000 for the suicide awareness and prevention charity, CALM.
If you’re interested in finding out more about CREATE! please get in touch with Archie.