Who we are:
We celebrate the theatrical legacy of Stephen Joseph (1921-1967), the visionary producer and teacher, founder member of ABTT, and pioneer of theatre-in-the-round. Inspired by his example our mission is to encourage creative innovation, and technical and craft excellence in live theatre today, especially where these enhance the Actor/Audience relationship.
Our Aims are:
- To promote Stephen Joseph’s legacy and extend awareness of his influence on both historic and current innovations in performance.
- To recognize and promote innovative theatre practice – in writing, performance, use of theatrical space and the relationship between performer and audience.
- To initiate and implement projects and collaborations with others, which draw on the different creative, technical and craft-based strands of the industry (eg.via seminars, back-stage theatre visits and publications).
- To increase awareness and uptake of the ABTT Stephen Joseph Award as an annual national event that recognizes innovative, and inclusive theatre excellence.
Who was Stephen Joseph?
Stephen Joseph was one of the most influential theatre practitioners of the last century. He was a founder of both the ABTT and the Society of Theatre Consultants. He promoted new writing, architectural standards and technical excellence, and pioneered theatre in the round and adaptable staging. At the heart of his practice lay the close relationship between performer and audience. You can learn more about him by watching the short video below, or reading some of the materials included in the Additional Resources in the next section.
You can also find more information on who Stephen was here.
The SJC and its Work:
The Stephen Joseph Committee grew from a small nucleus of professional theatre practitioners and academics who had known, or been influenced, by Stephen Joseph in their own working lives, and who were reunited on the sixtieth anniversary of his death in 2017. They soon formed themselves into the Stephen Joseph Association, and in 2019 became a committee of ABTT. In the build up to the Centenary of his birth in 2021, our members were at the forefront in publishing, or republishing, material in various formats on Stephen Joseph’s theatrical life and influence. However, as a group we seek now to apply his thinking and ideas to support the development of innovative work in theatre today. We are keen to recruit new committee members to help us in this task and to develop additional new projects.
The Stephen Joseph Award:
To mark the centenary year of Stephen Joseph’s birth and the 60th anniversary of the founding of ABTT, the Stephen Joseph Committee established a new annual Award in 2021 to commemorate his life and work and to support initiatives and innovation in theatre today.
The ABTT Stephen Joseph Award 2024 is now open for nominations, find out more here.
– Stephen Joseph Award 2021
– Stephen Joseph Award 2022
– Stephen Joseph Award 2023
SJC Webinars
We have presented a number of seminars relating to Stephen Joseph and his ongoing relevance to theatre today, especially in relation to theatre in the round These can be found here.
Stephen Joseph Resources
Committee members, friends and contacts have built up an interesting range of perspectives on Stephen Joseph, his work and his continuing relevance to theatre today. These can be found here.
Stephen Joseph Archive
How you can join:
As with all ABTT Committees these are free to join. You can sign up when joining or renewing your ABTT Membership online by selecting the tick box “Join the SJC” while completing your ABTT Membership Application Form. Alternatively – simply email admin@abtt.org.uk and let us know that you wish to join.
